Rapha Women's Winter Jersey

Rapha's Women's Winter Jersey is a lovely garment to pull on when there's a chill in the air, with noticeably thicker fabric than the original Classic, but on really cold days you'll still need an extra layer above or below – there's no windproofing to the front like you get with the men's. You'll need to get in quick to buy one though (currently at a discounted price of £80), and only if you're an M or XL...

Other than the fabric, it's very similar in style and design to the Classic Long Sleeve Jersey that Lara tested a couple of years ago. Both it and the Short Sleeve, reviewed in 2010, were made with Sportwool, in a 52/48% (LS) and 40/60% (SS) merino/polyester mix, but the Winter Jersey ups the cold comfort levels with a fleecy inner to its 'heavy duty' Sportwool in a 25/71% merino/polyester blend (and 4% elastane), and it's noticeably warmer.

> Buy this online here

The jersey's Roubaix-like inner means it's very soft and comfortable against the skin, though you're quite likely to be wearing it over a baselayer. It fits to your contours without being overly clingy, and wearing layers underneath isn't a problem. It's not bulky either, so you can pull on a windproof over the top without it feeling restrictive in any way. (In Rapha's research, it found women prefer the versatility of a gilet rather than extra windproofing, and it does mean you won't overheat on warmer days.)

The sleeves are a generous length – on the long side when you're off the bike, with slanted cuffs that keep your wrists covered while riding. I'd go longer rather than shorter any day, but especially on cold ones. The cuffs aren't ribbed but they do fit quite tightly, and do a good job of keeping out draughts as well as slipping under gloves easily.

The overall cut is virtually identical to the Classic – kind of classic, really: longer at the back, held in place by a thin strip of silicone gripper (and a drawstring if you need to tighten it), and not too short at the front. It works and feels great, on and off the bike.

Other details? The YKK zip has a baffle behind and a garage at the top to protect your neck, but the zip tab is quite small and can be difficult to get hold of in full winter gloves.

There are the usual three pockets in a row on the back, plus a zipped one for valuables on one side. The outer two pockets are cut straight across rather than slanted, like the Classic, but they're still easy to access. They're a little deeper because the tops aren't angled, so a bit more secure too.

Unlike the Classic, there's no strip of reflective below one pocket – instead, the signature Rapha arm band does that job, reflecting brightly in headlights. In fact, the whole of the jersey has quite a sheen to it; it's not too disco, but it definitely has a shimmer, which you might or might not like... (The 'blue' is also a very purply-blue... though there is raspberry too.)

Unlike the Classic jerseys, there's no eyelet cut in any pocket for cables – headphone wearers beware. But unlike the Classic Jerseys, it does have a handy hanging loop.

> For more warm winter cycling wear, check out our guide here

It's all beautifully made (in Lithuania), with mostly flatlock stitching, and nothing to suggest anything's going to go wrong. And as with any Rapha product, if it does get damaged or fails outside of the warranty period, it can be returned for free repairs.

And that just leaves price... Rapha products don't come cheap, but they are very good quality. If you object to paying this kind of money for a cycling top, don't. If you're happy to accept that high quality garments tend to come with higher prices, it's not bad value. And at the time of writing the Winter Jersey is discounted to £80.

Verdict

Beautifully designed winter-weight jersey, though you'll need extra layers for really blowy days