Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket

The Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket has gained me many a compliment from fellow riders while I have been out testing it. It has a simple, classic design and excellent fit and it performs brilliantly... with a price tag to match.

• Pros: Lovely fit, comfortable, packable, super-windproof and water resistant
• Cons: Price, no pockets

I put the jacket on for the first time to model it for the photos you see in this review, and immediately mentioned what a lovely fit it was. There is room for a jersey and light layer or two underneath on colder days, but no unnecessary flapping or extra material hanging around.

> Buy this online here

It is surprisingly stretchy for such a water-resistant and windproof layer, which also allows it to fit over well-filled pockets at the start of a long day's riding. In fact, with the right layering underneath, I can see myself wearing this most of the year in the UK.

The wrist cuffs are slightly elasticated but not tight. They sit comfortably around my wrists and keep most of the rain out when necessary, but also help to make the jacket really easy to get on and off while on the move. You could easily slip a pair of gloves over or under the cuffs if you wanted to.

The dropped tail isn't especially long and without a gripper to hold it in place my bum ended up pretty exposed. It is slightly elasticated like the wrist cuffs, though, so it doesn't ride up over your jersey pockets.

One of the more unusual features of the jacket is its two-way zip. Initially, I thought this was a bit of a pointless extra feature – I have never been out riding and thought 'I wish I could unzip my jacket from the bottom'. However, I have actually found myself using it a lot, especially on faster rides when I got too warm and I didn't have a chance (or didn't want to) take the jacket off completely.

It may seem like a minor thing, but the zip is really easy to do up or undo with one hand, which can be a game changer, especially in a race. In this case it helped to make the jacket really easy to get on and off while riding.

The jacket itself is made from what Rapha calls its Shadow fabric, a mixture of nylon and elastane which is coated (twice – before weaving and after) with a durable water repellent treatment. It's not only breathable, windproof and highly water resistant, but is comfortable against my skin too.

I thoroughly enjoyed testing the jacket on a trip to the Brecon Beacons in Wales. It did a fantastic job of keeping out the strong winds at the top of the climbs, and the inside stayed pretty clear of beading sweat while I rode up them too. In his review of the men's version of this jacket, George thought it was one of the most breathable jackets he's ever tested, but I'd have to disagree. My experience is that it wasn't as breathable as the Sportful Fiandre Light Windstopper Jacket – maybe I just run hotter than George – but considering the Rapha's wind and water-resistant properties, it does a very good job. When moisture did start to collect inside the jacket, it dried very fast so I never got cold.

Most, although not all, of the seams are taped to help to keep out the wind and rain. Rapha describes it as water-resistant rather than waterproof, but I have worn waterproof coats that let in more than this jacket. While I was waiting for some rain to test the jacket in, I did a ride on the turbo outside while being sprayed with a garden hose. I tried everything from a light spray to a powerful, directed stream of water from a variety of angles, and it really felt like I was out in a rainstorm! Thankfully, other than a little water trickling down my neck, my jersey remained dry underneath throughout that experience.

Once the rain came, it dealt with persistent light to moderate rain extremely capably, the only fault being a little dampness around the wrists. I did get caught in a couple of more torrential downpours and on stopping to check the damage after about 10 minutes, I found my arm warmers were a little damp in places, but the rest of my body remained dry and warm.

The lack of coverage from the tail of the jacket meant my bum got pretty wet just from spray off the road, so a bit more protection here would have been nice.

Rapha's claim that the jacket will keep out all but the heaviest downpours has held true so far, and I would trust this jacket in any conditions I would willingly train in! Just like the inside, the outside of the jacket dries incredibly fast once the rain stops (or when it comes out the washing machine).

The jacket can be washed in the machine at 30 degrees and after a couple of washes it has remained just as water resistant as when it started. Of course, time will tell how long this lasts as I suspect the hydrophobic coating will eventually start to wear off, but so far so good. The fabric also doesn't seem to trap odours so I went several rides between washes without a lingering smell.

It feels lighter than its 175g to wear, but is noticeably a little bulkier to stuff into a back pocket while riding at speed than your average 'bin bag' style rain jacket. Having said that, I rarely folded or rolled the jacket before stowing it away and still managed to squeeze it into even my smaller jersey pockets.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best packable windproof jackets

Personally, I would have loved to see a pocket or two on the jacket for ease of storing the odd gel or shoving in a flapjack wrapper without having to lift it up over my jersey. In addition, a pocket would add another level of versatility to the jacket, helping to make it not only a great choice for training rides and races, but for everyday riding too.

In the past, the cheaper Sportful Fiandre Light Windstopper I mentioned earlier has been a favourite of mine for commuting, training and racing alike, but I think the Rapha trumps it in almost every department. I love the Sportful jacket, but although I often try to force it, it isn't really designed to fit in a pocket and is almost 100g heavier than the Rapha. The Sportful is more stretchy and incredibly breathable, but the Rapha is superior in wind and water resistance and the race fit makes it a better option for racing and training. Just add a couple of rear pockets and a longer tail and I'd say it was nigh-on the perfect all-round jacket.

> Buyer's Guide: Essential wet weather cycle clothing and gear

The only thing that puts me off is the price tag: £195. You certainly couldn't call it great value, but you do get what you pay for and if you can afford it, you won't be disappointed.

If you are looking for something totally waterproof with less of a full race fit, Tass recently tested (and loved) the Gore C7 Women's Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz Jacket. At £239.99 it is pretty pricey though, whereas the dhb Aeron Lab Women's Ultralight Waterproof Jacket (not reviewed on road.cc, but I have heard good things) is significantly cheaper at £150. Alternatively, that Sportful Fiandre Windstopper I keep mentioning (and love) is also cheaper, albeit less waterproof and harder to fit in a back pocket, at £160.

All in all, I have very few bad words to say. Perhaps a pocket or two would be nice and I'd love it if Rapha knocked a healthy chunk off the price, but the Lightweight Shadow Jacket is one of the best there is.

Verdict

An absolute delight to wear, meeting all of Rapha's claims – if only it wasn't so flipping pricey