Rapha Men's Core Jersey

Rapha's Core Jersey joins the Core Bib Shorts, reviewed here, in its new 'affordable' range. Although £75 is still not what you might call super-cheap, it is a fair bit less than other Rapha jerseys and, crucially, bar a couple of personal fit issues, it's very good.

It takes design cues from the Classic range and strips it back, eschewing the signature contrast stripe on the sleeve and instead opting for a subliminally stitched version. Elsewhere, you find same-colour stitching and a fabric that more closely matches the Pro Team jerseys than Rapha's wool-based offerings, just without the skintight fitting.

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It's a great compromise that includes decent features and fabrics from Rapha's previous designs and research. It has a slim yet not restrictive cut, with a long back and sizeable pockets. Each of the three open pockets and the zipped fourth are easy to reach, although when the pockets are empty the jersey can ride up. I found this occurred especially when I had a jacket on over the top, even though the silicone grippers around the waistline are prominent and feel high quality and grippy to touch.

The zip is a slim affair, but feels solid and seats itself very well when you're doing it up. Slightly amiss, for me anyway, is the neckline; it feels a little restrictive when the zip is done all the way up to the top and you're down on the drops. That tightness then passes around the shoulders.

I found the same thing with the first iteration of the Pro Team Softshell jacket, so perhaps this first edition of the Core jersey will be finessed in terms of fit following more customer feedback.

It is true to size – I usually wear a large in Rapha kit, and this broadly matches that. And sleeve length is absolutely perfect – it's incredibly comfortable around the biceps and triceps, and sits perfectly against the skin thanks to the slim cut. It's small things like this that help reassure you the designers at Rapha know what they're doing.

The Core jersey comes in pastel blue, pink, black and the navy blue we had on test. For the record, the navy blue washes out very well and doesn't crease easily while drying, retaining its fit and quality looks as if it were new after multiple washes. As long as you keep oil away from the brighter colours, the jersey should last you a good few spring-through-to-autumn seasons without letting you down, wicking sweat well while also remaining fresher on longer rides thanks to an antibacterial treatment applied during the manufacturing process.

> Check out our guide to the best summer cycling jerseys here

Taken in the context of Rapha's wider range, £75 isn't bad value. Sure, it isn't 'cheap', but if you want the kudos of riding the Rapha label, with good quality and a generally good overall cut and design, it's a very appealing option.

Verdict

Still not super-cheap, but it's good value (for Rapha) and typically good quality