Rapha Women’s Trail Windblock Jersey

The Rapha Women's Trail Windblock Jersey is lightweight top that handles a wide range of temperatures well. The design is understated and it's a versatile bit of kit – although its headline act is 'trails' and mountain biking, Rapha says it's optimised for long-distance gravel rides too. At £100 though, it's got some strong competition.

On the road it's not so difficult to ride consistently and maintain a relatively stable body temperature, but off-road it's not so easy. One minute you are making a sweat-inducing, lung-busting effort, while the next you're barrelling downhill into a freezing wind. The Windblock Jersey is designed to cope with it all, combining a windproof front panel with the performance of merino and adding long, protective sleeves.

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The main body is Rapha's 'Performance Merino Off Road' wool blend, and it's very smooth and comfortable against the skin. Meanwhile the sleeves are a more durable nylon fabric that's designed to be snag resistant, and while it's rougher and thicker than the main body, it's still comfy and not scratchy. I can confirm it puts up a decent fight against brambles, too...

The neckline is well-judged; snug enough to keep drafts at bay but not so high that it stifles you.

The cuffs are an elasticated, tapered band of silky fabric. They hug rather than cling, and as they have more give than the sleeves they let you shove the sleeves up a bit for cooling if necessary.

Sizing and fit

According to Rapha's size chart, my chest measurement puts me in a small, my waist a medium. I've been testing the small. It's good fit, if perhaps a little more snug than I'd normally look for in an off-road jersey, and I found both the sleeves and body a bit short by a couple of centimetres. If you are between sizes, going up will give you a better, looser fit for off-roading.

Performance

I used the Windblock in a variety of conditions, with a variety of kit and on all my bikes; it's certainly versatile. With temperatures in the mid-teens Centigrade I found it good on its own, and as they sunk towards single figures it worked well over a baselayer. It's light but surprisingly warm, and the windblocking panel doesn't stop it breathing well (in fact, it's the sleeves that breathe the worst, so a short-sleeve base works best).

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Nevertheless, I could work hard in this without sweating excessively. In exceptionally cold weather it was also brilliant for long, steady rides on the road or gravel bike.

I wouldn't rule it out of touring or bike packing kit, and the casual style works well off the bike too.

I'll admit to even trying a run in it, but the sleeves/armpits aren't designed for that and it tended to overheat; this is a versatile top, but still most definitely a cycling one.

Value

The Rapha is pretty expensive for what it is; while it personally impressed me, I'm not convinced it justifies its £100 tag. Given it's the company's first venture into off-road kit though, they've done pretty well; not every road-orientated manufacturer can, as Assos showed with its Trail Women's LS Jersey. It certainly didn't impress Rachael on our sister site off.road.cc, either with its fit or its £105 price.

If the Rapha's understated looks don't appeal, something like Hackney GT's LS Jersey could be up your street, especially as it's nearly half the price at £55.

For a more traditional 'mountain bike' look, there's the very warm Scott Women's Trail Storm LS, which also includes a small zipped pocket and a lens wipe... and is still cheaper than the Rapha at £80.

As far I can tell, very few off-road specialists offer a directly comparable top. Mons Royale comes the close with its Tarn Merino Shift Wind Jersey for €100, but while that might undercut Rapha on a conversion (£83 at the time of writing), good luck with the post-Brexit shipping. Unfortunately, UK distributor Tiso doesn't seem to stock the Tarn Merino.

Conclusion

The Trail Windblock is a well-considered bit of clothing that has a lot going for it – but then, Rapha is asking a lot for it too. Thankfully its looks and performance mean it's not limited to just the trails, but while it's good, a lot of cheaper jerseys are too.

Verdict

Light, warm and versatile casual top with a windblocking front, but the price is very high