Rapha Swift jersey now in stock

Okay Rapha fans,  if you want a jersey with birds on it your luck is in because Rapha's Swift jersey 'has arrived'. We liked the look of this little black number when we saw Rapha's Spring/Summer collection a few weeks back. It's the one with the fast-moving relative of the swallow embossed on it as decoration the birds have no performance enhancing function, well aesthetic performance possibly - if you like swfits.

Like all of Rapha's performance jerseys it's made from Sportwool – 60 per cent polyester and 40 per cent merino wool, which we can't help feeling should actually be more accurately called Sportpolyester™, but maybe that's just us.  Anyway the jersey was inspired by the US city of Portland and is aimed at the urban cyclist who wants a performance jersey, but who also wants something a bit stylish and different for riding around town in too. Cut is the standard Rapha design, and like the rest of this season's collection it features three good sized pockets at the back.

Rapha sent us these pics of the Swift, modelled by Portland frame builder and cyclist Ira Ryan, Rapha describe Ira as a 'legendary' framebuilder… he's only been at it four years, but give the lad his due he certainly builds a pretty bike – his site www.iraryancycles.com is definitely worth checking out especially the galleries and particularly the one of the racks he has made some of which look to be real works of art.

The Swift Jersey costs £115 and is available from www.rapha.cc