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TECH NEWS
Rapha launches Shadow bad weather range
Rapha is releasing a new racewear line called Shadow that’s designed for riding in bad weather.
We first mentioned the Pro Team Shadow Jersey last summer when we reported that it’s designed for riding in the rain, wind and changeable conditions that can make clothing choice really tricky, especially if you're racing.
One issue with regular rain jackets is that the laminate and membrane construction keeps rain out, but also prevents perspiration from escaping. It’s the age-old problem with riding in the rain; don a waterproof jacket to keep the rain out, but boil-in-the-bag and get damp from sweat on the inside instead.
“Shadow is a breathable, highly protective single layer made possible by a pioneering, Italian-milled, stretch-woven fabric that contours to fit the position of a racing cyclist,” says Rapha.
“Developed at the request of Team Sky for a garment to wear across various and changing race conditions, Shadow is the leading edge of product development from Rapha.”
We’ve not seen the Shadow clothing ourselves, we’re relying solely on Rapha for all our information here.
Rapha says that the yarn is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) before being stretch-woven into fabric. Then it gets a steam-pressure treatment that shrinks it by half before another DWR is applied.
“What that produces is an extremely dense fabric,” said Rapha’s Lead Designer Graeme Raeburn. “It wouldn’t be physically possible to actually weave yarns that close together and so, consequently, Shadow provides very high wind resistance and excellent water repellency. It also has a fantastic range of movement and fit and, that crucial difference, amazing breathability.”
Team Sky used the Shadow clothing in last year’s Classics.
As you might have guessed, the Shadow clothing isn’t cheap. The jersey is £220 and the shorts are £260.
They’re available at rapha.cc and in Rapha Cycle Club stores.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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9 comments
http://road.cc/content/review/144507-stolen-goat-orkaan-race-tech-jersey
Similar concept. Be interesting to see how that compares, given the price.
I suspect the colour choice, or lack of, is out of necessity based on the manufacturing process to create such densely woven material, it involves steaming the fabric at such high temperature it shrinks by 50% in size, so anything other than black probably goes or looks horribly wrong.
So, (Sherlock) what do we know:
1. It's wind resistant, that claim is made.
2. It's, well, DWR coated, so we can imply some rain run of there.
3. It's water resistant. Hmm. Nowhere does it say that. It talks about why rain jackets don't work but doesn't say that it is one. It talks about sealed seams (presumably internal) as offering more rain protection, but the fabric isn't water proof, so what's the point?
What is it? Foul weather gear. OK. We'll have to wait for the test to see if it can live up to the claims that are not made for it.
Ridiculously expensive matt black clothing for bad conditions? Someone is going to be a genuine Fashion Victim soon enough
Hmm, double the price of Gabba? Or NoRain?
Maybe not.
I don't mind spending money, the Castelli, Vulpine, and Gore Bike Wear stuff I have is costly, but this doesn't seem to bring any further benefit?
...and the price? €705 for a pair of shorts & short sleeved shirt....think I'll remain 'slightly soggy'...
Why Black? For low light conditions that is just stupid. Rapha website has this to say:
"It looks just like the name would indicate, so that you can remain hidden in the shadows until the time comes to attack the race."
If you're racing you're in club colours (and not many clubs have rapha doing their club kit...). If you're not racing the last thing you want is to "remain hidden in the shadows"
As it is rain gear would've been nice if the range included some hi vis stuff.
As it is a DWR, will it wear with time? and if so how much time? (or more to the point washes)
As for the other obvious, that is a lot more than a gabba, so the benefit is?