The Rapha Trail Gore-tex Infinum Jacket has found its way into our guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets, but it’s technically only water resistant. However the Gore-tex Infinium fabric promises to stop light rain, be highly breathable while being completely wind resistant making it a good companion for winter riding off-road in the UK. The jacket dances the line between full-on MTB performance and gravel riding really well, while still looking good off the bike. I’ve picked it up just to walk to the shops because of the nice casual fit, and looks pretty darn smart. But you don’t want to hear about a stroll to the shops, you might want to hear how it went down on a cold, and very wet day on my gravel bike though…
Design and aesthetics
The jacket looks luxe; it has a nice outdoorsy fit without swamping you and the colour is a really rich royal blue. I’m not normally a fan of navy but this jacket gets a thumbs up from me. It also has the signature Rapha armband, but in a strip of small dots which seems to be its approach for all of its trailwear garments. Rapha rarely skips a beat when it comes to adding reflective details to any clothing and it is nice to have some as I’m rarely completely off-road for a ride. This jacket is a bit light on them, but as it’s intended for off-road use it probably isn’t a priority for Rapha or for you.
It’s got panelled gussets under the armpits, which are thinner and more stretchy than the rest of the jacket which are meant to allow full range of motion and increase breathability. The sleeves were plenty long enough for me and when I measured up against its size chart, the jacket that came was a good fit. I could probably go with a smaller one, but I do like the relaxed style and it gives plenty of space for layering underneath in the winter.
The cuffs are elasticated for faff-free removal and sat nicely over my watch and gloves without letting a draft find its way in. The hood and the hem of the jacket are adjustable with elasticated toggles so you can make sure everything sits where you like it when you’re on the move. The hood has a stiffer peak which is great if you opt to ride in a more roadie style helmet without a peak and don’t really want to wear a cycling cap. It sticks out far enough to do a decent job of keeping your eyes dry; handy if you like being able to see where you are going in a downpour.
The jacket has two chest pockets, one is accessible from the outside and the other is internal. They are both pretty small so you wouldn’t want to think of this jacket as upping your carrying capacity, unlike the Velocio Trail Anorak. However, if you want somewhere to keep a key or a card, they are useful enough.
There’s a hanger loop for quick drying when you’re not wearing the jacket. It’s the only feature of this jacket I would call annoying. The little elastic loop is quite rigid and has a small plastic sleeve on it, so it can dig into the back of your neck. I noticed it more, the more I had the jacket unzipped. It’s not the end of the world though, you could easily snip it out and put it on the back of a chair for quick drying as well…
Material wise, the hero of this trail ready jacket is Gore-tex Infinium. The entire Gore-tex range used to be exclusively waterproof until Gore purchased Windstopper and rebranded it. It wanted to fill a gap it had identified for something more versatile and comfortable for a range of activities. If you hop onto its website it persistently says “light rain” when talking about it, which isn’t confidence inspiring. Why not just use a waterproof jacket? I suppose the same reason you'd reach for something like a Castelli Perfetto ROS Jacket if you're of a more roadie persuasion, but how does it stack up on the trail?
Performance
How did the jacket stack up in a shower compared to the other waterproof jackets we’ve tested for the guide? Well the windproofness was really welcome when the temperature finally dropped this winter. The jacket is still breathable, but without letting wind pass through the fabric. Most of the jackets we’ve tested are very breathable, but they aren’t fully windproof. In cold winter conditions it’s such a welcome feature! But was it waterproof? I hear you cry.
Well obviously not, but it never pretended to be! I think the performance of the water repellent fabric was more inline with the description on the Gore-tex website rather than the overly optimistic one on the Rapha site. In a rain shower it didn’t take long for me to start noticing I was getting a bit wet. Mainly in areas with a lot of movement, like the crease of your elbow. Not wet through, but damp patches were appearing. At first there was a good amount of beading and the water was resting on the jacket rather than being absorbed. As I continued riding and the rain carried on giving, it started to breach. It’s not all bad news though…as the jacket is really windproof, I wasn’t cooled by the windchill.
I decided that this ride hadn’t been enough of a test for the jacket so I took it for another spin in Wales. If anywhere could deliver a cloud of drizzle, Wales could. As hoped, when I arrived in Afan there was thick mist clinging to the hills. Unfortunately this seemed like even worse conditions for the jacket. With a water resistant jacket, if you can shake the moisture off then you can avoid it permeating the jacket. In mizzle and drizzle, it was even harder to stay dry owing to it sticking in a fine layer that you couldn’t get rid of. So where is this jacket good for? I’d save the Rapha Gore-tex Infinium for a cold, muddy, splashy ride. If you know you’re going to get a pummelling by the deep puddles, or have mud and debris fly at you (and have opted against mudguards) then this jacket will have you home and dry. Anything more sustained and I’d be looking to the other waterproofs in this buyer’s guide.
The rest of the jacket stacked up, which you’d expect from a brand as established as Rapha. The over the helmet hood was snug and sturdy and the peak provided additional and welcome protection from the rain. The adjustment toggle was easy to use and I preferred to unzip at the collar slightly to take it off so it stayed as I wanted it for the rest of the ride.
The one feature I didn’t enjoy were the chest pockets. The zip was a bit fiddly and I found them too small to be useful for much. I find chest pockets a bit of a strange choice for women’s clothing as well. I don’t have a large chest, but I can imagine only having chest pockets as a storage option might go from inconvenient to uncomfortable if I did. I’m also not a fan of tiny pockets, but this wasn’t the smallest I’ve tested so there is that!
Rapha also called out the panelled gusset as a design feature to maximise breathability and movement. In addition there is the C-KNIT backer on the inside of the jacket to ensure it moves over your inner layers without any snagging or stuffing. This combo made for an extremely comfortable jacket that moves freely with you. If you’re planning an active ride on a range of terrains, you’ll be able to move around the bike in full comfort!
Value
At £295 this jacket is sitting at the higher end of the scale, but it’s not scrimping on the features or performance. First off it looks good; the fit is flattering and I’m going to bang on about the colour again…and I’m not even a big fan of navy! Everything works well, the zips were easy to use, the hood did its thing and there’s some reflective detailing for peace of mind on road sections. The combination of perks of the fabric is great for riding on cold winter days. Having a completely windproof, yet breathable, barrier that is also water repellent is a great combo for winter riding conditions in the UK.
Verdict
Rapha says this jacket is for ‘cold, wet conditions’ but I would stick with Gore-tex’s guidance that it’s for ‘light showers’ if staying dry is paramount. Persistent heavy rain is never going to be the right condition for a water repellent jacket. That being said, when you consider how breathable and wind resistant it is, a bit of water getting inside isn’t a huge disaster as you won’t freeze from the cold wind coming for you. If you are looking for a good winter all rounder that will keep you warmer than the other jackets that I’ve tested, snap this baby up. If you’re planning on riding in big showers on the reg, then maybe look elsewhere.
