Category Archives for fashion

Rapha Ladies Softshell & 3/4 Bibtight Review

Bianchista has been putting in some chilly winter miles in two pieces from the latest women’s specific range from Rapha. Namely the aptly titled ‘Classic Softshell’ jacket, I say aptly due to the fact this jacket has been a core product of Rapha’s offering for no less than five years now…. I guess the old adage of ‘If it aint broke don’t fix it’ comes into play here. Again Rapha have taken a hugely successful product from their men’s range and refined the design with some clever subtle tweaks, enabling a greater fit for the female form, just as they did with their Wind Jacket and Classic Jersey. 
The softshell is something a of of riders covet, whether they choose to admit to or not, and is often regarded as the ‘rolls royce’ of the cycling specific jacket world. I was curious to out one on test to see if this perception of uber-jacket was mainly due to its price-point and perceived quality, or weather it actually did stand out from its competitors due to its features. Upon trying on the jacket, the quality of the material is apparent from the word go. Its a difficult to describe feeling, it certainly has the feel of a robust heavyweight jacket yet its still a very light material. The jacket is made from a material mix, and coated with a hytel membrane, the same as you will find on other such items as shells from the North Face. Described as water resistant I resolved to get a few wet-runs in the jacket to give a feeling of weather-proofness. One feature I certainly looked forward to utilising was the cute little pull down storm flap. 

Neatly tucked in the rear of the jacket and held in place by a wee velcro fastener is a lovely little drop down storm tail, adorned with a large and sumptuously reflective Rapha logo, I found myself unfurling it whenever riding in less-than-daylight (I do a lot of pre-6am and post-11pm commutes home due to the nature of my work) to give me that extra piece of mind that I was enhancing my visibility to city drivers, as the logo is stunningly reflective. I should mention the purpose of the flap is actually to protect riders from that awful ‘wet-bottom’ syndrome that plagues the mudguardless. But lets be honest, how often have we been caught out in an unexpected shower sans guards? exactly…. and this neat little feature will save your tush from a soaking, sadly not ones bootie-less feet though. 
The cut of the jacket is similar to their wind jacket, slim form fitting, with arms ample in length to allow coverage when in the riding position. At the end of the sleeve are some lycra cuffs with a thumb-hole should you wish to sport for that extra insulation, a nice little feature. Pink contrasting cable loops line down the inside of the jacket with a cable slit on the interior pocket to allow hassle free routing of mp3 players should you wish to train to music and such. Rapha have again stuck with their classic 3 pocket arrangement, with a zipped valuables pocket for coins and cards. The central pocket has an extra inner pocket to securely hold a pump, and the three pockets work just fine, being a decent size that can handle being stuffed with plentiful supplies for those extra long winter rides.

The jacket itself is described as ‘water-resistant’ and I can confirm it does indeed take quite a downpour for it to eventually soak through. Once it does dampen the fabric, it dries incredibly quick however. I rode for an hour and a half in snow just yesterday, and I found the jacket perfection indeed when teamed with a campri hiking baselayer. In fact Im sure I could have ridden on longer in comfort had my toes not froze over (might be time to look at those heated sidi insoles!). The jacket is super in conditions of around 12-13° and lower, its truly designed to see you riding warmly in those ‘epic’ deep winter conditions. Whilst it is very breathable, its a cold conditions jacket, so on those milder days it may be a little overkill for long rides, although it does feature pit zips to get some air flowing through to cool the torso area. The collar is a nice height, not too long, and combined with a fleeced lining makes it non-restrictive next to the skin.

The 3/4 bibshorts look fantastic, with the main difference being to the mens version is the coverage on the front of the bibs, with a nice bodice style top added to them. The back area of the bib remains an open design, helping regulate core temperate and ensuring overheating is staved off.
The bibshorts feature the same chamois that was found in the summer half shorts – the aptly named ‘anatomic gem‘ from cytech. Its well padded and simply a joy to wear on long days in the saddle. On wearing the bibshorts there were two main things I noticed. Firstly, the fleece lining was unbelievably soft! Im not sure if this is a new blend Rapha are using but the lining felt substantially softer and warmer than it did on the mens 3/4 I have had for a couple of years. It kept my thighs toasty when heading out in lower temperatures. Secondly I noticed the leg is cut shorted on the ladies version when compared with them men. I found the length too be fine, and on those super cold days I actually wore a pair of knee length compression socks under them to cover my lower legs from the freezing wind. Gone are the iconic white panels on the knee area for these ladies version, with a subtle rubberised Rapha logo adorning the side of the legs, and a natty little reflective tab behind the knee area.
The straps are a great fit, holding the shorts in place perfectly, without being too tight. Raphas ladies-wear runs true to size, with both items in xs (UK size 8) fitting me like a glove. However if your unsure, best to ping them an email with your particulars on and im sure they will be delighted to advise on sizing.

On the back of the bibshorts lies a cute stash pocket, I tend to plonk a note in there for the customary Box Hill bakewell slice and coffee stop. Its not intended to stuff endless amounts of provisions in there but is a decent size for either a small phone or money/cards etc.
The shorts might not be warm enough for those coldest sub-zero riding temperatures if planning on a very long time out in this sort of climate, but for an autumn/winter riding piece they perform great, and I think due to how the shorts also seem to wick when things warm up a bit, these shorts can be worn right up to spring, making them a versatile 3 season addition to any cyclists wardrobe. Whilst £160 is no small amount to spend on a pair of cycling shorts, id recommend these to any ladies spending serious time in the saddle, whether its a super long commute you face daily or weekend training miles, they function above other shorts in terms of comfort and their subtle plain black styling will appeal to those who like to cut a dashing figure in flattering black.

The jacket comes in at an eye-watering price of £260. Now if your one of those people who is going to extol the virtues of “picking up a cheap one that does the job just as well in Aldi” then please look away now. The jacket is for riders who take their kit seriously, its highly functional, with every feature well thought out and necessary. Factor in the style-points (and lets face it – that’s what rules a lot of our purchasing power right?) and the jackets robustness, its a worthwhile investment that a rider can be confident they will still be sporting three or four seasons later. Should you wish to indulge yourself and ride in a luxury jacket (albeit with a luxury pricetag) then this is the piece for you. Ideal for those with an aversion to ill fitting, boil-in-the-bag style day-glo neon hues. Worth mentioning the jacket is now available with a free winter hat over at Rapha’s website, somehow cushioning the financial outlay. Oh, free postage too!


Rapha Classic Ladies Softshell is available over at Rapha in sizes xxs-xl , likewise their Ladies 3/4 Bibshorts can be found at Rapha too.
An alternative bianchista review of these items can be found over at the wonderful WashingMachinePost blog.

Rapha & Paul Smith

Iconic British designer Paul Smith has collaborated for a few seasons now with Rapha, producing exotic special limited edition items that seems to appear and disappear from the current range only to become extremely sought after on the second hand ,marketplace, thus is the desire to own these specially commissioned products. Paul Smith has put his twist on items such as team issue printed wallets, leather summer mitts, and this season sees a whole capsule range launched cataloguing a wide range of clothing and accessories for those keen on something a little different. In the below video see Sir Paul chat with Rapha about all things cycling…

Check out this notebook from Paul Smith, scoop now and use a free shipping code until Tuesday FREESHIPNOV30. A wicked little stocking filler, perfect for taking notes at work or even logging training progress…

Compression – Prendas Ciclisimo Style

Over the past week or two, bianchista HQ has been testing out some of those rather curious looking compression socks from the very lovely Prendas boys. 
Im sure many of you have noticed the rather in vogue trend of wearing special recovery garments post ride, usually in the guise of knee length socks or full length tights. Many claims are staked by manufacturers of said garments….. improvement in recovery, injury prevention and even improvements in output. But is it to be believed, or is it simply a case of marketing hype and merely a passing fad to which we will all look back upon with a wry smile in a few years time?
The Prendas socks are constructed from a mix of the fabulously space age sounding Lycra Energy and Skinlife Meryl fabrics, and come in black, with a comfy padded heel and toe area, making them very comfortable indeed for a post ride laze on the couch. The theory behind the socks is the tightness they fit with. Its this feature that provides the graduated compression, that in layman’s terms, pushes the blood back to the heart and helps flush lactic away from tired calves. 

I wore the socks after various rides, between 2-5 hours. I was initially sceptical of the claims, but as soon as I was home, I drank my usual protein drink and then pulled on the funny looking socks, reminiscent of something from my high school PE lessons. I tried to keep them on as long as I could, on a couple of occasions even popping them back after a bath and sleeping in them.
After the first session of wearing the socks (after a 4 hour Surrey ride) I was very impressed. I’m not sure if the effect was psychological, but my legs definitely felt lighter and fresher than when I do my usual big ride and crash out without the socks. I noticed about a 40-50% reduction in how tired my legs would normally feel, and I was able to get out on the bike the next day go just as hard. I wore the socks after a week of riding in the park every day prior to work, with some sessions being hard interval rides, that edge I felt the socks gave me was so very welcome indeed. The socks can be worn inconspicuously under work attire, meaning when sat at the desk they can get to work and reinvigorate knackered legs.  

Once again Prendas manage to smash through the value for money barrier, offering the socks for a shade under £15, great considering other compression specialising manufacturers are whacking a tenner on top of that price. I was also impressed at their sizes, with two different calf sizes available to ensure the right compression is yielded. 

For the price of £15 I would highly recommend these socks. Whilst the subtle edge that I felt they gave me could even be explained away as a placebo effect, for the price offered, they are definitely worth a punt. So many pro riders are pictured wearing the socks post racing, that anything the pro’s do for an edge must have some sort of reasoning behind it! Il leave you with a pretty good endorsement of the product from champion cyclo-crosser Helen Wyman post Koppenberg win….

Prendas Compression socks are available in various sizes at £14.95