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Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print Jersey

8
£140.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A well made and good looking casual riding jumper that's great for when the mercury drops
Weight: 
641g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print jersey is a great jumper for those casual city rides in colder conditions, when you don't want to be in Lycra but you do want a bit more protection than a non-cycling jersey gives. As you might expect, it doesn't come cheap – though it is currently reduced to £98.

  • Pros: Effective for cooler city rides, looks good off the bike
  • Cons: Expensive, a little noisy

The idea behind the Dot Print jersey is pretty simple: it is a high-quality, double knit jumper with a sewn-in windproof layer that keeps you warm when riding in colder conditions. It isn't a cycling-specific jersey, but it has some of the useful elements of one, including relatively good breathability and a zip pocket for whatever you may need.

> Buy this online here

The main selling point of the jersey is its windproofing, which works really well. It's a fairly basic system – a windproof layer sewn in across the front of the body – but it's effective and keeps the wind out nicely. This is also helped by the high collar, which gives a bit of protection to your neck too, which is nice to have on cold winter night. Tass reviewed the similar women's version before Christmas – though no dots or pocket there, and women get a short zip collar.

Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print jersey - collar.jpg

As with the women's, Rapha has included a high-vis element with the roll-up cuffs that look like regular cuffs when not rolled. Roll them back, though, and they reveal an area of reflective cotton and a luminous pink strip which helps to be seen at night. The zip pocket is useful, too, something the women's doesn't have.

Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print jersey - pocket 2.jpg

The jumper has a casual fit but is still designed to suit the sizes you would expect if you were buying one of its cycling-specific jerseys. I have always worn large Rapha tops, and the large jumper here fitted me nicely.

Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print jersey - riding 2.jpg

There is little to suggest there's a windproof layer underneath the front when you look at it. The only giveaway is that the jumper does make a little noise when moving about as the smooth windproof layer rubs against the wool. It isn't anything too noticeable unless you are in a quiet place, but when you're wearing it on the bike the only thing you notice is how well it blocks cold wind.

Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print jersey - windproof front.jpg

It doesn't come cheap, at £140, but it's a well made and good looking piece of kit that also performs well on casual bike rides.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling kit for commuting

Overall I was impressed with the jersey. If you need a jumper that looks good off the bike and performs well on it, it's a great choice. Breathability isn't as good as you would find with a traditional cycling-specific jersey, but when you compare it to any similar jumper not designed for riding, it's really good. The windproofing, which is the main selling point, is impressive in keeping the cold out.

Verdict

A well made and good looking casual riding jumper that's great for when the mercury drops

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rapha Merino Stand Collar Dot Print Jersey

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

It's a jersey designed for casual, urban, cold weather riding with a hidden windproof front panel.

Rapha says, "A knitted jumper with a high collar and concealed windproof front panel, designed with cool city riding in mind."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Rapha:

Concealed wind stopping fabric acts as a barrier to the wind

Back pocket with mini ring puller for ease of use

Fold back double 'signalcuffs' with reflective and hi-vis pink stripes for visibility

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Really well made. I'd imagine it would be difficult to conceal a windproof layer without it impacting the shape of a jumper, but Rapha has managed it well.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed really well, offering a useful level of windproofing with good enough breathability for casual riding.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Well made and some hardly materials used.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

Impressively good fit and shape while incorporating the windproof layer.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

It's great that Rapha can create a large jersey that fits me for performance riding and a large jumper that fits in a totally different, but equally effective way.

Rate the product for weight:
 
5/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

It's soft, warm and has decent breathability for casual riding.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It isn't a bargain at £140, but it goes some way to justifying the price. It's also currently reduced to £98, but only sizes M and L are available, so you might want to get in quick...

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy, just shoved it in the washing machine at 30 without any issues.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very wel. It's not a jersey designed for high-intensity riding, but for slower, more casual riding it performed very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The way it looks just as good off the bike as on it.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The noise it makes with the rustling of the windproof material against the main material.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's a very nice, good looking jersey with hidden windproofing, so it does everything you need it to with little fuss. It looks good off the bike and performs well on it.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Mercian King of Mercia or Cinelli Gazzetta  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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3 comments

Avatar
captain_slog | 6 years ago
0 likes

I have the fold-back cuffs on a different Rapha sweater and they're really cool. I'm surprised Mat (for it is he) isn't demonstrating them in all the pics.

OK, I haven't actually deployed them on the bike yet, but I keep showing them to people (if they don't run away first, 'Oh god here's captain_slog with his cuffs again.').

Avatar
NorthEastJimmy | 6 years ago
1 like

I'm a fan of Rapha but those dots are horrendous!

Avatar
Freddy56 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Objectively ...

If it was in Primark for 8 quid would you walk by.

Just asking for a friend?

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