Assos Airjack 851 or perhaps Rapha Softshell?

COVEC

My Pro Team jacket arrived this morning after ordering on Wednesday night. I am very pleased with it, the quality is exactly as you would expect with an item costing this much.

I usually wear a small in their jerseys to get a good tight fit, but ordered up a medium in the jacket and it was a good decision. The fit is definitely race oriented (slim but with decent fitting at the shoulders). I'm off out shortly to see how it performs with the finest Highland November (12C with ominous black clouds and the wind 15Kts gusting to 25Kts) I'll update on my return.


COVEC

primalcarl

My jacket arrived yesterday. Now I've seen it in the flesh it does indeed look more like a jacket than jersey. I did go a size up from usual and the fit is perfect, so thanks to those who gave advise on this. Probably not going to be cool enough this weekend to try it yet!

shane r

I love the way people dismiss Rapha for being too expensive whilst promoting Assos as an alternative!

I like both brands personally, Assos in particular for shorts, Rapha for jersey and jackets as I don't want to look like Captain Scarlet or an extra from Dr Who on the bike.

I love the way they dismiss Shutt whose handmade-in-Britain quality is equal (IMHO) to either-at a fraction of the price.

On the second point, apart from being handmade-in_Britain and of very high quality and tailoring, what also won me over to Shutt is their understated design and colour scheme.

ajb72

shane r wrote:

I love the way people dismiss Rapha for being too expensive whilst promoting Assos as an alternative!

I like both brands personally, Assos in particular for shorts, Rapha for jersey and jackets as I don't want to look like Captain Scarlet or an extra from Dr Who on the bike.

I love the way they dismiss Shutt whose handmade-in-Britain quality is equal (IMHO) to either-at a fraction of the price.

On the second point, apart from being handmade-in_Britain and of very high quality and tailoring, what also won me over to Shutt is their understated design and colour scheme.

Who is dismissing Shutt? I've barely seen a bad word written about them on this forum, they make decent quality stuff at a good price. I find the styling a bit naff at times personally but I wouldn't dismiss them for it.

Quality wise, I cannot agree there from personal experience. I own a pair of the pro team shorts (previous version). At £60 odd in a sale they are very respectable, but nowhere near the quality of my Assos Uno's. The pad is a cheaper gel version, the lettering on the leg started to come away after one wash and the white bib straps have discoloured badly despite being washed in exacly the same way as my Assos / Rapha gear. So good value, yes, but equal quality? - not even close.

on-yer-bike

Flanners1 wrote:

I have a few including the Rapha one and Gore, Campagnolo, Descentem Giordana. Rapha looks nice but for functionality and price Campagnolo Full Textran or Gore for me.

Yeah but.....

on-yer-bike

primalcarl wrote:

My jacket arrived yesterday. Now I've seen it in the flesh it does indeed look more like a jacket than jersey. I did go a size up from usual and the fit is perfect, so thanks to those who gave advise on this. Probably not going to be cool enough this weekend to try it yet!

Confused. I got a size up to compare and its too big. Especially under the arms and round the neck and the sleeves are too long. Are you guys wearing them too big? I spoke to a guy at Rapha and they are supposed to be race fit. ie close fitting.

ajb72

on-yer-bike wrote:

primalcarl wrote:

My jacket arrived yesterday. Now I've seen it in the flesh it does indeed look more like a jacket than jersey. I did go a size up from usual and the fit is perfect, so thanks to those who gave advise on this. Probably not going to be cool enough this weekend to try it yet!

Confused. I got a size up to compare and its too big. Especially under the arms and round the neck and the sleeves are too long. Are you guys wearing them too big? I spoke to a guy at Rapha and they are supposed to be race fit. ie close fitting.

Well we're not all identical are we, so advice is always going to be on personal experience. Most people seem to need to go up one size for pro team (the jersey was obscenely tight on me in my regular size!). Sounds like you are the exception that proves the rule.

thegreatdivide

Has anyone got a Rapha rain jacket and if so what's the fit like. I'm a Rapha M.

Eyorerox

Ribble has 25% off this weekend

ajb72

thegreatdivide wrote:

Has anyone got a Rapha rain jacket and if so what's the fit like. I'm a Rapha M.

standard fit, so a medium for you if that's your comfortable size. They are fitted but not race cut.

thegreatdivide

ajb72 wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

Has anyone got a Rapha rain jacket and if so what's the fit like. I'm a Rapha M.

standard fit, so a medium for you if that's your comfortable size. They are fitted but not race cut.

Cheers!

flanners1

on-yer-bike wrote:

Flanners1 wrote:

I have a few including the Rapha one and Gore, Campagnolo, Descentem Giordana. Rapha looks nice but for functionality and price Campagnolo Full Textran or Gore for me.

Yeah but.....

Ok, the Assos

Eyorerox

Flanners for the amount of dosh you have spent on jackets it would have been cheaper to move to somewhere warmer.

sloppyschleckonds

Eyorerox wrote:

Flanners for the amount of dosh you have spent on jackets it would have been cheaper to move to somewhere warmer.

20% off the Rapha softshell today using 'BACONEGG1'

on-yer-bike

Eyorerox wrote:

Flanners for the amount of dosh you have spent on jackets it would have been cheaper to move to somewhere warmer.

Pigeons in flight

Does anyone know whether the mentioned Rapha discount codes are still valid today? Thanks

APIII

Comeback15 isn't. I had the proteam jacket and another long sleeve top in my basket last night, but left it to this morning to click on buy, by which time it had expired. Saved me a lot more than 15% in the long run I guess.

thegreatdivide

Boo. I had a Rain Jacket lined up :-(

Pigeons in flight

Was on the verge of buying a softshell. I can (just) about swallow Rapha prices at 15/20% off given the amount of cold weather commuting I do. Full price...and I'm looking elsewhere.

Btw, for what it's worth...I have a Assos Airjack 851 jacket. I find it a wee bit chilly in the depths of Scottish Winter...but it is 4 years old, so has maybe lost some of its windchill protection with wear/washing, etc? It fits nicely and still looks good.

primalcarl

Just noticed Matt Baker on the One Show is wearing a Rapha Softshell jacket for his charity ride

Pigeons in flight

primalcarl wrote:

Just noticed Matt Baker on the One Show is wearing a Rapha Softshell jacket for his charity ride

Bloody poser

sloppyschleckonds

Pigeons in flight wrote:

primalcarl wrote:

Just noticed Matt Baker on the One Show is wearing a Rapha Softshell jacket for his charity ride

Bloody poser

Cheap advertising for them, I noticed on the first morning he set off he was wearing a Rapha long sleeve jersey.

daviesee

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Pigeons in flight wrote:

primalcarl wrote:

Just noticed Matt Baker on the One Show is wearing a Rapha Softshell jacket for his charity ride

Bloody poser

Cheap advertising for them, I noticed on the first morning he set off he was wearing a Rapha long sleeve jersey.

Is it at all possible that he just likes the gear and bought it himself :?:

cougie

The girl who kayaked the Amazon - Helen Skelton is it ? I noticed she was wearing an Assos jacket when she did her high wire walk at Battersea Power Station.

So in the Blue Peter Camp - its split exactly 50/50 Assos to Rapha.

sloppyschleckonds

daviesee wrote:

Is it at all possible that he just likes the gear and bought it himself :?:

Yes

primalcarl

What colour did you guys go for? What does the chartreuse colour look like in the flesh?

APIII

Got my proteam jacket yesterday due to them giving out another 15% off code last week. I like it. Not quite as wind proof as the softshell or gilet, but it feels very light and well cut. I had only a s/s base layer underneath and that felt right for this morning (9 deg).

primalcarl

How are people finding the sizing of the Pro Team now they've had a chance to use it properly?

I ordered a size larger than usual and like the overall fit a bit looser so I can layer underneath if necessary, but find the bottom of the jacket too big and as there's no toggles the wind gets in under. That's the trouble with mail order, not being able to try sizes before you buy. But I'm not sure the medium would have been big enough

McBain_v1

I have the Rapha jacket and really can't fault it, but it is not the warmest softshell there is - that honour goes to my Gore jacket which is simply awesome when the temperature drops. Unfortunately with this freakishly warm winter we are having it is too warm to wear. Mind you, the Rapha is easy to wear and fits very well.

PieterM

I have the Castelli Espresso Duo jacket and I love it. It is warm enough never to need more than a long sleeve baselayer and bibtights underneath. Quality and finishing is on par with Assos and Rapha. Sizing is Italian (i.e. racing snug), so I'd recommend to go a size larger if you like it more roomy.

This is the jacket: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/castelli-espresso-due-windproof-jacket/