Rapha Brevet Flyweight Wind Jacket Review

Rapha aren’t kidding when they call this jacket flyweight, it’s seriously light, but more importantly it packs down into its own tiny built-in pouch, so it’s easy to carry in a jersey pocket. Despite this lightness this is not a flimsy jacket, the thin fabric is surprisingly robust and the seams have stood up well to continued pulling on and off.

A jacket like this could easily be annoyingly flappy, but that’s not the case here as the fit is great: close but not restrictive. The jacket is very short at the front which looks a bit strange when you stand up but works really well on the bike.

The jacket is good at what it’s designed for: it will shrug off a light shower, keep you from getting cold on a long descent and will prevent you getting shivery at the coffee stop. However, it’s not a substitute for a proper rain jacket as the water will come through after a while and it’s also not that warm.

I’ve always found one of the strengths of Rapha products to be their breathability, but not this jacket. I’ve found if I wear it for an extended period, even if it’s not that warm outside and I’m not riding hard, the jacket quickly builds up a layer of condensation inside which is pretty unpleasant when you take it off.

Overall this is a great jacket if you use it as Rapha intends. It’s small enough to stuff in a pocket and forget about until you need it for sections of a ride where a bit more protection is required. Just remember to take it off again as soon as it’s stopped raining or you reach the end of the descent or you’ll end up very sweaty, very quickly!

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