Jerseys

Rapha Pro Team Flyweight jersey – review

Rapha’s lightest jersey proves to be the king of cool, but it’s not flawless

We’ve come to expect good things from Rapha over the years, especially in the Pro Team range of clothing it produces. And as that range has grown, the Pro Team Flyweight jersey has emerged as the lightest and coolest in Rapha’s armoury.

Weighing just 112g for a medium, you would expect the jersey to really excel in the hot conditions that might best some of us… and it really does.

Having tested this jersey on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez this summer, as well as in the hotter days the UK has experienced this summer, it has proved to be an incredibly capable warm-weather jersey.

The Pro Team Flyweight is Rapha’s lightest short sleeve jersey

Specification
Price: £130
Sizes: XS-XXL
Size tested: M
Colours: Grey; light blue; red; black; black lines; pink lines
Website: Rapha

While of course it never stopped me sweating, the sweat I did produce was always wicked away quickly, allowing me to enjoy the odd cooling breeze when it came about.

This is especially the case on the front, which is made of a slightly lighter 75gsm fabric to allow air to permeate through, while the back is hardly much heavier, with mesh under the pockets and laser-cut holes under the arms to help more heat escape through these often-covered areas.

Thankfully, Rapha has also recognised that with sweat comes the potential for rubbing and chafing, so it’s avoided fitting silicone grippers at the continental-style longish sleeves. It’s not done the same at the waistband however, which does feature a strong (but low-profile) silicone band.

While it stays put, the mesh fabric above it (and underneath the pockets) is hardly structural enough to support the gripper, which means you get the sense of a tighter band slightly higher around your waist than I would like. It works but is frustrating and could easily be adjusted using a wider, textured gripper.

Luckily there’s not too much wrong with the jersey otherwise, because the fit across the shoulders is fantastic, and although I found the length a little short in a medium, I can understand this given the lightweight intentions of the jersey and the Pro Team range it sits in.

Instead, while this isn’t a jersey badged as ‘aero’, it can certainly be very form-fitting if you buy the right size without suffering from any restrictions in movement thanks to its stretchy feel and quality cut, although the neck is a little close (I have a relatively wide neck and prefer to have the zip released slightly in any jersey I wear).

The four rear pockets provide plenty of storage, but the silicone gripper beneath could be improved, given the lack of support in the mesh fabric above it

On that point, the zipper is easy to adjust on the fly, while it’s backed with a fabric strip that doubles as a zip garage at the top to avoid rubbing at the nape of the neck. There’s a little ‘Pro Team’ stripe detailing near the top, along with a little more either side at the base, and of course Rapha branding on the ubiquitous left arm band.

Additionally, the jersey looks unmistakably Rapha from behind too, with those distinctive strips on the right rear pocket.

Rapha Pro Team Flyweight jersey (Pic: George Scott/Factory Media)

All the pockets are spacious enough for a long day in the saddle, and despite the slight lack of support in this area nothing’s falling out anytime soon. Nothing will fall out of the zipped security pocket either, although it’s not weather (or sweat) proofed thanks to the mesh backing, so it’s best to keep those bank notes in a plastic cover.

Conclusion

The Rapha Pro Team Flyweight jersey is near-perfect for hot summer weather. The silicone waist gripper could be improved, but this is otherwise an excellent piece.