Foldable Bikes Party: Rapha women's Souplesse jersey and bib shorts review

Thursday, 2 June 2016

Rapha women's Souplesse jersey and bib shorts review

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The Souplesse range from Rapha is based around Rapha's Pro Team Kit, as ridden and tested by Team Sky, no less. The focus is on performance fabrics, breathability and a form-fitting cut.

In typical Rapha style, while the kit might be inspired by the pro peloton, it eschews the often garish colours and branding for a more subtle, understated look. If you're the kind of rider who likes their performance kit in plain, bold colours rather than loud prints, then this is worth a closer look.

Rapha is also a brand that has demonstrated an interest in and commitment to women's cycling. As well as producing and retailing one of the most extensive ranges of women's road kit on the market, it's also sponsored the Canyon//SRAM team, one of the top UCI rated women's teams in the world – and incidentally created some of the most eye-catching kit on the pro circuit in the process.

Rapha's hazard-warning inspired Canyon//SRAM team kit is now available to buy

The sizing question

When I've asked women cyclists before why, if they own Rapha kit, they like it, one of the most common responses is the quality of the fit. Rapha cuts cycling kit exceptionally well. Furthermore, its approach to sizing is fairly in keeping with British and American sizing – meaning if you normally wear a size medium on the high street, chances are you'll be a size medium in Rapha kit too – and is refreshingly at odds with the that shopping for women's cycle kit can often be. That said, previous iterations of the Souplesse jersey did size up smaller than other Rapha items, but the cut has been updated and the fit now works across the brand.

I tried the size medium jersey and shorts, and as a curvy UK12/US8, they fitted well. The jersey, with its race cut, does sit high on the stomach when standing but lies smoothly in position when riding. The bibs are pleasingly long, sitting just above the knee (I'm 5ft 8in), which is good news for taller women. If that's not you though, Rapha also offers a shorter length version.