Rapha launches Spring/Summer 2017 women’s cycling range

Rapha has continued to improve and expand its women’s cycling range this season with new products for racing, training and long-distance riding. To highlight the range, the brand sent three riders on a training camp in Malaga to build their mountain legs and give the new products an outing in the warm Spanish weather.

Rapha has added hot-weather products to provide female riders with kit for all conditions and temperature ranges. With its focus on fabrics, finish and seam placement, the Souplesse range has been developed for improved on-bike fit with fabrics more closely matched to Rapha’s Pro Team collection, which has been extensively researched and developed with input from leading men’s and women’s WorldTour teams including CANYON//SRAM. Insights from the CANYON//SRAM team have led the development of the new season range.

The women’s Brevet range, designed for long-distance and multi-day riding, has been boosted by the addition of bib shorts with a perforated chamois and fabrics that can be washed and dried overnight. In the Classic range, the Women’s Classic Wind Jacket II and Women’s Classic Gilet II have been overhauled with a fabric update and increased reflectivity built into the seams. A new addition for SS17 is the Women’s Flyweight Jersey, designed for hot weather riding. The Flyweight is Rapha’s lightest jersey yet, and has been designed for wearing in hot and humid conditions.

The new additions to the range are the culmination of years of research and we have worked obsessively to perfect every detail

Maria Olsson, Rapha’s Pro Team and Souplesse designer, said: “We worked a lot on pressure points and how to minimise pressure across the body whilst still keeping you supported and comfortable. The new additions to the range are the culmination of years of research and we have worked obsessively to perfect every detail.”

Rapha’s commitment to the advancement of women’s cycling doesn’t stop with apparel: the Rapha Women’s 100 returns again this year on the 23rd July. The day will see thousands of women ride at least 100km, wherever they are in the world.

The Rapha Women’s 2017 Range

Rapha Women’s Souplesse Aero Jersey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As worn by CANYON//SRAM women’s World Tour racing team and previously only available in team colours (reviewed by me here), the jersey has been updated for 2017. Inspired by our pro riders and tested in the wind tunnel, the fabrics are engineered to perfection and it is cut for an aerodynamic fit. The collar is cut to sit flat for aerodynamics and the fit is slim for maximum air flow over the body. With longer sleeves, aero fabric and minimal technical finishes, this jersey is the result of years or research.

The Rapha Women’s Souplesse Aero Jersey comes in sizes XXS-XL and retails at £130.

 

Rapha Women’s Souplesse Lightweight Jersey II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lightest jersey in the Souplesse range, the main body fabric is 110gsm which has excellent wicking and stretch for hot days in the saddle. Details and stitching have been made as light as possible, to make the jersey feel barely-there, with laser-cut ventilation holes for additional breathability. The pockets have a new construction with an internal wall, providing extra storage even in the smallest sizes without adding any bulk to the jersey. The backs of the pockets are mesh-lined for air flow next to the skin.

The Rapha Women’s Souplesse Lightweight Jersey comes in sizes XXS-XL and retails at £120

 

Rapha Women’s Souplesse Bib Shorts II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Performance bib shorts for racing and high-intensity training, updated for 2017. With fabric based on the award-winning Pro Team Bib Shorts, these bibs are supportive, opaque and breathable. The mesh upper is constructed from a high stretch, high-wicking fabric and have been crafted to minimise pressure points across the shoulders. The shorts have a new low profile gripper that is raw cut with a wider impact area to minimise pressure points on the leg whilst staying in place.

The Rapha Women’s Souplesse Bib Shorts II come in sizes XXS-XL and retail at £175

 

Rapha Women’s Brevet Bib Shorts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designed and developed for long days in the saddle. The straps have a lined mesh fabric for comfort whilst reflective stripes on the legs provide visibility in low light and poor conditions. With a higher front rise, the upper portion is designed to work like a base layer to provide warmth on descents or in cooler temperatures while helping with ventilation on climbs or in warmer conditions. The Brevet Bib Short fabrics and chamois are quick-drying and designed to be washed and dried overnight, ready for the next day’s riding. Cut in a Classic fit for comfort and breathability.

The Rapha Women’s Brevet Bib Shorts II come in sizes XXS-XL and retail at £180

 

Rapha Women’s Flyweight Jersey

 

Cut in a more relaxed fit than the Souplesse collection, the Women’s Flyweight Jersey is for riding in extremely hot and humid conditions. Lightweight and highly breathable, made from a high-wicking and fast-drying fabric, the fit of the jersey is designed to sit slightly away from the skin to allow air flow around the body. The collar sits low for improved breathability, unnecessary seams have been removed to improve moisture transfer, and a mesh yoke and lining inside the back pockets increase ventilation in areas of high perspiration.

The Rapha Women’s Flyweight Jersey comes in sizes XXS-XL and retails at £95.

View the full Rapha women’s cycling range here.