A classic reborn in club colours
The Classic Jersey was Rapha’s first ever product. A bold expression of the company’s mission to create the world’s best cycling apparel, it changed the industry. Predominantly black and cut from an unorthodox merino-wool-based fabric, Bicycling Magazine’s Editor Bill Strickland declared it the ‘best bike jersey the world has ever seen.’
Twelve years on Rapha introduced a new version, the Classic Jersey II, in 2015. Reimagined once more in RCC livery for 2017, the evolved design is cut from a proprietary merino-wool-based fabric, milled to Rapha’s exact specification. Called RPM150 (Rapha Performance Merino, the 150 indicates grams per square metre), it is lighter, softer and more breathable than the generic merino-blends used in the first incarnation of the Classic Jersey and is adaptable to a huge range of conditions.
The construction of the jersey has also been overhauled with a reworked fit and bonding has been used extensively to improve stretch in the seams and reduce bulk.