Rapha jumps into the chaotic late night criterium racing crowd with their oil-slick inspired Crit Collection. Besides the obvious iridescent fabric (seriously dyed to resemble an oil slick), the Crit collection builds in features like reflective dots & logos, transparent race number pockets, and a close fitting aero cut across the skinsuit, shorts & jerseys range for men & women.
Rapha Crit criterium Pro Team racing kit
The new Crit Collection gets a number of features that Rapha says tailor it for racing around on tight urban circuits, often under the cover of night. The kit range includes a men’s aero skinsuit, standard & Flyweight jerseys, and Pro Team bib shorts, plus a women’s Flyweight jersey.
Tech Details
One of the core ‘race-ready’ features of the tops is a layer of lightweight transparent mesh over top of the main three jersey, split into left & right compartments for racers to slide in their race numbers without having to pin them on. If officials don’t like the slightly obscured number, it at least offers a fabric to pin to without damaging the body fabric, especially helpful on the skinsuit.
The legs of the Pro Team Crit Bib Shorts and the Crit Aerosuit are also cut longer, and get simplified stitching, both for a more aero profile. The Flyweight jerseys are among the most ventilated race jerseys Rapha makes, designed for racing in hot urban heat island conditions.
Pricing & Availability
The Crit Aerosuit is the premier of the flashy new collection and will set you back $315/270€ with the same shorts fabric and dual-density chamois pad as Rapha’s recent Pro Team Bib Shorts II update.
Again the same light fabric & pad, the Crit Pro Team Bib Shorts sell for $235/200 with their extended leg, single seam around the leg, raw cut grippers, and matching oil slick mesh bibs.
The standard Crit Pro Team Jersey is $165/145€ and includes the race number mesh overlay like the skinsuit, while both men’s & women’s Crit Flyweight Jerseys are $135/120€ without the mesh overlay, but all getting three pockets out back.
Worth remembering is Rapha’s user-friendly free repair service. This iridescent kit is meant to be raced, and crit racing means crashing as far as it seems from the outside. Rest assured that your fancy, shiny Aerosuit will get patched up for free and be as good as new not long after you slide through the city streets one night racing in it.
