As winter looms near in the northern hemisphere, Rapha claims a new kit to be the best thing to stick it out and ride hard all the way through the winter. For those of us who take pleasure in heading out on the cold dark days, and need gear that is up to the challenge of pushing hard, training and racing year round, the new Pro Team Thermal Aerosuit is a one stop solution to staying comfortable. Combining Rapha’s best Pro Team-level jacket and tights into a single garment with an aero skinsuit style, the Thermal Aerosuit can serve just as well for winter racing and training. Zip in after the break to get a closer look at the details with Sky rider Peter Kennaugh…
The Aerosuit was conceived as a reaction to bulky winter wear, with layer upon layer that often ends up either restricting movement or flapping in the wind. Even the pros struggle with training through the winter, and Peter Kennaugh gives a good take on what winter riding means to him on the Isle of Man over on Rapha’s story blog.
The Thermal Aerosuit pulls the best features from the Pro Team line-up to create a single piece of kit to rule them all. The top is based on the excellent windproof, weather-resistant, and breathable Pro Team Jacket that we reviewed and raved about last winter, while the bottom is a variation on the similarly techy Pro Team Winter Tights.
The lower half of the suit uses a mix of windproof and breathable fabrics to protect the legs. The bottoms are lined with a waffle-shaped fabric that captures pockets of heat next to the skin and whose extra surface area is better at wicking away. For a chamois, it uses the same thick one sewn into the Pro Team shorts.
The Aerosuit gets three full-sized pockets that sit flat when empty to keep the aero gains found in their warmer weather aero jerseys, and includes reflective details for improved visibility. The front of the suit gets a 3-layer waterproof fabric for the top and legs (53% polyester, 34%polyamide, 13% lycra), while the back use the breathable brushed fabric (85% nylon, 15% lycra).
The Thermal Aerosuit just came into stock at Rapha HQ and is available to ship from their site today in any color as long as it is black (thankfully with reflective accents). Pricing is quite high at $440/395€, which sounds pretty astronomical until you add the prices together of a separate Pro Team jacket and tights. We’ll update with official pricing as soon as it is confirmed. We’re not sure about how performance will last on the softshell fabric that you have to wash after every ride, but it certainly looks to be the nicest winter onesie we’ve seen yet.
