Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II review

The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II are designed to suit more ‘aggressive’ road riders spending extended training hours in the saddle.

Broadly speaking, they do a great job of offering protection – perhaps more than is claimed – from the elements, while the chamois is very good for long rides.

That said, the fabrics used are relatively thick, which seems to affect breathability to a degree, while also causing me some small discomfort behind the knee.

Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II details and specifications

The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II are the British brand’s top-spec bib tights.

Ensconced in the Pro Team line, they have a race-oriented, slim cut.

Rapha says the front-facing panels are made of a DWR (durable water repellent) treated wind-blocking fabric, with more flexible panels used behind.

On the front side, the seam transitions above the knee, while on the back the seam lives below the knee and just above the calf.

The legs have a pre-formed shape, ‘bending’ at the knee for improved fit. The waist is cut relatively narrowly, but quite high.

The bib section has thick elasticated straps, bonded to a rear panel that, although lined in a patterned thermal fabric, is thin.

Rapha has opted to use two forms of insulation – patterned ‘Roubaix’ fleece lining behind the front-facing panels and brushed fleece under everything else.

The ankle cuffs are slip-over, as opposed to zipped, and there's a small pocket on the backside of the bib section.

Inside, Rapha has included its Pro Team chamois – a dual-density model made by Cytech. It’s size-specific.

A size large fitted me quite well – I wouldn’t want to go smaller for the narrowness in the waist – but the legs are a little longer compared to most bib tights I’ve come across.

I’m 188cm tall, but it’s telling that Rapha’s own model is 183cm, yet wears a size small.

Rapha offers the Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II in six sizes (XS-2XL) and in three colours: the all-black as tested, black with white branding, and grey-brown 'Mushroom' shade.

Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II performance

The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II are certainly premium performance bib tights.

They insulate very well and are water resistant thanks to the use of its wind-blocking, fleece-lined fabric throughout, the concept of which was first introduced with the brand’s now-retired ‘Shadow’ products.

On a test ride, during which it rained constantly for 90 minutes, the outer fabric held firm, keeping the worst of the rain at bay.

A small amount made it through the fabric, but the underside was only damp as opposed to wet through. Importantly, I didn’t feel cold under the fleece lining.

The penalty for this is a slight lack of breathability when it isn’t very cold.

The front-facing fabrics are relatively thick, which seems to create a greater barrier for moisture to escape. That's great for protection in sub-zero windchill, but not so good when the weather is mild and/or humid.

Of course, this is a balance every brand must try to find when designing its bib tights – Rapha seems to have leaned more towards deep-winter protection than the widest-ranging operating conditions.

The fabrics fit well and articulate nicely around the knee joint. There’s a small amount of ruffling behind the knee, but the pre-formed shape of the leg seems to mitigate that well.

The elasticated ankles are a little tight to squeeze large feet through, while the overall construction can make pinching and pulling the tights into their perfect place a little tricky, but these aren’t deal-breaking issues.

I prefer to sacrifice protection around the knee in exchange for a more comfortable fit. The Pro Team Winter Tights are a compromise in this respect, but one I would be happy to live with.

The chamois is excellent. It’s well padded and shaped, and it offers great comfort for long rides in my usual ride position (somewhere between a typical racer’s long and low stance and an endurance bike rider’s more relaxed position).

The bib section is very comfortable, distributing any tension well, but the straps seem unnecessarily chunky and firm in their elasticity.

I sweated a little more than usual under them, and occasionally noticed their bulk while riding. It's a niggle, but one that could easily be remedied.

While the fit is slim, the tall bib section covers the navel area without compressing down on it too much. This is a plus in colder and wetter weather, where the sense of protection is welcome but you don’t want to feel too ‘squeezed’ in.

As befitting their very good performance, Rapha slaps a premium price tag on them at £250 / $325 / €285 / AU$420.

Certainly, there are better value-for-money options. The Dhb Aeron Lab Winter Bib Tights stand out, almost matching the Rapha tights for overall performance, but for a hefty £70 less.

However, compared to the similarly priced Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind Bib Tights, which are also very strong deep-winter performers, I would call it a score draw – it’s the very minor details, or your brand allegiance, that might sway you one way or another.

Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II bottom line

The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II are high-performance tights with a high price tag to match.

This will take it out of the range of budget-conscious buyers, but that price is somewhat justified if you have the budget.

While breathability in mild and humid conditions isn’t fantastic, these tights’ warmth, protection and comfort combine to bring a premium level of performance in the worst weather that might just help you brave it.