Review

Rapha Commuter Reflective T-Shirt – Review

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When it comes to cycling in style, Rapha are basically the dream brand. Whether you’re a pacey road cyclist or an urban commuter, they’re sure to have a delicious collection of stylish cycling clothes to meet your needs.

As more of a commuter-type, I’ve always loved Rapha’s City collection. Everything about their gear is beautiful, including simply how the stuff is presented on the website.

So, following up on Rohan’s review of the Rapha Lightweight Commuter Jacket, I’ve been getting to grips with one of their new summer cycling t-shirts: the Commuter Reflective T-Shirt.

Rapha Commuter Reflective T-Shirt
  • Fit
  • Function
  • Style
  • Value
  • Quality
4

Summary

The Rapha Commuter Reflective T-Shirt is a lightweight and breathable shirt designed for urban cycling. It features reflective elements for visibility in low light conditions, a slim fit for comfort and style, and moisture-wicking properties to keep you dry and comfortable during your ride.

Pros

  • Great quality
  • Extremely comfortable
  • Light and breathable
  • Nice polka-dot reflective detailing

Cons

  • Reflective disc diminishes style

Rapha Cycling T-Shirt for Commuters

Now, this t-shirt is available is a serious range of colours, ranging from the classic black, grey, blue and dark green tones, to the more gaudy pink and orange (officially “dark yellow”). But whenever an orange option comes available to me, I feel like I have to take it to truly represent Discerning Cyclist. So orange (“dark yellow”) it was.

This is by no means a cheap t-shirt (RRP £45), but by Rapha’s notorious reputation for pricing, this can be considered a bit of a snip.

And it’s not a plain cotton t-shirt, either. It’s a legit cycling t-shirt that’s packed with functionality.

Reflective Cycling T-Shirt

Now, as the name indicates, this is a reflective t-shirt aimed at commuters. So how is it reflective?

Well, the main reflective features are on the lower back of the tee – just where they should be.

Lightweight Tee

As I live in Spain in the summer and continue to commute to my co-working space almost daily by bike, having a light and breathable t-shirt is an absolute must.

In that regard, Rapha have done a great job with this t-shirt. It is made from lightweight 105gsm polyester fabric which is both very soft on the skin, while also being very stretchy and breathable. It even has an anti-bacterial treatment to prevent odours. A winning combo for summer rides.

The fit of this reflective t-shirt from Rapha is on the slimmer side, but certainly not quite “slim fit”, while the added stretchiness of the tee makes it very comfortable.

In Summary: Rapha Commuter Reflective T-Shirt

The Rapha Commuter Reflective T-Shirt is a winner. I wouldn’t say it’s the most stylish item I’ve seen in the City collection as it does teeter towards looking functional. That said, if you tend to cycle in low light on summer evenings, that added reflective detailing may be a welcome plus.

At £45, I’d say this is a borderline Rapha bargain. It’s clearly not cheap, but you do get a very good t-shirt, that’s been well made and is very practical for your money.

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