For the gravel grinding adventurers and bivouac bag bikepackers among us, there's a new range of clothing available from Rapha to help ease the bite of winter cold, to keep our adventure going as the temperatures become prefixed into negative territories.
The newly expanded Explore range from Rapha is designed to keep you warm and dry through the most demanding of off-road two-wheeled adventures and has been tested in the unforgiving conditions of Iceland to ensure it's up to the task.
On multi-day adventure rides, wind-catching baggy mountain bike jerseys or race-cut lycra are unlikely to be your go-to choice of apparel. Neither are fragile waterproof cycling jackets, which are unlikely to be a sensible choice when it comes to shouldering your gravel bike while traversing a section of unrideable rubble.
Rapha has combined a relaxed fit, and hardwearing materials to create a range of clothing that is ready to be worn both on and off the bike. Technologies from elsewhere in the Rapha range have been tailored to the demands of week-long epics. Gore-Tex fabrics are used to increase weather resistance, wicking fabrics from the Flyweight road jersey has been integrated into the Explore Long-Sleeve T-shirt, and insulating fabrics have been stitched into the Explore Technical Pullover.
The Rapha Explore range
The Explore range isn't a new concept from Rapha, but for 2020, the British brand has expanded its offering with new technical clothing for both men and women that includes t-shirts, pullover jumpers, jackets and bib tights.
Women's Explore range: 2020 additions
Men's Explore range: 2020 additions
You can browse the range at Rapha.CC
In addition to this range, thankfully, there's an entire category of cycling accessories dedicated to coaxing you through the tough times and sub-zero struggles. With winter shoes designed to ensure your toes remain cosy, mudguards to keep the spray away and winter cycling gloves doing their best to prevent dexterity deterioration.
