Rapha’s Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket makes for an excellent winter jacket thanks to its exceptional ability to keep nasty weather at bay while remaining surprisingly breathable. It’s so good, in fact, that it’s one of the best MTB jackets you can currently buy - but such high performance comes with an equally high price tag, and some refinement would make this fantastic garment even better.
Rapha Men's Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket - Technical Details
At first glance, the Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket (we’ll call it Trail from now on) is a simple outer layer. There’s nothing too thrilling feature-wise as it gets zipped inner and outer chest pockets and a hood that’s large enough to fit over a helmet. The hood is adjustable and can be rolled down and secured to keep it from flapping around.
It’s only when you start looking a little deeper, that the features begin to get interesting. The jacket gets GORE-TEX Infinium 3L 30D nylon ripstop fabric that’s built to be breathable, windproof and very water-resistant, not to mention a C-KNIT backer to offer a bit of stretch and a soft feel.
Speaking of stretchy bits, there are stretch panels at each cuff and there’s a panel under each arm that has been placed to keep the jacket from hindering movement while offering an extra bit of breathability where it matters. Finally, as a Rapha product, it gets a dotted armband that serves as a visibility-enhancing feature. Oh, and there’s a hanger loop.
Rapha Men's Trail Gore-Tex Infinium Jacket - Performance
Rapha has nailed the fit of the Trail jacket. The medium (tested) provides plenty of coverage around the bottom hem and sleeves long enough to offer a good range of movement when stretched over the back of the bike, without getting too baggy.
The hood also fits well, and it’s one that I’ve used on many occasions, something that can’t be said for many hoods I’ve tested. I’ve never felt the need to cinch it down or stow it away in the included loops. It’s not flapped around or become an annoyance while riding.
On to the special bit and the Gore-Tex Infinium fabric, which has proven to be rather effective. Even during some miserable days on the bike, it’s kept me dry and comfortable. Things can get toasty, but I’ve yet to overheat and become uncomfortable.
The jacket’s breathability is impressive. At a gentle pace, it remains nicely temperate, but when rolling down a fire road and general trails at high speed, the underarm panels seemingly open up. This encourages a beastly amount of cool air into the jacket, encircling the torso in a well-regulated cuddle of cooling.
Now, Gore-Tex Infinium is a water-resistant fabric so it does struggle when faced with a torrential deluge, but in anything but, it’s held up commendably.
While the fit and the tech in the jacket are really good, it isn’t without a couple of minor issues. The first comes with its pockets. Granted, they keep any weighty valuables well out of the way of any hip pack buckles, but sometimes when trying to undo the main zip to remove the jacket, I’ve accidentally grabbed the pocket’s zip which leads to some mild but comedic confusion. Again, this is an incredibly minor niggle.
Though, with the Infinium fabric being so capable of keeping water out of the jacket, it would be really good to see some kind of extended cuffs as the elasticated ones are pretty basic and can leave a sleeve/glove gap. An extended upper cuff, found on jackets like the Altura Ridge Waterproof jacket, would further boost the Trail jacket’s weather-resistant capabilities.
Rapha Men's Trail Gore-Tex Infinium Jacket - Verdict
At £275, the Rapha Men's Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket is a costly proposition and there’s a lot of solid competition available for less. Let’s take Endura’s MT500 Waterproof Jacket II for example. On the test, the MT500 scored a full five stars for its great fit, excellent ventilation, and use of environmentally friendly materials. That one is £230, which will save you £45. Against the Rapha jacket, it’s a very competitive option.
The PNW Components Lander jacket represents incredible value for money, priced at £79. It comes with an impressively water-resistant DWR coating, a soft feel, a vast hood, and plenty of well-positioned pockets, but it’s perhaps not quite as breathable. But with a jacket this good available for such little cash, it makes Rapha’s offering pretty tough to justify.
I really like the Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket because it’s comfortable, breathable, and impressively good at keeping all but the worst of the weather out. I appreciate its low-key styling cues, too. There is some room for improvement, but the price tag is its biggest obstacle unless you’re a Rapha devotee. And if you are, you won't be disappointed with this jacket.