After a successful off-road debut, Rapha continues to wade further into the world of mountain biking apparel. With the Gore-Tex Infinium Trail jacket, the brand now covers all seasons from California summer heat to wet west coast winters. We’ve been riding the Infinium Trail out on Vancouver Island all winter and it is holding its own, with a slightly different take on rain gear than what’s out there right now.
Rapha Gore-Tex Infinium Trail jacket
Rapha already has a lightweight jacket, aimed more at blocking wind and covering the occasional showers. The Trail Infinium jacket targets full-on fall and rainy winter rides where the temperatures are lower and the precipitation steadier and more substantial.
Gore-Tex’s Infinium fabric is a windproof and, as Rapha describes, “extremely water-resistant softshell” fabric. Rapha is careful to say that it is not waterproof.
Performance: Rapha vs. January
In the wild, the Trail jacket cuts through wind very effectively. This makes the jacket nice and warm, even when you do get up to speed on the descents. It is still breathable, so you don’t turn into a sauna on climbs. But, without full-zip pit vents, it can be on the warmer side compared to some other jackets. Rapha does have a more breathable material down the torso and underarm in the same area that lets some air through, but it’s not the same as a full vent. I tend to run hot and often ended up opening the front zipper to cool down when it wasn’t a full downpour. Anyone looking for a bit of extra heat retention will be happy with the Infinium Trail jacket.
As for rain, the Trail Infinium lives up to its water-resistant claims. Light and steady rain will bead-up and roll off of the fabric. It’s not until you’re spending a good amount of time in heavy rain that moisture starts to get through. Even on solid rides in heavy rain I still didn’t find myself uncomfortably soaked and, with the windproofing, never felt cold.
All this did end up with some serious laundry to do. I had doubts that the purple test jacket would be able to completely shed all the grit, but it came away clean every wash. Like most Gore-Tex materials, the Infinium does require a special washing process (though it can be done in a washing machine).
Riding: fit and features
On the bike, the Trail Infinium jacket disappears more than some other…
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