Sam and Sheena Cycle

This is one of my favourite pieces of clothing that I’ve brought along with me.I bought it out of jealousy, Sam has one and he’s always looked so comfy in it. The only issue I had before I decided to get one was that I couldn’t find a review for the women’s one online, what works for men doesn’t always work for women and sadly we don’t often put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to let others know how our gear performs. Hopefully this review is helpful! The vapour rise lite is made of Rab’s very own Pertex Equilibrium fabric and a lightweight fleece inner, and for me is an excellent all rounder. The fleece lining is soft to the touch and feels great against my skin. The fabric is water repellant, and although it wouldn’t stand up to a heavy downpour, I find it great in misty and drizzly conditions and it means I don’t have to go running for my waterproofs. It’s also incredibly breathable and at the same time, keeps the wind out nicely. This means I don’t get too sweaty on a gruelling hill climb and also keep cosy when I’m whizzing back down in a cold breeze, it keeps me warm but prevents a build up of sweat. The zips also have a windshield behind them adding to the windproof performance. On colder days when I have a few kilometres of descent on the bike, it’s not quite warm enough by itself. However, this is not what it’s specificaly designed for and I’m happy to layer up. For hiking, climbing and mountaineering, this is less likely to be an issue and for Autumn and milder Wintery days, it is perfectly warm and performs well. The pockets are well designed so that wearing a harness or rucksack won’t stop you accessing them. It’s a useful design feature but I have one minor niggle with it. I can’t put my hands in my pockets! I sometimes like to warm my hands up this way but it’s a no go with the vapour rise. Not a major problem, but worth mentioning I think. The zips open and close easily as well as having two way functionality. Personally, I don’t tend to use the two way zip, but it’s good to have the option. I’m a fan of how high it zips up, right up to my mouth almost, without making me feel like I’m being strangled! It keeps me toasty and warm particularly on chilly Autumn mornings. The hood is also well designed. It pulls all the way over my head even with my abundant hair tied up. This is usually somewhat of a problem for me so it’s refreshing not to have the hood slip back off my head all the time. The wired peak keeps drizzle off my face, and even when I’ve crumpled it up in a ball and thrown it into a bag, reshapes easily. The draw cords are easy to access and not too fiddly to do up to make it a snug fit. I’ve found it really handy on several different occassions, sometimes to keep the mozzies off and sometimes to keep my noggin warm. One of the best things about this jacket is how well it washes. I’ve worn it every day for almost three months now. It has been trailed through muck, covered in splashes of oil and has generally stood up to tremendous amounts of abuse and filth, but once it has had a wash, it looks as good as new. Finally, I love the cut of this jacket. As I’m travelling, I can only carry a limited amount of clothes. As well as being incredibly functional, the slim fit is flattering and I’m happy to wear it in towns and cities when we’re relaxing as well as when I’m cycling. In summary, this jacket has been an absolutely indespensible piece of kit. It is lightweight (just over 300g), packs down small, looks great, but above all, performs superbly. I can’t recommend it enough.

You can find it for Sale at Cotswold Outdoors