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Rapha launches gravel-specific Explore pants and adjustable-length waterproof jacket

New jacket designed to work on and off the bike

Jack Luke

Published: January 31, 2023 at 12:19 pm

The Rapha Explore Gore-Tex jacket and Explore Pants are the two latest additions to the brand’s range of gravel/adventure/bikepacking (delete as appropriate) cycling kit.

The Explore Gore-Tex jacket features an adjustable hem and large pockets, packs down into its hood and costs £395/$530.

The Explore Pants feature a drivetrain-friendly slim cut and DWR coating. They will set you back £140/$180.

Rapha Explore Gore-Tex jacket

The new jacket is designed for gravel riding. - Rapha

The Rapha Explore Gore-Tex C-Knit jacket is a zip-up waterproof jacket designed for gravel riding, bikepacking and day-to-day wear.

The jacket has a generous cut, enabling you to fit an insulated layer (Rapha suggests the Explore Down Jacket) beneath.

Adjustable hems enable you to alter the cut of the jacket. - Rapha

Adjustable button-up hems enable you to raise the front of the jacket for a better fit when riding in an aggressive position (jackets with a long cut tend to bunch up around the stomach). The front can then be dropped for a more casual cut when off the bike.

The jacket is made from an unspecified Gore-Tex three-layer fabric that features a C-Knit lining.

The jacket rolls down to stuff into its hood. - Rapha

The new jacket is made from Gore-Tex's Performance 3L fabric with a C-Knit liner.

The jacket is available in either Rust or Navy colourways.

What is Gore-Tex C-Knit?

Gore-Tex C-Knit is a thin circular knitted nylon fabric bonded to the innermost layer of some Gore-Tex fabrics.

The lining layer is said to improve durability, protecting the relatively fragile waterproof membrane from abrasion, while also improving breathability.

Some jackets feature a free-hanging mesh liner that performs a similar purpose.

C-Knit reduces bulk compared to this, while improving feel – wearing an unlined waterproof jacket (such as those made from ShakeDry) against bare skin feels a bit like wearing clothes made from slices of ham.

Rapha Explore Pants

The cut of the Explore Pants looks spot-on. - Rapha

The Rapha Explore Pants are made from a four-way abrasion-resistant stretch fabric.

The trousers have a tapered cut and elasticated hems. This should keep them away from dirty drivetrains. An integrated belt will also keep them in place on shoogly terrain.

Elastic hems reduce the chance of oily trousers. - Rapha

The trousers are DWR coated and, in a very welcome nod to sustainability, ship with colour-matched iron-on repair patches.

The trousers are available in black or dark grey.

Jack Luke

Deputy editor

Jack Luke is the deputy editor at BikeRadar and has been fettling with bikes for his whole life. Always in search of the hippest new niche in cycling, Jack is a self-confessed gravel dork, fixie-botherer, tandem-evangelist and hill climb try hard. Jack thinks nothing of bikepacking after work to sleep in a ditch or taking on a daft challenge for the BikeRadar YouTube channel. He is also a regular contributor to the BikeRadar podcast. With a near encyclopaedic knowledge of cycling tech, ranging from the most esoteric retro niche to the most cutting-edge modern kit, Jack takes pride in his ability to seek out stories that would otherwise go unreported. He is also particularly fond of tan-wall tyres, dynamo lights, cup and cone bearings, and skids. Jack has been writing about and testing bikes for more than six years now, has a background working in bike shops for years before that, and is regularly found riding a mix of weird and wonderful machines. Jack can also often be seen zooming about with his partner aboard their beloved tandem.
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