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rapha pro-team lightweight shadow jacket

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

we are blessed with two ferry ports serving the island; one in the south at port ellen and another further north, at port askaig. the port ellen facility is owned by caledonian maritime assets ltd (cmal), who operate it on behalf of calmac ferries, while the northern port is owned by argyll and bute council, who charge calmac the equivalent of landing fees to tie up alongside. though it may seem a tad excessive to own two piers at which a car ferry might berth, there is at least one particularly good reason why this is beneficial to the island.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

the prevailing winds round these here parts emanate from a southerly or south westerly direction, winds that, if strong enough, can greatly trouble any boat attempting to berth at port ellen. the boat has to turn into the bay, avoiding submerged rocks near the pier; if the wind hits it side on, all can be less than hunky dory. when such a situation occurs, the boat is generally diverted to port askaig. however, it appears, even with casual observation, that the wind speed causing divertable stress, seems to be lowering year by year.

at the beginning of this week, calmac diverted the lunchtime ferry to port askaig after it allegedly experienced difficulties attempting to berth at port ellen. this raised at least a couple of eyebrows in the office, because at a mere 30 knots, we were particularly surprised at such a turn of events. though i cannot attest as to which boat was thus affected, on delivery of our most recent ferry in 2011, we were assured that it would be able to berth in winds of up to 55 knots. in point of fact, neither boat is likely to sail anywhere if the gusts exceed 40 knots and sometimes considerably less.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

we are close to half way through the month of september, with another three and half months to go, prior to christmas. this offers plenty of time for the weather to deteriorate considerably; the general feeling on islay is that if the boats are struggling now, how on earth will they fare, come late november? and topically right on time, due to high winds experienced overnight, last night's boat and the early sailings this morning, were all diverted to port askaig. it has ever been thus.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

such frequent and quick changes in the weather are no doubt what led to laphroaig distillery once running an ad campaign, citing 'four seasons in one day' (not the crowded house hit, however). those are real circumstances that still exist across the west of scotland more frequently than you'd like to think, weather conditions that affect the intrepid cyclist at least as much, if not more than our so-called 'lifeline' ferry service. this has led to an almost enforceable necessity to think like a boy scout, and be always prepared.

though the isle is but 21 miles end to end, and of similar width, there is a considerable difference between its more southerly regions, where trees and greenery resemble portions of kew gardens, and the atlantic west coast where you'd struggle to find any arborial growth whatsoever. the latter features highly in the weekend's velocipedinal perambulations, and i'm sure i need not tell you that the frequency with which a sunny morn turns to an accurate replica of tolkein's mordor in a matter of hours, is beyond calculation.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

as we head towards the depths of winter, it is necessary to carry more than a simple windjacket in a jersey rear pocket; despite my inherent flandrian hardness, i really need something that replicates the sort of force-field surrounding star trek's 'uss enterprise'. so far, one of the very best fabrics that can be said to come close in any respect, is rapha's shadow material, and i have had the benefit of possessing a long-sleeve version of the shadow jersey for a couple of years, a garment that has had frequent use since its arrival.

the pro-team, lightweight shadow jacket is subjected to the same double coating of water-repellency and enforced shrinkage, as its bigger, heavier weight brother, but the extreme lightness of being allows it to be scrunched into unbelieveably compact and bijou proportions and unceremoniously crammed in a jersey pocket. it's hard to believe that any fabric this thin can not only stave off all but the most seriously invasive precipitation, but stop the wind dead in its tracks. and its admirable properties do not end there.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

for any garment to optimise its breathability, it needs to act almost like a second skin, allowing the warm air pressure on the inside, to squish any thought of condensation to the outer side of the fabric. this matches well with a need to mimimise any flappage in the face of galeforce excesses. the stretchiness of this lightweight material, assuming you choose the appropriate size, allows it to wrap tightly around your honed physique, with a two-way zip for easy access to victuals stored in a back pocket. and there is endless joy to be had from watching droplets of water simply rolling off the fabric and onto carbon fibre or (in my case) steel.

the high price of the shadow fabric has left many a cyclist ill-equipped to afford such waterproof luxury, but currently, rapha have reduced the price of this lightweight jacket by a generous £60. if your winter purports to be as inclement as mine, nows the time to act.

rapha's pro team lightweight jacket is available in green grey (as reviewed), dark navy or chartreuse yellow. sizes are seriously restricted at present, so don't delay in spending your £140.

rapha pro team lightweight shadow jacket

wednesday 11 september 2019

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................