This jacket is now the best waterproof on the market thanks to Rapha black friday sale!

Here’s a hot take… sometimes I prefer a bike ride in filthy weather to blazing sunshine. This is primarily because I have access to a vast wardrobe of the best waterproof cycling jackets, along with a healthy disregard for the longevity of my bike components. 

Having tested a huge number of jackets for a big grouptest I really rated the Rapha Explore Gore-Tex Jacket…like, really rated it! It’s about as protective as you’d ever want a cycling jacket to be, it fits brilliantly, it breathes well even when giving it beans. The real party piece was the poppers in the lower hem, meaning that you can unzip the two-way zipper and tuck the front of the jacket up inside itself so that if you get into an aero position you don’t have loads of material flapping about.

The only thing I really criticised it for were the cuffs – elasticated, when I prefer adjustable – and the price. At full price this is an incredible jacket, and not bad value by any stretch, but it is expensive and I would pick the Albion Zoa over it…

However, now Rapha is offering 25% off everything (yes, even the stuff in the archive sale), this brings the price of the Explore Jacket down by roughly £100/$130, and with this taken into account I think this is the best waterproof cycling jacket on the market right now.

Now, times are tight for many of us right now, and even at a discount it’s still a lot of money to drop on a waterproof. For many of us who only ride in the rain out of necessity rather than by choice it is perhaps overkill, so I’ve rounded up a few other deals on waterproof jackets below in the same sort of market space (that being gravel-oriented). All are jackets I’ve tested and back at their price points even before they were discounted.

Other Waterproof Deals

Other Black Friday deals

USA Deals

UK Deals

Deal roundups