Forming part of a summer riding offering from Rapha including shorts and trousers, the Trail Lightweight Tank is designed for high summer conditions with a highly considered design but just how relevant is it for the UK summer?

This is a stylish and sleek looking top. Unwrapping it from its compostable packaging it struck me that it sat closer to some of the premium athleisure or gym wear I own rather than other MTB tops. Paired up with the high waisted Fast + Light shorts from Rapha there’s no denying it’s a stylish combination and I did some twists and turns in the mirror when trying them on for the first time.

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Fabric

Made up of combination of two fabrics which are described as “Featherlite”, the top is indeed just that.  The fabrics have a deliciously premium feel to the material, with an almost silky touch top half, which feels nice against your skin when riding and combined with the wide arm and neck openings gives you a feel of wearing next to nothing.

The bottom half of the tank has a mesh like material, which on those sweltering climbs does help to keep air moving past your skin well.  But there’s no denying it’s pretty see through when the light catches it in certain ways.  If you aren’t happy with the idea of baring glimpses of your midriff to the world, this might be off-putting for some.

Size and Fit

Rapha seem to have continued to draw on fashion inspiration with an oversized offering on the shaping of this tank, popular across gym and high street offerings.  It has a boxy shape and is loose fitting, but still manages to maintain a nice shape when you wear it, gently draping around you. The loose fit is also functional keeping the fabric off your skin in warmer rides.

It is a good length in the body, comfortably reaching my hips in test, with a dropped rear hem. As a UK 14 I followed the Rapha Size Guide and tested an XL, but could have easily downsized if I wanted a more fitted feel.

Features

A lot of thought has gone into how to keep you cool mid ride as temperatures peak.  Wide opening on the armpit and the tank style sleeves keep air flowing around your armpits as the pace and perspiration mounts.  They are short, just capping your shoulders which did leave me feeling a touch exposed when riding more than XC pedal days. Tackling trails littered with overgrown ferns and brambles and I came away with a few scratches across my upper arms.

The mesh fabric across the majority of the body flows air through to your skin well even when settling into long climbs on still days. It’s really quick drying if you do break into a sweat, and has an SPF 50 through the jersey (although don’t forget to slap it on your arms too!).

Branding touches are really subtle, with a small logo on the chest, and a reminder to “earn your turns” on the inner bottom seam, which while being a cute touch feels a little pointless.

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