GORE Wear Men's Waterproof Cycling Jacket, C3 GORE-TEX Active Jacket, 100034

Product Information

For commuting especially, some level of additional visibility is definitely advantageous, be that a bright colour or reflective details. Off-road away from traffic, this will obviously be less of a concern. The RRP is effectively the same as the Endura GV500, but both are regularly discounted and while for the same money, I’d recommend the Endura model, if the dhb Trail is reduced and the Endura isn’t when you’re looking to buy, then the performance is similar enough for the dhb to become the better choice. For less speed-oriented riding you can go for something a little more casually cut. This is especially important for expedition-type riding where you may need to layer up underneath substantially if the weather turns on you. It essentially came about as a happy accident – Bob Gore discovered a new form of polymer made of large molecules that repeat to form long chains. My major gripe with the dhb Trail was the hood: It’s too small to reasonably go over a helmet without the face box being squashed right against your nose and mouth. It’s fine for short downpours, but for extended ones, you’ll want it under your helmet.

Perfect for all-weather use, it is a lightweight fabric which repels water, while allowing water vapour to pass through it, thus keeping you dry and cool simultaneously. With the hood up, which is best under a helmet or the face box gets very claustrophobic, you feel more or less impervious to the elements. The lower hem can be easily cinched one handed with an easy drawstring, which I'd ideally liked to have seen complimented by adjustable cuffs. Yes, you can fit gloves underneath with ease, but I often go without gloves, and breezy cuffs in the cold are not the one. In all likelihood, you'll probably find the fit a little too generous if you're off doing a chain gang or want to stay aero, but for me, winter riding is a time to slow down and embrace the elements, and this is the best thing to wear to do that; there's always Zwift if you want to do efforts. When the DWR is applied to a fabric, it creates micropegs or microspikes that protrude from the fibres and prevent water from spreading out, forcing it to form beads that slide off the fabric without seeping in.To my knowledge this is Castelli's first foray into the world of commuter gear, and it's a pretty great debut. First off I think it needs applauding for making the colour options the same for both men and women, rather than just giving women a choice of purple or a different purple. Its party piece though is the reflectivity. It’s all about layering fabrics. When the Gore-Tex membrane is laminated to an inner and or outer material, it becomes a Gore Fabric.

Gore-Tex encompasses many different flavours of waterproof fabrics, from Gore-Tex Pro (the absolute highest level of protection, great if you’re going up K2, but not nearly breathable enough to handle high output activities like cycling), through to Gore-Tex Infinium (not really waterproof, but can shrug off rain and is incredibly breathable for use in changeable conditions). Conversely, doing threshold efforts in it will probably leave you damp from your own perspiration, so it's one for the classic long-and-slow winter riding gang. It comes up a little small, so as per Rapha options you’ll need to size up from your jersey. Assuming you do want a bit of extra room, Rapha has got the balance spot on. We found that there wasn't too much extra material to cause unnecessary flapping in the wind. In our experience the waterproofing has been flawless – as it should be with Gore-Tex’s 2L Paclite Plus fabric being used throughout the construction. For road riding you want something close cut to avoid flapping and the annoying noise and aero drag that comes with it. Remember to leave room for layers though. You’ll want something that’s short at the front with a long tail so it fits well in a more forward-leaning position. This rings true for gravel too, providing you’re also riding in an aggressive position.Indeed, Gore-Tex promise that each of their products provide at least three core benefits: waterproof (even in the heaviest storms), windproof and breathable. Since Shakedry has been discontinued there's been a bit of a shakeup at the top of the tree, with brands reaching for alternatives from Gore, Pertex, or in-house. In the last year I've certainly seen a lot more of Pertex Shield than I have anything else, and given how well it performs, and how versatile it can be (anything from the feathery Rab Cinder Phantom to the much more sturdy Albion Zoa) this can only be a good thing in my eyes. Things would be easier if it were simply a matter of keeping the rain out, but pedalling makes you hot and sweaty, and the heat and moisture you generate need an escape route. Throughout this unpredictability, the Endure has proved very versatile. Even on a three-hour ride when it rained throughout, I stayed dry. The cut is for MTB riding, and is pretty true to size. Given the more relaxed cut, opt for your usual jersey size for this one.Claire found she could probably go for a smaller size, but the looser fit worked well for us both when it comes to layering potential. The dropped tail isn’t as pronounced and the sleeves aren’t quite as long as others, but despite this, it works very well for blasting around the woods at full gas. It’s noticeably more breathable than the other options on the list, and the real bonus is the hood, which can be adjusted easily while riding and doesn’t leave your face being squashed by the face box. The breathability is further enhanced by stretch panels under the armpits, which function as pit perforations do whilst also improving the freedom of movement.

Waterproof fabrics are either multi-layer laminate fabrics or regular woven fabrics that get a DWR treatment designed to keep water out. While both achieve the same goal, they work slightly differently. DWR Gore-Tex is the name in waterproofing, but it’s not as binary as Gore-Tex = good, everything else = bad. Gore-Tex is a trademarked fabric invented in 1969, which is both extremely waterproof and breathable.

However, DWR treatments wear off over time, accelerated by abrasions and some detergents. When this happens, the fabric no longer causes water to bead and will become saturated and heavy. Gore-Tex, Thinsulate, Polartec and eVent are all internal membranes that are sandwiched between two other materials – usually something abrasion-resistant on the outside, with a soft liner on the inside. Even the Castelli Gabba Jersey is made using a Windstopper laminate fabric. Still, it’s important to keep waterproof fabrics clean because dirt and oil can clog membranes (limiting the fabric’s ability to breathe) and degrade DWR treatments, too. Always read washing instructions carefully.

With Shakedry, Gore turned the structure of membrane-based waterproofs inside out. Instead of sandwiching the membrane in the middle of a laminate, the membrane in Shakedry fabrics forms the outermost layer of the garment, supported by a single fabric layer. Though the specs say it's the same waterproof and breathability rating as the Nightvision Storm, it feels more protective. What's more, the lining is significantly more comfortable next to the skin so I was happy enough wearing this with short sleeves underneath, though most of the time I was throwing it on over a jumper. Plus, all of these pores are each about 700 times bigger than a molecule of water vapour, which means sweat can escape much easier if you up the ante or if the temperature rises. The fabric isn't going to match up to options from Gore-Tex and Pertex, but against similarly priced options it offers up an exceptional fit, but moreover, it has a feeling of imperviousness that I really appreciated on truly bleak rides. The cuffs, collar, and hem all seal extremely well, and while the cuff elastic does feel soggy this isn't such an issue with a pair of the best cycling gloves. But what's a waterproof rating!?" we hear you cry. Well, it's basically a number, and the higher the better. The number is calculated on the basis that if you put a 1cm x 1cm square tube over the fabric, how high could you fill the tube with water before it starts to leak through.All waterproof garments, except those where the membrane is the outermost surface, receive a DWR finish.