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

Product Information

If you want something to ride to work in every day and use in the woods at the weekend you’ll have a hard time finding an option that does both as well as the POC Motion. Plus, especially in the lovely Dioptase petrol blue colour, it’s another looker that’s perfectly fine on the office floor.

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. 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. Gore-Tex is a trademarked fabric invented in 1969, which is both extremely waterproof and breathable. 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. 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.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.

These are softshell tops that feel like a jersey but use a waterproof membrane or DWR (durable water repellent) treatment to repel precipitation. 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. Unfortunately for Claire and I, your dear testers, it means many many miles in pretty miserable conditions. At every wet opportunity, I've been out both on and off road, trying my best to find weaknesses in each of these options to bring you the best possible information. 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. 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.

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The fabric is gossamer thin to the point of translucency, with a light stretch to it. The fit is most definitely race, though the tail could be dropped further. I usually wear a small jersey, and a small Supreme is on the cusp of being too tight, especially in the forearms, so if you want to account for a mid-layer then I suggest you size up. 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. 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 Pertex Shield Air three-layer waterproof fabric is plenty breathable enough for high-output riding, but not quite so much as the Gore-Tex Infinium of the Rapha Trail. The cut is also a little roomier, allowing some more winter layers underneath if you want to venture out in very cold conditions - I’ve taken it out down to about -15 degrees Celsius, but at this point, it’s more of a test for the mid layers than the shell. 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

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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. 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. He found that, by yanking a material called PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), the polymer stretched by 1,000 per cent to create a microporous structure we now know as Gore-Tex, How is Gore-Tex made? 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.

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. Pioneered by Columbia with its OutDry fabric, brands have figured out how to toughen up these membranes and eliminated the DWR-treated outer fabric. The reason these lamination techniques allow for water-repellent characteristics is that the inner membranes are full of holes. This may seem counterintuitive, but a Gore-Tex membrane boasts nine billion pores, each 1µm – a millionth of a metre – wide per square inch. The holes are big enough to allow water vapour created by sweat evaporation to escape, but are too small for water droplets to sneak through. 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.All waterproof garments, except those where the membrane is the outermost surface, receive a DWR finish. 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. Indeed, Gore-Tex promise that each of their products provide at least three core benefits: waterproof (even in the heaviest storms), windproof and breathable. 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. 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.