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

Product Information

After considering all the options available the Albion Zoa also came out on top in our recent Cyclingnews Awards. Pioneered by Columbia with its OutDry fabric, brands have figured out how to toughen up these membranes and eliminated the DWR-treated outer 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. 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. Throughout this unpredictability, the Endure has proved very versatile. Even on a three-hour ride when it rained throughout, I stayed dry.

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. 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. Waterproofness is generally measured in terms of how much water, in mm, can be placed on top of a fabric in a column until it seeps through (though some companies dispute whether this testing method accurately represents real-world conditions). In simple terms, bigger numbers ought to mean the garment’s fabric can withstand more water before any leakage occurs.

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.

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. Gore-Tex is a trademarked fabric invented in 1969, which is both extremely waterproof and breathable.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. Firstly you need to hone in on your intended usage. It’s no good using something like the Assos Schlosshund if you’re going to use it to ride to work on an upright dutch bike. Likewise, if you’re planning on doing fast road miles then the Rapha Commuter isn’t what you need. 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.

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.

Castelli Squadra Stretch Cycling Jacket

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. 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.

Gore-Tex swapped the polyurethane layer typically found on raincoats with a Teflon membrane which bonded with the nylon outer layer. This where those millions of pores are found, thus facilitating brushing off water and passing water vapour away from your skin.

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. 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. 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. 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.