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Gore Bike Wear Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey

9
£124.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent breathable weather resistant jersey ideal for autumn and winter cycling
Weight: 
200g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Weather, it's hard to predict. The Gore Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey, which is weather resistant and breathable, light and comfortable, is a versatile jersey that copes with a wide range of weather conditions with a great fit and attention to detail.

Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey - riding.jpg

It's the ideal jersey for this time of year, the change of seasons, when it's too cold for a summer jersey but you don't want the bulk and warmth of a rain jacket, and want a top that can cope with a wide range of temperature fluctuations and weather variations.

The Gore Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey does all that, and extremely well. It's designed to protect you from changeable weather and keep you warm and dry in all but the heaviest downpours. There are now quite a few choices in this market of fitted and protective short sleeve jerseys, but Gore gets all the details right, and more, with its latest offering.

Buy Gore Bike Wear Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey

We've all been on rides when the weather just can't make up its mind. Rain. Sun. Wind. Hail. Rain again. Sun. Your ride mates are forever stopping to add and remove layers at the top of every hill, as indecisive as the weather, a desperate, and usually futile, attempt to find the right clothing setup for the current weather. Wearing the Gore Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey eliminates this problem, and works well in most of the weathers you're likely to deal with for much of the autumn, winter and spring.

Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey - collar.jpg

Gore's own Windstopper fabric is excellent stuff. It's windproof and very water resistant. You can ride in a gale force wind and be cosy, get caught in short downpours and it'll keep you dry. What it's not is a waterproof jacket (for that you want Gore's latest One Active rain jacket) but it will at least keep you from getting completely soaked. And it dries quickly between showers which helps it cope with repeated cloudbursts.

It's a fitted jersey, clearly designed for performance cycling and racing, but the shape is excellent and it is snug without being tight, with just enough stretch in the fabric to allow it to move during more energetic moments. Gore has designed the jersey to be worn next to the skin, but I always wear a base layer and found it best with a lightweight base between the skin and jersey, to help pull sweat away from the skin.

Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey - pocket.jpg

I've been wearing the jersey for months, riding it on warmer late summer rides and early autumn damp mornings, and through it all it has provided a superb level of breathability that has kept significant sweat at bay. Breathability does depend to a small extent on the style and tempo of riding, your layering and whether you run holt or cold. I'm the latter so can get away with wearing it on warmer days, but it's still insulating enough when it's chilly. Durability has been good too; it's not a fragile top at all and has coped with cyclocross rides through very overgrown countryside.

The sleeves are longer than a regular short sleeve jersey, almost to the elbow, for more coverage, which does mean you can get away without armwarmers for a bit longer into the autumn. The tail is dropped and there are three regular rear pockets, the outer pockets angled for easier access. Gripper tape around the waist keeps the jersey in place and stop it riding up at the back when you're really hunched over the drops. The tall shaped collar adds extra neck protection and gives you that nicely wrapped up feeling, ideal when heading out on the morning commute.

Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey - logo.jpg

You get a choice of black, black/yellow, blue or red and both have lots of reflective details, something Gore has always paid particular attention to. The red is a stylish top and provides good visibility on gloomy days. The top of the pockets and the front and rear waistband are trimmed with reflective tape and the vertical Windstopper logo affords a big boost in visibility.

I've been really impressed with this jersey. It's very well designed and the attention to details is second to none, besting even the popular Castelli Gabba in fit, style and, most importantly, performance. Versatile is a word that is bandied around far too often but this jersey really does adapt to a wide range of weather and temperature variations.

Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey - back text.jpg

Providing the fit, comfort and weight of a jersey and the protection of a jacket, the Gore Power Windstopper Softshell Jersey is an excellent choice for autumn and winter weather, at home on the chaingang or daily commute. It's not cheap but for regular cyclists wanting to tackle bad weather, it's a good investment.

Verdict

Excellent breathable weather resistant jersey ideal for autumn and winter cycling

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Gore Power Windstoper Softshell Jersey

Size tested: small, red

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

This jersey is fully lined with GORE WINDSTOPPER technology. It provides the best protection against the elements and a high level of comfort in a wide range of temperatures. The high-quality, windproof material feels good on the skin.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

3-compartment back pocket, slightly tapered on side for easy access

Reinforced hem for easier closure of the zipper

Reflective tape at hem

Light and versatile GORE® WINDSTOPPER® Product: windproof, water repellent and highly breathable

Reflective tape at back pockets

Gripper elastic on bottom hem

Elastic hem

Front zip

Close fit collar

Reflective logo on front

Minimized seams for less chafing

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

It's worth shopping around, that's all I'm saying.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Oh very easy, goes through a regular washing machine cycle just fine and comes out looking brand new, and it can cope with muddy cyclocross rides

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's perfect for British weather at this time of year, it's pretty much all you need, breathable enough that it's better than wearing a gilet over a summer jersey

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Excellent fit and very comfortable to ride in

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A zipped pocket would be a nice addition

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

I've been really impressed with this jersey. It's very well designed and the attention to details is second to none, besting even the popular Gabba in fit, style and, most importantly, performance. Versatile is a word that is bandied around far too often but this jersey really does adapt to a wide range of weather and temperature variations.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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7 comments

Avatar
lbalc | 5 years ago
0 likes

I like the Gore Oxygen S/S with the mesh inserts under the arms and down the neck and summer-weight lycra section all down the middle of the back. Good down to 0°C for with a s/s base and WS arm warmers. No mesh in this so I suppose when you open the front zip to cool down you get a ballooning-effect. The Gabba dealt with this by at least adding armpit mesh vents.

Avatar
MrB123 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Just taken delivery of one of these. Half price on Wiggle. Seems an absolutely lovely bit of kit.

Avatar
amazon22 | 7 years ago
0 likes

There is no way those sleeves are 'almost to the elbow', but, that aside, this looks like a nice piece of kit. The Gore site shows it with smaller vertical writing on the rear panel. I have a Gore Windstopper gilet which has been fantastic over several years - I've tried half a dozen others and none come close for fabric, fit or feel.

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Why does it say WINDSTOPPER on the back, sideways, in the middle. Dear God. Ridiculously goofy. Fire HODOR from the design team and remove it for next season. Next year's improved sales will justify the sacking.

Avatar
barongreenback replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
0 likes
unconstituted wrote:

Why does it say WINDSTOPPER on the back, sideways, in the middle. Dear God. Ridiculously goofy. Fire HODOR from the design team and remove it for next season. Next year's improved sales will justify the sacking.

 

A HODOR branded jacket?  Take my money now please! 

Avatar
tritecommentbot replied to barongreenback | 7 years ago
1 like
barongreenback wrote:
unconstituted wrote:

Why does it say WINDSTOPPER on the back, sideways, in the middle. Dear God. Ridiculously goofy. Fire HODOR from the design team and remove it for next season. Next year's improved sales will justify the sacking.

 

A HODOR branded jacket?  Take my money now please! 

 

Lets Kickstart it 

Avatar
Yorky-M | 7 years ago
0 likes

looks  like a good jacket

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