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review

Gore Bike Wear One Active Bike Jacket

9
£219.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Not cheap, but it's far and away the best lightweight waterproof jacket I've ever tested
Weight: 
103g

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I've tested my fair share of waterproof jackets over the years, and while some have stood out, none have come as close to the holy grail as Gore Bike Wear's stunning new One Active waterproof jacket.

Gore stands out in the cycle jacket market because it designs and develops its own fabrics, many of which are used by the leading brands in the market. Windstopper and Active are common labels on higher-end clothing, a mark of quality, a sure sign that the fabric will protect you in the most ghastly weather.

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With its new One Active fabric, which replaces the durable water repellent treatment of its previous Active fabric with a new Permanent Beading Surface and allows Gore to reduce the construction of the jacket from three to two layers, it has created a simply superb bit of kit. This paring down of the jacket has several noticeable consequences, all of which contribute to this jacket setting a new benchmark for lightweight waterproof jackets.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - inside.jpg

For a start, it's highly breathable compared with any other waterproof jacket I've worn. The One Active prevents you boiling in the bag, the biggest problem with most waterproof jackets. So good is its breathability that I've been using it solidly over the past few months on days when the weather has looked iffy, with rain forecast but high temperatures ensuring there's no threat of getting cold. Even a mild summer day with a couple of cloudbursts has seen the jacket pulled into action.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - riding.jpg

What has most impressed is that even with the temperature in the high teens, the material of the jacket has displayed an amazing ability to prevent the nasty buildup of heat and sweat that normally occurs if you dare to wear a waterproof top on anything but a cold day. It's so good that I've ridden several hours with the jacket on, even when it's stopped raining, simply because it maintained a comfortable operating temperature.

Then there is its lightness and packability. It rolls or scrunches up into the tiniest package and takes up barely any space in a jersey pocket. It'll sit in the middle pocket alongside a mini-pump quite happily – that's impressive for a lightweight windproof or gilet, let alone a full-on waterproof jacket.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - folded.jpg

And it's so light. Light enough that it doesn't feel any heavier in that jersey pocket than an emergency gilet, and light over the body when you're wearing it. Only a clingfilm jacket would be lighter. It weighs just 103g on the road.cc scales. To put that into perspective, a Gore Active jacket tested previously weighed 208g, so it's been put on a substantial diet. Mike Stead raved about the Endura FS260-Pro SL jacket – no doubt a superb piece of kit, after all he scored it 10/10 – but it's twice the weight too, at 209g (though quite a bit cheaper). 

That leads me to the other great benefit of this jacket: I've switched from carrying a lightweight gilet on mixed weather days and instead just take this jacket, because it's no heavier to carry around yet offers better protection when the weather turns foul. Which now means I've got a collection of gilets I no longer have a use for.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - chest.jpg

But is it waterproof? Indeed it is. I've ridden in the heaviest rain and it's kept me absolutely dry. All the seams are taped, and the rain noticeably beads off the surface and continues to do that during rainfall, and when it stops raining, you can simply shake the jacket to remove any water droplets sitting on the surface. How about windproof? It checks that box too, of course.

The fit and shape are excellent, which is good because there isn't much stretch in the fabric. I tested a size small (that's me in the photos) and it was as fitted as it needed to be, with no excess fabric to billow in the wind. There was no restriction on my freedom of movement, in the shoulders, arms or torso. It's a noticeably quiet jacket as well, something that surprised me, given how noisy some materials can be in the wind.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - back.jpg

Any concerns over durability have so far proved unfounded. Gore suggests it's not a suitable jacket for off-road riding where the likelihood of snagging the fabric on a thorn is high, and that's a trade-off for its ultra-lightness. But as a primarily road jacket, it's still going strong several months down the line. I've not gone out of my way to be careful with it; it's been stuffed in a kit bag, stuffed at the bottom of the wardrobe, kept rolled up between uses, and it's been just fine. It's been washed a handful of times and the performance hasn't been negatively impacted one bit, simply because there is no DWR treatment to wear off.

If there's a downside, it's that it's sparely featured, but there's everything you need. The small zipped chest pocket is a nice touch for storing some valuables, or it can be used as a stuff pouch to roll the jacket up into. The cuffs and waistband are elasticated and draw a good fit around wrists and waist, with the rear of the jacket refusing to ride up when you're hunched over in the drops.

Gore Bike Wear ONE GORE-TEX Active Bike Jacket - pocket.jpg

The tail is slightly dropped but the drop could be more generous for a bit of extra coverage. The full-length zipper is a high-quality item with a smooth action, and resides underneath a soft flap of material at the tall collar when done right up. You get a small smattering of reflective details, and it's only available in this one colour. No doubt some people will be along in the comments section to suggest going out in such a dark jacket on UK roads is asking for trouble.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling jackets here

Here's a jacket that's as compact as a gilet, as light and comfortable as a windproof jacket, and as waterproof as you need it to be to survive the dampest rides. It's highly breathable, extremely comfortable, very quiet and the fit is superb. It is a bit creasy in appearance when it's been rolled or folded up for a while, but it soon smooths out with a few hours on the bike.

The only drawback is the price. There's no getting away from it, it's a jolly expensive jacket. Remember, though, this is cutting-edge technology from a company that is heavily invested in developing new fabrics that enable us to cycle in horrid conditions. Given time, the price will come down, and other brands are looking at utilising this fabric as well. There will hopefully be some new colours soon as well, but personally, I don't mind it. It's available in five sizes (S-XXL).

Verdict

Not cheap, but it's far and away the best lightweight waterproof jacket I've ever tested

road.cc test report

Make and model: Gore Bike Wear One Active Bike Jacket

Size tested: Small

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?

Gore says: "Setting a new standard in road cycling jackets featuring the lightest and most breathable GORE-TEX® innovation. The new permanent beading surface enables you to remain fast, comfortable and dry even on demanding rides and in all weathers."

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

GORE-TEX® Active Jacket with NEW Permanent Beading Surface

Revolutionary membrane construction eliminates face fabric preventing a chilling effect associated with the face fabric wetting out and allowing you to quickly shake the surface dry

Jacket is durable waterproof, windproof and super lightweight

Reflective logo on sleeve

Reinforced hem for easier closure of the zipper

Front zip pocket doubles as a stow-away pocket

Reflective print on sides

Elastic hem

Zip tags for easy opening

Front zip

Ergonomically shaped collar

Reflective logo on front and back

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Typical high-quality construction from Gore Bike Wear.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

For lightweight packable waterproof jackets, I'd say this is as good as it currently gets. It keeps the water out and is highly breathable.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

The lightness of the fabric has the potential to impact durability, compared with Gore's regular Active jacket, but provided you look after it, there should be no issues. The new DWR treatmen should mean it retains its waterproofness indefinitely.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10

It's lighter than most waterproof jackets (it's half the weight of the 10/10 scoring Endura FS260-Pro SL) and light enough to be used instead of an emergency gilet at this time of year.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

The fit and shape is very good.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Yes it's expensive, but if you want what I reckon is the best lightweight waterproof jacket money can buy right now, this is it.

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

Provides impressive rain protection with excellent breathability, and packs up very small.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great fit and breathability, and keeps you dry.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Tail is a bit short. Lack of colour options.

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

It's the best packable waterproof jacket I've ever worn. It's exceptional.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

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, mountain biking

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

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
nadsta | 7 years ago
1 like

Just tried on, shoulders were perfect but lots of excess material across front and abdomen, I could have easily got a couple of baguettes in there.

Shame as the inside felt good against skin rather than that sweaty polythene like stuff in most jackets.

Rapha race cape is a much better fit for me.

EDIT

It turns out there are 2 very similar looking versions of this jacket.  The one I tried above was the '1985' one (why they can't call it 'comfort' or 'relaxed' I don't know.)

The one tested here by Road.cc is the 'racier' cut one.  This version fits me well in an M), whereas the Castelli Idro and 7Mesh Oro were a bit too narrow across the shoulders and narrow in the arms (sizes M in Castelli/S in 7Mesh).

The Gore seems to live up to the breathability hype so far (I sweat just looking at a flight of stairs) and under a tap the water beads off as claimed.

Avatar
hoffbrandm | 7 years ago
0 likes

just purchased. fucking fantastic

Avatar
BBB | 7 years ago
0 likes

Warm and dry in a waterproof jacket? I've heard it many times before every time the new design or fabric was introduced. It never worked as advertised.

 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Other colours are, from what I read somewhere else, not yet possible, hence the black. But I;m sure they'll figure it out in the end!

Avatar
fenix | 7 years ago
0 likes

To be fair one guy gave a rain jacket five stars without having had rain.

Presumably other colours are possible - I think the women's version is a different colour.

Maybe if they make it in poc orange or green...

Avatar
randonneur | 8 years ago
1 like

Do they make a proper cycling jacket in a bright colour.

How can this claim to be a cycling jacket when it makes you less visible.  I would feel more vulnerable when wearing black.

Avatar
Vili Er | 8 years ago
0 likes

I trialed one of these after recieving a jacket from the initial release at the end of last year. It's waterproof for sure and it's one of the better venting jackets which you'd expect from Gore-Tex, but the fit is reaaly not that good (see Rapha's Race Cape for a well designed shape) and the fabric does make a lot of noise in the wind because it's so thin. It's a bit meh and not worth the cash in my opinion.

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KoenM | 8 years ago
0 likes

Want!

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Freddy56 | 8 years ago
0 likes

Super membrane. The price of 3 membrane rain jackets- so I will buy a Lusso or Galibier or endura rain jacket at £60,70 or £80 and love the wind and rain protection.

Avatar
Sven Van Anders | 8 years ago
0 likes

If I had as much money as my near-by donkey sanctuary I would buy one of these. But I don't. And I fall off too often for such delicate garb.

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