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review

Gore Mens Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket

9
£149.99

VERDICT:

9
10
When winter bites this is the jacket to turn to – toasty warm and capable of shrugging off a shower
Weight: 
468g

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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A quality softshell is one of the staple requirements in any cyclist's winter wardrobe where versatility is key to shrug off the wind, light rain and ice cold temperatures. Gore knows a thing or two about keeping the elements out and that's shown here with its Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell. You can go cheaper but can you go better?

  • Pros: Breathable, incredibly warm
  • Cons: Generous sizing

After quite a few years of mild winters it's great to see the UK reverting to some frosts and even a sprinkling of snow over most of the country. It's certainly made me glad to have the Power 2.0 in my test kit pile.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Windstopper is the key here, a fabric developed by Gore and consisting of an ePTFE (expanded polytetraflouoroethylene) membrane sandwiched between an outer face material and a lining fabric, a laminate if we want to get all technical. It's this that gives the Power 2.0 its quite amazing characteristics.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - riding.jpg

No matter how windproof, waterproof or whateverproof a jacket is, if it can't breathe it's not going to work. You'll be sweaty, wet and cold whatever the weather. The membrane here has millions of microscopic pores per square inch which allows the fabric to remove body moisture without affecting the material's windproofing and water resistance.

The Power 2.0 is a warm jacket; even at -2°C I was wearing it with just a thin long-sleeve baselayer underneath and I was still toasty but never overwhelmed by clamminess. When you have to start climbing or really push up the pace, the jacket just copes.

Windproofing is great too. I've had quite a few rides out into the brisk northerly winds and my torso has probably been the warmest part of my body. Literally nothing gets through no matter what the windchill figures. If you want waterproofing then Gore-Tex is the fabric you are after, but Windstopper still manages to keep a lot of the rain out as it's water resistant. Light showers, snow, fog... all are dealt with by way of the moisture beading on the surface of the jacket.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - hem.jpg

A heavy downpour will find its way through eventually, but if rain is forecast you probably won't be wearing the Power 2.0. If you do get caught out, though, it'll get you by, and you won't be cold as the fleece-lined inner traps your body heat.

A lot of thought seems to have gone into the cut. Gore's long-sleeve jerseys and jackets tend to look like the long arms are seriously out of proportion, but that is because they are designed and shaped to fit you perfectly on the bike. Stretched fully out into the drops you'll never find a gap at the wrist between gloves and cuff, plus they are cut at an angle too; you can't really see it in the photos, but the underneath of the wrist is slightly shorter so there is no material rucked up between your palm and the handlebar. The wrist area also uses a thinner material so it can easily fit inside the cuff of a glove.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - cuff.jpg

You get a long dropped tail to keep your rear end covered should the roads be wet, plus it'll stop any draughts getting to your lower back if you wear tights without bibs.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - back.jpg

The neck is high and comes with an inner layer that has a 'v' cut in the centre to allow it to wrap around the neck without gaping – good attention to detail.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - chest.jpg

There is a zip garage at the top to resist irritation at the throat, but I'd also like to see one at the bottom to stop wear and tear on the front of your tights.

Sizing-wise things are quite generous. Looking at the guide, my measurements dictate I should be wearing a large but this medium test sample fits me easily with a little room to spare. It does give you the option to layer up if things are seriously cold but if you want a race fit it might even be worth dropping even a couple of sizes. Try before you buy, I'd say.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best winter cycling jackets

As far as the finishing details go, you get three pockets at the rear, plus a zipped valuables one on the outside of the middle pocket. The three main ones are taut enough to carry a lot of kit and deep enough too for a decent length pump and the like. What I do like is that the outer two pockets are sloped which makes access to them much easier when in the saddle.

Gore Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket - pockets.jpg

When it comes to value, £149.99 is probably never going to be considered a bargain – especially when many softshells we see are knocking around the £120 mark. Jackets such as the Rapha Core Winter jacket or the top scoring Madison RoadRace Apex softshell which has an RRP of £114.99.

I will say this, though, the Gore Power 2.0 has a lot of neat little details and it really is very warm without becoming a sweatbox, which lets it go to much lower temperatures than most of the others I've worn. If it wasn't for the sizing quirks, and at a slightly lower price, this jacket would be looking at a score of 10 out of 10.

Verdict

When winter bites this is the jacket to turn to – toasty warm and capable of shrugging off a shower

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Gore Men's Power 2.0 Windstopper Soft Shell Jacket

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the jacket is for

Gore says, "The Gore Bike Wear Power 2.0 Softshell Jacket is for road riders who need a sleek windproof protective layer for cooler days of riding. Blocking the wind and repelling the odd shower makes this a great option for autumn/spring and early winter.

Using GORE® WINDSTOPPER® Gore have made the Power 2.0 Softshell Jacket soft and cosy, keeping out cold winds so that heat is retained. The highly breathable fabric also allows your perspiration to escape, minimising windchill and raising comfort levels.

For storage the 3-compartment patch pockets on back offer plenty of space for a lightweight jacket or gilet plus all your other ride essentials. A small zipped pocket is there for keys and valuables, keeping them safely and securely tucked away.

If you're out with the winter club run or hitting some solo miles the Power 2.0 Softshell Jacket offers the perfect balance of wind protection, warmth and breathability. Ideal as the bedrock of a winter riding kit."

The Gore Power 2.0 is the daddy when it comes to dealing with ice cold, inclement weather.

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

Gore lists:

GORE® WINDSTOPPER®

Windproof, water repellent and highly breathable 3-compartment patch pockets on back

Small, zipped pocket on back

Full length zip with semi-lock slider

Zip-underflap and zip-port

Fleece-lined, close fit high collar

Reflective print on sleeves

Reflective logo on front

Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the jacket for waterproofing
 
8/10

It's only deemed to be water resistant and at that it's pretty good.

Rate the jacket for breathability
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for fit:
 
8/10

Well cut with a dropped tail, angled cuffs and so on for when you are on the bike.

Rate the jacket for sizing:
 
5/10

Going by the size guide I should be in a large but this medium was about right. If I wanted to go super-close race fit I could probably drop another size.

Rate the jacket for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the jacket for comfort:
 
10/10
Rate the jacket for value:
 
6/10

At first glance it looks pricey compared to a lot of others but its performance easily makes up for it.

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

The Gore jacket can withstand a 40-degree wash rather than the usual 30 so it washes up very easily removing all of the winter grime.

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

Great, the jacket is warm and cosy and feels so comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

Its warmth.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

Check the sizing.

Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes

Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes

Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Power 2.0 Windstopper jacket is great for when the weather turns really cold and nasty. The sizing can be a little off for what Gore describes as a slim fit, but get that right and there is very little to dislike about the whole garment.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithein

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: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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3 comments

Avatar
Westy | 6 years ago
1 like

Had one of these nearly a year now - I agree with everything in the review. Its the jacket I use for Scottish winters, when the temperature is below 5C for weeks on end, it just needs a base layer underneath, weight depending on exact conditions, type of ride, and personal taste.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

Showers Pass Skyline for me, I love it and can be had for a lot less than the Gore

Avatar
bendip | 6 years ago
0 likes

the madison apex mentioned is £57.49 delivered at evans..not many sizes left though

https://www.evanscycles.com/madison-roadrace-apex-softshell-jacket-EV315569

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