Gore Bike Wear Power Gore-Tex Active Jacket

Gore is a very well-known name in the world of outdoor activities, with a range of products under the Gore Bike Wear brand aimed specifically at cyclists, including this Power Gore-Tex Active Jacket. It's waterproof, windproof, breathable and fits well, making it ideal for rides in wet and cold conditions. It's not cheap though, and it has a couple of quirks that some buyers might not like.

The key to the waterproof and breathable nature of this Active Jacket is the Gore-tex fabric. There are a lot of fabrics around that claim to be breathable and waterproof - some more than others - but with Gore-tex the claims are true.

It's all thanks to a membrane in the fabric which has microscopic holes that are small enough to stop rain water coming in, but big enough to let water vapour (from perspiration) escape. The end result: you stay protected from wet weather on the outside but don't get soaked in sweat on the inside.

I tested this jacket on a cold (around 5 °C) and rainy day, and stayed warm and dry inside when riding fairly hard (about 18mph) on flat roads. I was wearing a base layer and a long-sleeve jersey under the jacket.

Giving it a bit of stick on some longer hills, I found the jacket was getting clammy inside. That will happen in any jacket, but the Gore-tex helped the perspiration dissipate quickly, and I stayed warm when going down the other side of the hills, even if the jersey under the jacket was still damp.

In milder weather (over about 8 degrees C), on training rides that include big climbs, I found I was simply too warm in this jacket, even with just the base layer and jersey underneath, but that may be a personal thing. Your own experience may be different, depending on the speed you ride, the nature of the weather, the nature of the route and your own physiology and preferences (some people just 'run warm' while others 'run cold').

It's worth noting there are no vents in this Gore-Tex Active Jacket (eg, under armpits, down the sides or across the back) as you find on some other jackets. Although thanks to velcro tabs, the cuffs can be closed tight to keep the warmth in, or open a bit for venting along the arms.

The Power Gore-Tex Active Jacket is available in a range of sizes from small to XXL. I'm testing the medium which is ideal for my hopelessly average build (70kg, 175cm high, 94cm chest). Gore describe it as a 'Slim fit' – meaning body-hugging without being too tight, and with flappy fabric reduced to a minimum – which is exactly what you want for faster club-runs, training or sportives (as opposed to more loose-fitting jackets that might be more suitable for leisure riding or commuting).

And while there's a close fit around the torso, the arms of this jacket are still plenty long enough, even when stretched out on the drops, so you don't get a chilly gap between cuff and glove. Many manufacturers seem to get this wrong (garments with a close-fitting upper body have too-short arms, while garments long arms have a tent-like fit around the torso) but Gore have got it just right.

This is the male version of the Active Jacket under test here. There is a female version, although the Gore website shows it's currently unavailable – and it costs a fiver more.

The hem of the jacket is cut at an angle, so the front is shorter than the back. This helps avoid the material getting rucked up when you're leaning forward, while the jacket is still long enough at the back long at back to cover your rear end. The hem is also elasticated slightly, to help hold the jacket in place.

The only area where the cut of this jacket seems seems odd is around the neck, where the fit is very loose. Even with the zip done up full, there's a big gap between collar and skin. Maybe it's there so you can fit several high-neck jerseys underneath, or maybe so the neck of the jacket isn't too tight when you're leaning forward on the drops. Or maybe it's so the jacket is vented without the need to open the front zip. Personally, I didn't like it. Some cyclists may disagree and enjoy the extra comfort and freedom of movement that a looser collar provides, while those that like to be snug all round when cycling in bad weather may find it a disadvantage.

Other features of the Power Gore-Tex Active Jacket include some reflective strips and a little triangle on the rear pocket to pick up car headlights when cycling in dark or dim conditions. For a bit of extra daytime visibility, there's a Day-glo zip down the front of the jacket.

There are some other bits of day-glo on the jacket but these are inside the collar, under the waist and under the Velcro tabs on the cuffs, so they can't be seen from the outside. It seems odd to go to the trouble of including day-glo fabric but then conceal it.

There's a single back pocket, with a horizontal zip and a flap over zip. This means it's as waterproof as the rest of the jacket, but it's almost impossible to get anything in or out of the pocket while on the move, especially with gloves on.

In any waterproof breathable jacket pocket, phones can get slightly damp, so the Gore-Tex Active Jacket's pocket also has an internal 'LockSak'. That sounds good, but is in fact just a stiff plastic envelope on a bit of tape. No harm having it, but it's not a reason to buy this jacket.

Colours are blue, red and green, all with black sleeve ends and day-glo yellow zip. Or black with day-glo sleeve ends and zip. Some cyclists might also like to see it in a very bright all-yellow option, to help make them more visible to car drivers.

The full retail price is a penny under £175, but you can find it marked down to £150 or even nearer £120 at the usual on-line mega-stores. Even with the discounts, the Gore-Tex Active Jacket is still at the top of the scale when compared to similar products such as the EQ2.5 jacket from DHB (around £60), the Quantum from Polaris (around £100) or the venerable Night Vision from Altura (around £110), although for many cyclists the style and cut of the Gore-Tex Active Jacket, plus the excellent performance of the Gore-tex fabric itself, makes this a premium worth paying.

Verdict

Top-quality cycling jacket: waterproof, windproof, breathable and fits well but not cheap, and a bit quirky