bikebreak

Pictures at:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1577962377

Quick review of the new Gore One Shakedry rain jacket:
Conditions: 64 F, 6 mph winds, drizzle to steady rain.

The new Gore tex Active Shakedry fabric is amazing, very thin and light. It's just the Gore-Tex membrane without any backing fabric. Packs in jersey pocket. Totally waterproof, water beads up and does not absorb at all. It is supposedly more breathable than other waterproof fabrics, I am not sure, you can't blow air through it like you can with Windstopper fabric. It feels better than other rainproof gear, maybe only because it is so very light and thin. Still easy to get sweaty and overheated on climbs in this weather. Zipper is diagonal (like Castelli Alpha) which is easy to open, it needs to be opened on decent hills. Collar has a snap so you can leave it snapped closed when you unzip to prevent the jacket from billowing out too much.

Taped seams, zipper garage, elastic and snap cuffs. The Gore One has the works. Pockets are tiny, good for a gel or bar only, and placement is a bit awkward. I didn't use them. The rear is a bit loose with a horizontal elastic band (see picture) which allows access to your jersey pockets underneath. This works great, but also lets the back ride up a bit.

However, while is has a tail, the back of the thing isn't nearly long enough for a rain jacket (see on bike picture). I had full coverage of my center jersey pocket only, so keep the phone in there. There is not much splash coverage for your rear end, I think the Castelli Gabba is longer in back.

Fit is a bit weird. I heard this runs small and I am between sizes, so I sized up. If fits well and fairly snug in the chest and forearm, but is large and floppy at the bicep and shoulder. It's not overly wide at the shoulders, but there is extra fabric at the top that was flapping noisily during descents. It seemed like the back was riding up a bit contributing to this, if I pulled the tail down the shoulders got better. I think if I could attach a small weight to the tail to keep the back low it would help.

Overall this is an excellent jacket with some strangeness to the fit. Most rain gear has a longer tail in the back, and I prefer a tight non-flappy fit at the shoulders and biceps. For the conditions, in the 60s with drizzle to light rain, the Castelli Gabba or similar would have worked and been more breathable. That has Gore Windstopper fabric which is water resistant enough for short rides in drizzle, in real rain it eventually soaks through.

For serious rain the Gore One Shakedry does the job of keeping the torso dry. It would be too hot for me in the upper 60s.
It could be improved by combining the Shakedry fabric with a more breathable and stretchy textile under the arms and in armpits, to allow tighter fit and ventilation. I think the Castelli Idro combines the Shakedry with something stretchy for this reason.

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