A Closer Look at: Gore Wear SHAKEDRY Jacket

With a longstanding reputation for innovation and a back catalogue of in-house engineered fabrics so staggeringly comprehensive, you're almost guaranteed to have worn Gore designed textiles at some point as part of your outdoor gear. Gore Wear though, aren't content just creating fabrics - they can compose them just as well, and with their SHAKEDRY jackets, they've managed to crack one of the longstanding conundrums of cycle clothing.

Waterproof, windproof, highly breathable and weighing less than your mini-pump, the Gore Wear SHAKEDRY Jackets are a revelation for road riders tired of investing in clothing that promises much but rarely delivers. The term SHAKEDRY is reserved for the very best jackets in Gore Wear's range of technical apparel and marks a tide change in waterproofing technology. Pared down and available in only three under-the-radar colourways, these jackets are ideal for cyclists tackling northern European climates.

Named for its staggering ability to bead water droplets, the Gore-Tex SHAKEDRY material can quite literally be shaken until it's dry, with no water remaining on the surface. This provides stunning protection in even the heaviest downpours so you can simply keep riding without having to take shelter when the rain starts punishing you on the descent. Breathability in a fully waterproof jacket is no mean feat, though, but if any company were to sidestep this conundrum, it had to be Gore Wear.

Taking their lead from the conventional three-layer membrane waterproof garments that, although externally protective, can internally trap moisture, Gore Wear decided that a minimalist design was best. Rather than doubling up layers, Gore Wear saw that the real path to complete breathable waterproofing was reinforcing and reinventing that single waterproof membrane. This reduces the sheer size of the buffer that body vapour encounters and reduces the build-up of moisture inside of the jacket.

Naturally lightweight and subsequently, quite delicate, the fabric of the Gore Wear SHAKEDRY Jacket is ideally suited to road riding and isn't advised for use when mountain biking, or when wearing a backpack or strapped bag. This, however, shouldn't preclude it for use in the great outdoors, be that touring or adventure riding.

This quite astounding SHAKEDRY material is exclusive to Gore Wear. As any cyclist of merit knows, without a decent clothing composition you can still get wet through inadequate seaming. This is not so with the SHAKEDRY jacket. Benefitting from a reinforced dropped hem and sealed seams, ingress simply isn't an issue you're going to have to deal with.

The Gore Tex SHAKEDRY jacket comes in two versions - the standard One SHAKEDRY format, and the more relaxed fit for the bigger built rider going on a long distance endurance ride. Whichever version you choose, this jacket offers the same top drawer protection. The more relaxed fit jackets offering a feature list that includes an adjustable Velcro collar and a rear pocket that doubles as a stow-away pocket, leading Cycling Weekly to review them as being...

...comparable to a lightweight rain cape with regard to weight, packability and versatility, but possesses the waterproof performance of a hardshell. Although expensive, if you require the best, this is it.

With a range that caters for high-performance racers as well as more relaxed weekend cyclists, the SHAKEDRY range is sure to meet your needs. Including a variety of women's specific options, you can be sure to ride into the unknown assured that they're protected from the very worst of the weather.  

Packable into their own pocket for neat storage and complete with reflective logos and reflective transfers, these jackets remains low-key and unpretentious. The perfect dependable rear pocket rain jacket, weighing around 99 grams in smaller sizes, it is easily whipped out at the first sight of menacing clouds. All this helps to make your ride all the more comfortable, whatever the weather.