For less speed-oriented riding you can go for something a little more casually cut. This is especially important for expedition-type riding where you may need to layer up underneath substantially if the weather turns on you. With the hood up, which is best under a helmet or the face box gets very claustrophobic, you feel more or less impervious to the elements. The lower hem can be easily cinched one handed with an easy drawstring, which I'd ideally liked to have seen complimented by adjustable cuffs. Yes, you can fit gloves underneath with ease, but I often go without gloves, and breezy cuffs in the cold are not the one.

Plus, all of these pores are each about 700 times bigger than a molecule of water vapour, which means sweat can escape much easier if you up the ante or if the temperature rises. These are softshell tops that feel like a jersey but use a waterproof membrane or DWR (durable water repellent) treatment to repel precipitation. The treatment does not inhibit breathability because it doesn’t fill the gaps between the fibres. Instead, it bonds the individual fibres to help the garment shed water and prevent saturation. Since Shakedry has been discontinued there's been a bit of a shakeup at the top of the tree, with brands reaching for alternatives from Gore, Pertex, or in-house. In the last year I've certainly seen a lot more of Pertex Shield than I have anything else, and given how well it performs, and how versatile it can be (anything from the feathery Rab Cinder Phantom to the much more sturdy Albion Zoa) this can only be a good thing in my eyes. The membrane on the outside also repels water, without needing a DWR coating. So it’s permanently water-resistant, water beads off and – as its name says – it shakes dry when the rain stops.Unfortunately for Claire and I, your dear testers, it means many many miles in pretty miserable conditions. At every wet opportunity, I've been out both on and off road, trying my best to find weaknesses in each of these options to bring you the best possible information. Gore-Tex is the name in waterproofing, but it’s not as binary as Gore-Tex = good, everything else = bad. After considering all the options available the Albion Zoa also came out on top in our recent Cyclingnews Awards. Gore-Tex, Thinsulate, Polartec and eVent are all internal membranes that are sandwiched between two other materials – usually something abrasion-resistant on the outside, with a soft liner on the inside. Even the Castelli Gabba Jersey is made using a Windstopper laminate fabric. The fabric isn't going to match up to options from Gore-Tex and Pertex, but against similarly priced options it offers up an exceptional fit, but moreover, it has a feeling of imperviousness that I really appreciated on truly bleak rides. The cuffs, collar, and hem all seal extremely well, and while the cuff elastic does feel soggy this isn't such an issue with a pair of the best cycling gloves.

The cut is for MTB riding, and is pretty true to size. Given the more relaxed cut, opt for your usual jersey size for this one.Claire found she could probably go for a smaller size, but the looser fit worked well for us both when it comes to layering potential. The dropped tail isn’t as pronounced and the sleeves aren’t quite as long as others, but despite this, it works very well for blasting around the woods at full gas. It’s noticeably more breathable than the other options on the list, and the real bonus is the hood, which can be adjusted easily while riding and doesn’t leave your face being squashed by the face box. The breathability is further enhanced by stretch panels under the armpits, which function as pit perforations do whilst also improving the freedom of movement. But what's a waterproof rating!?" we hear you cry. Well, it's basically a number, and the higher the better. The number is calculated on the basis that if you put a 1cm x 1cm square tube over the fabric, how high could you fill the tube with water before it starts to leak through. Things would be easier if it were simply a matter of keeping the rain out, but pedalling makes you hot and sweaty, and the heat and moisture you generate need an escape route. When the DWR is applied to a fabric, it creates micropegs or microspikes that protrude from the fibres and prevent water from spreading out, forcing it to form beads that slide off the fabric without seeping in. The reason these lamination techniques allow for water-repellent characteristics is that the inner membranes are full of holes. This may seem counterintuitive, but a Gore-Tex membrane boasts nine billion pores, each 1µm – a millionth of a metre – wide per square inch. The holes are big enough to allow water vapour created by sweat evaporation to escape, but are too small for water droplets to sneak through.Still, it’s important to keep waterproof fabrics clean because dirt and oil can clog membranes (limiting the fabric’s ability to breathe) and degrade DWR treatments, too. Always read washing instructions carefully. Conversely, doing threshold efforts in it will probably leave you damp from your own perspiration, so it's one for the classic long-and-slow winter riding gang. It comes up a little small, so as per Rapha options you’ll need to size up from your jersey. He found that, by yanking a material called PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), the polymer stretched by 1,000 per cent to create a microporous structure we now know as Gore-Tex, How is Gore-Tex made?

The fabric is gossamer thin to the point of translucency, with a light stretch to it. The fit is most definitely race, though the tail could be dropped further. I usually wear a small jersey, and a small Supreme is on the cusp of being too tight, especially in the forearms, so if you want to account for a mid-layer then I suggest you size up. Waterproofness is generally measured in terms of how much water, in mm, can be placed on top of a fabric in a column until it seeps through (though some companies dispute whether this testing method accurately represents real-world conditions). In simple terms, bigger numbers ought to mean the garment’s fabric can withstand more water before any leakage occurs. With Shakedry, Gore turned the structure of membrane-based waterproofs inside out. Instead of sandwiching the membrane in the middle of a laminate, the membrane in Shakedry fabrics forms the outermost layer of the garment, supported by a single fabric layer. To my knowledge this is Castelli's first foray into the world of commuter gear, and it's a pretty great debut. First off I think it needs applauding for making the colour options the same for both men and women, rather than just giving women a choice of purple or a different purple. Its party piece though is the reflectivity.

Guide to waterproof Gore-Tex Shakedry cycling jackets

Perfect for all-weather use, it is a lightweight fabric which repels water, while allowing water vapour to pass through it, thus keeping you dry and cool simultaneously. Gore-Tex is a trademarked fabric invented in 1969, which is both extremely waterproof and breathable. My major gripe with the dhb Trail was the hood: It’s too small to reasonably go over a helmet without the face box being squashed right against your nose and mouth. It’s fine for short downpours, but for extended ones, you’ll want it under your helmet. All waterproof garments, except those where the membrane is the outermost surface, receive a DWR finish. Though the specs say it's the same waterproof and breathability rating as the Nightvision Storm, it feels more protective. What's more, the lining is significantly more comfortable next to the skin so I was happy enough wearing this with short sleeves underneath, though most of the time I was throwing it on over a jumper.