Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket

The Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket is a more environmentally responsible replacement for the brand's highly-regarded Shakedry jacket – and it proves to be a brilliantly waterproof and breathable heir to the throne.

Looking to stay dry? Check out our best waterproof cycling jackets buyer's guide.

> Buy now: Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket for €210.04 from Bobshop

There's been no shortage of opportunities to put the Spinshift through its paces during the wettest few months in living memory. During almost every ride this jacket has proved just how capable it is of keeping its wearer dry and comfortable in the saddle. There has been no need to resort to phoney tests: standing in the shower or under a garden hose.

Watching raindrops beading off a jacket as I pedal through a downpour is one of life's simple pleasures. And the Spinshift has delivered joy in abundance. It has performed very well indeed under a range of conditions that ran the gamut from freezing midnight drizzle, to early morning sleet and sustained hour-long downpours.

Greener Gore-Tex

The Shakedry set a new standard for comfort on the bike. It was talked about in reverential tones by friends, who raved about its ability to keep the rain out and to let moisture build-up inside the jacket evaporate magically away. Nothing came close to keeping them this dry, they told me.

And while you can still buy the Shakedry (for now), Gore-Tex has stopped making that material due to concerns about environmentally damaging 'forever chemicals' known as PFCs (perflourocarbons) used in its construction.

> How green is your waterproof jacket

The Spinshift is a PFC-free product that replaces the previous ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) layer with an ePE (expanded Polyethylene) membrane. Gorewear has also used recycled materials in the construction of the Spinshift's other two layers to further boost its green credentials. This is a three-layer construction while the Shakedry was just two layers.

And while I'd hesitate to apply the word 'green' to any product, Gorewear is certainly attempting to deliver a less environmentally damaging product. The catalyst for this may well have been a proposed ban on the use of these 'forever chemicals'. But buy one of these, rather than a PFC alternative, and you can crow about your environmental credentials to some degree.

First impressions

At just 154g (size Large) it really does feel exceptionally light, when you first pull it out of its wrapper. It is also marvellously packable. You can roll it up into a pleasing handful that will slip easily into the rear pocket of any cycling jersey.

Gorewear says it has: 'strategically cut and positioned each Gore-Tex fabric panel based on the body in motion'. This is to reduce seams and weight across the garment and to allow the jacket to flex with the body's position on the bike.

So when you first zip it up and stand in front of the mirror to admire your new purchase, it does feel strangely tight across your chest. Clamber into the saddle, lean over the handlebar and all that changes. This jacket really lives up to Gorewear's claim that it should feel 'like a protective second skin'.

In fact, this felt more like a soft-shell than a waterproof jacket and I found myself using it as an outer layer on frosty mornings and dusk-to-dawn audax rides. Its windproof qualities and breathability meant I often forgot I was wearing it. Comfort and breathability levels were so impressive that I only took it off when the clouds had cleared and the sun was high in the sky.

Although I don't have direct experience of the Shakedry, I have tested a very wide variety of Gore-Tex waterproofs over the past 20 years, as well as jackets made from a range of competitor materials. This is quite simply the best I have used on the bike. There's not a hint of the 'boil-in-the-bag' sensation that you get with some jackets and it doesn't have the sweet-wrapper rustle of my own favoured, lightweight Gore-Tex waterproof.

Most importantly it outperforms all other jackets I have used in terms of its ability to keep rain out and to deal with moisture that you generate inside, in the form of sweat. One test was to wear it with just a merino-wool base layer underneath that often leaves me with very visible sweat patches when I get back from a ride. These proved to be minimal when used in conjunction with this jacket and riding in warm weather with just light showers.

The jacket benefits from a durable waterproof covering, Gorewear says, but it is hard to assess how long that will really last after just a couple of months of testing. As these jackets get dirty and degrade, their ability to keep water out can be compromised but if you look after this bit of kit it should promise years of good service.

You can wash the Spinshift at 40 degrees C using just a liquid detergent and then tumble dry. I've always struggled with washing and reproofing Gore-Tex products but friends who've used the Shakedry tell me their jackets are still performing well after years and multiple washes.

If you are going to spend this kind of money on a jacket like this then it's worth looking after it. Gorewear says that the jacket can be used with a light rucksack, but I think I'd avoid that entirely to protect the jacket. I'd be inclined to save this for big rides and use a less fancy jacket for my shorter commutes with a backpack.

There's a single zipped rear pocket that will take a phone, small wallet and energy gels (I did struggle a little with this when my fingers got cold). You can also turn this inside out and use it to pack the entire jacket away, but I wouldn't use this feature. When I did experiment with it, I didn't find it at all easy to open again and I was worried about snagging the material on the zip. And I've always been told to be careful not to scrunch Gore jackets up when storing them.

So personally, I'd be inclined to roll this up carefully and store it in a dedicated dry bag.

Built for action

On the road it ticks all the boxes. The zip is suitably sturdy and you can operate it with just one hand so you can vent on the uphills and zip up for protection on the descents. It does require a little extra effort to get it over the 'Gorewear' logo that runs down the zipper at the chest.

The elasticated cuffs offer enough stretch to allow cool air onto your wrists, and elastic at the waist offers plenty of stretch when required. This ensures that the jacket moves with you and helps to ensure the back doesn't ride up. There's also a slightly scalloped effect to the collar that ensures a neat fit and minimal rub with helmet straps.

Reflective detailing on the front, back and on each arm offers 360-degree visibility for improved safety at night. And while the Shakedry was restricted to a single, Henry Ford-esque 'as long as it's black' option, the Spinshift also offers options in Utility Green and Lime Yellow. The Women's version also comes in a Scrub Purple. So if you want something a little more eye-catching for daytime riding then this is now a possibility.

The only area that it doesn't perhaps perform as well as the Shakedry is its ability to literally shake the rain off so that you can stash it almost entirely dry. But the Spinshift does seem to promise better durability, although I think both jackets would struggle to emerge unscathed after a spill on the asphalt.

The online sizing chart recommended a size Large that proved a good fit (I am 180cm and 84kg) and it left enough room for a few extra layers underneath when needed. I even managed to get an insulated down gilet on for the coldest sections of a chilly overnight 400km ride to York.

It's worth noting that this is the 'sister product' to Gorewear's dedicated Concurve running jacket, which uses the same ePE material. Both jackets are available in dedicated men's and women's cuts.

The Rainman cometh

I was ready to give this full marks until I took it for one more ride. It was a 300km day that started with heavy rain and then alternated between drizzle and deluge. It was cold so I was wearing three layers underneath but that still wasn't enough. Rain seemed to be coming in through the neck, soaking up through my bib shorts and meeting the sweat that was slowly percolating its way between base layers. I got damp and stayed damp all day long. But weirdly, whenever we got to a cafe and I stripped off in the warmth, the inside of the jacket was bone dry. Back out in the rain and water was still beading off nicely. It was clearly doing its job but I was still wet.

As I got progressively more tired, there were design elements that did start to grate. The rear pocket proved tricky to zip up as I was descending a steep hill on my fixie. I would have liked a much lower scoop on the back to deal with the splash from the roads and potentially keep a little rain out of my shorts. I also found that the elasticated waist didn't always keep the jacket in place.

At the end of our 17-hour day, I was warm and relatively comfortable, but when I stripped off back at home to jump in the shower, everything I was wearing was damp. A friend I was riding with who was wearing a heavier and much more substantial jacket with a hood ensured me that he was still bone dry. He was wearing an Albion Zoa Rainshell that retails at around £350. Perhaps I'd found the limits of what the Spinshift can deal with.

Value 

In the midst of the current cost-of-living crisis – when some food staples seem to have doubled in price over the last two years – the Spinshift does represent exceptional value on one simple measure. When Dave reviewed the Shakedry in May 2022 it retailed at £299.99. This latest offering from Gorewear comes in at £50 cheaper.

But almost £250 is still a lot of money to justify. As a notorious skinflint, I am going to put my neck on the line and say that this really does represent a good investment if you want to cycle in seriously foul weather. I don't want rain to stop me from riding, which is why I would spend my money on a jacket as good as this is.

Of course there are plenty of alternatives. If you are looking for something very race-orientated then you might like to wait for a review for the Castelli Gabba Jacket due out this summer that should emerge with an RRP of £215.

Retailing at £239 (but currently available on the site at £203), the Showers Pass Elite 2.1 Jacket scored full marks when Mike reviewed it in 2020. This is pitched as an extreme weather jacket at it comes with high collar, low scooped back and multiple venting options. Again this may well be a better option to deal with really sustained and day-long wet weather for endurance rides.

The £199.99 Endura Pro SL Waterproof Shield also scored impressively when Ben reviewed it and he described it as 'one of the best waterproof jackets out there'.

When Stu reviewed the Galibier Tourmalet 4 Jacket that retails at £83.22 he found it to be a high performing jacket that was perfect for UK's climate. He raved about it, and there is no doubt this offers excellent performance at this price point. 

Conclusion

I'm not testing the Spinshift directly against its predecessor the Shakedry to compare its waterproof and breathability ratings, but I have used it as a yardstick to award this new jacket nearly full marks. The Spinshift is a brilliantly waterproof lightweight jacket that offers breathability and superb comfort in a wide range of weather conditions. It also holds the promise of far greater durability in this three-layer incarnation.

The Shakedry jacket earned nine stars when we reviewed it in 2022. And while the Spindrift may never get the same admiration, its environmental credentials mean it certainly deserves the same rating.

The Spinshift is a seriously good piece of kit that will offer extra protection no matter what the weather throws at you. I think it's a very worthwhile investment.

Verdict

Excellent comfort from a superb waterproof with real breathability and good environmental credentials

> Buy now: Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket for €210.04 from Bobshop