MTB

Gore Bike Wear Alp-X jacket long-term review

Can a jacket be worth over two hundred quid? It can if it’s as officially 100 percent awesome as the Gore Bike Wear ALP-X 2.0.

On first impression, the Gore Bike Wear ALP-X 2.0’s asking price looks like a lot of money for a jacket, but please just hear me out. This jacket is truly awesome.

It’s a mountain bike fit so it’s great for commuting, but it squishes up small enough to put in the smallest of backpacks for when you’re hooning it around the trails with nothing but a multi-tool and a Clif Bar to weigh you down.

The Alp-X sleeves may look a bit gorilla, but they eliminate chilly wrist syndrome.

Even more importantly than that – it freaking works. It is actually breathable and waterproof. It has a double front zipper, that opens at the top and bottom, so you can aerate while still keeping dry. The sleeves are long enough to eradicate that whole cold wrist phenomenon. There’s a back pocket and a hood neither of which you’d think would be useful but they really are especially when changing a flat in a downpour. It has a mud tail to keep the worst off your ass but which tucks away when not needed so you can walk into the pub without looking a bit weird.

When I first rode in it I was slightly wary that it lacked a cool factor but I have turned to it again and again and again. Until I got this jacket I had found myself on numerous occasions freezing cold, wet and muttering ‘how much would I give right now to be warm and dry?’

Turns out, I’d give £219.99. Being able to ride on when everyone else is hugging their mugs of tea in the trail centre café? Priceless.

The invisible girl always found the Alp-X’s hood handy.

Verdict

A fantastic jacket; worth every penny.

Pros

– Waterproof
– Breathable
– Small pack size
– Flat-out works

Cons

– Expensive

Price: £219.99
More information: Gore Bike Wear Alp-X jacket
Used for: Three years

What Gore Bike Wear says about the ALP-X 2.0 jacket

MTB tour specific: Very lightweight, waterproof and breathable mountain bike jacket. It performs well in various weather conditions and riding levels thanks its ventilation features.

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