Road Cycling Clothing

One Lady Gore-Tex Shakedry Bike Jacket Reviewed

Hannah James puts the wet weather jacket through its paces

GORE has pulled out all the stops here to bring an ultra light, breathable and technology packed jacket to the shop floor. Using a highly innovative SHAKEDRY Technology to help keep the rain at bay, this jacket is certainly up there with the best of them.

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Intended for all-year round use, this jacket targets those women who will be out no matter the weather. The jacket is priced at a hefty £220, which may make you think thrice about investing in such an item because really, will it make that much of a difference? Lets have a look…

The First Look

When first pulled out of it’s wrapping a thin and rather papery looking jacket emerged. Would this really hold up to the worst elements? Weighing in at only 133g it really is lightweight – small enough to be able to easily stuff in a jersey pocket when not in use. A laminate coating, which is part of the SHAKEDRY technology, gave it a slight plastic feel but two gold logos add attractive reflective detailing.

This is a very simple jacket but it’s simple done very well. It’s an attractive slim fit, designed with racing in mind. This means that even in high winds excess fabric is not dragging you around. Elasticated soft sleeves, high collar and one pocket, large enough to store a smartphone or for storing essentials.

A discrete zip runs the length of the coat meaning it’s easy to get on and off on the go without having the fuss of removing helmets and glasses. A handy storm flap runs the length of the zip inside the jacket to prevent wind and water coming through the zip itself. A small flap over the zip-top protects the chin from any discomfort.

What is SHAKEDRY Technology?

SHAKEDRY technology means the water beads on the surface of the jacket, so a few sharp and snappy shakes will remove the water completely before it permeates, meaning you stay drier for longer.

GORETEX is generally found in heavier garments, which regularly come face-to-face with seriously foul weather meaning a tough and reliable waterproofing has been needed. Although huge advances have been made in recent years it’s remained a heavy material. This makes GORE’s SHAKEDRY jacket really stand out from the crowd for simply how feather light it is, while still giving top performance.

Due to the innovative technology used in this jacket, the face fabric has been removed meaning no water is absorbed at all and cyclists will not have that horribly cold and uncomfortable wet feeling of a saturated jacket. Due to no water being absorbed the jacket doesn’t become any heavier as the rain comes down either – something I found myself to be very grateful for on a longer soggy ride or two.

The One Lady Gore-Tex Shakedry Bike Jacket in use

If you feel similar to me, you probably don’t like hard-shell waterproofs. They’re noisy, generally not breathable and really not that comfortable. So although doubts filled my mind, I was keen to put it through its paces. Thanks to our unpredictable British weather it wasn’t long before it encountered a deluge of rain. It’s been tested through wind, rain and a lot of mud and has come out on top each time, allowing me to simply get on with the job and work hard.

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I was impressed enough that I wanted to really put it through its paces. This meant that I went under the hose while wearing the jacket to see how dry I came out. Not only did any remaining debris from our mountain bike ride get washed straight off but it also kept me dry throughout the direct onslaught of a pressured hose. Impressive.

When it comes to maintaining it, the jacket goes through a 40-degree wash well, with no compromising on performance. Within no time, it was dry and ready to go again.

The verdict on the One Lady Gore-Tex Shakedry Bike Jacket

Thinking critically, I tried to look for something that I was not happy with and the only thing that I could find was that a lower back would be nice, for increased protection over the lower back and bum. Potentially an extra pocket would be useful but designed for wearing over a jersey this is certainly not necessary. Having mentioned previously that I don’t like cycling in a tough hard-shell for the noise and breathability issues, this jacket overcame this dislike, too. Having more of a soft-shell feel there is minimal noise while wearing, which makes it really very pleasant to wear. It’s also so light that you genuinely forget you’re wearing it, doing a fantastic job of keeping weather at bay.

If you’re the kind of woman who is out in all weathers this jacket is certainly one to seriously look at. It’s expensive yes but you – without a doubt – are getting what you pay for here. This jacket has seen a lot of hard use in the time on test and it impresses even more each time.

Although looking sleek in a mean matt-black a few more colours would be nice, for help with visibility if nothing else.

Available in sizes: X.Small – XX.Large from the Gore website here for £220.