Today in proper rain (2 – 4mm per hour) the jacket failed. I felt the first water leaking in on my shoulders about 50 - 60 minutes in. At 90 minutes this was the state of my clothing underneath
The DWR external treatment was easily overwhelmed in the conditions
This is at 2 hours 15 minutes of riding.
This is not sweat, this is not condensation, this is rain water that has leaked in. The new Gore Spinshift is simply not waterproof in these conditions. This has been my experience with any three layer type Gore-tex jacket. Good until the rain gets serious and prolonged.
So ultimately what do we have here with the Gore Spinshift Rain Jacket? A very packable rain jacket with a looser style fit that can handle light to medium rain duties. That’s about it. I can see being quite useful for someone looking to keep warm at the beginning of a ride and also having decent protection in the pocket if they have to deal with off and on showers, light rain. I intend to use it for this purpose. While the Spinshift is no more waterproof than the typical Gore-tex jacket, it does have a significant advantage in its shakedry level of packability.
First ride today. Three hours with light rain in the first hour, reducing to a misty sprinkle for the middle hour. Hour 3 was mostly dry. I refer those interested to the video by David Arthur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz8kKzOuvSA . I concur with some of his main points although I believe he overlooked some significant details. On the subject of fit, I can add some information that might be helpful to some. Note that my reference for fit for rain jackets is Seven Mesh Oro XL, and Castelli Idro 3 in both XL and XXL. (Edit, on the subject of David Arthur, I now disagree with his finding regarding adequate rain protection.)
My general conclusion is that the Spinshift Jacket is a fairly boxy fit. At 183cm tall and 76kg with very average proportions, a size L/XL is just long enough in the torso and sleeves, but is simply too voluminous in those same areas. Shoulders/armpit region is good. A size M/L would likely deal with some of the extra volume but for my tastes would be too short. I am not looking for race fit in a rain jacket, but I think this general shape is a mistake. I am lean, but far from a racing snake and there is just too much loose material. There is literally no taper from the armpits down to the waist/hips. This creates the sensation that the jacket flairs out a bit at the bottom end. I guess the idea is for the fabric to drape naturally over the hips in the cycling position, but it just gives the whole thing a bit of a maternity dress vibe. The market for this jacket is certainly the top end of enthusiast cyclists – not many chunky types in this group, even if some of us have day jobs. More muscular, thicker built guys will love the fit.
The neck of the Spinshift is also questionable in its generous circumference. I have a larger than average neck and I can easily slip my hand in up to my wrist when fully zipped. (Again depending thicker guys might find if perfect.) Obviously, rain jacket neck design is critical as it is the most exposed open edge of the garment and must be configured to keep rain out. In the riding position the back of the neck does sit flush, but the gap in the front is cause for concern. In cold or super wet conditions you want to be able to fully “seal up”, not possible in this case. I did not do any high-speed descending today, so not the ultimate test for water ingress, but there is certainly a risk of the neck areas of jerseys and base layers underneath absorbing some water in a high speed or high spray situation. However, the neck of the jacket is tall enough that it just might offer the needed protection despite its loose fit. More testing is needed. 2024-10-19 - Rain did not enter the neck opening in hard rain.
Another issue is more of a design decision than a fit issue – the drop tail is just too short. I know some reputable brands’ rain jackets (Maap, etc.) have no extra length in the back, but I believe that to be fully effective as a rain jacket the tail needs to be long enough to carry water beyond your rear end. Having water run off the end of a jacket straight into the crack of your ass means a saturated chamois which will stay that way for the balance of your ride. This is a problem even with fenders. A longer tail can make it possible to survive a downpour with a dry chamois, maybe even without fenders. Sun comes out, and your good for the balance of the day. I think it is fair to suggest that people of my size who are not as fussy about ass coverage might be better off in a size M/L.
A note about sizing, the Gore Spinshift jacket is labelled with two sizes – a US size and a Euro size, so US medium/Euro large, US large/Euro XL, and so on. This creates confusion. Unless a website specifies the two sizes for a specific jacket, how do you know what size you are getting? See a size medium advertised? is it a US small/Euro medium? Or is it a US medium/Euro large? Even Gore’s own website https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/spins ... ens-101064 lists each size as a single size with zero explanation. (Yes, it is American sizing and on Gore’s European websites the sizing is European, but again without explanation). To add to the confusion, Gore indicates the dual sizing in the photos of models wearing the jackets, but the sizing shown in the photos is somewhat deceptive. The model, who is noted to be the nearly the exact same size as I am (a bit heavier), is shown in a US medium/Euro large. This "medium" jacket looks huge on the model when in fact the L/XL is a closer, better fit on me. Further, the sizing chart is more consistent with my fit than the photo examples. And if you weren't confused enough, be advised that the sizing chart details on European websites are different, and not surprisingly refer to European sizes, but again without indicating that fact.
Regarding performance, the Spinshift jacket is perhaps as good as you can do outside of Shakedry, though more intense rain is needed to verify. And that’s the problem. I have multiple 8+ hour rain days, some of them quite nightmarish, in Shakedry jackets and they simply perform perfectly every time. The Spinshift was initially impressive, the external DWR treatment kept the light rain beading nicely for the first hour. But by hour two the first spots where the outer fabric was wetting out began to appear. Wetting out in my experience seriously compromises waterproofing, and certainly does reduce breathability, which at its best is a step down from Shakedry, a step that will get bigger as the jacket wets out more during longer rides.
And a final note about Shakedry jackets. In an earlier discussion on the topic on this forum (can’t find it, sorry), a forum member reported the deterioration of his Shakedry jacket from the constant folding and in and out of jersey pockets. Many of us, myself included responded with incredulity and reports of years of similar use with ongoing perfect waterproofing. A question: have any of you held your Shakedry jackets up to a bright light? I have recently done so and to my dismay found numerous “pin holes” where the light comes shining though. It is as if the outer waterproof layer has simply flaked off in places leaving an open gap. No scratches, scars or even creases to indicate rough treatment. The jacket I have used most has 10 or 12 of these pin holes in the shoulder and upper back area. What is more disturbing is that jackets that I have not yet worn also have a couple of these holes, likely just from handling in the store prior to my purchase. I suspect the amount of water that these holes can allow through is so small, and the fact that the Shakedry material itself simply won’t absorb water, that whatever dampness does find its way in will probably not be noticed except in the most extreme sutuations. Bottom line the stuff is fragile, handle with care.
