GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket

GORE Bike Wear
Cross Jacket
$200

W.L. Gore & Associates began in 1958 doing research in plastics. By the 1970s, they had worldwide operations and had developed technologies used in the space program. With the development of GORE-TEX fabric, the company introduced a new standard for the outdoor industry - a fabric that was fully, 100% waterproof but allowed water vapor to evaporate from inside. The GORE Bike Wear brand began in 1985 in Europe. No one else at the time offered a line of waterproof, breathable, cycling-specific clothing. Now GORE Bike Wear is the leading cycling apparel brand in Europe, and in 2003 came to the US. They now offer the whole collection of clothing on this side of the Atlantic, and are renowned for their innovation, high standards, and attention to detail.

The GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket is made from GORE-TEX Paclite material for absolute waterproofing and minimum bulk. The jacket packs down and is easily stored in a backpack or even a jersey pocket. This is one of my favorite pieces of cycling apparel. I always keep mine in my Camelbak for mountain bike use, and will carry it in my jersey for a road ride if the weather looks like rain. When I rode every day last month, I got rained on a lot and was extremely glad I had the jacket. It also is a great piece of gear to use as a windbreaker; having it in the Camelbak is great for winter mountain biking when it's really cold at first, but you warm up after 15 or 20 minutes.
My only criticism of the jacket is that the fit is quite loose, making it less than perfect for road use. However, GORE Bike Wear actually classifies it as mountain bike apparel. The loose fit does make it more versatile for layering or more relaxed activities like hiking. I ended up choosing it because of this versatility, but if you are going to be doing mostly wet-weather road cycling in it, I recommend a jacket like the Xenon Race Jacket, which is a Paclite shell with a tighter, more aerodynamic and cycling-specific fit.