The news is old, but I am still a bit gutted. If there was one bit of bike kit that many people have said it the most important then it’s the Goretex Shakedry. The price was always a sticker shock but after the brave investment it became so clear how wonderful this jacket really is. Everyone I have recommended it too has come back to say how outstanding it is.

We know that to cycle we like to be comfortable….. OK perhaps that is antiphrasis… suffering is part of cycling but no one, no one likes freezing their but off and getting wet. We like digging deep but not feeling like we are getting buried. Wet, cold rain can make you feel 6 ft under but if protected then the experience is on another level. Like being in a tent when it is persisting it down but your comfy and dry…

The thing with Shakedry is that it cleared perspiration to perfection. Nearly every jacket I have ever tried resulted in me building up sweat and then getting cold and then getting drained. It’s almost a waste of effort to even put them on. The Shakedry didn’t do that. It held out all the rain, you didn’t get drenched in sweat and it made riding in harsh conditions so much better.

And it’s tough!!!! I had my last one for 5 years and it still worked a charm. And it packed so small – easy to fit in a jacket pocket… seriously this thing was perfection.. So why the last tense and why is this a pointless reveiw?

Some time back Gore announced the jacket (and material as other such as Castelli have used it) would be discontinued. The reasons are not so clear but likely a commitment to more sustainable materials, or environmentally friendly, may have had an impact. Once I heard I thought hard and long as my jacket was still in great order. But I still ordered another. At approx 300 Euros not cheap but then this simply is the best kit investment out there. And the nightmare… I just lost the original and am already on the new one. Good news is you can still find them online and I’ll be getting another. It’s just THAT GOOD….