[Closed] More holes in my Shakedry ☹

Was the cat also in the cat proof super secure location? 😉

To be fair to Shakedry, it's the best at what it does but there is no doubt it's a bit fragile. I've had one since they first came out and have managed to keep it in one piece mainly road/gravel riding AND I have a cat. I even managed to avoid any major damage tarmac surfing in it last year by using me as a sacrificial layer instead of the jacket...

Get another and keep it away from the menagerie. 👍

It does seem really fragile. My GF bought a jacket that came in a plastic bag that was sealed by sellotape.

It must have been opened and resealed as the sellotape had been in contact with the outer of the jacket, and had been pulled off. This had removed a patch of the outer layer of the fabric which was firmly stuck to the tape.

It was returned no problem. The jackets work brilliantly, but im worried about its life span in even normal careful use

Ian

I'm trying my hardest to laugh it off, was out in the rain for an hour this morning, had a great ride, jacket worked perfectly (as in, I didn't get soaked by rain or sweat).

I'm going to put this down to really bad luck, get it repaired (probably after the winter, rather than send it away for another 5 weeks...) and try 'third time lucky'.

If the cat gets it again I'll assume Gore have somehow infused it with cat-nip, will pay for a final repair, sell it, and buy something cheap and awful that the cat sees no merit in clawing... 🙁

I was just so surprised this morning I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience of mystery holes forming, perhaps I'd got a bad one...

I’ve also got a car related hole in my shake dry. In that I caught the sleeve on my chainring when I stopped to say hello to a cat.

It’s a good job the jacked are so cheap, eh? 🙄

It’s a good job the jacked are so cheap, eh?

Yep, last time I tore a jacket was 15 years ago when I was still mountainbiking religiously and crashed into a barbed-wire fence at speed, and even then miraculously came away with only a 1cm rip in the cuff of a £100 eVent jacket.

Now I actually treat myself to something nice? Claw city!

If the cat gets it again I’ll assume Gore have somehow infused it with cat-nip, will pay for a final repair, sell it, and buy something cheap and awful that the cat sees no merit in clawing… 🙁

Shakedry, sponsored by Dreamies... 😁

Had similar with a Madison lightweight waterproof on it's first proper ride (somebody suggested exploring a trail infested with vicious brambles), bought some clear fabric repair tape from Go Outdoors for about a tenner, patched the holes, and it's still working fine a year later.

Where do you get them repaired ?

Scottish Mountain Gear, they're an approved Gore Tex repair-er so it maintains the Gore Tex guarantee.

I bought the Shakedry R7 trail as it was allowed with a "light backpack" so I figured the fabric would be a bit tougher.

It's only 4 months old but I have dragged it and a bike through the trees on the CL300 going along Burn of Brown and it's still not got any holes (touch wood...). I had a look around for the hiking version but couldn't find it at a reasonable price.

Stu.

I was planning on buying a ME propeller for the mountains, not so sure now if SD is so fragile.

Do you have a cat? If not you're probably fine! 😁

How much is a repair?

🙂

I'm curious about these jackets, but even in windstopper or regular jersey I'll get a decent amount of sweat on my back in an hour, they aren't going to cope with that, are they?

I’ll get a decent amount of sweat on my back in an hour, they aren’t going to cope with that, are they?

The outer shell is part of a process that starts at your skin. You need a tight fitting wicking base layer, then however much mid-layer insulation you need (often none, for me) that will also wick (e.g. fleece) then a breathable shell.

It doesn't matter how breathable the shell is if the sweat is staying on your skin. I have found that even with a moderately breathable shell but a good base layer the whole interior of clothing gets really damp and humid - but I don't get liquid sweat on my skin. Breathable fabrics don't stop you sweating - all the do is transport moisture from the inside of the jacket to the outside (most of them anyway).

So it rather sounds as if you are missing the first wicking step.

I always thought that if water can go one way (wick sweat out of the jacket fabric) then surely it can go the other way as well and leak rainwater in?

I always thought that if water can go one way (wick sweat out of the jacket fabric) then surely it can go the other way as well and leak rainwater in?

No. That's the clever part, and why it took so many years after the invention of normal fabric to come up with it.

Original GoreTex was a membrane that they managed to make with loads of tiny holes in it. The idea being that surface tension stopped large water droplets coming in, but vapour could get out. This proved quite fragile so they coated it with a polyeurethane membrane which is treated so that one side of it is hydrophillic (sucks in water) and the other side hyrdophobic (repels it). The upshot is that water soaks into one side of the membrane, sucked through to the other side, where it hopefully evaporates. This means that on GoreTex and most other jackets any vapour has to condense on the inside of the jacket - which is where it always did on old fashioned plastic jackets anyway. It's why you need a wicking base layer to stuck the moisture away from your skin. Because liquid sweat isn't going to disappear from your skin by magic - it needs to be removed by your base layer. I mean, you can still get sweaty with no waterproof layer on at all, can't you?

Some other companies have made membranes with tiny holes that are durable, like eVent and Polartec Neoshell. These actually let in a bit of wind so when you cycle in them you feel a bit colder, likewise when it's windy. These work much better in UK conditions generally.

I’m curious about these jackets, but even in windstopper or regular jersey I’ll get a decent amount of sweat on my back in an hour, they aren’t going to cope with that, are they?

I wouldn't have thought so, I was sold on them as a waterproof that was as breathable as a windproof. I wouldn't go quite that far but especially on colder days I'll happily just used the Shakedry as a windproof (although in fairness, my existing Endura windproof is actually quite clammy...). If you're outsweating a windproof already I wouldn't think the Shakedry will be any better.

How much is a repair?

£27 last time for 4 or 5 tiny little pinprick holes (I think it was three individual patches). To their credit, the repairs are so neat they look as if they are part of the original jacket construction, other than the random placing.

My theory is that the cat likes the rustling of the material, I don't really believe she is especially malevolent, so is probably just bored during the day and if she finds a drawer or wardrobe open with a nice rustley material to play with then all the better. Will start storing it in a tupperware box with the lid firmly closed!

My lovely Arcteryx Beta has been readily available for a clawing all this time and she's not shown any interest, Gore Tex active shell just isn't as pleasing to the claw evidently...

No. That’s the clever part, and why it took so many years after the invention of normal fabric to come up with it.

The membrane is just a fine grid of PTFE holes - it's completely symmetric.

The holes are smaller than water droplets hence waterproof but larger than water molecules (vapour) so water can evaporate through it.

It works because you create a more humid environment under the jacket, hence water valpour evaporates through it, but it would work just as well on inside out.

Will start storing it in a tupperware box with the lid firmly closed!

I hope you're going to add some air holes so the poor thing can breath.

I hope you’re going to add some air holes so the poor thing can breath.

Lol! 😀

@onzadog bastid, knicked my joke... I was too slow 😁

@13thfloormonk just buy another one and give the old one to the cat to play with...