[Closed] Recommend me a.... Soft Shell jacket

Endura Stealth - softshell, waterproof, breathable, can be bought for £150.

Either Gore tool or cosmo. Gore stuff seems to wash better and last longer than any other cycling brand.

I'm going to pull the pin on a Gore Phantom - having had the last 2 Endura items I bought fail on me they'll not be getting any more of my business.

The Phantom's not waterproof but would be fine for drizzle or a quick shower. More breathable than the Stealth and I like that you can remove the sleeves if you get too warm

Gore Phamtom is ace. I have 2, the 1st one was the original circa 2003(and quite possibly the best) N2S Windstopper fabric - the other is the current version, which is a softer Windstopper - but not marketed as N2S.

the fact the arms unzip is great for regulating temperatures, rarely do I ride with the arms fully off (although when in spring and the chilly morning starts turn into warm afternoons - then this feature is priceless) - but being able to inzip the pits and aid cooling is brilliant.

the phantom is also ace because the back area where your backpak sits is made from roubaix type material (not windstopper) and thus ensures you don't overheat by having winstopper where it's not needed.

you'll find me using these jackets 8 out of 12 months of the year...

and with the addition of a thin merino top underneath, fends of anything down to -5DegC (such as it was yesterday in the Peaks)

Gore Phantom is ace +1 - had mine for years and still going strong 🙂

Sounds like everyone is very positive about the Gore Phantom. I've just done some searching and wiggle have it for £107.99.

Anyone had and bad experiences with the Phantom? What the sizing like? I'm 5'11 / skinny build and a medium with most things. Are Gore's sizings fairly standard?

Thanks!

Anyone had and bad experiences with the Phantom?

All the zips on my Phantom N2S started dying one by one - replaced a couple of zip off sleeve ones - but at £14 a pop quite expensive. When the main zip started to fail I got in touch with Gore who asked me to send the jacket back - they agreed to replace and sent me a cheque for the replacement cost. For that I'm a Gore customer for life. Got one of the newer (non N2S) ones and it's great. Echo what MisterT said above.

I have a medium and I am fairly skinny, 6ft - 38" chest (mine is old N2S) but a mate of mine got the Large in the end and he is a little broader than me and a similar height. So I would try the medium and if too big swap for small myself? I have a few gore items and they do some up smallish 🙂

I have 2 Gore Phantoms which i purchased early in 2006.

Ok they don't get used ever ride throughout the year but over the past nearly 5 years they've been worn/washed a lot.

No problems with the zips at all

6' and 42" chest and I fit large perfectly

**Highly recommended**

Does anyone else hate Gilets? I have one but never use it, my arms get too cold...

I like them in spring and autumn but as you say a gilet not for the cold. I have often unzipped my sleeves on a ride after I have warmed up like you would use arm warmers 🙂

cynic-al - Member

Does anyone else hate Gilets? I have one but never use it, my arms get too cold...

Same as him

foxyrider - Member

I like them in spring and autumn but as you say a gilet not for the cold. I have often unzipped my sleeves on a ride after I have warmed up like you would use arm warmers

Definitely have a look at the Endura Stealth as well. Had mine for 2 years and worn it on the majority of my rides (it's a bit cold and wet up here in Scotland).

Great venting, completely bulletproof to withstand the multiple big pile ups I've had in it and still pretty much good as new

cynic-al - Member
Does anyone else hate Gilets? I have one but never use it, my arms get too cold...

Nope, I love mine, one of my best pieces of cycling equipment IME, if your core is warm, everything else should follow. Though using just a gillet in these conditions doesn't work, got me a cheapo Decathlon softshell, which in the 2 last ride has been ace but not quite what the OP is looking for.

'Naff' have a look at alpine bikes they have some good deals on gore stuff although limited sizes. I'm exactly the same size(5'11 38) and wear a small Cosmo but also have the balance iii jacket in the medium. The Cosmo gets used more as its a much better fit.

if your core is warm, everything else should follow

No need for gloves, overshoes then? 😉

fingerless are fine but overshoes are for girls 😛

I checked out the Phantom and a few slightly wobbly reviews put me off. Only the mega bucks Gore stuff got good reviews all round.

As CaptainM says, the Stealth is extremely robust - tripped and splatted running in mine last week (at night - over a branch), landed on my elbow with no damage to the coat at all. Also great if your rides are brambly.

Some of the reader comments put me off the Gore as I needed waterproofness. I rode in HAMMERING rain and sleet (and mud, floods, etc) all off road, in my Stealth last Wednesday night for two hours. Legs, feet and hands soaked and frozen, body and arms completely dry and warm.

I like my gore oxygen so

Thanks for the advice everyone. Gore Phantom ordered with the 20% off wiggle Xmas code 🙂

Been using the cosmo and its a great piece of kit. I wont use endura anymore as I had problems with the stiching on 2 pairs of baggies and a pair of gloves.

If breathability is a your priority, I'd suggest looking at Polartec Powershield. It's not used much in the bike industry, but there's a fair bit of it about in the outdoors market. It's significantly more breathable than Gore-Tex Windstopper stuff - basically it's a perforated PU membrane that's something like 98% windproof and very water resistant, the 2% of 'not windproofness' translates into better moisture vapour transfer rates.

Not saying Windstopper isn't good btw, I use a Gore Windstopper top on the road over winter and it works well. I use it less for mountain biking though because the more exagerated peaks and troughs in exertion levels seem to give breathability a rougher ride and I run quite hot.

Anyway, I see you've ordered a Gore top, but it might be an option for anyone researching soft shell in the future.

I love my gore phantom, great all year round with use of baselayer when needed.
Only downfall is its near impossible to fasten the sleeves back on yourself unless you remove the jacket

Yep, Gore phantom here too.

In fact I echo Mister T's comments to the letter - except the bit about the peaks yesterday - coz I wasnt there 🙄