Gore Spinshift Review: A PFC-Free Cycling Rain Jacket Built for Real Weather

Introduction

Riding through a wet season means accepting rain as the default condition rather than an occasional inconvenience. That turns a jacket into core equipment, and it has to do two jobs at once: keep the weather out and let enough moisture escape that a rider does not finish a ride as wet inside as out.

For several years, one fabric set the benchmark for that balance. It was waterproof, highly breathable, very light, and packed down small, which made it genuinely different from the heavier shells that came before it. It was also expensive, offered in a single now-iconic colourway, and delicate enough that owners handled it carefully. The larger problem was chemistry: the fabric relied on substances now understood to be harmful to the environment and facing regulatory bans. Gore stopped producing it and started again with a different approach.

The Gore Spinshift is the first jacket built without those chemicals, and it now sits at the top of the brand’s range. It is not a like-for-like replacement, and the brand is straightforward about that. What it offers is a three-layer construction, with two poly layers sandwiching an expanded polyethylene membrane in the middle. That membrane is made without the problematic chemistry and carries a reduced carbon footprint, while the outer layers use recycled fabrics. The result is a shell that is light, thin, and strong, and that should prove tougher than the material it follows.

Who the Gore Spinshift Is For

This is a jacket for riders who want one light layer that handles most unsettled weather. Because breathability is high and weight is low, it works as a rain shell and as a windproof, which means it can replace two garments on rides that start cold and damp and finish warm and dry.

It also suits riders who liked the idea of the previous fabric but were put off by how fragile it felt. The Spinshift comes across as a jacket that can be worn hard, taken onto gravel and mountain bike routes, and washed regularly without being treated like something precious.

Waterproofing and Breathability in Real Conditions

Waterproofing is the baseline, and it holds up. Across roughly six weeks of near-constant rain, including a launch ride in mild but very damp conditions, the jacket kept the weather out on every outing. Layers worn underneath stayed completely dry, which is the practical test that matters more than any laboratory figure.

Breathability is where the older fabric earned its reputation, and it is where the Spinshift comes closest without matching it. It is not quite at the same level, but it is very good, and it avoids the trapped, clammy feeling that makes heavy shells unpleasant on a long climb. That combination is what makes the jacket versatile: a rain jacket first, but also a windproof that can carry a rider through a cool, breezy start until the weather settles and the layer comes off.

Weight, Packability, and Fit

In the hand, the new fabric feels nearly as thin as the material it follows, with a smoother, slightly more slippery finish. It still crinkles the way lightweight waterproofs do, packs down about as small, and feels lighter than most other waterproof jackets currently available.

The fit is tapered through the torso and arms, with a good length in the sleeves and no excess fabric to flap or create drag, which is exactly what a fast-paced rider wants. Sizing runs small, though. A medium felt much closer to a small, so trying a size up before committing is worth the effort.

Durability and Everyday Care

Early signs are encouraging. After around six weeks of use on gravel and mountain bike routes, including woodland rides that left the jacket covered in mud and dirt, it came through about half a dozen machine washes without issue. It feels more durable and tougher than the previous fabric, which was a common concern for anyone weighing up that jacket.

Context helps here. An original example of the older fabric from 2016 is still in use despite faded logos, with no tears or rips, which suggests careful owners can get a long life out of a lightweight shell. The Spinshift simply starts from a more robust position.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The first consideration is breathability. It is excellent, but it sits just below the fabric it replaces, so riders who prioritise maximum moisture transfer above everything else should know that going in.

The second is price. At £250 the jacket is still a serious investment, even though it undercuts the previous model, which sold for over £300. Discounts are likely over time, and wider adoption of the new fabric by other manufacturers would give buyers more choice.

The third is sizing, which runs small, and the fourth is expectation. This is not the same leap forward that the earlier fabric represented when it arrived. It is a very good jacket rather than a category-defining one, and it is better judged on those terms.

Where the Spinshift Fits in a Layering System

The most useful way to think about this jacket is as a single layer that covers several jobs. On a cold, windy morning it works as a windproof over a jersey. When rain arrives it stays on as a waterproof. As the ride warms up and the weather clears, it comes off and packs away small enough to disappear into a jersey pocket.

That flexibility is what separates it from bulkier waterproofs, which tend to be heavier, less breathable, and harder to justify carrying when the forecast is uncertain.

Buying Advice

For anyone shopping for a new cycling rain jacket, the Spinshift is an easy recommendation. It is one of the best fabrics available right now: light, packable, genuinely waterproof, and breathable enough to keep a rider comfortable through changing conditions, with a construction that should hold up better over time.

Riders who already own a jacket made from the older fabric should keep it and look after it, because it still holds a slight edge on breathability and it is no longer produced. For everyone else, this is the future of the range, made without the chemistry that ended its predecessor, and it performs very well indeed.

Conclusion

The Gore Spinshift arrives with a difficult act to follow, and it handles that position well. It is not the same step change the previous fabric delivered, but it is a lighter, tougher, more environmentally conscious jacket with strong waterproofing and breathability that holds up in genuinely wet riding. Buyers who want one versatile shell for unsettled weather will find very little to complain about.