It’s all about layering fabrics. When the Gore-Tex membrane is laminated to an inner and or outer material, it becomes a Gore Fabric. Durable water repellent, or DWR, is your wet weather gear’s first line of defence. It’s not a laminate or coating but a treatment applied to the fabric’s outer surface.

Take a normal parka, add adjustable cuffs, pit zips, a double ended main zip, and a smattering of reflective details and you're pretty much there. The length does really add some extra protection, but it also very much lends itself to bikes that put you in an upright position - on a road bike with a slammed stem there's a lot of material up front to bunch up, even with the zip undone from the bottom.Throughout this unpredictability, the Endure has proved very versatile. Even on a three-hour ride when it rained throughout, I stayed dry. When the DWR is applied to a fabric, it creates micropegs or microspikes that protrude from the fibres and prevent water from spreading out, forcing it to form beads that slide off the fabric without seeping in.

Though the specs say it's the same waterproof and breathability rating as the Nightvision Storm, it feels more protective. What's more, the lining is significantly more comfortable next to the skin so I was happy enough wearing this with short sleeves underneath, though most of the time I was throwing it on over a jumper. For commuting especially, some level of additional visibility is definitely advantageous, be that a bright colour or reflective details. Off-road away from traffic, this will obviously be less of a concern. Firstly you need to hone in on your intended usage. It’s no good using something like the Assos Schlosshund if you’re going to use it to ride to work on an upright dutch bike. Likewise, if you’re planning on doing fast road miles then the Rapha Commuter isn’t what you need. Gore-Tex encompasses many different flavours of waterproof fabrics, from Gore-Tex Pro (the absolute highest level of protection, great if you’re going up K2, but not nearly breathable enough to handle high output activities like cycling), through to Gore-Tex Infinium (not really waterproof, but can shrug off rain and is incredibly breathable for use in changeable conditions).The treatment does not inhibit breathability because it doesn’t fill the gaps between the fibres. Instead, it bonds the individual fibres to help the garment shed water and prevent saturation. Gore-Tex is a trademarked fabric invented in 1969, which is both extremely waterproof and breathable. The Pertex Shield Air three-layer waterproof fabric is plenty breathable enough for high-output riding, but not quite so much as the Gore-Tex Infinium of the Rapha Trail. The cut is also a little roomier, allowing some more winter layers underneath if you want to venture out in very cold conditions - I’ve taken it out down to about -15 degrees Celsius, but at this point, it’s more of a test for the mid layers than the shell.

Some manufacturers say to throw the garment in the tumble dryer for a few minutes on low to medium heat, others recommend ‘touch ups’ with an iron on the warm setting. Again, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. The fabric is gossamer thin to the point of translucency, with a light stretch to it. The fit is most definitely race, though the tail could be dropped further. I usually wear a small jersey, and a small Supreme is on the cusp of being too tight, especially in the forearms, so if you want to account for a mid-layer then I suggest you size up. Gore-Tex swapped the polyurethane layer typically found on raincoats with a Teflon membrane which bonded with the nylon outer layer. This where those millions of pores are found, thus facilitating brushing off water and passing water vapour away from your skin. For less speed-oriented riding you can go for something a little more casually cut. This is especially important for expedition-type riding where you may need to layer up underneath substantially if the weather turns on you. Things would be easier if it were simply a matter of keeping the rain out, but pedalling makes you hot and sweaty, and the heat and moisture you generate need an escape route.It essentially came about as a happy accident – Bob Gore discovered a new form of polymer made of large molecules that repeat to form long chains. Still, it’s important to keep waterproof fabrics clean because dirt and oil can clog membranes (limiting the fabric’s ability to breathe) and degrade DWR treatments, too. Always read washing instructions carefully. Gore-Tex Active –extremely lightweight and breathable, but doesn’t provide the same level of protection against the weather. Best for aerobic activities like running and cycling. The reason these lamination techniques allow for water-repellent characteristics is that the inner membranes are full of holes. This may seem counterintuitive, but a Gore-Tex membrane boasts nine billion pores, each 1µm – a millionth of a metre – wide per square inch. The holes are big enough to allow water vapour created by sweat evaporation to escape, but are too small for water droplets to sneak through. Every square inch of the extremely thin Gore-Tex membrane has nine billion pores, with each of these holes 20,000 times smaller than a drop of water.

To my knowledge this is Castelli's first foray into the world of commuter gear, and it's a pretty great debut. First off I think it needs applauding for making the colour options the same for both men and women, rather than just giving women a choice of purple or a different purple. Its party piece though is the reflectivity. The cut is for MTB riding, and is pretty true to size. Given the more relaxed cut, opt for your usual jersey size for this one.Claire found she could probably go for a smaller size, but the looser fit worked well for us both when it comes to layering potential. The dropped tail isn’t as pronounced and the sleeves aren’t quite as long as others, but despite this, it works very well for blasting around the woods at full gas. It’s noticeably more breathable than the other options on the list, and the real bonus is the hood, which can be adjusted easily while riding and doesn’t leave your face being squashed by the face box. The breathability is further enhanced by stretch panels under the armpits, which function as pit perforations do whilst also improving the freedom of movement.With the hood up, which is best under a helmet or the face box gets very claustrophobic, you feel more or less impervious to the elements. The lower hem can be easily cinched one handed with an easy drawstring, which I'd ideally liked to have seen complimented by adjustable cuffs. Yes, you can fit gloves underneath with ease, but I often go without gloves, and breezy cuffs in the cold are not the one.