The Gore C5 GWS Thermo Trail jacket is aimed at riders who need protection from cold and windy conditions and the occasional light rain shower. The Windstopper material proves to be excellent at keeping the cold out while remaining breathable enough to not overheat. It also has impressive water-resistant properties.
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The slim fit is comfortable with the soft-shell providing plenty of flex to not be restrictive while riding. With plenty of pockets and excellent attention to detail, this jacket is a top-quality offering. The price is high and there are certainly cheaper jackets but the performance and quality on offer are hard to argue with which makes this a great option if you're looking for one of the best mountain bike jackets.
Gore C5 GWS Thermo Trail Jacket - Technical details
The thermo trail jacket is a soft shell offering from Gore Wear designed to be light and perfectly cut for riding in the colder months. The jacket is made from Gore’s Windstopper material which is 100% recycled polyester and claimed to be windproof, breathable and water resistant. Its fleece is lined on the inside to help keep the warmth in and the wind out. To keep the wind out, the collar is high and fleece-lined.
The jacket is cut to be a body-hugging slim fit and is squarely aimed at riders. Although it doesn’t have a long tail like you’d see on many riding jackets, it features an elasticated hem that keeps the jacket's bottom in place. Elasticated hems around the sleeves provide another seal against the wind.
Storage has been well covered; two traditional hip pockets, two back pockets and a chest pocket give plenty of options whilst each pocket is mesh lined allowing them to double up as ventilation. The chest pocket also has a little cable outlet for (wired) headphones if needed.
It comes in sizes Small to XXL and three colour ways (black, green and black/yellow)
Gore C5 GWS Thermo Trail Jacket - Performance
Although the cut is slim on his jacket I found it to be exceptionally comfortable to wear thanks to the soft shell material. There is a surprising amount of stretch in the material which results in a jacket that flexes with you and isn’t restrictive in any way.
The windproof qualities are excellent, even with a windchill whilst riding I was impressed at how chill-free I remained. This is helped with the sleeve and bottom hems which are elasticated and fit snuggly keeping the wind out. The sleeve length was perfect for me even when hunched over in the riding position.
Although the jacket isn’t waterproof, the water-resistant properties are impressive with it being able to fend off some pretty heavy showers. It's not a wet weather jacket but if you happen to be caught in the odd rain shower you’ll be okay.
One excellent point to note is how comfortable against the skin this jacket is, Gore has done a great job with the fleece lining and collar to make a jacket that isn’t clingy or sticky to wear - even with a sweat on the jacket remains comfortable.
Although there is no long tail like you’d see on other riding-specific jackets, the elasticated hem does a great job of keeping the bottom of the jacket in place and I had no issues with it riding up. As a plus-side the aesthetics of the jacket do mean it’s less obvious as a riding jacket and could be worn in other settings as a casual jacket.
Gore C5 GWS Thermo Trail Jacket - Verdict
Retailing at £200, this is certainly not a cheap jacket, and I have been very impressed with the performance but there are cheaper options available. For £160, Leatt offers an insulated jacket, the MTB Trail 3.0, that’ll keep you warm – our Liam really liked the balance of insulation and breathability and rated it highly. Another option is the £155 Altura Esker Dune men's insulated jacket which I also tested. More pockets and poor water resistance were flaws however I was impressed with the warmth, windproofing and shaping of the jacket.
The Gore C5 GWS Thermo trail jacket proves to be warm, breathable and impressively comfortable. The jacket is a slim fit but has enough stretch to not be restrictive and is cut with enough sleeve and bottom length to suit riding. The water-resistant qualities are above expectations and with plenty of storage options the jacket is a well-rounded offering. The price is steep and there are plenty of cheaper offerings in the market but the fit, finish and performance do correlate to a high-end jacket.
