by According to reports, Gore will cease production and production of its highly popular Gore-Tex Shakedry material.
Gore released the Shakedry material to much fanfare in 2016 and it has since proven to be a very popular and sought after option for cycling and running jackets. Gore-Tex Shakedry garments even carry the promise of ‘guaranteed to stay dry’.
Due to the construction of the material, which avoids an outer fabric and instead places the waterproof membrane on the outside, the water simply beads up and drains away instead of soaking in. As the name suggests, a few quick movements will remove most of the water from the outside of the jacket.
In a report from Road.cc, the brand says: “Gore-Tex Shakedry has been and will continue to be a central part of the GoreWear product offering to meet the needs of all-weather endurance athletes. Unfortunately the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology is no longer offered by Gore Fabrics due to ongoing supply issues, but we are excited about the Gore-Tex Shakedry technology and so invested in our inventory position last year to ensure we can offer it until current stock is running out.”
What this could mean for cyclists
We understand the statement above that once stocks of Shakedry products run out, they’re gone for good, but GoreWear – the brand’s in-house consumer-focused cycling apparel brand – has stockpiled the fabric to ensure it is able to continue to serve its customers.
As a result, Shakedry products from competing brands will almost certainly be phased out. In fact, this has already begun. During our research for our recent guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets, we were unable to get samples of certain competitor products.
“We’ve always had supply issues with the fabric,” explains a representative for 7 Mesh – makers of the Oro Shakedry jacket. “The Oro will be discontinued after this next shipment.”
Meanwhile, Castelli’s UK distributor Saddleback explained that “From AW22, Castelli no longer use Shakedry because the material is no longer available to third parties.” That said, Castelli already seem to have a similar alternative available; the ‘Slicker Pro’ jacket is made of a material described as “two-layer ultralight 50 g/m2 waterproof, breathable fabric with PFC-free external microporous polyurethane membrane.”
If you’re considering investing in a Gore-Tex Shakedry jacket, you may want to get one before stocks run out. We doubt such a popular material would be discontinued without at least a plan for replacement. We don’t currently know what this will be, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground for news and updates.
If your hunt for a Shakedry jacket has already begun, we have a Rapha jacket in our range Rafa Black Friday deals hub. You can also check out all our other deals on our main page Black Friday bike deals page.
