GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

At first, I thought the zip-off sleeves were a gimmick, but I can't say enough about this jacket. I'm an everyday bike commuter who's worn this jacket on all but the warmest days in Portland, Oregon over the past year.

Rainy 33 degree afternoons, I'm cozy. On brisk summer mornings, the vest takes out the chill. Sun unexpectedly comes out, stuff your t-shirt in the back pocket, take the sleeves off, and wear it alone.
It strikes an optimal balance of breathability and water-resistance. I usually wear a wicking t-shirt under it, or on very cold, rainy mornings, a long-sleeve capilene. Don't buy it too big expecting to layer under it. You won't need to.
Riding fast, it doesn't flap. It's easy to take on and off. The collar comes up enough to keep out the cold air, but it doesn't choke or rub. The back breathes well - unless you wear a backpack. My "bike commuter bag" strap fits well over the zippers on the shoulders and has never caused a problem.
After a good spill coming off the Hawthorne bridge, it held up well with a slight scuff that was easily patched. My arm was not scratched (My hip was another story.)
I don't usually write reviews, or give out compliments for that matter - but this is a terrific jacket and I've recommended it to many fellow bike commuters.
Suggestions for the next generation - brighter colors, more reflective materials.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

This jacket has some nice features in terms of the detachable sleeves, the back pockets, and windproof shell.

On the other hand, it is defintely not waterproof as I got soaked and cold the other morning on my 1 hour commute in a pretty steady rain. Not only was my back wet like others have said, but the sleeves up to my elbows were soaked and it was very uncomfortable. I have used it in lighter rain and in those cases, it holds out the moisture better, but even thought this is Gore, you have to know this is not GoreTex.

I am also disappointed with the location of the reflective strips. The two on the back of the jacket are fine, but as you can see from the picture, the strips along the sleeves are facing directly to the front. As a year round commuter, I have plenty of lights facing front and back, and anyway, you can see what is directly in front of you. On the other hand, it is more difficult to make yourself visible to the sides, and when I bought the jacket, I thought I had that problem solved. So I was surprised the other morning when I was on my bike and could see that the reflective strips were not doing me any good (they are even less visible when you hunched over a bike than standing like the model in the photo), and even thought that I might have put the sleeves on the wrong sides.

So I am mixed on the product: looks great, fits great, and it is adaptable; but not great in rain and not as thoughtfully designed from the safety standpoint as I would expect.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

The photo shows it in jacket form. The sleeves zip of and you've got a great windstopper front jersey. This is a piece I'll use for winter, fall and spring. Great value!

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

All of the preceding comments leave out the fact that the back of the jacket is *NOT* waterproof. The back panel is as porous as a cotton T-shirt, so I do not know how anyone could categorize it as a good garment for wet weather. The last thing I want in cool weather is to have water trickling down my back. As nice as it is otherwise, I am going to return the jacket and find something that is truly weather resistant.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

I own a lot of cycling jackets and I keep going back to this one all the time, none of the others are like this one. I've used it for over 3 years. It was the best when riding in the Rocky Mountains on the downhill - it is so wind proof, that cold blast of air never gets through. Yet on the flats in cool to cold weather it never feels too hot. I wear a SmartWool or Craft long-sleeve turtleneck underneath in temps about 35-40 degrees with winds. When warmer, sometimes I just zip the sleeves off and wear a sleeveless UnderArmour t-shirt underneath, and with the short sleeves already a part of this Phantom garment, it is a great short-sleeve jacket/vest combo. This jacket is so versatile. Zip off sleeves and stuff in back pockets. I've stayed comfortably dry for 30 miles in light drizzle/sleet/rain. Only slight negative is the sleeves are a bit too generous in lenght. I'd prefer them a bit shorter. But no big deal in overall comfort. You will love this jacket. My friend bought it on my recommendation and she too wears it all the time saying it is her favorite cool/colder weather jacket.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

The Gore Phantom bike jacket is one of the better cycling jackets I've owned, though far from perfect.

Unlike many jackets, the Gore Phantom has a great combination of storage and protection from the elements. I like the fact that it has three rear pockets, just like my favorite summer jerseys. Many cycling jackets seem to eschew pockets entirely! The jacket also seems to provide excellent protection from the rain. I was recently caught out in a rainstorm while two hours from home. The Phantom kept the top part of my body dry during the trek home. Items in the two side pockets stayed dry, too! Unfortunately, water running down my back managed to soak everything in the large center pocket.

I wear the Phantom with a long-sleeved mid-weight T-shirt and find that it keeps me warm and toasty at temperatures down to around 50-degrees Fahrenheit. Below 50 and I start to wish that the front zipper sealed a little better and that there was some way to adjust the wrist closures. The draft flap on the main zipper could stand to be a bit wider, in my opinion. The sleeves are so long that I have to tuck my gloves into the sleeves rather than the sleeves into the gloves. Unfortunately, this allows cold air to work its way up the sleeves when traveling at higher speeds.

Fit, for me, was a bit of a compromise. The Large size was a bit snug, while the X-Large was a bit too big. Sleeves in both sizes were too long. I didn't want the jacket flapping around in the wind, so I bought the Large size. The only annoyance is that the short sleeves are a bit snug, and tend to pull out of the arms when I remove the jacket.

By far the biggest annoyance with the Phantom is the front zipper. Aside from making the zipper a bit too small and the draft flap a bit too narrow, the designers at Gore chose to put the slider on the left side of the opening rather than on the right. Every time I zip the jacket up, I curse their foolishness...

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

Two rides of 25+ miles in sub 50F and windy conditions the first two days I had it. Performed very well - exactly as advertised. Cut wind penetration to zero, but without overheating. No more feeling like I'm riding while wearing a trash bag. Note size is "as listed" but that the listed size ranges are a bit more trim than usual. For instance the XL fits me perfectly at 6'2" and 170lbs, which is dead on the 39-41" chest the size chart says. (Most XL stuff is for guys with 44" chests.) Nicely this jacket is cut a touch looser than most cycling jackets. No flapping material, but also not skin tight.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

After reading all the rave reviews of this Jacket, I decided to buy it for my daily commute and weekend rides.

Unfortunately while it looks super sharp the performance leaves much to be desired. First of all the back of the jacket is made of material like tissue paper. It breathes well but soaks in water like crazy. Even in light drizzles water dripping from the back of my helmet soaks right through my back. And keep the back away from velcro - a slight snag can spoil it. Also there is no zippered pocket so I need to find some other place to carry my ID/cash/CC/tunes. The zip off arms are difficult to zip on/off and carry in the rear pockets. In my personal opinion there are not enough reflective patches to be really effective in a commuting situation in fall/winter. In fact the black back makes you invisible in low light.

The fit is snug and slightly tight in the chest for me. If you are between sizes I'd suggest going up a size if you need to ride in winter with a base and mid layer underneath.

My suggestions for improvement - drop the zip off sleeves and add long pit zips, make the back of the jacket with the same material as the front, add a zippered pocket. (Am I describing the Gore "Tool" jacket here or what?), add more reflective material and a tuckable drop hem.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a snazzy, fashionable jacket to ride in dry, cooler weather during daylight hours this jacket is perfect. If you are looking for a touring or commuting jacket you are better off with a simple shell and layer underneath.

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

I'm loving this jacket! I am using it in 35 - 50 deg temps and feeling fine with only one layer underneath. Fit is good (size = large. I am 6'1 and 205 lbs) and sleeves are easy to remove. Pockets are good and jacket does not ride up at all. Zip works fine - alittle hard to work with winter gloves on. My only negative would be that my back tends to get alittle cold. Maybe I'm weird .... It's not cheap but nothing good is. Spend the money!

kiwiboy

Comments about GORE BIKE WEAR Phantom Bike Jacket - Men's:

I have ridden with this jacket down to 20 degrees wearing a base layer t-shirt, cycling jersey and arm warmers, and the jacket was plenty warm. If you layer even more, I'm sure it will hold up even colder. The jacket does get a little toasty for me above 45 degrees, but fortunately the sleeves detach and the jacket becomes a thick jersey. Don't expect to be able to roll the jacket up and put it in a jersey pocket though.

This jacket also as the advantage of being able to be used for hiking or other outdoor activities. It's a cycling jacket, but has enough style to be used for other purposes. I have the blue and it looks great!