I consider the Gorewear Spinshift the best cycling shell jacket and 45% off at Competitive Cyclist makes it an easy buy.
(Photo Josh Ross/Velo)
Published December 12, 2025 01:46PM
If you want something that is packable and will handle seriously bad weather for long periods of time you need a hardshell jacket. Options for those are disappearing fast. The Gorewear Spinshift is one of the best cycling shell jackets you can buy at any price and at 45% off it’s not even a close competition.
Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket (45% off)
(Photo Gorewear)
I’ve spent years testing jackets and I have a deep understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Most people prefer to wear a softshell jacket. At the same time the shift to serious indoor cycling has pushed people away from riding in serious weather. There’s something I’ve learned though, hard shell jackets are what work.
If you need to ride in serious weather for any real period of time, you want a hardshell jacket. You also want a hardshell jacket if you need something packable and easy to layer.
These competing facts mean it’s harder and harder to actually buy a hardshell jacket. There’s fewer options every time I look but among the options that still exist, Gore-Tex continues to be a top contender. There’s a few that compete but you can always count on Gore-Tex to hit that perfect balance of protection with packability.
The Spinshift is using the latest Gore-Tex ePE membrane that avoids forever chemicals. The material is then formed into a jacket that does an excellent job of managing fit in an aggressive ride position. It’s got a long tail and arms that never pull when you move to the drops. There’s a nice tall collar and a valuable zippered pocket on the back. The only downside is a single direction zipper but to get the same performance (same material) with the upgraded zipper you’d need to move to Rapha and a jacket that costs $425.