Update - PFC-free rain jacket: Gorewear Spinshift cycling jacket with new ePE membrane

The importance of Gore-Tex for the entire outdoor industry is immense. Hardly any performance-orientated clothing manufacturer can ignore the "waterproof" property and therefore Gore-Tex. With the introduction of its microporous, waterproof and vapour-permeable material in the first Gore-Tex rain jacket in 1976, the manufacturer achieved a revolution. Since then, the name of the rain membrane has come to stand for an entire category - like Tempo for handkerchiefs.

Gore-Tex is now breaking new ground with the new ePE membrane. It is the first membrane from the manufacturer that is no longer made from PTFE but from polyethylene. Gore wants to avoid environmentally harmful PFCs in its production and achieve a reduced CO2 footprint.

>> It was only in autumn that Patagonia announced that it would be switching to the non-toxic membrane together with Gore-Tex.

Gorewear Spinshift with new ePE membrane

The Gorewear Spinshift is the first cycling jacket to be equipped with the new Gore-Tex ePE membrane. It is designed to offer protection, comfort and unrestricted freedom of movement, making it the ideal companion for daily rides. At Gorewear, the Spinshift is categorised as a road bike jacket, but it should also be a good choice for sporty mountain bikers, racers and marathon riders. With its slim fit - based on innovative body mapping - it feels like a second skin. Reflective elements on the sleeves, back and chest ensure that cyclists stand out from their surroundings. Accessories and the jacket itself can be easily stowed in the spacious zip pocket.

Looking for a rain jacket? We can help you with that. Here you can find our latest detailed test of cycling rain jackets.

Innovative design: Kinetic Garment Design

With Kinetic Garment Design, Gorewear is moving away from traditional, predominantly 2D garment design, which is based on the static and upright position. This new approach uses 3D visualisation to follow the cyclist's range of motion to ensure an optimal fit and freedom of movement. The Spinshift is designed to adapt effortlessly to natural movements and feel like a second skin. To achieve this goal, every textile component has been cut and positioned accordingly. Seams and weight have also been reduced.

What the testers say about the new Gorewear cycling jacket

Several testers were able to test the 150 gram lightweight jacket in practice and were all satisfied with its fit and function: Its cut anticipates the racing bike position well, the back section is nice and long and offers protection for the bum in the bent-forward position. There was extra praise for the long sleeves with stretch at the cuffs, which fit snugly around the wrist and don't let in any draughts. The jacket also seems to be quite breathable.

The fit of the Gorewear Spinshift is not tight, race-like, but also fits normal and stronger sprinter types and is also available in a women's cut. Details such as all-round reflective material, the backed, windproof and smooth-running zip and a back pocket with zip for small items round off the equipment package. The jacket is actually easy to stow in the pocket. The generally very high quality of workmanship also received special praise. The extra: thanks to the new ePE membrane, the jacket is pleasantly "quiet" - meaning it rustles much less when you move.

Gorewear Spinshift Gore-Tex cycling jacket - Details and price

• New Gore-Tex ePE membrane
• Durable waterproof and windproof protection
• Made from partially recycled material
• Wears like a second skin thanks to innovative body mapping
• Ergonomically shaped collar reduces material build-up
• Zip pocket serves as a pannier
• Glued seams
• Reflective details
• Price 249,95 Euro >> available here

What is behind the new ePE membrane?

Gore's strong position has become increasingly shaky in recent years. Since Greenpeace denounced the use of hazardous chemicals in functional clothing with its "Detox my Fashion" campaign in 2011. The PFC group of chemicals played a key role in this. These cannot be broken down in the environment and can now be detected even in the remotest corners of the earth. PFCs are considered carcinogenic and hormonally active. They are needed in the clothing industry to produce PTFE. PFCs were also used for a long time to make functional clothing water-repellent and to make laminated fabrics - such as those from Gore-Text - permanently waterproof and breathable. Nowadays, most manufacturers do not use PFCs in their DWR (durable water repellent) coatings.

Turning point for Gore-Tex

In 2017, Gore also committed to phasing out hazardous PFCs in its general weatherproof laminates by the end of 2020 and in its speciality laminates by the end of 2023. The manufacturer also wanted to develop new, more environmentally friendly processes and publicly document that no harmful PFCs are released into the environment during the entire service life of its products.

The new ePE membrane made of polyethylene

Gore-Tex was not quite able to fulfil its ambitious plans. The first products with the new ePE membrane were not announced until 2021. Another three years passed before the final market launch. However, Gore-Tex has achieved a clear success with the new membrane. The new membrane is no longer made of PTFE as before. Gore now uses polyethylene for its production. The small "e" in the name of the membrane does not stand for ecological, as one might assume, but for expanded. Gore has thus found a way to process polyethylene in a similar way to PTFE. However, the manufacturer is giving up its status as an "inventor". Gore is not the only manufacturer to produce membranes from polyethylene in this way.

No more PFC?

But how is ePE more sustainable than PTFE? The new membrane and the laminate's water-repellent finish are free from ecologically harmful PFCs. The new membrane is also designed to reduce the CO2 footprint. Its improved strength-to-weight ratio should enable thinner and lighter fabrics with the same durability. This should have a positive effect on resource efficiency. At the same time, the material should be permanently waterproof, windproof and breathable.

Small success for the environment

Greenpeace regards the development of the ePE membrane as a success and sees Gore's promise as having been fulfilled. However, PFCs do not appear to have been completely banned. Gore merely emphasises that it does not use "ecologically questionable PFCs". However, there is no talk of a general move away from PFCs. The issue is highly complex, as the group of PFCs comprises more than 5000 chemical substances. They range from volatile substances, which have been heavily criticised in recent years, to larger, stable molecules. Gore has identified a specific group of PFCs as ecologically questionable. These PFCs are highly fluorinated, small enough to be bioavailable and persistent. Although not all ecologically harmful PFCs are harmful, they can spread into the environment via water, where they then remain for many generations.

PFC not yet completely banned

According to Gore, PTFE is not an ecologically harmful PFC. It is insoluble in water, highly stable, too large to be bioavailable and does not degrade into other substances in nature. ePE will initially be just another product in Gore's portfolio. PTFE membranes will continue to be used in products, partly because in some areas, such as workwear, no suitable replacement has yet been found. How ePE will develop in the future depends entirely on how the material is accepted by consumers and processing brands.