Gore Phantom jacket
redvee
Posts: 11,922
What other alternatives to this jacket are there? Looking for a soft shell that I can pull the arms off when needed. I'm on my 2nd jacket where the zip has failed, the first was done under warranty but my current jacket is long out of warranty.
I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
0
Posts
Altura do one (?)
And Campag do one I think
I think the zip off arms are not as good as a short sleeved jersey with arm warmers
or just a long sleeved jersey/Jacket
Had my jacket for around 4 years,still in great condition and a great all year round jacket.
Zip however is censored ..have to be very patient to get it to snag in place before pulling up,issue developed after a couple of years.
+1, the zip off arms seem a bit pointless to me. Great as a Jacket but too warm as a gilet.
If you have the budget I'd def go with the Gabba s/s jersey and then decent arm warmers (I would say Castelli nanoflex but I'm not impressed by mine, wondering if the Sportful no rain's are any better?).
So the only real advantage of the Phantom is using the arms zips just to vent rather than removing the arms completely - I have done this a fair few times but it's more because the Phantom doesn't breath particularly well in the first place (compared with say the Assos Habu which is brilliant)
Only had black in store and I need a replacement asap, like tomorrow and they couldn't guarantee getting a jacket instore for tomorrow, zip did look to be better quality though.
Didn't feel upto the weight of the Gore jacket I currently have.
I'm not a millionaire
The old Gore jacket is in the local tailors to have the zip replaced, £1.60 for parts and £30 labour but a week turnaround, too good to throw away.
I tend to wear it sleeveless with a long sleeve base layer on underneath as:
a. it's colder with the arms on (more on that later)
b. the arms are too constrictive and uncomfortable (and I'm no schwarzenegger)
The phantom's biggest problem is it's lack of breathability. I've worn it on 13 degree days, frosty 0 degree days and in every climatic condition it works like this: start riding feel cool, warm up, start sweating, sweat goes nowhere, cool down and get chilled. It doesn't seem to matter if I wear a baselayer or a base and jersey, the jacket is just too non-breathable... I put it doen to the circumferential windstopper around the arms which just don't ventilate well enough. hence it's warmer wiht the sleeves off.
I've moved to the endura jacket - fleece backing to arms and entire back - allows sweat to convect away from the skin and yet still blocks the wind.