GORE® WINDSTOPPER®
Wind is one of the toughest adversaries when it comes to cycling. This is even more true if the weather is windy and cold. Apart from the fact that you require more energy to ride on, the wind chill effect will cool down your body. The cold air will literally blow away the warm layer of air close to your skin. The result, of course, is a further loss of energy increased by the accelerated evaporation process. This cooling effect may be welcome when it‘s warm but in bad weather it will make you freeze. Every outdoor athlete knows this phenomenon.
High-tech membrane
Fortunately, there’s a remedy: GORE® WINDSTOPPER®. The essence is a high-performance membrane, an ultra-thin protective layer which is laminated to a lightweight textile to ensure absolute windproofness. It‘s made of the versatile polymer PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene) which is expanded to create a microporous structure. These micropores are 900 times larger than water vapor molecules, allowing perspiration to pass through unhindered. The structure of the GORE-TEX membrane is similar to that of a hedge. The wind is caught up entirely in the branching and thus averted from the body.
Many options against the wind
The WINDSTOPPER® membrane is available in combinations with a wide range of upper materials, from lightweight options to variants with various abrasion and stretch properties as well as with several thermal levels and next-to-skin comfort. What these laminate materials have in common is the fact that all garments are extremely comfortable and pleasant to wear. Thanks to the unique membrane technology, garments finished with WINDSTOPPER® are absolutely windproof while retaining the breathability of the original textile. In cool and windy weather, they will keep you pleasantly warm. The combination of wind protection and high breathability minimizes the wind chill effect and at the same time avoids overheating as a result of physical activity.
Durable Water Repellent
A permanent impregnation of the upper material provides an additional water-repellent protection for the clothing. The impregnating agent penetrates into the fibres and reduces the surface tension of the outer fabric. Water will simply roll off and not be absorbed by the fabric. This provides optimum conditions for a pleasant body climate, even under high loads!
Care instructions
Clothing featuring WINDSTOPPER® technology is extremely easy care and dries quickly – perfect for an active lifestyle. It is recommended to close all zippers before washing. In the case of outerwear that’s the front zipper, the pocket zippers and maybe zippers in the armpit area. Please also pay attention to cover strips and ribbons.
Washing
Gore recommends a normal household washing cycle, preferably a gentle cycle, with a maximum of 40 ºC and a little liquid detergent. Rinse twice to remove any detergent residue. Spin as little as possible to avoid creases. Washing powders or products containing fabric softeners, stain removers and bleach should be avoided as they impair the performance of the garment. Gloves can also be machine washed, although hand washing does not harm, of course. WINDSTOPPER® items should not be washed together with heavily soiled garments. It is of course advisable to also follow the manufacturer's special care instructions on the sewn-in labels.
Drying
WINDSTOPPER® garments should preferably be dried in the open air. A tip for gloves: to dry them, squeeze the water out from the fingertips to the wrist. Do not wring. Let them dry with the fingertips pointing upwards. After this first drying step, they can be dried in the tumble dryer using the gentle cycle at low temperature for 20 minutes to reactivate the durable water repellent (DWR) effect of the outer fabric. If no tumble dryer is available, the dry garment can also be ironed at a low temperature (warm, without steam). Just place a towel or other cloth between the garment and the iron – and you're ready to go outside again.
Waterproofing
However, the waterproof effect does not last indefinitely. Of course, regular wearing has an impact: abrasion, dirt, detergents, insect repellents and impurities can impair the effectiveness. But don't worry, it can be easily restored with special impregnating agents. If the originally applied impregnation can no longer be reactivated, it is possible to treat the outer fabric with a DWR impregnation. Nikwax offers an impregnating agent designed especially for the treatment of WINDSTOPPER® textiles. For next-to-skin outerwear, however, Gore recommends not to use wash-in impregnation products.