Gore Wear Gore-Tex Paclite Trail Pants review

Gore Wear's Gore-Tex Paclite Pants combine the reputation of its Gore-Tex material for top-level guaranteed-to-keep-you-dry wet weather performance with cycling specific features, such as cut and reflective details.

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Gore Wear Gore-Tex Paclite Trail Pants details

The Paclite Trail Pants are made from Gore’s Gore-Tex material that’s claimed to keep you dry no matter the conditions and while they're low on features, that also means they’re lightweight. My medium test sample weighed just 167g.

The trousers have a bike-specific cut with an elasticated waist with draw cords to adjust fit, and the back is raised to offer additional protection on the small of the back.

There are calf-length one-way zips on each leg with poppers to adjust the tightness of the cuff and bagginess of the leg. Elsewhere, there’s a single thigh pocket on the right-hand side and reflective logo details on the lower legs and backside.

Gore Wear Gore-Tex Paclite Trial Pants performance

On the trail, the raised back panel really helped protect the small of my back and underlayers from mud and water off the rear tyre, and it remained in place for the duration of the test.

The draw cord, which is fastened by tying a knot rather than a sprung cord fastener, did a good job of keeping the Paclites in place for the duration of the test period and the pants didn’t periodically slip or open up.

I found the fit true to size and my 73kg weight and 178cm height were best suited a medium size.

The single pocket was big enough for small items such as keys, but struggled to comfortably accommodate a modern smartphone without bunching and stretching, especially when climbing seated.

Although there wasn’t a great deal of stretch in the fabric, the pants were comfortable in the riding position, and without knee pads I didn’t notice any tightness.

There wasn’t much space for knee pads, though – even slim ones – and the the knee pads tended to get pulled down as they got caught on the fabric while pedalling.

The poppers allowed for ankle adjustment and tightened up the calf well, but the solution is less elegant than an elasticated ankle cuff or tighter fitting lower leg. Removing the pants without taking my shoes off was easy though, thanks to the zips.

The inside of the pants felt clammy and sticky and once I’d worked up a sweat and my legs it only felt worse with my legs sticking to the fabric’s inner shell. This isn’t ideal and because there are no thigh vents it wasn’t possible to let out any heat.

Despite this, the Gore-Tex material remained impermeable and kept me dry even in areas where the pants were stretched over my skin and contacting the saddle. They also kept water out when I washed off the mud and grime with a hose at the end of each ride.

Gore Wear Gore-Tex Paclite Trail Pants bottom line

Although the Paclite’s fit felt a little old fashioned – relying on poppers for adjustment – and their looks are not as cool as some offerings (like Fox’s Range 3L Water pants), the did keep me dry for the duration of the test period, which is very important.

They aren’t best suited to heavy-handed enduro riding, but their light weight and packability make them at home on XC or trail rides.