SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: I confirm that I have read, understood and accept the Privacy Policy and Privacy Statement.Shouldn't Goretex be waterproof? Posts: 113Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 5:24 am Thanked: 18 times in 7 posts Here's why GoreTex sucks: the water has to get TO the membrane, past a less-breathable urethane or fabric protective layer, and then has to get FROM the membrane out of the garment. If the outside of your garment is wet, then there's a water barrier that will prevent moisture leaving. The US Army did a bunch of tests: you can see the graphs online (though they predated the new kinds of GoreTex that try to compete with eVent). Do I use PTFE garments? But I recognize that the "Guaranteed to Keep You Dry" promise only applies if it's not raining For that reason, I try to avoid hyped-up GoreTex-brand membranes, since they cost extra and have the same achilles heel as all the others. eVent works best in my experience. Posts: 62Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:12 amLocation: Wasilla, Alaska

Thanked: 1 time in 1 post Posts: 1948Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:54 pmLocation: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Thanked: 17 times in 15 posts Posts: 7755Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 7:42 pmLocation: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Thanked: 777 times in 509 posts Membranes like gore-tex are indeed waterproof.givi top box mounting kit Most gore-tex clothing uses a layer of gore-tex underneath some outer fabric; motorcycles for sale in rosenberg txI'm not at all surprised if that outer fabric becomes less water-repellent over time, especially at the knees where it is subject to lots of wear.motorcycle repair hamburg ny

If you were biking in the rain, you did sweat, and most of the evaporated sweat condensed on the inside of your pants (cooled by the outside air, rain, and a bit of evaporative cooling), because the outside humidity was too high for most of the vapor to escape through the membrane. This is especially so at the knees where the mebrane was in direct contact with the cool, soaked outer layer. zara biker jacket with detachable fur collarAlso, your knees would stay sweaty (less evaporation inside the pants) because your skin at the knees would be in contact with the pants much of the time.motorcycle test centres somerset So most of what you saw on the outside of the knees was rain, but most of what you felt on the inside of the knees was probably sweat.best gore-tex motorcycle pants

It's always possible somebody sold you a fake fabric (not really Gore-Tex), but this doesn't prove it. Posts: 2173Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 10:45 pmLocation: online or in boston, Massachusetts, United States Thanked: 158 times in 134 posts GoreTex definitely has a finite lifespan. This photo shows an example, that cannot be explained by sweat or condensation.motorcycle helmets west edmonton Posts: 374Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:48 pmLocation: Texas, United States Thanked: 53 times in 39 posts Posts: 123Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:16 pmLocation: California Thanked: 0 time in 0 post Yes but it can be explained by them getting scared Funny, I've never seen my knees sweat when I was working hard. Probably couldn't see from all the sweat running in to my eyes from my forehead. Forgot to mention that Gore Tex has a Keep You Dry Guarantee so if you're not satisfied with a Gore Tex product send it back to them.

Posts: 238Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:52 amLocation: San Juan, United States Thanked: 13 times in 11 posts Re: Shouldn't Goretex be waterproof? What if you use your pants when mountaineering instead of cycling Posts: 14418Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2001 6:21 pmLocation: Madrid, Spain Thanked: 705 times in 647 posts Here is an article with a link to the US Army study that Elliot is referencing. Posts: 161Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:56 pm It's not that the gore-tex has lost it's waterproofness or isn't breathable. My assumption is that you didn't open the side zips at the thigh on the mentor pants in order to vent while doing a high aerobic activity. If that's the case, it wouldn't matter what you were wearing (even eVent), it would feel wet from interior condensation (Paclite does this more so than ProShell because of the slicker inner surface, especially over bare skin) because you are simply overpowering the ability of the material to move moisture.

It may seem ridiculous to open the side zips because then water can obviously come in, but it really just depends on your physiology on how much they need to be opened; even a little bit (like 4") can make a difference without letting much water in. At this point it is more a matter or staying comfortable than staying 100% dry. Another question is have your pants been washed recently, or seen a lot of use since their last cleaning? If not, or they have seen a lot of use, I would suggest washing them and then seeing if that helped. Dirty gore-tex, especially from body oils and grime, is seriously hindered in its performance to move moisture. And putting in the drying on high will reactivate the DWR in case that has lost it's abilities as well. And as mentioned above, if you have concerns about your product, call 1-800-GORE-TEX. You will talk to one of three people (they actually don't get as many calls as people may think) and they will be more than happy to discuss the issue with you.