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May 31, 2023

Review: New GORE Distance 2.0 Jersey and Bib Shorts

According to GORE, the new Distance kit is a “soft and breathable yet supportive

According to GORE, the new Distance kit is a "soft and breathable yet supportive combo keeps you comfortable during your longest efforts." And they’ve "fine-tuned all features to meet the demands of all-out, all-day efforts in the saddle."

# A special co-contribution by Chuck Peña and Dr. Stephen Cheung. #

PEZ's resident gravel grinder and adventure cyclist, Dr. Stephen Cheung, gives his off-road riding impressions and sock guru Chuck Peña muses about the kit for road riding.

Distance Jersey – $150

Some of the features, per GORE:

GORE specs 4.3 ounces (122 grams) for the jersey but doesn't say for what size

The Distance Jersey consists of three panels (back and two front that connect via a full-length zipper) that are serge-stitched plus set-in, raw cut sleeves and a low-cut collar. Three rear pockets (plus a secure zipper pocket). A silicone pattern on the inside the rear hem to help keep the jersey from riding up. In other words, pretty much what you expect a jersey to be.

Low-cut collar is more "V" shaped than rounded

Raw cut sleeves are de rigueur longer, race length

Full-length zipper is cam-lock (so flip up to zip and flip down to lock in place) with a full length flap behind it so the zipper doesn't irritate your skin. NOTE the "plus signs +" that are silicone on the rear hem.

The requisite three rear jersey pockets plus a secure zipper pocket (the pull tab on the zipper makes it easier to find and zip)

Distance Bib Shorts+ 2.0 – $200

Some of the features, per GORE:

The ultra-fine knit material contributes to second-skin softness. This moisture wicking, fast-drying, and high stretch fabric offers optimal comfort.

The bib straps were engineered to reduce seat pad movement while riding. Made from a seamless wide mesh construction they breathe easily and stay in place without digging into your shoulders to make your rides more comfortable.

The improved seat pad offers more durability, lasting comfort and endurance-driven performance. The anatomically shaped GORE® WINDSTOPPER® Cup provides a comfortable fit and protects sensitive areas from wind chill during cool, windy rides, while the membrane allows high breathability.

GORE specs 6.3 ounces (179 grams) for the bib shorts but doesn't say for what size

The Distance Bib Shorts+ 2.0 are a little bit different design/construction than most other bib shorts. The shorts part consists of three panels: a center panel that runs front-to-back (and what the pad/chamois is sewn to and which also has ) and two leg panels. The center panel is serge-stitched and the seams on the leg panels are flat-stitched. It's a very minimalist design with the idea being fewer seams to minimize irritation. The bib straps are mesh, lay flat construction and look a lot like "suspenders" that are sewn to the short section.

The GORE Expert Distance 2.0 seat pad is made for them by Elastic Interface

No separate gripper section on the legs. Instead, they are "one piece" raw cut with silicone "plus signs +" on the inside for grip

The "plus sign +" motif is carried over onto the bib straps

A slightly different take on traditional Y-back bib design/construction — more of an X-back where the bib straps look almost like suspenders

Stephen Cheung – The Gravel View

Gore was kind enough to bring me down to San Diego for a launch camp for the Distance 2.0 at the end of March. Besides being a nice escape from the neverending late-winter weather in Ontario, it was a good chance to dig into the intricacies of kit design with Amy Evans, who was the chief designer for the jersey and heavily involved with the bibs.

According to Amy, a primary design goal was to maximize comfort by minimizing the number of seams. This was really evident in the shorts, where I counted only one continuous seam along the inside of the leg. The fabric and the feel of the shorts is really amazing and probably what helps make this possible, with just the right amount of stretch and give to provide both support and freedom.

The raw cut leg hems aren't just for style points. They do help to eliminate the sausage effect, and the small Gorewear "plus signs" silicone along the hems were enough to eliminate any movement. The shorts are also cut on the long side, so they grip lower on the bottom of the thighs and there's less drag there during the cycling motion than if the hems were on the middle of the thighs.

A second goal for long-distance comfort was to keep the chamois pad in place and stable. To achieve this involved multiple prototypes and iterations of the bib strap design and placement. The shorts fabric and the internal windstopper cup on the front of the bib help to provide stability along with adding a bit of thermal protection.

As a scientist, a thing that I appreciate about Gorewear is that they’re not going to make any technical or marketing claims unless they can back it up with science. For example, they make no claims about compression potential for the shorts because: 1) its ergogenic potential isn't really evident, and 2) they haven't designed the shorts with it in mind nor have they tested it.

Upon my return to Ontario, we had a very brief respite with three days of beautiful summer-like 27°C and sunny weather, so my buddy Owen and I set out for a 4.5 h, 100 km gravel ride. The combination of sudden heat (copious sweating), gravel (lots of dust), and lots of body English on the trails made for a good test of the jersey (no base layer) and bibs.

With that and a number of 2 hour gravel rides, my impressions of the Distance 2.0 kit have been impressive:

Overall, I would have to concur with Gorewear's goal for the Distance 2.0 kit. If I’m on a long ride and want comfort, this is the kit that I’m going to pull out.

Chuck's Take – Uber comfortable race level kit

Ready for cocktails on the roof

I normally wear a baselayer, but the first time I tried on the GORE Distance kit I did so without one. What I noticed immediately was how soft and smooth the material was — both against bare skin and to touch. And I pretty much couldn't feel any of the seams. "Barely there" is an apt description. Uber comfortable is another one.

GORE doesn't bill their Distance kit as race fit but describes it as form fit:

Our closest fit, designed to be worn tight to the body, to enhance moisture management, thermal efficiency, or aerodynamics. These garments are worn next-to-skin or over tight fitting base layers. These items may use compacting fabrics to provide muscle support.

Full-zip … of course

For me (5’8″, 130-pound ectomorph), it was race fit by any other name. The Distance kit clung to me like a second skin but did so without constricting, overly firm compression. I could move freely and breathe easily in it. [NOTE: Pay attention to GORE's sizing. They changed their sizing a couple seasons ago — I used to wear size small in their kit but now wear size XS, which is probably fractionally tighter but not uncomfortably so.]

But what distinguishes the GORE Distance kit from typical race kit is how comfortable is it. Part of that is due to the fabric, which is so smooth and soft. It also has exceptional stretch-to-fit properties. Part of it is the result of design choices. For example, the low cut collar is "notched" in the front so it's slightly v-shaped rather roundish. For me, it didn't feel like the collar was around my throat and the result was more comfortable. Another example is the full-length flap behind the zipper so it doesn't come in contact with skin (and also makes it less likely that the zipper will get snagged). Little things but #marginalgains. And part of it is construction with a minimal number of seams.

Low cut collar and race length sleeves

The bib straps are also very comfortable. Again, part of that is due to the seamless bib strap material that's raw cut and designed to lay flat. But I think GORE may be on to something with their bib strap design that's more like suspenders attached to the shorts section with an X-back-like design. The bib straps didn't dig into my shoulders and did what they were supposed to do, i.e., hold the shorts section up firmly to keep the pad/chamois in place, but they didn't feel like they were "pulling up." They just held everything in place — comfortably so.

Bib straps that are more of an X-like pattern rather than more common Y-back

Speaking of holding everything in place, the compression of the Distance kit is both firm and soft (again, part of that is the material). The result is a race level fit but without being so tight that I felt like I was being squeezed like the inside of a sausage casing.

And speaking of the pad … in keeping with the "barely there" feel of the jersey and bib material, it's remarkably unnoticeable. Meaning I could feel that there was padding between my bottom (and other important bits) and my saddle, but it kind of disappeared underneath me. I attribute a lot of that to the thickness/firmness/density of the GORE Expert Distance 2.0 pad being dialed in "just right" (at least for me … YMMV). Chapeau Elastic Interface!

My first rides were a few short- to medium-distance rides (20-30 miles) in the GORE Distance kit. But just because the kit is designed for longer riding doesn't mean it can't be used for shorter rides too. And I want to be comfortable in my kit no matter the distance. The GORE Distance kit is definitely that and then some. It's almost surreal how comfortable it is. Subsequently, I did 50+ mile back-to-back days and the GORE Distance kit was more than up to the task for those longer rides and I’m looking forward to doing a lot more of those kind of rides in the kit (for me nowadays, long is a metric century). Honestly, the GORE Distance kit is the most comfortable kit I’ve ridden in and so uber comfy that I might even be tempted to go for even longer rides!

Strike a pose … vogue

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