Traditionally Gore Bike Wear jackets are a little bit more expensive than most, but the C5 Trail Hooded is great value, especially since it’s one of the few jackets that uses a proper Gore-Tex membrane. This is Gore-Tex Active and it’s featured on the torso, hood and arms for maximum breathability.

Read more: The best waterproof mountain bike jackets for getting through winter

The C5 Trail Hooded is also one of the few jackets to feature an under-helmet hood. There’s limited protection at the chin, but with three cords it’s 3D adjustable and it’s also pretty low-profile, so although it looks weird stuffed under a helmet, it doesn’t feel it.

As a lightweight jacket, the C5 Trail Hooded has limited features, but what’s there is excellent. Fully-taped seams, a waterproof zip with a zip garage and internal storm flap, dropped tail, adjustable cuffs and shoulder seams that are designed to work with a backpack. The quality and construction of these is superb and, while the DWR seems a little patchy in places, it’s relatively easy to renew.

When riding hard the breathability of the C5 Trail Hooded was the best on test; it just regulates temperature efficiently, but at the same time offers a ton of protection from the elements. It’s also incredibly lightweight and packs up really small, so can easily double as a jacket you wear all day, or one you stash in a pack and then pull out when there’s a shower.

It really was a close-run thing between this and the Endura MT500 for the test win. The performance of both jackets is superb but C5 Trail Hooded gets the runner up spot because the lightweight build is just a bit more fragile and we feel that under hood isn’t as practical and doesn’t offer the same level of protection as an over-helmet design.