Joining the ranks of The North Face and Arc’teryx in what is shaking out to be the most innovative W.L. Gore roll out in years, Gore Bike Wear and Gore Running Wear on December 15 introduced their own version of the new Gore-Tex Active with Permanent Beading Surface technology.

The new jackets will be the first garments in what the in-house W.L. Gore brands are calling the Gore One line.

Gore One will represent the top tier product family for the two direct-to-consumer brands going forward, Gore representatives said.

Born from W.L. Gore’s German offices, which act as the European counterpart to the Newark, DE, U.S.-based headquarters of the iconic company, the Gore Bike Wear brand began in 1985 and actually outsells Pearl Izumi in Germany, company reps said, only coming to U.S. soil about nine years ago. In 1997, Gore Running was born.

According to the company, Gore Tex Active with Permanent Beading Surface (yes, that’s the real name) is the lightest, most breathable Gore-Tex material to date and the only version that is permanently waterproof without needing a durable water repellent (DWR) coating. They are bringing the product to market in a unique way with specific brand partners regardless of timing or season because they are so excited about the technology, company reps said at a launch event in Boulder, CO.

Gore-Tex Active itself will not go away as a three-layer membrane in the Gore family of products as the company continues to explore all options for durability, breathability and waterproofness.

The technology creates what Gore is calling the “shake dry effect” — simply shaking the garment a few times rids it of water and moisture during or after training. “The minimalist approach, simple design and matte black finish emphasize the high degree of functionality achieved with the new products,” the company said, adding that they may roll out additional colors next season.

“…this use of the Gore-Tex membrane was exactly what Bob Gore envisioned it could be when he brought the technology to market in 1969.”

Notably, company representatives also said that this use of the Gore-Tex membrane was exactly what Bob Gore envisioned it could be when he brought the technology to market in 1969. Eliminating the outer face fabric allows it to be as breathable as possible without wetting out.

A Gore-Tex membrane has nine billion extruded polytetrafluoroethylene (pTFE) pores per square inch, and each pore is 20,000 times smaller than a raindrop, yet 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule, creating the difficult-to-replicate waterproof-breathable properties.

The product roll out includes just two pieces, a cycling jacket with no hood (ultralight at 133 grams) and the same jacket with a hood for running.

As SGB previously reported, Gore also revealed an expansion into new, “water-resistant” categories that will be shown at ORWM, intended to address gaps between hard and soft shell protection and insulation.