Long Term Review: 7mesh Skypilot Waterproof Jacket

Waterproof jackets like the Skypilot have a tough job, almost an impossible one. We work hard on our bikes, putting out huge amounts of moisture, so we need them to be as breathable as possible, perform in foul conditions, cover them in mud and also demand that they don’t restrict our motion and work with a range of layers. 

We’d like our jackets to provide a bulletproof barrier against the weather, last well under the abrasion of packs, stand up to crashes, mud and relentless washing, be lightweight, comfortable, pack small and not be too expensive. Of course, improving one of those traits is often achieved by trading off performance in another, so no one jacket hits every marker on that list. 

Trying to work out how to pick something and how much to spend on it then becomes about understanding what any jacket will do well and weighing performance and durability against extra cost before deciding if a particular thing is for you or not. For those not familiar with 7mesh, the specialist Squamish based clothing brand has been around since 2013, quietly growing their range of some of the higher quality bike apparel out there in a climate not too different from our own. Not content with just making excellent gear, they also try to reduce the environmental impact of their products through ethical sourcing, sustainable fabric choices, and an emphasis on product durability. They’ve been supporting our Dirt School coaching team for a couple of years and we all use a variety of their apparel on the hill almost every day so we’ve got to know their gear very well over that time with an enormous amount of test time logged between our staff.

Focused entirely on making the best riding clothing they can, 7mesh don’t cater to the budget end of the market, so if ‘disposable’ cheaper waterproof jackets are your thing, then the Skypilot and their other jackets are probably not aimed at you. Instead they build their garments only from the highest quality materials they can source, with no compromise to cost in the pursuit of making the best performing apparel out there. For their waterproof jacket range, that largely means the use of Gore-Tex Fabrics. Common in high end mountaineering and skiing, Gore fabrics are less used in mountain bike garments, simply because they are expensive. However, where many cheaper jackets may only just meet the legal minimum hydrostatic head requirement of 3000mm to be declared waterproof in the UK, Gore smashes that with a 20,000mm figure on their materials. That leaves a lot of room for a Gore-Tex jacket or trouser to gradually wear with use and still be more waterproof than many other jackets are when brand new. 

Unfortunately for the ease of someone trying to choose a jacket, things are made more complex as Gore supplies three different constructions of fabric to let designers tailor their clothing for different applications. 7mesh makes jackets from all three and while at a glance they might look quite visually similar to each other, the constructions are actually quite different, so looking at the label or asking advice to know what you are getting is important when it comes to matching a waterproof jacket to your planned use for it. The three Gore Fabrics and the 7mesh jackets they match to are:

Gore-Tex Paclite (7mesh Copilot): Lightweight and packable, it’s intended for applications where weight and pack size are the priority over toughness and lifespan. Using a thin membrane and light outer fabric to reduce bulk, it packs down exceptionally small. Still fully waterproof, it's less breathable and durable than the other two options, and best used for less demanding activities.

Gore-Tex Active Shell (our jacket of choice, the 7mesh Skypilot): Highly breathable and lightweight, this is designed for high-output activities like running and mountain biking. A light three layer construction, it has good flexibility and comfort and is lighter than Pro Shell but quite a bit more durable than Paclite.

Gore-Tex Pro Shell (7mesh Revelation): Designed for heavy use and extreme conditions, this features a robust, multi-layer construction and tough, stiff, outer face fabrics that prioritize long-term durability and weather protection over everything else. It’s less breathable and wearable than Active Shell, but it offers the best protection and will outlast the other two fabrics used day in day out. 

Onto to the Skypilot

Our main coaching and guiding jacket, the Skypilot has seen continuous wear from almost our entire team through every condition Scotland can throw at us, racking up many hundreds of days of use and plenty of unexpected lie-downs.7mesh clothing generally emphasizes simplicity, functionality, and clean lines and the Skypilot jacket follows that theme with a simple design, free of clutter and unnecessary features. An over-hood helmet is controlled by three draw cords, while another bottom cord tightens the hem. Two waterproof zippered hand pockets sit low on the body and cuffs are elastic. That might seem a short list of features for a jacket at this price, but the result of that minimalism is a very light, clean and tough jacket with a minimum of extra complication to go wrong. Weighing in at an impressively light 250g, for a jacket built from such a durable material it also packs down extremely well and could easily fit into a bike packing setup while providing much more protection than a thinner jacket would. The fit has been carefully judged, with the cut working well both on and off the bike - sleeves are long enough not to ride up when leaning forward to the bars, the drop hem prevents any gaps forming at the back of the jacket and the body is big enough to comfortably wear a warm layer beneath without billowing around or being so baggy as to compromise breathability. The hood will fit over any regular trail helmet and stay in place while riding once adjusted, yet still works without a helmet on. Built from Gore Active Shell the fabric and our jackets as a whole have proved extremely durable with no-one on the team managing to damage or put a hole in one so far, which is quite a testament to them given the sheer volume of use we put out between us. Breathability during exercise is about as good as a waterproof jacket can get; like any waterproof, it’s not immune to condensation build up when working hard in warmer temperatures but the inner scrim helps to mask any slight dampness and a very good DWR coating ensures that drying and evaporation remain as fast as they possibly can as soon as the rain eases up. Coming in at £400.00, the Skypilot is not by any stretch of the imagination a cheap cycling jacket, but for a durable, light and comfortable shell layer that will perform well day after day and keep you comfortable across a wide range of conditions it’s something that’s going to pay you back as time goes by, potentially outlasting several cheaper ones. 

Have we got you convinced? Pick one up from our website here.