Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey

Review by Erin Trail

Initial Impressions

The Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey is a soft, comfortable, and warm layer for riding outside in colder temperatures.

Detailed Review

I had been looking to add a winter cycling jersey to my riding gear collection and the Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey ticked all the boxes for me.  This winter jersey is made from a 91% Polyester, 9% Elastane fabric that is silky on the outside and a soft brushed fleece on the inside.  I would consider the fabric weight medium in weight, form fitting and not bulky.

Sizing and Fit

I found that the sizing of the Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey runs a bit big.  I received a size small to review; according to the size guide, I should be in a medium.  The size small fits me perfectly, so sizing down is the way to go.  The fit is form fitting, which is standard for road cycling jerseys.  The bottom hem at the front is a little shorter than other cycling jerseys that I own, but not so short that I have a gap between the jersey and my chamois layer. The backside bottom hem is longer and has an elastic grip, to ensure that the bottom of the jersey stays put when riding.

Features

The Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey has a front zip with a close fitting high collar at the neck.  The neck isn’t too tight or stiff and feels comfortable fully zipped up or slightly open. The rear of the jersey has a 3-compartment back pocket, large enough to fit several hours of snacks and a phone or a water bottle.  There’s also a zipper pocket at the right hip, providing a secure place to keep things.  There are also reflective details on the forearms, on the off chance that you’re riding in the dark, to ensure that others see you.

Performance

I wore the Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey on a 45 degree mountain bike ride, a 45 degree gravel bike ride and a 33 degree super windy road bike ride.  The mountain and gravel bike rides had harder efforts, but also zoomier descents than the road ride, but that road ride had some super cold biting wind.  I was very comfortable on the warmer, 45 degree rides, never feeling too hot or too cold.  The jersey breathed well, as I never felt clammy.  On the colder day, I did wear a vest for additional warmth.  My arms (which had the Progress Thermo Jersey as their only covering) were definitely a bit chilly starting out and pretty cold on a long descent, but not so cold that it was terrible.  When I was riding at an aerobic effort, my temperature was perfect.  I found the hem length to be just right – hitting me at the right spot in the front while riding both on the hoods and in the drops.  The rear hem stayed at the right spot as well, never creeping up and allowing the cold in.

The pockets are typical in layout and size of most cycling jerseys.  I was able to fit plenty of snacks and my phone into the rear pockets.  I’m certain that I could also put a bike bottle in the center pocket, if needed.  I also appreciate the zipper side pocket, as I usually need a secure place to store a key or my ID. The pockets were functional and had easy in and out access.

Closing Thoughts

The Gorewear Progress Thermo Jersey is exactly what I needed in a winter jersey.  It’s cozy soft while delivering on performance.  I did need to size down, but I found the smaller size to fit perfectly, allowing free movement but also being form fitting. This cycling jersey has become a regular in my winter rotation.

Erin Trail

Erin Trail’s hobby is collecting hobbies. She’s a 5th Generation Coloradan and grew up exploring the outdoors on family camping trips and hikes.  Her first backpacking trip was at eight years old to Grizzly Reservoir – she proudly carried all of her own gear those 3 miles from the main parking lot to the Reservoir.

Erin is an adult-onset athlete who started as a Masters Swimmer and then developed into a triathlete.  She completed 5 Ironman races and nearly 20 x 70.3 distance Ironman races, including the World Championship in Lahti, Finland, in 2023.  Somewhere along her triathlon journey, she picked up a deep love of cycling.

Cycling encouraged her to see landscapes in a new way, learn new skills and to develop self reliance; now she often goes and does Type 2 rides just to see if she can do it.  She’s got all the bikes: gravel, mountain, fat bike, time trial and road.

She is even known to combine her love of camping and cycling and go off on solo 24 hour overnight bikepacking trips in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to bikes, she teaches yoga, lifts weights, skis, SUPs and has recently purchased a campervan.

Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering.  She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).

2025 brings some exciting things.  Erin has qualified to be on Team USA for USA Triathlon and will be competing in a World Championship off-road triathlon in Pontevedra, Spain in June. To prepare for this event, she’s got several mountain bike races and training weekends planned in the months leading up to the big day.  Additionally, she’s racing Ironman Boise 70.3 in July.  Once her race schedule closes out in July, she’ll be moving to more adventure based activities (bikepacking, vanlife, and mountain bike festivals).

When not adventuring, she can be found on a sunny patio somewhere, drinking beers with her husband.