Having used this jacket through one of the worst winters on record - hang on, THE worst winter on record - we can honestly say it is one of the finest mountain biking jackets available at the moment.
A lot of this is down to the performance of the Gore-Tex Active fabric - extremely breathable and lightweight, top performance fabric - but you can't underestimate the design of the garment either. Every pocket, zip and stitch is a barrier to escaping moisture, so Gore have designed the Alp-X with a minimum of fluff to aid breathability and it is actually noticeable how well this has worked. The breathability is far beyond most garments of its type.
The cut is also a big plus point. A reasonably close, but not too close, fit combines with long sleeves and body gives terrific coverage, while a high collar effectively shuts out the draughts when you are on the move. The hood isn't big enough to pull over a helmet - always our preference - but it does zip off if you aren't a fan.
A final touch is the drop down tail; if it is particularly grubby outside just unclip, drop it and you have extra coverage down over your backside. Priceless.
