Pinkbike gears up for winter with Endura’s “monsoon proof” outerwear

Excerpts from pinkbike.com:

Scottish weather is served up fresh off the North Sea and it’s the kind of stuff that will make strong men (and women) cry. Even in summer, the weather can take a turn to the biblical like few places on earth. Endura will assert that they place function over style, but they’ve started to add a bit more flair in their line, while continuing to adhere to their practical Scottish roots.

MT500 Waterproof Jacket II, MSRP $399.99 CAD

Endura’s MT500 Waterproof Jacket II features a fully seam sealed construction, utilizing a three-layer laminate fabric called Exoshell60 which has a waterproof/breathability rating of 18,000mm/64000g/m2 making it by far the most waterproof/breathable fabric used in any of the clothing in this feature. The jacket also featured both pit zips and hand warmer pockets that double as vents, as well as a Napoleon pocket (with an integrated goggle wipe) for media or other items that don’t like the wet. There are also cordura patches on the shoulders to guard against wear from pack straps. The sleeves feature an internal cuff with thumb loops as well as an adjustable cuff on the outside of the sleeve itself. The hood is 3D adjustable and can be easily rolled up out of the way. The waist is also adjustable to keep the elements at bay. In short, there’s a LOT going on with the MT500 Jacket!

I wore this in some fairly nasty weather, and it’s safe to say that this is the kind of jacket one could almost comfortably venture out into a hurricane with. The breathability was unbelievable. On extended climbs, both the pocket vents and the pit zips allowed for core cooling without sacrificing too much defense against whatever Mother Nature was throwing at me. The inner cuff with the thumb loops also helped keep the elements away from me, and all the zippers could easily be used with gloves on. Additionally, the jacket (despite the inner cuffs) could be put on or taken off relatively easily with gloves on. The safety yellow color made sure I wasn’t going to sneak up on anyone, but it is available in black is the new black, too. This was a relatively heavy jacket (you can’t pack this many features into a jacket and keep it featherweight), but if you ever plan on riding in a hurricane, this is your ticket.

*Available in early 2016

Women’s Singletrack Jacket, MSRP $244.99 CAD

The Endura Women’s Singletrack jacket is a fully seam-sealed 2.5-layer waterproof /breathable material jacket that is designed with pit zip vents, a roll away hood, adjustable cuffs and hems, and reflective trim on the back. The jacket has two “hand warmer” pockets and a front chest pocket into which my iPhone (or flask) fit easily.

On the colder test rides, I wore a base layer, riding jersey and flannel top under the jacket without any issues. The sleeve and torso lengths were a good fit and the hood pulled up easily over my helmet. The adjustable waistband kept the jacket snug and a slight drop seat prevented water or mud from finding its way down the shorts via gaper gap. Breathability was decent, and when I overheated on the climbs, simply opening the pit zips effectively cooled me off. Overall, I was impressed with the ability of the jacket to withstand foul weather while retaining a stylish appearance and functional design.

*Available in early 2016

Women’s MT500 Spray Baggy Short, MSRP $174.99 CAD

The Endura Women’s MT500 Spray Baggy Shorts are designed for riding on Scottish trails… need I say more? Aside from the lightweight, seam-sealed panels, the shorts have a stretch waistband with integral belt, zipped front pockets and thigh vents, and hem adjusters.

Much like the Singletrack Jacket, the MT500 Spray Baggy shorts were tested in horrid conditions. The shorts are solid black in color with a faint hexagon design on the hip panel…The MT500s have a 13-inch inseam that provided ample coverage for my legs and fit well over the top of my knee guards.

I spent a large amount of time climbing in these shorts while testing and I never utilized the thigh vents. Breathable? That’s left to be determined once the warmer temperatures arrive, but no complaints during fall/winter testing. As part of the testing, the Endura jacket and shorts and I took a trip to the local car wash for some pressure washing. I can honestly say that I walked away from a good 4-5 minutes of intermittent jet washing with only wet legs and socks. After that, the jacket and shorts were officially added to my list of “monsoon-proof” items.