Max McCulloch doesn’t do anything by half-measures. Whether training, racing, or playing on his custom Enduro rig, he’s always on the rivet, pushing the boundaries of how far, fast, or high he can go. That kind of dedication means that invariably Max spends a lot of his time riding in the rain. The Vancouver Island native endeavours to get out on his bike every day, and so he needs a jacket that can keep up- something waterproof that will keep him dry on downpour days, but breathable enough to keep him comfortable on hour-long climbs.
image courtesy of Jay Wallace
We sent Max an Endura MT500 II jacket last fall, to ensure he was adequately protected through the wet coast winter months. With plenty of opportunity to test the jacket in rain, mud, and snow, Max has certainly put the jacket through it’s paces. The result? He loves it!
From Max:
Over the last few months I’ve had the chance to test out Endura’s flagship rain jacket: the MT500 II. Luckily (or not), there was plenty of wet weather to test it in. First off, just taking the jacket out of the package you immediately notice the attention to detail with things like a hood-storage pocket, internal cuffs to keep the water out, and even a glasses wipe in the breast pocket!
images courtesy of Jay Wallace
image courtesy of Jay Wallace
The first day I took it out for a ride, it wasn’t too rainy, just humid. This is normally when most rain jackets fall flat, due to the “walking sauna” effect. However, this wasn’t the case with the MT500 II; its breathability allowed me to forget I was even wearing it. I was so impressed with the breathability that I wore the jacket as a layer on plenty of rides that weren’t rainy. You would expect that if the breathability was that good, the waterproofing might not be. On the first rainy day, I was pleasantly surprised to be completely dry by the end of the ride, and with little sweat either. On a rainy Vancouver Island day staying dry is paramount; being soaked and shivering halfway through a ride can easily ruin it. It was nice to have confidence in the jacket, especially before heading out on a long training ride in the wet.
I managed to have one good bail while wearing the jacket, and even though I slid down some jagged rocks, there were no marks on the jacket (couldn’t say the same thing for myself). Similarly, I haven’t found any durability issues with the jacket and it continues to be free from any slices or broken zippers.
image courtesy of Jay Wallace
The bail did help me find one downside to the jacket- dirt stains showed easily on the bright orange colour (though it would be less noticeable with darker colours). The dirt was hard to scrub off; although, a clear water wash in the washing machine made it completely disappear. This really didn’t affect anything much, but since I had no other downsides, I had to mention it.
In the end, I would recommend this jacket to anyone. Best in class breathability while not sacrificing waterproofing really set this jacket apart for me. Lastly, compared to other high-end rain jackets of similar quality, the MT500 II is priced very reasonably.
image courtesy of Jay Wallace
The MT500 Waterproof Jacket II is available through your local Live to Play Sports dealer. The fit is true to North American Standard, and it’s available in a variety of colours (including navy blue and black for those worried about dirt stains). Stop by today and check one out!