mtclifford

Anyone ever used any products from endura? I keep hearing all sorts of great things about their rain gear but man is it expensive, I am about to take the plunge and drop a fair amount on some. If not endura any other really good alternatives?

staehpj1

It probably depends on how hard you ride and how much you sweat, but I find regular coated nylon jackets to work just as well as the more expensive stuff for me. I am soaked either way either by sweat, by rain, or both.

I have not found rain pants all that useful while touring except in camp. I would use them on the bike in a pinch if the temperature dropped below 20F, but then I would rather have my heavy windproof tights. Since I don't generally tour where the winter tights are needed (I do usually carry a pair of thin ones if in the mountains) the rain pants serve as a possible emergency layer in case of unexpected extreme cold. My rain pants are also just cheap coated nylon.

I can see the more expensive breathable stuff being a good option if commuting at an easy enough pace that you want to be able to start work without a shower. On tour I ride hard enough to generally be soaked with sweat in most weather even without the rain gear.

mtclifford

I do not sweat a lot. The rain gear I will be taking to Africa with me, and I want something durable, light, and most of all works well in all sorts of nasty conditions. My LBS recommended Endura because "those Brits sure do know how to deal with rain "

antokelly

my friend just bought one of there expensive jackets he loves it.

lighthorse

I agree with staehp, I don't buy expensive riding rain gear. When it does rain and I am riding, I expect to get wet. Either from the rain or the sweat. My raingear's most important function is to keep me warm when I get wet.
Good luck with your choice.

Cyclesafe

Endura is a brand, not a fabric. Although it sure sounds like one.

Endura has offerings in eVent and other "fabrics" just as does Showers Pass. Endura's eVent sub-brand is Venturi and Showers Pass's eVent sub-brand is Elite. eVent is supposedly the state-of-art for breathable raingear - but many will say that eVent is still not good enough.

https://www.endura.co.uk/Search.aspx?search_text=eVent
https://showerspass.com/products.asp?...ct=Elite+2%2E0
https://showerspass.com/products.asp?...Mountain+Elite
https://showerspass.com/products.asp?...uct=eVent+Pant

My take on this is that if you're committed to buying bike-specific breathable rain gear, you might as well spend the extra $100 each for top and bottom versus Goretex. Then if you still get wet (but more importantly, cold), you can at least not blame yourself for being cheap where it might have made a real difference.

But before I chose the full breathable route, I'd evaluate from my own perspective the cost / benefit of perhaps a non-breathable rain cape plus non-breathable bottoms. I did this and chose the eVent route, but that's because I have lately tended to tour in blizzards.

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Rain-Capes.html
https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Water...ain-Pants.html

nun

This is a perennial topic. I've looked at the Showers Pass jackets in the stores and they look nice, but some of them are quite bulky. I ride form spring to autumn and found the O2 type jackets to work well. They are simple and light, however, their cut is not very good for cycling. This season I've been using the Rapha Stowaway https://www.rapha.cc/stowaway-jacket-09/ and it's great (should be for the price). It's the best compromise between water resistance and breathability I've found. It's a minimalist jacket so it may not be for everyone, but it worked well for me in driving rain on the North Yorkshire Moors this spring.

An important thing is to keep your feet dry in the rain so get some good booties. My rain gear is a pair of booties, a showercap, and the Stowaway.

politicalgeek

I got their Air Defence (discontinued) for the winter and loved it. Kept me warm and comfortable. I've been able to wear it on those 50-60 degree morning rides just fine with the pit zips.

I would recommend their products. I have my eye on a few other things they offer.