Check Out: New Kit from Endura

Jun 15, 2023
by Dario DiGiulio  
Endura's track record with wet-weather gear is pretty strong at this point, with a solid selection of tough and weather-resistant gear that works well on the bike. The variety of goods coming from the Scottish brand is ever-growing though, with plenty of warm-weather offerings geared to more pleasant climates.

From the tail end of winter, through the spring, and into summer, I've had a solid chance to test out a selection of Endura's new apparel. There's a wide variety of stuff in their 2023 catalog, and I came away with a wide variety of feelings on the assortment I tried. Not everything was a hit, but there are definitely some highlights.

Review Contents

Singletrack Helmet
Burner Lite Pants
Signletrack Glove
Humvee Shoes
Baabaa Shirt



Singletrack Helmet

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The fit of the Singletrack helmet feels like a big hand is wrapping around the entirety of your head, which is to say it feels like the coverage is deep and secure. That coverage should keep you safe from many angles of attack, while the standard Mips slip-plane should keep rotational impacts to a minimum. The Koroyd crumple zones add an additional layer of protection in the most common impact areas, and serve as a solid indicator of a hard hit that requires the helmet to be retired.
There is a very adjustable ratchet to dial in the cradle fit, plus some nicely molded strap guides to make sure your ears aren't tied up in the webbing.
Singletrack Helmet

• Koroyd and MIPS protection
• Colors: White, Olive, Black, Blue
• Quick-adjust rear dial
• Sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL
• Rubber goggle grip
• Weight: 398g, size L
• MSRP: $170 USD
endurasport.com

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The visor feels a little narrow and minimal, if you're someone who actually drops the bill when the sun gets low. That said, it allows plenty of airflow into the big vents at the front of the helmet, which keep things fairly cool in tandem with the very open back half.

All in all, the features and comfort of the Singletrack make it a solid contender, though I don't think it's going to unseat my current favorite lid for the price.



Burner Lite Pants

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May is typically the moment when my riding apparel transitions from pants to shorts, but with the ever-improving field of lightweight trail pants, I'm able to keep extending the time that my legs stay pale into the deeper summer months. The Burner Lite Pants are a fantastic take on this theme, with airy and lightweight construction that manages heat even when things are still and humid.

From long pedal outings to some hot days in the bike park, they've remained comfortable and have held up well to abuse. Other than in the depths of winter, I think these will be getting plenty of use all year long.
Burner Lite Pants

• Size tested: Medium
• Zipper and snap closure
• Colors: Black, Olive, Blue
• Light, 4-way stretch fabric
• Sizes: S - XXL
• ClickFast liner compatible
• Velcro waist adjustment
• MSRP: $149.99 USD
endurasport.com

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The waist adjustment is simple and effective, allowing you to fine-tune the fit without having to hike them up every time you undo the fly. The snap closure is a bit finicky to handle with gloves, but once you get a hang of the tiny little snaps it's not too big an issue. With two simple zippered front pockets, there's just enough space to carry the essentials without wondering which pocket you stashed your multitool in. The zippers on the pockets are worth highlighting, as they work very nicely, even after plenty of exposure to dirt and moisture.




Singletrack Glove

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I tend to prefer riding gloveless, and when I do wear gloves I opt for the slimmest options I can find. That said, these burlier mitts from Endura proved to be a solid option for colder days during the winter, when I wasn't too concerned with heating up. The knuckle pads are effective, glancing branches and brush off the hand without any real feeling. I'd be hesitant to test them against anything more significant than that, but I suppose anything helps in a crash.

The Velcro adjustment seems unnecessary, offering only a small range of fit and adding bulk right in the bend of your wrist.
Singletrack Glove

• Velcro closure
• Colors: Black, Blue, Olive, Red/Purple
• Sizes: S - XXL
• Silicone palm print
• Seamless palm
• Ribbed knuckle protection
• MSRP: $39.99 USD
endurasport.com

My other chief complaint is the silicone palm print - these get added assuming they'll add grip, but when the grip and your glove are both wet, they actually make things worse. I found the palm to be throttly feeling anytime the gloves weren't mostly dry.

Fit is a little small for an extra-large, but they fit my hands comfortably and the stitching has remained durable through many long days of riding.



Humvee Clipless Shoes

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With a relatively soft sole and sticky rubber construction, the Humvees feel comfortable walking around right out of the box, and bode confidence on the pedals. Given the fact that they're a clipless shoe though, that soft construction means you feel a lot more of the pedal through the shoe, for better or worse. I tend to prefer a stiffer shoe, both for comfort on rough terrain and for the power transfer when you're really stamping on the pedals. If you're running very large platform clip pedals, this might be less of an issue, but for me they let a little too much feedback through for comfort.
Humvee Shoes

• Closure type: Laces and Velcro strap
• Colors: black, grey
• StickyFoot rubber sole
• Sizes: 6-13 US
• Low-absorbency upper
• Walk-friendly flex
• MSRP: $129.99 USD
endurasport.com

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An upside to that more pliable feel is the walkability and unclipped grip of the shoes. In moments when you can't get clipped back into your pedal, the grippy rubber of the Humvee's sole allows you to stay planted on the pedal through some fairly dicy spots, hopefully keeping things upright. As a result, I'd recommend these to someone who regularly unclips through techy sections - either out of fear or habit - or anyone who really highly values the walkability of a trail shoe.

The fit of the Humvees feels a little long and narrow compared to some other standard shoes in my rotation, but they're not too extreme. I might try sizing down to get a better length, but I have relatively wide feet, so the toebox might get a bit cramped if things were much smaller. Luckily, the lace-up closure allows you to fine tune the fit and adjust for any break-in that might happen over time. Those laces also add to the fairly normal look of the shoes, which could be passable for a regular sneaker, save for the Velcro strap holding things together.



Baabaa Shirt

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I don't know how many bright-orange sheep they had to shear to make this thing, but boy is it warm and cozy. I'm a huge fan of merino in all things outdoors wear, so the Baabaa and I were off to a good start right off the bat. Of the various merino shirts I ride in regularly, this Endura top is certainly the warmest, with a relatively thick fabric and tight weave to keep the heat in. Despite that blankety feel, it's not smothering, and still breathes fairly well as you'd hope a merino piece to do. It's warm when wet, and has proved to be quite durable, holding up to brambles and a few tip-overs in the few months I've been using it.

Baabaa shirt

• Size tested: Large
• Merino blend
• Colors: orange, black, blue
• Naturally odor resistant
• Sizes: S - XXL
• MSRP: $69.99 USD
endurasport.com




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68 Comments
  • 102 0
 As the visor is going further and further back it will eventually complete the transition to becoming a rear spoiler
  • 19 0
 I was going to say the same thing about the spd cleat. It will be on the heel soon.
  • 2 1
 lol
  • 9 8
 @s100: moving the cleat rearward allows the rider to get in front of the pedal, so more weight forward for riding aggressively downhill, sorta simulates what happens when riding flats. It's a BMX thing Wink
  • 13 0
 Vote for Pedro
  • 3 0
 Gotta make room for the GoPro to get that footy ferda boys!
  • 3 5
 "farther"
  • 4 0
 @seanoneill: "farthing" as in penny
  • 2 1
 @s100: The farther back the the cleat the more stable your foot is. This can aid in stabilizing your whole pedal stroke.
  • 1 0
 @dorkmire: a few XC racers I know still slam their cleats back, depending on the shoe.
  • 3 0
 @seanoneill: In this case, his use of "Further" is more fitting.
  • 3 0
 @s100: Fabian Barel’s opinion of cleat placement. Further back to mimic flat pedal position

www.mbr.co.uk/news/product_news/tech-fabien-barels-clipless-pedal-tips-313668
  • 2 0
 @sanchofula: I know. We all know that. I ride my crankbrothers at the red line.
  • 1 0
 @sanchofula: weight on the pedals will always be centered on the bottom bracket when coasting
  • 1 0
 @t-stoff Troy lee already had the moto helmet fin back then, this would compliment nicely as the horizontal stabilizer….
  • 2 0
 I really don't get this.. isn't this supposed to give you cover from the sun? How good is it in the back there?? Maybe if you wear goggles.. but that is almost never?
  • 1 0
 @IsaacWislon82: I think you missed the point. Yes, weight on the BB will always "be on the BB". But this allows to put the whole body a bit further so more weight on the handlebar and less on the feet.
Imagine you're in pushup position, and move your weight forward, without changing the point of contact of your toes with the ground.
  • 1 0
 @Uuno: Without going into a sizing/geometry rant, I also disagree with what you are saying now. That exact thinking plagued my first couple years of racing DH with terrible form, trying to shift my hips forward to weight the front wheel mostly just resulted in a horrible body position that was nearly impossible to ride hard at a high level
  • 2 0
 @IsaacWislon82: we both agree then Wink
That cleat position does a bit of that weight transfer, but I would never use it for that purpose.
There are better ways of weighing the front, also it impacts the ability to drop the the heels, etc.
Though I don't ride at high level!
  • 15 0
 The gloves look nice. That pant waist adjustment can take a hike. Velcro has a short lifespan but maybe that is just planned obsolescence. Belt loops all the way.
  • 9 0
 The lack of e-bike specific belts is delaying further adoption of belt loops.
  • 6 0
 Tend to exclusively wear Endura's MT500 range. Great fit, comfort and quality for the prices (particularly as you can get decent discounts through CRC at times). They also do an excellent repair service as well.
  • 1 0
 I scored an MT500 long sleeve for cheap and it has been solid for me.
  • 6 2
 No mention of inseam length here or the pant page of their website...unreal. Anyone in the know on that? In 2022 I bought & returned 3 diff't sizes for endura (prev model) and it was either good in the waist but absurd highwaters (by like 3-4 inches) or baggy AF and still just barely long enough.

I'm tall but only 34'' inseam (86-87cm; usually go up 2'' on inseams for bike pants) but 34'' is super standard and yet nobody seems to make longer / taller pant inseams yet. Maybe they have more info on this but their size chart shows nothing - this can't be cheap to design / produce / market pant and yet one of the key sizes is just entirely awol as far as I can tell.
  • 2 0
 I'm also tall, but 34" inseam is usually correct for me. These fit nicely, land at the shoe.
  • 1 0
 @dariodigiulio: Cool - so which size did you find fits
  • 1 0
 @Mtn-Goat-13: As it says in the writeup, Medium.
  • 1 4
 @dariodigiulio: Cruel: you dont' mention inseam at all up there, hence my question. Was I supposed to just guess it?
  • 7 0
 @Mtn-Goat-13: Yeah Dario. How dare you answer this mans question on what inseam you use in a polite manner and then point him to the article where you mentioned the size you tested.
  • 4 0
 @treymotleyDH: I'm a real bastard
  • 2 0
 @dariodigiulio: How long does one have to work at PB before they earn Mod status?
  • 1 0
 @sfarnum: Henry doesn't have it either. It would be good if they got it, or at least had another tag so we can easily see who's who in the comments
  • 4 1
 I have one of those helmets. All that Koroyd stuff blocks airflow through the vents and makes it practically unusable for me if the temperature is even approaching double figures, let alone summer temps
  • 7 0
 My American brain had a real struggle with “double figures” there
  • 1 0
 I was always looking for a phrase to replace double digits.
  • 3 0
 Agreed. Will never buy another koroyd helmet. When they’re too hot for coastal BC, that’s a problem.
  • 1 0
 I find I get insects trapped in mine, I can feel them crawling around unable to get out until I take the helmet off!
  • 1 0
 I really think the next thing in helmets should be breathable full-face lids that are worth of pedalling. I don't need a DH level bar, but anything to protect my beautiful mug would be great. And not interested in the removable thing as it's gonna get lost or messed up one day. I'm sure this is more than possible. Why do we protect our face at the park and then ride down sketchy hills with no protection. If anything I ride more flow trails at the park and pedal up to ride down rockier stuff.
  • 2 0
 There is a whole market segment of sub-800g full faces that are DH certified but really meant for enduro riding. I just got a Troy Lee Stage (690g) and it may replace my trail helmet on all but the hottest and longest rides.
  • 1 1
 Kali Invader. Kali themselves label it a trail helmet
  • 1 0
 Endura's new Full Face is literally that.
  • 1 0
 Why can’t riding trousers have a zip and button closure like nearly every other pair of trousers in the world. Not poppers, or velcro or a ratchet strap. Just a zip with a sturdy button (or 2) above it.
  • 1 0
 That's what these have.
  • 1 0
 @dariodigiulio: those are definitely poppers next to the zip. But I guess as long as they stay done up that'll work.
  • 1 1
 I have two pairs of a previous generation Singletrack shorts and I love them. Bough a newer version and it's just not the same, the length is slightly longer and they removed the belt loops. I'm really bummed I didn't buy more of those original shorts before the new ones came out, really don't know what to replace them with.
  • 2 0
 Any thoughts on the range of the cleat? Do they go back pretty far compared to others?
  • 4 0
 not far enough judging by that photo
  • 2 0
 I pretty much always slam them back, but the cleat bed feels a little more forward-oriented on these relative to other shoes of the same size.
  • 3 0
 Dang was hoping for a fireroad glove.
  • 2 0
 The price of the wool long sleeve seems pretty competitive and fair. Might have to add that to the shoulder season line up.
  • 3 0
 Kip Dynamite looking good in endura
  • 3 0
 The Singletrack helmet looks like a (Smith) Session
  • 1 0
 Endura is my go to gear. Good price, well designed, tougher than most on the market.
  • 1 0
 Aaaaaand what size / height / IL is the tester please?
  • 2 1
 Size: big. Height: 6'3". Brand-dependent, inseam length 34".
  • 10 0
 Check his onlyfans for sizing.
  • 1 0
 Why sleeves are always so short?
  • 1 0
 When is the Pinkbike runway show?
  • 2 1
 Koroyd is TERRIBLE if you have a buzzed scalp. /Rant
  • 1 0
 Who doesn't love a big hand wrapped around the entirety of their head.
  • 1 1
 Sex dating➤ u.to/mWPGHw
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