Eric Sorensen posted on December 29, 2011 17:37
Product(s) Review
Endura Flyte Jacket
Endura Superlite Shorts
Endura Deluge Glove
Endura Road Overshoe
Assos Rain Cap S7
With the arrival of my second son in October, I knew that training time was going to get even tighter than it was. With that in mind, I wanted to leave myself with as few excuses as possible not to ride. While I have never shied away from cold weather riding, the prospect of the cold and WET has often left me making alternative plans. So I stocked up on rain-specific gear that also met my budget -- reference the birth of my second son above.
While we do get the occasional cold snap, we are far more likely to have to deal with wet weather than cold. I wasn't worried about your run-of-the-mill 60s and damp weather. I needed something that could handle downpours and 40s. Weather when the words water-resistant will leave you soaked and miserable. I selected mostly gear made by Endura, a UK company that isn't the flashiest line we carry at CycleLife, but one with a full line of cold and wet weather gear. And I figured if anyone could make good rain gear, it would be a company from the UK.
One Wednesday in early December we finally got the weather to put this gear to this stuff to the test - steady rain and low 50s for the ride in and 40s on the way out. Game on.
Right out the door the Endura Flyte Jacket was awesome. I was comfortable and content once I remembered to zip up the arm pit vents I had left open. I loved the way the collar stood up under my jaw bone without chafing to keep more water from running down my neck. The Flyte has a breast pocket for phone/MP3 player with a “waterproof” zipper and a glasses wipe on a leash. While the zipper did a good job of keeping a lot of water out, I wouldn’t trust my precious electronics to stay 100% dry as it was damp inside.
I have always been one to be a bit snooty about rain pants for cycling, but after many rides with wet, cold, numb legs, I decided I would give them a try. I bought both the Endura Superlite Pants and Shorts (just below the knee). For this day I wore the shorts and they worked fantastically well. While not fully dry because the water gets in at the open knee, my legs were warm and comfortable. Great for 50s. I’d definitely recommend the pants in the 40s and 30s! Even on the ride home, however, which was in the low 40s, my thighs were notcold -- just my exposed calves! I am now a convert to cycling rain pants -- when necessary, or course.
The Road Overshoes worked well. They are made of a supple neoprene that made them very easy to put on and take off. These will be better suited for rain than for true cold as they are not lined in any way. Like all overshoes, they allowed water to trickle in from the tops so my feet did get wet. If I’d used the pants, I’d likely have a lot less since the tops would have been covered. Even when wet inside, I wasn’t soaked and was plenty warm.
The Endura Deluge glove was an interesting experience. They bill themselves as “waterproof”. They definitely were not that. My hands were quite wet during the ride in, though not particularly cold. On the ride home, I started out with FREEZING hands and was worried. While they remained wet inside the gloves, however, they stayed adequatley warm enough to preserve dexterity and avoid misery. My quest to find a truly waterproof glove, however, continues.
The most important piece of apparel for this ride, however, had to have been the Assos Rain Cap S7. To my dismay, so many cycling caps on the market, even from high-end, technical apparel companies, are simple cotton. Hot in the summer, damp and cold in the winter. When the S7 cap arrived in our store, I said haleluja! This is a truly water PROOF cap. Even in pouring and low 40s, my head was warm and dry. The bill of the cap was perfect for keeping the rain off my eyes and blocking the glare of headlights without fully obstructing my view. If you are doing any amount of wet weather riding, this piece is an absolute must.
All in all, I have definitely reduced my excuses for not riding in the wet, cold weather and I managed to keep it all under budget. See you on the roads and remember your base layers!
Eric Sorensen
Head Coach
Director, Performance Department