The Endura MT500 hooded jacket 2 turned up perfectly in time for the worst weather of the year.
The vitals:
- 3-layer waterproof/breathable PTFE Protection™ technology plus Cordura® fabric
- Fully seam-sealed
- Helmet-compatible hood with 3D adjustment, reflective trim and visibility perforations
- Extended waterproof zipper vents double as cargo pockets
- Napoleon chest pocket, waterproof zipped wrist pocket
- Detachable internal stretch cuff with mesh venting fore-arm
- Seam-free shoulder panels in Cordura®
- £169.99 RRP
First Ride
My first ride in the MT500 was a very wet, very windy, very dark lap of Cwm Carn’s Cafall trail and the MT performed like a pig in shit. Where the Welsh weather was determined to send me home in a sulk, Endura kept me wrapped up nicely and in fine spirits throughout.
What’s good about the Endura MT500?
All the zips for one. There are two huge under arm zips to keep you cool and two huge breast pockets that also act as vents. Unzip them both and you’ll have air flowing nicely and the front and out the back to keep you well ventilated. The vents work well and mean you can run the jacket to keep dry when it’s a bit warmer than you’d usually want to add an extra layer. Keep the vents shut and you can store plenty of junk in the breast pockets. They’re great for stuffing lights and batteries into in a hurry when you land at the office after a late-for-work commute.
The real heavy hitter of the MT500 is the 18,000mm waterproof rating and 60,000g/m2/24hrs breath-ability rating. Numbers don’t mean much on their own – but they basically mean that the jacket is tough on rain and very breathable. As a comparison, the £140 Madison Storm jacket is 12,000mm waterproof and 15,000 breathability. Whilst it’s not cheap, those numbers justify the MT500’s price tag.
Buy the Endura MT500 jacket online here.
Weight
Packing-down size and weight are important for a jacket. The MT500 is a sort of ‘middle weight’ jacket. You can’t stuff it in your back pocket or into a small hydration pack … but it will fit fine into a pack around the 10L mark with room to spare. If you want a super packable jacket we’d recommend the excellent and well priced Endura Xtract jacket. The MT500 isn’t heavy but it’s sturdy and tough so isn’t feather weight.
Extra features
There’s loads of cool features on the MT500. There’s silicon grippy shoulders to keep your hydration pack in place. The hood is fully adjustable and fits over a helmet for chilly hilltop snack-stops. The vents have been designed to fit around your backpack so you’ll always stay well vented. There are also internal cuffs with thumb holes inside the sleeves for extra warmth.
So far, so good
So far – I’m really happy to have got my hands on the MT500. It’s kept me dry on the commute and the trails, I haven’t over-heated on long draggy climbs and it looks good in the pub. I’m looking forward to spend a lot of time in it this winter.
We like:
- Great fit
- Big vents to help air flow on draggy climbs
- Tough but not heavy weight
- Nice big hood that fits over your helmet for cold, windy hillsides
- Looks good
Could be better:
- £169.99 price tag – very good value and exceptionally well specced but not cheap.
Also in these photos: 2016 DMR Trailstar custom complete bike, Fox Head Flourescent Yellow 2015 Demo DH MTB Short, Specialized Ambush helmet Moto Orange, Oakley Crosslink Sweep.
More from Endura at www.endurasport.com
Buy the Endura MT500 jacket online here.
