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endura urban luminite 3 in 1 jacket ii

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

cycling in winter is all about decisions, augmented by a smidgeon of forward planning. neither of those are aspects of velocipedinal life with which i find myself comfortable, but, in order to minimise discomfort and, occasionally, the first strains of hypothermia, it has been necessary to become familiar with at least a few aspects of the art. thus, when choosing the apparel du jour for the sunday ride, i have often found myself hedging my bets. only yesterday morning, having chosen jersey and bibs, i provided myself with three jacket options, while a fourth resided at the back of my mind.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

on new year's eve, xc weather forecast no rain whatsoever across the whole day, yet it was already raining prior to the grand départ, and continued to do so until shortly before reaching the safety of a double-egg roll and soya latte. thankfully, delayed starts during the festive holiday allowed the luxury of appraising the situation and being thus prepared. sunday morning rides, however, commence a tad earlier, making it necessary to complete my choices by the previous evening.

and it's not only garmentage that is subject to choice. on returning from saturday's ride, i cleaned the chain and wiped down the frame on the ritchey, ready for sunday morning, one which dawned cold, calm and decidedly frosty, possibly not ideal for narrow(ish) 28mm tyres. so i switched to the 'cross bike, a velocipede currently wearing a pair of pirelli's finest 37mm winter tyres; presumably ideal for the conditions underfoot. which thermal jacket to wear was gauged in the process of removing the crux from the bike shed.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

the benevolent parts of the above processes, are the options to change my mind. as i have repeated to the point of cliché, all we're doing is riding round in circles before heading home for a shower and some lunch. changing one's mind may prove a bit less convenient if commuting to work, where there's more likely to be a specific schedule to be observed. if i've opted for the 'wrong' jacket on any given sunday morning, it would scarcely be too much of a travesty to nip home and change to another. given the nature of our circular perambulations, i could easily meet up with my cohorts en-route.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

if i had need of arriving at the office at a designated time, adding to my travelling time might be a touch less pragmatic.

in that case, it's not too hard to see that something more versatile in the jacket department would be of great advantage, given that the mode of dress 'neath the weatherproofing might not be subject to change on a whim. which is why, had tolkien's lord of the rings been alternatively titled, lord of the jackets, endura's urban luminite three-in-one jacket would probably be the jacket to rule them all.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

the luminite part of the name is garnered from the large reflective panels on front and back which endeavour to dazzle motorists whenever their headlights catch them in their beams. the urban part is the bit where mere escapees from the peloton turn green with envy. the jacket's outer shell is fully waterproof and breathable, fashioned as it is from exoshell20, with fully-taped internal seams. it features a decent sized hood that can be fitted over a winter cap, but under a helmet. there are two enormous inner pockets, easily capable of carrying spare gloves, a mini-pump and even one or two inner tubes should that prove necessary. or, given its commuter designation, you could probably pop in a couple of falafel and spinach wraps for lunch.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

there are also two zipped handwarmer pockets on the front, a concealed chest pocket in which to carry a phone, wallet, keys or coffee shop loyalty card. there is also a zipped ventilation flap under each arm in case your efforts outstrip the jacket's breathability. the full-length front zip is protected by double storm flaps, while the hood can be tightened by two cords at collar height. if that were all that was on offer, you would be within your rights to query why i would dare consider this to be the ruler of all jackets.

the crowning glory, however, is the augmentation of such weatherproofing, with a removable primaloft gilet inside the jacket. unlike many others, the gilet does not zip into the outer shell; there are three endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket loops sewn into the gilet to correspond with a fastener at each side and one at the collar. the gilet also features two zipped front pockets of its very own. i cannot deny that during my december perambulations, i did not once remove the gilet, on the basis that the temperatures were scarcely above four degrees at any given time. however, i did frequently opt not to fasten the gilet into the jacket, allowing me to keep it on while in the process of supping froth. the odd part, and a point on which i have frequently castigated endura, is that they have taken the time and trouble to sew in three loops to marry both parts of the jacket, yet failed to offer collar loops on either, to allow jacket or gilet to be hung on a coat peg at home or in the office.

on a commuter jacket, this is a tad disappointing.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket

however, in use, the luminite jacket is absolutely superb. until new year's day, there were lashings of precipitation, more than enough to satisfy the intrepid reviewer, though probably not for those for whom commuting was still necessitous. in order to replicate some sort of a commute, i spent a week riding from home to debbie's each and every day, a round trip of approximately 33km. not only did i remain completely dry on each occasion, i was commendably warm, thanks to the superb, internal gilet. if the journey proved too cosy, it was no trouble to leave the gilet unzipped and open the under-arm vents.

i am generally not much in favour of hooded jackets, particularly those on which the hood forms a non-removable part. this is principally on the basis that, when looking rearwards, it's not uncommon for the hood to endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket remain where it is, obscuring a decent rear-view. however, in the interest of providing a comprehensive review, i spent several wind-strafed and wet kilometres with the hood up. the protection it afforded was little short of superb, and though i struggled to find the adjustment-cords while riding to pull it closer to my face, a bit of pre-ride preparation and familiarisation would soon sort that out.

i'm not in the habit of riding in the dark, simply because i don't have to, nor do i want to. however, the large reflective panels are likely to provide additional safety along with the requisite front and rear bicycle lights. if cycle-commuting is part and parcel of the daily grind, endura's urban luminite jacket ought to be top of your 'wish list'. rarely has a predominantly functional cycling garment proved quite so impressive. but then, based in scotland, endura have over 25 years of experience with serious amounts of rainfall, experience they're putting to good use on our behalf.

endura's urban luminite three-in-one jacket ii is available in sizes ranging from small to xxxl (medium size reviewed). it can be purchased in black/grey or hi-viz yellow/grey at a recommended retail cost of £159.99, a price that will repay itself in a matter of weeks.

endura urban luminite three-in-one jacket ii

monday 4 january 2021

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................