Endura’s FS260-Pro SL Shell is built to combat the ‘dreich’ Scottish summer, and boy does it do that – and then some. We absolutely loved this jacket when we had it in for review.
British cyclists face a regular conundrum when it comes to summer cycling, with the weather chucking all manner of different obstacles at you. Start out in the sun, come home in the driving rain – and all you can do is shrug your shoulders and comment on the ‘typical British weather’.
Where Endura hold the upper hand, of course, is they are a British brand well versed in the peculiarities of the British summer – perhaps even more so being north of the border in Scotland – and the FS260-Pro SL Shell is the perfect foil.
Dreich, for those not versed in Scottish slang, means dreary, bleak or grim. And we’ve all been out turning the pedals on a summer’s day which has turned exactly that.
So Endura decided the best way to combat that is with a weatherproof jacket. This is extremely waterproof. This is very windproof. Oh, and it’s also surprisingly breathable and will tuck away in your back pocket as an emergency layer.
In truth, the jacket should combat any worries you have about riding in British conditions. Instead of ‘typical British weather’, you might say ‘it’s an Endura sort of day’.
The jacket is made from an ‘Exoshell40’ fabric – a three-layered construction with a 20,000mm waterproof rating. Fully-taped seams throughout means nothing gets through, even in driving wind and rain.
A high collar, and a taped zip with an additional storm flap behind it covers two more common sources of water ingress. It’s premium performance that performs beyond its price tag (though that has risen from £139.99 to £164.99 since we first reviewed the jacket).
The same fabric construction ensures the jacket scores highly when it comes to windproofing too, but you won’t ‘boil in the bag’ either, which is what takes it to the next level as far as performance is concerned.
Add to that the fact it packs down small enough into a jersey pocket, despite its triple-layer fabric, and you have a real winner. If the forecast predicts only an outside chance of rain, and you’re being a little cautious, you may prefer something smaller and lighter, but if you know you’re in for a day of unpredictable weather and wet stuff, the Endura FS260-Pro SL should be stashed away with your gels and tools.
Available in hi-viz green or black, the jacket offers an ‘athletic’ fit – it’s not out-and-out racing but its close where it needs to be, and comfortable too.
Really, the only downside is that it’s a little bulky to dub it a true ‘emergency layer’, but the Endura FS260-Pro SL Shell has the beating of those more compact jackets when it comes to performance. It also outperforms its price point by some way. We’re not saying £140 is a drop in the ocean, but it’s a bargain when you consider most similarly-performing jackets will set you back well in excess of £200.
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