The Endura Transmission II base layer is warm, comfortable, and breathes well. It has an excellent cut which allows it to fit easily beneath other long-sleeve garments.
It offered surprising warmth for a synthetic layer, we’d recommend it for the coldest days of winter, rather than the more clement days of spring and autumn.
We tested the Transmission II base layer in moderate temperatures that accompany heavy rainfall – anything from five to 10 degrees – and found it more than adequate. It will be among the first we reach for when temperatures fall below five degrees.
The Polypropylene fabric achieved the tricky balance of ventilation and insulation with more than usual success, err-ing perhaps on the side of warmth. We reported the transparency of some panels when held to the light in our first look and these were doubtless a factor in allowing us to finish a ride without feeling sweaty.
We were most impressed by the fit, which was excellent: billed as ‘athletic’, but not the second skin of many bearing such a description. The sleeves were close, rather than tight, and long enough to place the cuffs just above the knuckle when off the bike, allowing them to provide still adequate coverage in a riding position. The dropped tail was unnecessary for our purposes, worn beneath bib-tights, but may be of more use to Endura’s sizable mountain bike community, if worn over bib-shorts and ‘baggies’ on spring or autumn days.
Comfort ranks highly on the list of ‘musts’ for a garment to be worn directly against the skin and the Transmission II fulfilled its remit well. The seams, of which there are many, are all flat-locked, which scuppered any potential for irritation. The round collar, high enough to provide adequate protection, also cleared the throat.
Conclusion
The Endura Transmission II base layer is hard to fault. For such a simple garment, the base layer has much to achieve, balancing warmth, breathability, and comfort with a design that allows it to fit unobtrusively beneath other garments. The Transmission II met every requirement.
Long-sleeve base layers of any stamp are those we’d choose for only the coldest conditions and we’d caution against the view that because the Transmission II is a synthetic rather than woollen garment (merino, typically) it is light enough for warmer days. Writing as someone who feels the cold easily, it won’t leave my wardrobe until temperature fall below five degrees. When it does, the Transmission II will be among the first to hand.
Price: £25.99
Size: S, M, L, XL, XXL
Colour: black, white
Website: Endura
