Endura Stealth II Waterproof Jacket
‘Technical garment’ is a phrase bandied about by the cycle industry with what can sometimes seem like reckless abandon, but use of such a description would be justified in the case of the Endura Stealth II Waterproof Jacket, a ‘soft shell’.
Sourced by Endura from chemicals firm, Toray, whose ‘Toryaca’ carbon fibre is used each year in the production of thousands of bicycle frames, the Entrant DT® fabric deployed here comes with claims for permeability and waterproofing: a tricky balance that demands release of moisture generated from inside, while keeping out the rain.
The panels of this pliable fabric are joined not with stitches, but an ultrasonic weld, a process in which high-frequency vibrations generate sufficient heat to unite the separate fabric pieces. The upshot? The need for stitches is by-passed. While the capacity for damage done by the needle has not been eliminated entirely from the Stealth II jacket, it has been limited to the attachment of collar, zip guard, and hem.
There are zips in abundance: one on the Napoleon-style chest pocket, the “poacher’s pocket” on the tail, on the cuffs, in the pits, and one on the side of the rear pocket. Safety features include reflective panels on the shoulders, reflective logos on the front of the cuffs and a reflective dot on the rear, and a plastic hook on the tail pocket to which a rear light might be attached.
The Endura Stealth II jacket is available in five sizes from small to XXL, and in black, blue, green, and red. It costs £169.99.
