Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II review

If you had every one of your stowable gilet wish list items ticked, the end result would pretty much be the Endura FS260 Pro Adrealine Race Gilet II, which is why its made the Editors Choice 2019 list.

Endura has been going strength to strength with its race wear apparel over the past few years, and the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II looks to be no exception.

Construction

The design of the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II ensures a race number is still visible when it's on. As such the ExoShell20ST™ fabric that the gilet is made from was specifically selected for its translucent properties.

Endura says that by virtue the fabric also comes with a wider, incredibly useful skillset that includes high waterproofing and breathability, and the higher denier mesh also makes the gilet super lightweight, at an incredible 68g (size XS). To put that in perspective it's exactly the same weight as an SIS isotonic energy gel, and less than a third of the weight of the Proviz Reflect360 CRS Plus cycling gilet.

>>> Six best cycling gilets for autumn and winter 2018/ 2019

This lightweight torso fabric on the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II is edged on the arms and hem at the back with 2cm wide elastic, which has a bonded reflective strip running through it. The rear hem also comes with a strip of tacky silicone on the inside to help prevent movement and rising.

Reflective details are also included in the rear central Endura logo and the full length of the zip.

Other gilet details include a soft-backed high collar and internally taped seams.

It's also worth noting here that there is both a male and female fit option, with the women's coming in black or cerise colour choices and the men's black or white.

The Ride

In my privileged role of testing cycling equipment over nearly 10 years, I've got rather accustomed to knowing if something is a hit or miss within the first 30 seconds of so of fondling it. There are the odd exceptions to this, the Specialized Diverge for example.

In terms of the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II I almost knew as soon as I'd got my first arm in, and it immediately got me thinking what other gilet I was now going to have to eject from my box of go-to-work wear.

To start with there's the fit. It's not ridiculously tight, but just the right level of snug when you have full pockets. The front could do with a slight reshape: there was a bit of excess fabric when in the bike riding position, and the neck of the XS is a tad snug, especially if you have another high-collar jersey underneath.

It's super easy to get on, off and stowed away on the fly, packing down so small that it will happily fit in even the most overfull rear pockets, although if you're a slightly neater rider than me you might want to take advantage of the mini-stuff bag that the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II comes with.

It's so light and small that it makes it so easy just to take everywhere with you. Its been out on dry and wet rides and, accepting the fact that it is a gilet with only torso coverage available, it's impressed with its ability to keep spray at bay and minimise wind penetration while remaining breathable.

It's so good at the above that I even questioned if I was trying as hard as previous rides on the same route, or perhaps it wasn't as windy, until I reached the top of Bowstones climb in the Peak District with a close to maximum heart rate (and in warmer weather than previous rides) and I was yet again buffeted in to a large ditch at the side, although thankfully this time I was more prepared than the time I was wearing the Sportful Cometa Wind Vest and managed to stay rubber side up.

Having not worn the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II in a race I can't truly say that it was super easy to read a number through it, but just being able to see all the detail of my jersey underneath means I expect there would be no issue reading anything you pinned on your back.

Value

At a penny under £65, the Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet II sits perfectly priced among its peers, if anything is about a fiver cheaper than most, which makes it a cracking purchase.