We swung by the Endura impressive stand at Eurobike and, between the clothes rails and quarter pipe, there was lots of exciting new kit from the Scottish clothing brand coming in 2023. We got a hands-on look at some of the new additions including a 3D printed chamois, new clipless shoes, and two brand new riding pants.
3D printed chamois
The big news is that Endura has been working on a 3D printed chamois which is expected to be available in a new premium Pro SL EGM Matrix bib short. Endura will likely be the first of its kind to market, although Elastic Interface is certainly hot on Endura’s heels with its own design.
We have already seen 3D printing being utilized for the padding on saddles from the likes of Fizik and Specialized. Endura is utilizing the same Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology from Californian tech company Carbon, which worked with both Fizik and Specialized to produce their already well-received saddles.
The process uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optic, and polymeric materials to produce intricate structures and lattices that would otherwise not be possible with a mold. Not only is it quick and efficient to design and produce these DLS parts, but they also allow designers a lot of control over the characteristics of the product, making them perfect for applications like saddles and chamois.
This is a potentially massive step in cycling clothing technology, those riding off-road are unlikely to see the tech in gravel or mountain bike-specific clothing for at least a few more years. It will be first introduced in Endura’s new Pro SL EGM Matrix shorts which are aimed at the road market, not that there is anything stopping you from using those bibs for gravel of course. A women's version will follow in 2024 and from there we might see it introduced to Endura’s GV gravel range too.
And while potential future products are still to be confirmed, the pad is said to be best suited to endurance and gravel riders who are looking for a slightly thicker, more vibration-absorbing chamois. The 3D structure takes on almost all the padding duties too, which means we expect the chamois to offer superb ventilation as well as be able to dry quickly too. There will be a little foam used, but by the sounds of it, this is mostly in order to mount the chamois within the shorts, rather than for comfort purposes.
New XC shoes
Endura has expanded its shoe range after recently moving into the footwear market with the release of the Endura MT500 Burner and Hummvee mountain bike shoes earlier in the year.
Two of the new shoes are targeted at XC and gravel riding, featuring a chunky treaded sole and secured by three straps. The Singletrack version has two Velcro straps with a middle third Central Power Arch strap with Boa adjust, the sole is made from a Nylon composite. The other shoe is in the Hummvee range and uses the same sole but has three Velcro straps to secure the shoe.
The new shoes have a new ERGO innersole that has been designed with input from Phil Burt, which features a contoured arch support and metatarsal button to spread the foot to reduce pressure when riding. There are also small dots across the inner sole which Endura calls Sole Stimulant's which improves your foots proprioception (ability to sense movement) to help improve control.
There is another new Hummvee shoe, a clipless version of the casual Hummvee shoe. Combining a casual look with Endura's StickyFoot Grip Rubber and a flex profile sole tuned for walking and riding. The shoes lace up and are secured with a single vecro strap.
Lightweight and bikepacking riding pants
Endura also showed off its new range of riding pants, a market area that the brand has seen surprising growth. These new MT500 Burner Lite pants are made from a much lighter four-way stretch material than that found on Endura's existing MT500 best MTB pants and are aimed at hot weather trail and enduro riding. Not only is the material lighter but there are also mesh panels behind the knee in order to help heat escape, a welcome edition for those who still want to wear kneepads. We didn’t try them on but the legs have a fairly tapered look to them and we were told they should have a close fit to avoid any flapping when riding. The legs feature laser-cut vent holes too and there are two zipped front pockets.
These new pants will be available next year, alongside a lightweight riding t-shirt, and come in both men's and women's fits. The men's pants will come in Olive Green, Black, or Atlantic Blue and the women's pants come in either Black or Blueberry.
Endura also had a set of convertible adventure pants too, featuring zip-off legs for those that can't decide on what to wear, or like the option of having shorts to ride in with the option to convert to trousers to stay warm or keep bugs away. There are two zipped pockets on the front as well as two thigh vents that line up the Endura's GV500 Bibshort and Bibtight’s cargo pockets. The fit is more relaxed than the other MT500 Burner Lite pants too. The GV500 Zip-Off only comes in black and should be available in autumn 2022.
Two new budget full-face helmets
Endura recently released a new MIPS equipped Endura MT500 helmet but they haven't stopped there and are now adding a budget MIPS full-face model. The Singletrack Full-Face MIPS shares a very similar exterior as the MT500 but isn't equipped with the Koroyd core. Endura says that despite being DH certified, the helmet is still lightweight and when we held it at Eurobike it certainly didn't feel very heavy.
Coming in 2023, the Singletrack Full-Face MIPS will come in three sizes and White, Olive Green, Black, and Blueberry colors. There will also be a cheaper non-MIPS version too, pricing to be confirmed though.
