Endura Pro SL 3 Season Jacket – Great Kit for Shoulder Seasons

Mattis Sessel

 

My cycling buddies noticed the jacket right away. “Hey, is that a new jacket?”  “Where did you get that jacket?” I explained I’d been enjoying using the Endura Jacket during my Fall and Winter road and gravel rides.

The Endura Pro SL 3 Season Jacket has a cycling-specific design and comes in two colors, Black and Pumpkin.  At 6’1” and 175 lbs, I fit the size large.  I also have a 36” sleeve and the sleeve length was just right.  The jacket is packed with cycling-specific features including a 5-pocket arrangement in the back.  One of those pockets has a zipper perfect for keys or a little cash.  

Clearly, wind and air-flow management was a serious consideration in the design of this cycling jacket.  The outer shell is stretchy and waterproof.  This jacket kept me dry in periodic snow squalls and light precipitation.  The waistband and the cuffs have a stretch material that works well keeping breezes out.  

I have found one of the difficult decisions to make when riding on nice days during the winter season in Denver, is whether to wear long or short sleeves as a base layer when the temperature is approaching mid 50s – 60 degrees.  The Endura handles this issue with a unique ventilation system of four zippers on the front and a mesh panel on the back of the jacket.  I found the two forearm zippers worked well keeping my arms cool when the sun was out, and I’d close them up when the sun went behind a cloud. 

Endura has designed a special “gilet” (vest) that snaps into the jacket with 3 tiny snaps in the back collar.  The lightweight vest is made of Primaloft Evolve fabric and supplements the warmth of the jacket.  You can ride with or without the vest.  The fit of the jacket itself accommodated 2 base layers and the vest. The jacket will not accommodate a “puffy coat” underneath. The jacket is suitable for 40 – 60 degree weather and handles breezes, snow squalls and light precipitation well.

The Endura Pro SL 3 Season Jacket would be a nice addition to the kit for a cyclist that rides in the shoulder and winter season.

Mattis Sessel

While growing up in St. Louis, MO, Mattis spent his summers with his family in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).  The trails of RMNP became his favorite stomping ground and he went to summer camp in nearby Estes Park first climbing Longs Peak as a 13-year-old camper.

He shared this passion for the Rockies with his wife, Deb, and ultimately they decided to imprint the Rockies on their three daughters by spending their childhood summers in Estes Park camped in a travel trailer. This love affair with the Rockies continued while Mattis pursued his business interests for 25 years on the East Coast.  Winter ski trips and summers spent in RMNP stoked the fire to ultimately make the move to pursue his passion’s full time in Colorado in 2015.

Hiking, skiing, biking and fly-fishing were the activities of choice and Mattis decided to build any future businesses around these pursuits.  He’s come a long way since he caught his first fish in Kentucky Lake as a 3-year-old with a bamboo pole.

His first fish caught on a dry fly was in the Indian Peaks and he quickly took to hiking to alpine streams and fishing for wild trout.  He’s fished throughout Colorado and into New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.  He’s always got his fishing gear in the car and has created the concept of the “double,” skiing / biking in the morning and catching some fish in a nearby river in the afternoon.

He maintains his fitness on his road and mountain bikes and is known for his all-seasons, all-weather, “always train outside” approach to his physical training sessions with Sean Sewell at Colorado Personal Fitness.  His passion for gear that enhances his pursuits and allows for more time outdoors is reinforced in a favorite Colorado adage, “there’s no bad weather, just bad gear!”