Endura has been making mountain bike kit for a long time under its now well-established Hummvee, Singletrack, and MT500 lines which are ridden by Endura-sponsored riders like the Continental Atherton team, Reed Boggs, and Danny MacAskill amongst others. Simultaneously the Scottish brand has also been making road-going kits, so it's no surprise to see Endura’s Singletrack 2 bib liner competing with the best MTB liner shorts.
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They are some of the best around too, featuring excellent pockets, the option to run a bladder, and a great fit. Despite these strengths, however, there are a couple of features we wouldn’t miss, that we think stop the Singletrack 2 bib liners from taking the top spot.
Design and specifications
The shorts are constructed from a lightweight stretchy mesh material that is used on the legs, side panels, and upper bib sections. On the lumber area and around the chamois area Endura has used a thicker Lycra material to add support to the liner and anchor the chamois. A double-layer of the lighter mesh material is used for the leg hems, and has small lines of silicone to add grip.
The chamois used is Endura’s own 500 Series Mountain pad, which Endura says has been designed to offer comfort on rides around three hours. The padding maintains the same depth across the whole pad and features silver yarn fabric which Endura claims gives it quick drying and micro-bacterial properties.
Endura has opted for a patterned design for large portions of the bib liner. It seems odd to add this detail to a piece of clothing that will always be worn under other layers. Having the pattern helps add a little more decency to the lighter material sections when getting changed at the bottom of the trails, unlike the sheer black mesh fabrics used on other liners which can show a lot of skin.
At the front, there is a horizontal fly flap if you need to nip into the bushes for a quick leak and Endura’s own Clickfast integration gives four vertical positions to anchor compatible Endura shorts.
Mounted on the rear of the liner there are four rear pockets, a larger center pocket, and two angled entry side pockets. The fourth pocket runs the length of the back and is designed for a bladder or spine protector, although you will need to provide these yourself. We think it would also be useful – if not a little inconvenient to access – for storing a jacket too.
Performance
The fit is wonderfully snug around the body, the deeper fit feels great and supports the pockets well. The legs are a bit long, though, which means if you wear kneepads you're going to need to sit them either over or under – we find going over the pads works better.
The pad is equally comfortable with a good depth. It's not as dense or as shaped as the Specialized Mountain Liner or our favorite Rapha Trail Cargo chamois but it's considerably more supportive than other liners which seem to favor much thinner, less padded chamois.
There are no leg pockets, but the three rear pockets offer deep storage which can be securely loaded with all sorts of kit, There is a fourth large central pocket that runs the full length of the back and is designed to house a bladder – that's a big bonus for thirsty riders who need more than a bottle or two of water stored on the frame. There are guides on the front of each bib strap to stop your hydration hose from flapping around, too. While we haven’t tried a bladder in the bibs, we can't help but feel you might be just as well running a lightweight hydration pack at that stage.
I am sure there are people out there that match liners with shorts and use the integration features but I’m pretty confident most riders aren't brand loyal when it comes to mixing their liners with outer clothing.
If you do mix and match brands it leaves extra unused poppers or toggles, and in the case of Endura’s Clickfast there's a row of four exposed poppers on each hip. I found that they were a bit annoying when I brushed my arms against them, as well as snagging when wearing a hip pack.
Verdict
Endura’s Singletrack 2 bib liner is up there with some of the most feature-packed bib liners around. The four rear pocket setup offers loads of storage, and the ability to run a bladder is something you don’t see featured on many other bib liners. The 500 series pad is pretty thick, offering a decent amount of in-saddle comfort if planning a big ride. The Singletrack 2 liners are also, like most Endura kit, really well priced considering the number of features they have.
We have never been a fan of liner and short integration and Endura’s Clickfast system has a tendency to snag and can’t be cut out if you don’t want them. Our main complaint, though, is that the legs are a bit long and the leg grippers are a bit weak, meaning the shorts tend to creep throughout the ride. We also much prefer elasticated hems, rather than the double layer design Endura has used on the Singletrack 2, as they seem to stay in position when riding.
Tech specs: Rapha Trail Cargo bib liner
- Price: $99.99 / £69.99
- Materials: Elastane 18%, Polyester 37%, Nylon 45%
- Colors: Black with grey pattern
- Size availability: S to XXL
