MT500 Freezing Point Gloves -The perfect winter glove?

Today we are talking winter gloves. First things, first you need to know that I suffer really badly in winter with cold hands and have Raynaud's disease. Raynauds means the blood vessels in my hand overreact to the cold basically this means when the temperature falls I suffer from painful and numb hands and toes.

So I am a good test of any winter gloves. Over the years I have tried so many gloves claiming to be the best on the market and game-changers but for me, they just didn't work. I would still struggle and have to stop and take the gloves off and try to warm up my hands constantly. I know this must make me a really fun riding companion but it is the only way I can stay out in winter and you know being able to actually feel the handlebars I am gripping is kinda important in mountain biking. 

Enter The Endura MT500 Freezing Point Gloves. 

So what makes them special. 

Firstly we all know Endura makes great kit. I have used Endura kit for years and I have a pair of their windproof gloves from years ago that are still one of my most reached for pairs of gloves. They just work and I love them. So being Endura I know the quality will be good. 

The sizing and price

The gloves sizing range goes from XS to XXL so a really good range of sizing. There is a size guide on the Endura site.  I have a size small.  They are £59.99 which is a bargain for the quality.  

What makes them so good for cold weather? 

The MT500 Freezing Point Gloves are made with PrimaLoft® Gold Active Insulation. This is a world leader in warmth to weight ratio. PrimaLoft® Gold Active Insulation is a water repellant. It has 4-way stretch and awesome breathability. Not only that but it packs down small making it ideal for mountain bike gloves.  You would like with all that insolation it would be really bulky but It is not. I still have really good control on the bars. The MT500 Freezing point gloves also have silicone palm prints to help you get even more grip on the bars helping you stay in control even on the coldest days. 

Are they really waterproof? 

Yes, I was wearing these in a snow and sleet storm and my hands stayed nice and warm and dry. 

Other notable features

The MT500 freezing point gloves have a stretch softshell backhand and fingers for added comfort and control. They have a PFC-free non-toxic durable water repellent finish. 

They have a long cuff so they are really easy to pull on and off. As you can see they easily cover my Garmin watch. I have it rolled up in the photo above. Actually, I forgot to roll it down as I was looking for the miles I had just done my bad. I also found the gloves to be really breathable too. 

My Review

My first test of these gloves was on a very cold and snowy day in Fort William. I headed out in the morning when the temperatures were still extremely low. It wasn't until I was at the top of the Torlundy climb which is about 3 miles from Nevis Range that I realised I had not stopped to warm my hands. Now, this might seem like nothing to you. But I would normally stop about four times on this climb to warm up my hands so I can grip the bars. Now this particular day the ground was still very frozen with ice under fresh snow and it was very cold indeed. If you suffer like me with the cold you will be really impressed with these gloves. 

I am always a bit worried about winter gloves that they will be too bulky and not give me any bar control. But luckily these give me lots of grip and control even in a snowstorm. Yes, they are thicker than summer gloves but you need that for the warmth. I have to say I am very impressed with these gloves and I am so glad I have them now. I know these will help me stay out longer on the colder days. What more can you want from winter gloves. How has it taken me this long to find them? 

I hope you enjoyed this little review and I will be back with more soon. If you have any questions do get in touch I am always happy to help in any way. 

New Endura Footwear 2022 - Hummvee flat pedal shoes unboxing

This has been a hard secret to keep but I have known that Endura is releasing mountain biking shoes for a little while. Here is where being an ambassador for this incredible brand is even more awesome. 

Endura has three different pairs of shoes hitting the market, The Hummvee flat pedal shoes, Mt500 Burner clipless shoes and the MT500 Burner flat pedal shoes. I have been very lucky and I have had my hands-on Hummvee Flat pedal shoes in the colour pebble before the actual release. 

I'll let you in on a little secret Endura sent these to their athletes and people like me to give them our honest feedback. They are constantly striving to make the kit as good as they possibly can. They know one of the ways to do this is to get feedback about products from people who actually use them and I am here for that! I love that they really care about each and every product and put so much effort and research into each and every item they sell. 

But you are not here for me to tell you how much I love this brand you are here to read my unboxing. If you don't know me I am a mountain biker in the Scottish Highlands and my local trails are in Fort William. I ride in all weathers (well you have to up here) I enjoy trail centre trails, downhill and of course local off-piste trails. So I am in a very good position to review items and put them to the test. 

So let's get into it. Let me introduce you to the Hummvee Flat pedal shoes in Pebble. 

The design. 

Endura has decided to do something completely different with their shoes and actually start with an ergonomistry philosophy and the collection is highly engineered and backed by medical science which helps the rider to ride harder for longer. 

The inner sole 

A lot of us, me included never really thinks about the inside of our biking shoes. I mean I know before I haven't except when you find them uncomfortable or have other problems. But we should all really be paying attention to our feet and what we put them in right? Comfy feet = staying out riding longer after all!

The power arch

This inner sole is an Ortholite recycled insole with a comfort footbed it is profiled and contoured to help to support the arch of your foot which will help your feet deal with the different demands put on it by alternating between riding and walking. This will give better power transfer and ultimately more comfort. We all know comfort is key. I actually tore my Achilles and I know all about the power of a really good inner sole and the protection and prevention of damage this can help prevent. 

Sole stimulant 

These are the small raised dots you can feel on the innersole. These are placed strategically to help your foot's proprioception.  This is designed to help your feet to soften and stiffen when needed. 

Metatarsal Button

This helps to spread your big toe from the rest of your toes this will help your toes from scrunching up when riding. This will help to improve the function and comfort when riding. Let's face it we put a lot of force through our feet when we ride, don't we?  

The Sole

Featuring Endura's Sticky foot rubber compound. This has been designed for us modern mountain bikers. It uses a unique concoction of ingredients to offer us the riders the perfect combination of pedal grip durability, unrivalled performance and a long lifespan. 

The sticky foot grip is used all over the Endura Hummvee flat pedal shoes this offers the maximum grip on the pins of our pedals. This helps to lock the foot on and lessen pedal slips. 

The Sizing

For a first launch, The Endura Hummee flat pedals come in a huge range of sizes from UK 5 to UK12, There are half sizes available from size 6.5UK to 10.5UK. This is a great range of sizing and I really appreciate the half sizing. My other half normally has issues getting half sizes in biking shoes. So If I am feeling kind and want to treat him at some point I can get his perfect fit. 

The Hummvee colours

This range comes in 4 colours mine are called Pebble. They also come in Black, Olive Green and Navy. The Hummvee flat shoes in pebble also come with the option of orange and pebble coloured laces. These match the orange accent of the shoes. I really love the option to personalise my shoes. You may have seen I have done this on my old shoes. I just love a bit of colour. So I think I might just change them out for the orange laces soon. 

 

The price

These are priced at £89.99

Other notable features

The Humvee flat pedal shoes are lightweight and made from durable PU upper. They are also Low absorbency with a quick-dry lining. I mean how often have you had to wear damp MTB shoes. So quick-drying materials are always welcome. 

They feature an elasticated lace stash. Where has this been all my riding days? Has anyone else had to stop mid-ride to make sure your laces are secure? I have to do this all the time. It's the little things like this that just make endura products stand out.  I have also had a crash in the past with my laces getting caught in the crank. This will stop this problem. 

The Hummvee flat pedal shoes also feature durable upper fabric with perforated panels for ventilation. 

They are also made from Vegan-friendly products and materials. 

Try on

These feel really nice on the feet and really comfy. The Hummvee flat pedal shoes are designed to go from trails to casual with no shoe change needed. They are definitely capable of both. They feel nice and stiff but with flex, this is what I like in riding shoes. I like to feel really placed and in place on my pedals. 

I have been wearing them around the house they feel really nice and comfortable I really like the raised arch they are the ultimate comfort for me.

I really appreciate that they laces and the right length. This is a strange comment I know but how many riding shoes do you own where the laces are massive? I mean what are you meant to do with the extra laces? The tongue is really comfortable and not oversized. This will keep the puddle splashes out and help keep me dry on the trail. 

I am so excited to get these out on the trails and show you what they are really made for. I will update you all on how they perform on the trails and you will see them on many Instagrams I am very sure of that. 

I will have more reviews to follow,. Would you like to see a review of the MT500 Burner shoes?