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Can't see another post on here but they look to be another company finding life difficult at the moment with significant losses in the £millions . Somebody will know how to post a link !
I'm not surprised, at one time all I purchased was endura gear as it was decent quality, now I avoid it as it's gone downhill.
I tried to buy a full team of custom kids, didn't get a reply. Used Kalas instead
Are they still supporting a road team? That is likely to cost a fair penny...are they still sponsoring the names in MTB as well - that'll also cost a fair penny. Their kit isn't as good as it used to be - doesn't last and doesn't fit (or it does, just not in the usual size)...so the quality has declined - or so all the chat on forums and websites seems to suggest.
They seem to have a huge line of kit so it can't be cheap keeping that going. Suspect it isn't entirely bad news as no doubt the losses can be written down somehow (paying less tax or something?).
However, hearing of a big company making huge losses is never good...
They sponsor/support the Athertons for sure.
Looking at PEntland's other brands they look too big to let Endura fail hopefully. But having said that, the only thing i've bought from Endura in the last 10 years is a pair of long-finger MTB gloves 4 years ago. Looking at their other brands......not surprising that the quality has gone a bit south
I have quite a bit of Endura stuff and it's been great. More and more of the manufacturing was being off-shored though and they're not doing custom-print/team/club options now either. I assume the Livingston facility is for the chop.
In my experience Endura are like the Crank Brothers of MTB clothing. All very pretty and clever but not very well nailed together. I was always surprised by how fragile the stuff is given all the 'designed in Scotland' marketing stuff.
I haven't bought anything from them for years and also with prices going the way they are I'm buying more from Decathlon, TK Maxx and dragging out the lifespan of old kit for much longer.
I'm sure that those trading losses will come in handy, carried back against earlier profits where tax was paid or used elsewhere in the wider corporate group. And as we're not privy to the in house accounting practices, we won't know how the losses actually arose. With the bike industry as a whole in quite a bit of turmoil, it shouldn't be a massive surprise to anyone that they are currently in a loss situation. Accountants are generally well paid with good reason, as they can save their clients a lot of money.
Meantime, I find that the vast majority of their kit is very good, certainly as good as or better than the more popular premium names. I have a lot of Endura kit; their sizing has always worked for me, I've never had a problem with it, everything just fits for me. When I buy the right size. Same for the Mrs, she has loads of it too and she's been consistently sized for the last 15 years.
It would be nice if they could manufacture things to fixed, known sizes rather than just using some sort of lucky dip system.
It would be nice if they could manufacture things to fixed, known sizes rather than just using some sort of lucky dip system.
This.
Also products that get redesigned and come back worse. Can't imagine how Strike waterproof gloves were decently breathable and then the next generation comes along so sweaty mushrooms would grow inside.
My experience in recent years is that their quality has declined. And my experience was that their customer service was completely and utterly crap, to the point of being dismissive / they really couldn't be arsed. When I insisted they took a look at something with a bad manufacturing fault and sent it back (the retailer had closed) they must have had it in the place for a whole 10 seconds before posting back with a 'naah can't be arsed'.
(Then got one of Alpkit's staff in Heathersage to repair what Endura said was impossible).
So I'm buying stuff from other companies now. They've won the race to the bottom.
they’re not doing custom-print/team/club options now either
Probably for the best. The last club I know that used them had a sizeable fall out with them. Sizing was all over the place, some garments weren’t even stitched together properly when they arrived.
I’ve not had any quality issues, but certainly have experienced the sizing lucky dip problem
It would be nice if they could manufacture things to fixed, known sizes rather than just using some sort of lucky dip system.
Also products that get redesigned and come back worse. Can’t imagine how Strike waterproof gloves were decently breathable and then the next generation comes along so sweaty mushrooms would grow inside.
Both of those.
Plus learn how to sew so that random seams don't unravel a few Months into use.
Plus learn that on a pad I don't need harsh nylon stitching and some extra insert right where my todger lies whilst pedalling.
Also products that get redesigned and come back worse.
So I thought. Had some rubbish shorts 2 years ago. Moaned on here...including that they had failed to make right.
Someone from Endura read my post, got in touch and then sent me new shorts and Endura had improved the fabrics the design and fit.
I've just had a clear out of worn out clothes. I found my old humvee shorts, not worn in yonks. Size medium. I got some humvee 3/4s and they were an XL.
All the Endura kit I've had is well made. I suspect there is some accounting going on, creative or otherwise. IANAA
Meantime, I find that the vast majority of their kit is very good, certainly as good as or better than the more popular premium names. I have a lot of Endura kit; their sizing has always worked for me, I’ve never had a problem with it, everything just fits for me.
+1
I've plenty of their gear along with other manufacturers products and just bought a pair of their waterproof flat boots - worn last night and do the job well.
My MTR II waterproof pants ripped underneath.
Always used to send clothing back to be replaced, so I sent it back.
Some genius at pentland decided the best approach was a approach was a sticky patch, like the old inner tube patches, rather than replace a panel.
That lasted 1 week in week gritty wales.
Last thing I bought of theirs was a Pro SL rain coat for the best part of £200, about 3-4 years ago. Zip broke, Endura didn't want to know. It's still hanging in the garage having been worn less than 5 times. Never again!
Remember the first winter bib tights with the rubberised splash pieces on the inside leg and the proper brace straps. Man, those were excellent.
Remember the first winter bib tights with the rubberised splash pieces on the inside leg and the proper brace straps. Man, those were excellent.
I bought a pair of those in 2001. I only replaced them last year.
"Also products that get redesigned and come back worse. Can’t imagine how Strike waterproof gloves were decently breathable and then the next generation comes along so sweaty mushrooms would grow inside."
It could be that the original material is now considered too bad for the environment and production ceased. Unfortunately for us cyclists the best waterproof materials use fluorinated polymers which are being legislated against.
Threads about Endura are interesting because there's always some who really rate it and others who have had really bad experiences and looks like the negatives outweigh the positives about 2 to 1. And these issues have been spoken about for years, I first had problems with Endura kit almost 20 years ago.
I stopped buying their stuff when a pair of trousers fell apart at the stitching and they put too much friction into resolving the problem. And a pair of gloves that fell apart.
Can't comment on their current quality, but it does seem like they had a bigger marketing presence and expanded product range in recent years - so may have got caught on the hop by the market slump and widespread discounting of the past year-plus?
I took a punt on their shoes - Burner spd - and as they fitted me really well - bought a second pair.
6 months later both pairs had separated from their soles.
Shame
Their repair service is great 2 pairs of shorts Ive had for yonks
Also bought a couple of pairs of trousers off them that have been great and seem to be very well lasting through crappy winter filth
6 months later both pairs had separated from their soles.
How did they handle your warranty claim?
They’ve been rubbish forever. Zips in particular were failing for me 20+ years ago along with weird sizing. I haven’t touched them in years and based on the comments, am unlikely to do so.
Unfortunately I'm going to be adding myself to the list of people let down by Endura's slide in terms of quality.
Recently, two pairs of gloves - falling to bits after less than a month and the leather palms went a weird dark grey to black colour before becoming hard and brittle. I've been using 661s since - same treatment/washing etc and, apart from sewing up a few seams that started to pull after a whole summer, fine.
But, more annoyingly, two pairs of Burner shoes. The outer came away from the sole in less than 4 months. This time around I am still using them as I invested in a shoe repair kit thing (of surprising quality) from Amazon. A lot of stabbing holes, just missing impaling hands and fingers, and dragging waxed twine back and forth - has saved this second pair, I think. But it really shouldn't come to DIY cobbling to have a pair of shoes last 6 months. I have other shoes (Shimano) that have lasted years.
As for 'warranty'...
Who is going to clean, dry, package, post and complete a load of paperwork for shoes?
Warranty should not be a substitute for quality. Perhaps it is warranty claims and repair costs that seem to be sending them down the gurgler?
It could be that the original material is now considered too bad for the environment and production ceased. Unfortunately for us cyclists the best waterproof materials use fluorinated polymers which are being legislated against.
Not impossible, but the material change would have been quite a few years ago now, I'm thinking 2018, maybe earlier. I thought that legislation was fairly recent?
All this talk of jackets reminded me of my last Endura one. The seam sealing tape peeled off, all of it at the same time. Wasn't quite so waterproof after that.
Ex endura customer too, some of the old tops are still going strong. Sadly now decathlon for the win, fraction of the price and lasts surprisingly well.
I had 5 pairs of gloves fall apart in the space of about 6 months. A mix of Humvee Plus and Windstopper.
Apparently, wear and tear wasn't covered by the Endura warranty which is fair enough. You could argue that a couple of months isnt an acceptable life span (30 odd miles per week) but they refused to acknowledge a fault, even on a pair that failed half way through the first ride. Despite many, many forum threads about the same issue. On the same gloves.
Had a few pairs of shorts and a jacket that were fairly low quality considering the cost.
Overall, everything they seem to make now is poor quality but still sold at premium prices so I pretty much lost interest in them as a brand.
My experience of their aftersales support put me off entirely.
Remember the first winter bib tights with the rubberised splash pieces on the inside leg and the proper brace straps
still have them (one must be 20 years old, one a bit newer) still wearing them on the road bike in winter. bought a set of braces to replace the strap elastic... I used to wear a lot of Endura but haven't bought any new stuff in many years.
they did some truly excellent road kit a long time ago now - the Equipe windproof gloves remain my favourite cool weather road glove. The bib shorts were great as well. I've a few pairs of MTR baggies i wear on the road bike all time time. Used to jog in them as well and they're still going strong.
Everyone is going to have had a few bad years - theres been so much oversupply (and so much heavy discounting) of clothing..
Also products that get redesigned and come back worse.
far from the only company to do that. I had pairs of Fox flex air shorts bought over a few years. The fabric changed annually. Then they got an inch shorter (I’m tall and the length was the reason for buying them). And the pocket size and position changed so it would no longer take a modern mobile.
most of my riding bottoms seem to be Endura
quality I'm totally happy with, my most recent shorts are my best riding shorts ever.
sizing/cut of the trousers are a mystery though. I've got 3 pairs, all nominally the same size.
Only 1 can I get my "big" kneepads (also endura so shouldnt be a surprise to them) under. This pair I had to modify the waist velcro to make it tighter to get them to fit me.
another pair are so slim that I have to sit down to peel them off after a ride, and I can just about get a caseless iphone 13 mini in one pocket, and keys in the other.
how Gee Atherton (famously quite strong in build) gets DH kneepads in his without looking like he's a yummy mummy in leggings is a question.
they’re not doing custom-print/team/club options now either
Shame that - my son's kit the Exeter Uni MTB club had made a couple of years ago is class. But, yeah, long time since I've bought anything from Endura. Though I still wear a very very old pair of Humvee trousers for dog walking. Seem to remember they had to be re-stitched by my then girlfirend's mum when they came apart. She did a much better job than the factory!
I'm pretty sure I'm still using my pair of those @Merak - I've not bought Endura kit recently (think my last thing ws about 2006 - but all that kit is still going strong and being used regularly. I was given an original MT-500 jacket (afterburner or something) around 2012 - that worked at keeping the outside wetness out, but it was never breathable. I've recently got a jacket from them - I'm going to say Singletrack - but unsure. It fits well, but I tried it on with a big hoodie so the XL is actually too big for me whilst riding - but the arms are a brilliant length so my arms are completely covered even when my arms are fully outstretched - not got that with any other jacket, so I'm willing to accept the very baggy chest/stomach of the jacket. Keeps me dry and doesn't seem to be as sweat-laden as the MT-500 of about 12 years ago.
So out of all my kit, the most recent one seems to be good, the really old stuff is brilliant, but I'm just not sure about the current stuff due to so many horror stories online and with my riding friends. I'm happy with what I've got but not keen on buying anything else in case it really doesn't work.
I find Endura stuff inconsistent but generally more good than bad. Issue (for me) is the 'bad' experiences make me wary about buying anything else because I don't know what to expect...
Hummvee shorts & 3/4s: superb, bombproof, ideal for commuting with all the pockets. Newer ones bigger than older ones meaning I'm stuck with some too-big ones that snag the saddle when gettiing gnarvel.
Hummvee gilet: brilliant. Lightweight, windproof front, mesh back. Packs down teeny.
Freezing Point gilet: bloody love this. Good fit, packs down small enough, feels solidly made. Very warm so rarely have conditions to use it though.
Older MTB tops I found good enough quality but sizing was inconsistent.
But newer jerseys... Bought LS MT500 jerseys for the family and material wasn't fit for purpose. Gentle pootle along canal path and all jerseys ended up with snags/pulls in the material. Returned to retailer/Endura, full refund. And Endura gloves I had years ago were just crap.
Having looked in a little bit of depth at their published counts, a few things strike me wearing my hat as Chartered Accountant and former Finance Director.
Turnover has dropped from £40m to £28m but their cost of sales has gone up from £22m to nearly £25m. This is a double whammy - higher production costs but massively reduced turnover. I wonder how much of the drop in turnover is demand led and how much is discounting?
The accounts are not a like for like comparator as the latest set of figures are for 13 months compared to 12. That is somewhat unusual and I would question why this has been done.
Distribution costs have nearly halved which is suggestive that stock is simply not shifting like it did the previous year or they have undergone a major overhaul of distribution channels. I would suspect the former given the decline in sales income.
Admin expenses are nearly £17m and have gone up in the period under review. Of this, nearly £6m is staff costs recharged from their owner, Pentland Group.
If they were a stand alone business and not funded by Pentland Group, I would be concerned about their ability to continue to operate. A repeat year like the current one could wipe them out financially. They have some £20m tied up in stock but with the decline in sales revenue, this may not be easy to shift if they need to generate cash quickly to pay off their creditors.
Pentland are extremely profitable and will no doubt prop up the business for the foreseeable future but longer term, I would be concerned about how long that support would continue. If I was the FD, I would be looking to see how best to realise the stock holding to generate cash and how to drive down production and admin costs. Long term, as things stand, Endura are reliant upon their shareholder for capital support and the auditors have explicitly identified this as a principal risk. Fundamentally, they need to have a robust recovery strategy and plan in place as more of the same is unsustainable. As Chain Reaction and Wiggle demonstrated, everything is fine and you can rely on your benevolent financier right up until the point at which you cannot.
Hope this is of help?
Cheers
Sanny
Another ex-Endura buyer here.
Their sizing is all over the shop and customer service difficult at best.
I had an MT500 jacket that lasted about 6 months before the chest pocket seperated from the body of the jacket and the waterproof coating started to flake and peel off the inside of the hood. Endura repaired it but it failed again within weeks. They refused to replace or refund it but gave me a discount on a new jacket. That took months to resolve, during which time I bought a HOPE/Endura Singletrack jacket. The waterproof coating has also started to peel off in the neck and hood area in that jacket as well.
I'm not willing to spend more money on kit that doesn't work/last a reasonable time.
Hope this is of help?
very nicely explained, thanks.
I think their products have been declining too, and getting pretty zany with the colours schemes at times. They used to be so dependable but my choice is now Altura, better made and cheaper.
Their products are poor quality and with random sizing - even if you buy two of the same thing.
And don't start me on the photochromic sunglasses which weren't (permanent black tint): I was told to go away by customer disservice when I complained.
Life is too short to use crap kit.
They used to be so dependable
Some of my best kit was Endura - but that was 20-odd years ago. The waterproof shorts I had were brilliant, their first gen Stealth softshell the same.
But now the sizing is random, the quality has dropped...
my son’s kit the Exeter Uni MTB club had made a couple of years ago is class.
Exeter had some great kit - I remember at a Student MTB Champs they had a grey kit with:
eXeTeR
Apparently Shimano told them to cease and desist that one! Looked very smart though. 🙂
15 years sounds right. That must be about the time Endura stopped putting magnetic closures in short pockets. All downhill from there...
I worked for Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op back in 2006ish when they first opened in Leeds. For obvious reasons Endura were one of their key, pride of place brands in the store, they had some excellent, high quality, innovative kit that others were not doing, it was incredibly durable, their rep was brilliant and used to visit the store to give us all the latest info and sales stuff, it lasted forever and we could sell it all day long from its reputation.
Come 2024 and I've flirted with various bits of Endura kit over the past few years hoping to find the qualities that I rembered from then, but unfortunately just had generic, mis-shaped or mis-sized, overpriced tat that falls apart. Seam taping on jackets and shorts in particular seems to last a few weeks at best - in fact, I'm pretty sure I have some Endura pieces bought using my bike shop wage in 2006/7 that is currently in better condition than kit bought it the past year or two.
Genrally, just dissapointed.
Decathlon stuff is way better made for half the price.
All downhill from there…
In the context of a bike forum that's often a positive.
I like Endura kit, I've commented before that I prefer some older styles but have been impressed with recent MT500 and Singletrack pieces. The sizing is inconsistent but kind of predictable - race-style gear uses a smaller cm than general all-day riding stuff. I've found Madison sizing to be considerably further off the mark.
I find their gloves fall apart at the wrists but remain perfectly useable (with a bit of sewing) - whereas other brands (661 particularly) break or wear at the finger ends and become useless.
If anyone has any lightly used Zyme 3/4 in a medium, do please pass them on! My favourite commute/work legwear for six months of the year.
I’m liking my much newer MT500 waterproof jacket but it’s too hot unless the weather is really bad.
The sizing does seem all over the place (but they’re not alone with that!)
I really like their kit, it's my go to. I had a few issues with their gloves splitting at the seams and the fingertips wearning out about a decade ago and gave up on them but had the same problems with all other brands I tried. I just order larger gloves now- problem solved. Their shorts and trousers are consistantly a perfect fit for me as are their tops. I recently bought the MT500 waterproof jacket and it seems to be well designed, manufactured and the fit is spot on. Similar tops from other manufacturers exist I'm sure but I've had a whole range of problems with zips, stitching, delamination and more with e.g. Altura and TLD that I've not had with Endura. It could be that I've been lucky with Endura, but all my mates seem to have dodged the same bullet too. Good kit in my view.
Endura should definitely start making Zyme 3/4 lengths again.
How did they handle your warranty claim?
@chakaping - I did contact them but they wouldn't deal with me (direct) and said I had to return through the reseller - as this was CRC I saw little point in pursuing so wrote them off as a bad punt. I wouldn't want them replaced anyway TBH.
I’ve been using Endura kit for I guess about 20 something years, but I’m sure the quality went very patchy when their manufacturing went offshore. (I too still have a pair of the nigh on indestructible winter bib longs with waterproof shin panel). I still like some of their kit and wear it, but after my exasperation with their useless warranty department (also offshored), I’m very reluctant to buy any more Endura waterproofs.
(The seat area on my £160 MT500 waterproof trousers delaminated after about 2 to 3 hours riding in Scottish rain…and it wasn’t even that muddy! My previous pair had lasted two winters worth of riding).
From reading others comments above, I think I’ll be sticking with other brands from now on.
Don't know about the overall financial picture, but been given a little insight about actual sales from someone who ought to know. While Europe and USA sales are not overly healthy, they are apparently still shifting units in the UK.
Their sizing is utterly hopeless too.
Now ordering my 3rd Primaloft gilet (originally a Xmas present, so want to end up with one). Based on my experience with a hoodie where the XL drowned me and the Large I now have is still a bit big...
I ordered L. It wouldn't even meet at the front and ended just below my navel. Returned and rebought as XL - at £30 more as offer had ended. Still too ****ing small. Will zip up, but is far too tight and still short. Now ordered XXL - the biggest size available.
I'm 5'11" and about 87Kg. I could do with losing a few Kg, no doubt, but there's no way I should be in the biggest available size.
Bunch of clowns.
You should see the size of the footwear they make!
I’m with fenderextender on this, their sizing is so waaaay off that it’s pretty much pointless. In fact, this is relatively recent (last 10 years in my experience) and probably something to do with either cost cutting to maximise their profit or shifting manufacturing somewhere else (or both). I recently sold a load of Humvee shorts & 3/4 length shorts. The size large still fit me fine, the XLs were too big. I tried some new ones (possibly MT500) in XL and it was like trying to squeeze into a medium. Their stuff used to be true to size when compared to any wardrobe item, it’s now skinny roadie sizing that doesn’t actually fit the average recreational cyclist.
You should see the size of the footwear they make!
TBF, in the footwear stakes I'm more concerned about the soles coming off within 6 months (two pairs of Burner SPD shoes now - my home cobbling referred to in an earlier post gained me an extra couple of months before failing totally).
Their gloves are shite - leather palm went black and brittle and stitching came undone within a couple of rides.
Their shirts are made of a horrible thin, plasticky material that clings onto any sweat like a bin liner.
Their trousers seem OK, but they're not cheap and often deals can be found on comparable or better ones.
On the other hand, I have one of their sleeveless thin base layers that has lasted ages and is now so worn out that it should have fallen apart. But it continues to hold on.
Overall, though, not impressed nowadays and getting more sceptical by the day.
Well there must be variation in different production runs because the L that I originally had would have been suitable for someone around 5'7" and probably no more than 75 Kg.
The sizing on the gilets I have had versus the hoodies is laughable - even if you, obviously, take into account that hoodies are 'baggy' and gilets are 'roadie'.
Added to all my annoyances over the quality of shoes, gloves and shirts - I'm pretty pissed off.
had a few things in recent years the 4 way stretch singletrack shorts are great, as are the MT500 softshell hoody and the GV500 gravel range looks great too. size wise yep i'm a m or l but most brands are like that
Received word yesterday from the secretary of the cycling club that I'm a member of that Endura are closing the doors of their custom kit factory next month. They are going to carry on making clothing but not custom, i.e. club, stuff.
Our club switching supplier to KALAS.
“It is just about the right size for my 5’11” and 85kg frame.”
I’m the same height and weight (within half an inch and a couple of kilos) and my Endura MT500 jacket is a medium! Aaaarghhhhh…
And, what with the iffy formatting on this forum, I'll re-raise you a 'FFS' too.
I will say though, once I’d cut out the pointless inner cuffs on the MT500 waterproof, it’s a bloody great jacket for horrible weather. The over helmet hood is a revelation! Shame the main zip has a habit of snagging but as I got it massively discounted from sports pursuit I can’t complain.
Our club switching supplier to KALAS.
We used Kalas for the kit last year and we're really happy with it, obviously it's MTB kit but the road stuff they sent as testing was great too.
More than happy to recommend them. The process was clear and concise, lots of changes were made without issues before final design. They then sent out a test, which was a large piece of fabric showing colours and logos etc.