Endura

First things first: well done Endura, I like the name,"Pakajak", sounds like "Crackerjack", and indeed "Snack-A-Jack" so we've got off to a decent start. Apart from that, the Pakajak is a lightweight windproof that's also showerproof and easily stowable, which are other good features.

Endura make all sorts of cycling clothing, with their high-end road gear branded separately as Equipe, these Endura Equipe Team Replica Bibshorts come in between the lighter Criterium version and the range-topping Uber Bibshort.  According to the company's website they're exactly the same as those used by the professional riders in the Endura Racing team. And there's no doubt about it, these shorts are a top-level piece of kit. The build-quality is excellent, and from the very first mile of my test-ride they felt extremely comfortable all over.

Endura gear has been around for almost 20 years, catering for roadies, commuters and the off-road crowd. Judging by the number of people in my local club that wear Endura kit – especially shorts and tights - it's jolly good stuff. Endura have now raised their own bar to produce the distinct Equipe range of high-performance garments, specifically aimed at performance road cyclists.

Endura kit is very popular among mountain-bikers, and this UK manufacturer also produces highly-respected gear for road cycling. At the top of the family is Endura's premium range: Equipe.

The Equipe Thermo biblongs are full length tights designed for road riding in cold or wet weather. The fabric is Roubaix style - meaning it's fleecy on the inside, lycra on the outside - and it does the job very well. These test tights have been worn for some long rides in nasty conditions, and they definitely kept me as warm as any pair of winter tights can.

Endura's versatile Convert ll jacket falls into the rare category of things you never thought you needed but which rapidly become indispensible once you've tried them.

I've never been convinced by clothing with bits that detach, reasoning that I'll probably never get round to actually putting them to full use and the two aspects will be compromised by being incorporated into a single garment. In the case of the Convert II I'm definitely wrong - it's brilliant.

Endura clothing has been around for almost 20 years, and is especially well-known in the mountain-bike world. The Equipe range is for road cycling, and unashamedly aimed at the higher end of the market. As part of this image, the Endura Equipe website makes much of the development of cycling garments for and by the Endura professional road racing team.