Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Web Bike World

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves Hands-On Review

It’s easy enough to make a cheap motorbike glove. There are plenty of them already on the market. Take some cheap leather, or polyester fabric, add some plastic armor at the knuckles, some Velcro at the cuff, and you’re almost there to having a ready-made motorbike glove. It’s a lot tougher to make a quality motorbike glove that actually goes some way to keeping a rider comfortable, warm, dry, and protected in the event of a crash.

Quality Design

On a good quality glove the fabric mix is different, the fasteners are well thought out, the interior doesn’t pull apart if your hands are a little damp when you take the glove off, and it has vital protection in all the right areas. The best gloves will have a CE rating which guarantees certain standards around the strength of the fabric, the stitches, and the overall burst strength of the glove.

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves fabric contents and CE rating

This is all very technical but, at the end of it all, the phrase “fits like a glove” means a lot. A glove might be the most technically accomplished in the world but if you’re not comfortable in it then it’s potentially unsafe for you. A glove needs to fit, well, like a glove.

Apex Drystar Vs Richa Sport WP

This brings us on to my dilemma a few months ago when buying the Alpinestars Apex Drystar gloves that I now use on a daily basis. My old Richa Sport WP gloves had served me well, protecting my hands in a track-day off, proving to be extremely comfortable, but were in no way waterproof. When their leather outers soaked through in the winter my hands would be frozen, not to mention the stink that wet leather creates!

Despite all of this, they were supremely comfortable so I went to look for a new pair. With none available in my size, I reckoned the Apex Drystar would be a nice upgrade, doing everything the Richa gloves did but with added benefits in terms of waterproofing and temperature control.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner to work with. Both companies have a great selection and their prices are hard to beat.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on Amazon

Fit

I find it’s always difficult to know how comfortable a glove will really be when you’re simply trying it on in the shop. The reality is you won’t know for sure until you’ve spent a few days wearing them.

True to Size

My initial impression was that the Alpinestars were slightly too long for me, my fingers not stretching the seams as they had done on other gloves. It turns out that this is actually very good because, according to Alpinestars own sizing guide, you need a small bit of space to allow warm air to move about within the fingers of the glove. Not to mention that if it’s too tight you constrict blood flow, which limits feeling.

A good way of testing whether a glove will offer decent feeling is to try and pick up a coin or something similar when trying on the gloves before purchase. I can confidently hand a euro coin to a toll operator a couple of days a week with these so the sizing and fit are spot-on.

Break-In-Period

I went on a 4-hour ride to break the gloves in the day after purchasing them, and although it was still winter, the gloves kept my hands reasonably warm (caveat – I was wearing them on a fully faired bike). This was despite the fact that these gloves don’t contain the bulk we usually associate with winter mitts.

The polyamide fabric used for most of the outer takes a little bit of getting used to after wearing full leather gloves as it tends to feel a little less pliable at the beginning of its usage. This isn’t a concern after a few hours with them on, and, almost a year later mine now feel like they were made for me.

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves tested and broken in

Features

Waterproofing

The Apex Drystar glove has a good mix of conventional features mixed in with more innovative ones. On the conventional side, it has a decent Drystar waterproof lining as one of the main selling points, pre-curved fingers for additional comfort from the first use, and an interior which doesn’t pull apart when you remove damp or sweaty hands from the glove.

It’s a prime annoyance of mine that some manufacturers don’t adequately attach the lining to the glove interior, leaving a rider to struggle in frustration when attempting to put their hand back into the glove. Needless to say, but this struggle always happens when it’s either raining or the rider is in a hurry!

Armor

The armor contained within the glove is also on the conventional side but none the worse for it, although I’ve not tested its effectiveness, thankfully. There’s a molded plastic knuckle guard hidden underneath perforated synthetic leather sewn into the polyamide body of the glove. There are softer foam inserts placed on the palm and around the scaphoid area, with goatskin leather used on the palm.

Fabric

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves palm made with goatskin leather

While polyamide offers decent abrasion protection, leather is still the king, so it seems a wise choice to use this on the palm area as this is likely to be the first part of the glove to touch ground in an off. The gloves also contain a section of synthetic leather between the thumb and the palm, layered over the glove body, but it is now cracking on my pair. It’s not causing any issues but with the constant flexing of this area, you can expect that this is not a one-off case.

All of this armor is worth little if the glove happened to slide off of your hand in a crash. This is where the innovative strap closure feature makes a difference. The large cuff, on which is printed the fabric mix and CE standards the glove has met, uses velcro to close it. Again, it’s a conventional design choice but one that works.

Wrist Closure

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves friction wrist strap and closure mechanism

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner to work with. Both companies have a great selection and their prices are hard to beat.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on Amazon

However, the wrist strap, on which you depend to keep the glove on your hand, does not use velcro. Instead, it uses a friction strap like a rucksack. When doing up your glove just grab the Alpinestars tag at the end of the small wrist strap and pull it until it secures around your wrist. It’s an ingenious system, and far less fiddly than smaller velcro wrist straps. Both straps, the velcro, and the friction strap are easy to use with the other glove already fastened so Alpinestars deserve top marks for this area of the glove.

Finger Bridge

Another small detail that Alpinestars highlight in their literature on this glove is the third and fourth finger bridge. Alpinestars say this comes directly from their racing gloves and is a patented feature which “prevents finger roll and separation during impact”.

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves finger bridge

It’s a feature which is hardly noticeable as it doesn’t get in the way of comfort but a cursory look at the finger bridge doesn’t fill me with additional confidence in the protection it can offer over and above standard armor. That being said, maybe it’s better to have it than to be wishing for it.

Touchscreen Compatible

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the glove is that the index finger of the gloves is touchscreen compatible. Don’t expect to do a pile of typing but it does work well enough that you can easily use a map app! Alpinestars were certainly thinking of touring riders and the use of sat-navs when building this feature into the glove.

Weatherproofing

None of those features would be of any use if the glove was consistently cold or consistently wet. Thinsulate is the fabric of choice for winter mitts and 100 grams of it is used in the back of each glove underneath the Drystar waterproof liner.

These are not the heaviest winter gloves and are best described as two season gloves (perfect for Fall and Spring, perhaps a touch too warm in summer, a touch too cold in depths of winter) although Alpinestars market them as winter gloves. If you have hand guards and heated grips then these will do just fine through the depths of winter but the chill of a naked bike might push their (or your) limits somewhat.

Waterproofing

When it comes to waterproofing Drystar is Alpinestars own version of Gore-tex in that it’s a breathable fabric which, in theory, should let vapor out but prevent water getting in. We have had a few weeks of near constant rain here in Ireland in the run-up to Christmas so the gloves were well tested on the daily commute and passed, although perhaps not with flying colors. Polyamide, the main outer fabric of the glove (wake up down the back there!), is partially hydrophilic so water will actually soak the outside and make the glove heavy.

The Drystar lining ensures that this water doesn’t leak through to your hand but, with continuous riding, you will feel colder than you should due to the outer soakage. This may also explain why, when I remove my gloves at the end of my commute my hands are dry (and maybe a bit cold) but when I put the gloves back on later the interior feels a bit damp. I’m guessing that this is due to the temperature difference when the gloves are brought into a heated building but, ultimately, my hands are kept dry so the lining does work.

However, be aware that the interior might be damp when you go to put them on a short time after taking them off. A friend of mine with a Drystar-lined jacket has said similar things but he doesn’t have the same problem with his Gore-tex gloves.

Verdict

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves

Alpinestars are on to a winner here. This is a premium glove which takes the best features of a conventional glove and mixed them with some innovative touches like the touchscreen compatible finger and the friction strap at the wrist. It’s CE approved and feels like it’s been built to last. Although probably not a real winter glove, if you prefer to feel what’s going on with the handlebars rather than wrapping your hands in a veritable duvet, then this could be the glove for you.

Pros

  • Comfortable, breathable fit that’s true to size
  • Good tactile feel when handling bars and small objects
  • Features best of conventional & innovative designs
  • Touchscreen compatible
  • Waterproof inner lining keeps hands dry

Cons

  • Polyamide fabric not as protective as leather from abrasions
  • Third & fourth bridge impact protection effectiveness is unknown
  • Least effective in wet, cold winter temps
  • Outer layer is not waterproof & can lead to cold, heavy hands

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Alpinestars
  • Price (When Tested): $89.95
  • Alternative models & colors: Black only
  • Sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL, 2XL, 3XL
  • Review Date: January 2019

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner to work with. Both companies have a great selection and their prices are hard to beat.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy This Motorcycle Gloves on Amazon

Alpinestars Apex Drystar Glove Image Gallery

The post Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves Hands-On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs Racing Glove Reviews review Web Bike World

4SR 96 Stingray Racing Gloves Hands-On Review

4SR: The New Kid In Town

While attending AimExpo in October I happened upon a display booth for 4SR products.

4SR leather racing suit.
4 Street Racing is a Czech manufacturer well known in Europe on the race track and in the everyday riding gear market but is a new arrival to North American shores. After speaking at length with Jerry Nickell Sr and Junior (the father and son team from Texas who are distributing the product line here) I was eager to review some of the gear.

4SR leather racing suit.
Jerry Sr had recently sacrificed his body in the name of testing one of their race suits when he low-sided at 70 mph. As you can see in the photos the suit held up well in a slide and Jerry was unhurt. The leather used is thick yet supple, the seams are double or triple stitched and the armor is all CE Level 2 in everything 4SR makes.

4SR leather racing suit.
The 96 Stingray Race Gloves

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

The Nickels happily presented me with a pair of 96 Stingray gloves to review. These are arguably the best and most expensive ($190) racing gloves in the 4SR lineup.

First Impressions

Carbon Fiber

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

The knuckle area has hard resin-covered carbon fiber armor along with peanut sized caps over the finger joints of the first and second digits. I love the look of these purely white on black gloves, but adding in the carbon fiber makes good seem even better.

Weightless

I didn’t bother weighing the 96 Stingray because they’re virtually weightless thanks in part to the carbon fiber goodness.

Leather and Viscofoam

Holding these gloves and massaging them with my fingers reveals hidden protection covering the entire top half other than where the wrist bends. There’s Viscofoam (memory foam) everywhere underneath the goatskin leather exterior.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

It ranges from about a ¼ inch thick padding on top of the thumb nail bed to ½ inch at the thickest area covering the ulna bone.

Goatskin and Pittards Leather

Goatskin is softer and stronger than cow leather. It’s also water resistant and twice as tough as kangaroo skin from what I’ve read.

In handling these gloves I definitely see how the soft part is accurate. They freely move in my hands and I haven’t even put them on yet!

Pittards leather covers the palms of these gloves. It’s the preferred leather for cricket and baseball batting gloves because it offers unbeaten tactile feedback to the fingers. Pittards stays flexible even after repeated doses of sweat saturation from hands.

4SR refused to compromise on the quality of material used to construct these gloves.

Stitching

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

Some of the stitching isn’t uniformly sewn along the sections of leather on these gloves. Specifically stitching on the leather surrounding the finger armor isn’t completely straight. Disappointing to see this, but it does help explain how they keep the price point lower than the competition.

The Kevlar Connection

The ring and little fingers come connected together with a leather patch as is commonplace with racing gloves in order to help protect the pinky in a crash situation.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

What catches my eye on this leather covering are several fuzzy, yellow hairs hanging off the edges of the leather patch. It looks quite shoddy, to be honest.

Then it occurs to me leather doesn’t produce yellow strands like this, but Kevlar can.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

Despite the ugly appearance this turns out to be another pleasant surprise about the 96 Stingray gloves: Kevlar reinforcement running beneath the leather on top of the hand below the foam. The Kevlar lining is also found in the high-stress palm areas under a shiny black covering.

These are some skookum gloves and I haven’t even gotten to the reason behind the Stingray moniker yet.

Palm Area Protection

I flip the gloves over for a look at the palm/scaphoid area to find two large patches of black stingray skin.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

Stingray Skin

I’ve touched the skin of living sharks and rays before (what a thrill!). I would describe it being the consistency of heavy sandpaper with larger lumps of grit embedded in it. The stuff on these gloves is similarly abrasive, yet has a plastic or TPU slippery quality to it all at once. It would be excellent in preventing injury in a crash from what I can tell when combined with the thick Viscofoam padding and Kevlar lining running behind it.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves ray skin palm.

I’m shocked to find it on these gloves at this price point.

Fitment

I finally pull on the gloves for a try after inspecting them. I’m immediately happy with the fit. It’s evenly snug all around without pinching in any area. I credit the kevlar, goatskin and Pittards leather content for this bliss. It stretches just enough, but not too much.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

These are brand new gloves! They’re not broken in at all but almost feel like they are. Typically leather gloves give about 10% after break-in and I wonder if these will go limp after some aggressive test riding with my Ninja.

Time will tell.

My Size

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

My hand measurement is just about 8.5 inches across the widest part and I would class my fingers average in length but slightly thicker than the norm at the knuckles. These size Large/10 glove fingers all fit right to the end of my digits except for the thumb which comes up about a ¼ inch short. The narrow middle section of my thumb doesn’t fit as tightly as the fingers do either.

I guess people in Czechoslovakia have larger thumbs than I do?

Triple Closure Feature

Closure One

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

The first closure is a velcro covered tunnel strap that rides through a steel loop and back on the wrist area to tighten up any small amount of slop there. I again note how nicely the goatskin leather gives ever so slightly when you pull on this strap. It feels slightly elastic.

Closure Two

4SR 96 Stingray gloves

A large flap of Viscofoam-infused leather used to cover the velcro tunnel strap closure in order to prevent it from being damaged in a slide. It’s a bit awkward to get closed and there are better closure systems on the market in other gloves. After donning and doffing the Stingrays a few times I’ve got the hang of it but I still don’t love it. The Velcro is effective at holding it shut securely.

Closure Three

4SR 96 Stingray gloves wrist closure.

The final closure is a large flap of leather impregnated with even more Viscofoam that hinges from the outside of the wrist inwards towards the thumb side.

I would have preferred a longer strap that reaches fully across the gauntlet portion of the glove instead of this style which only goes about halfway, but it catches and holds on the velcro solidly and doesn’t give. I feel confident even in a crash there’s no way these gloves would back off one iota and expose my hands to slide injury.

With the gloves on and fully adjusted it’s time to hit the road.

On The Bike Testing

I managed to test these gloves at 85 degrees while in Las Vegas and back home in Canada down to a low of 40 degrees.

Air Flow

4SR 96 Stingray gloves.
In the hot weather testing, my hands did perspire noticeably, but the perforations in the leather around the wrist area and between the fingers allowed cooling to occur fairly well even in traffic.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves finger vents.
The thin leather palm side of the gloves has two small holes in each finger to allow easier insertion and removal of fingers to help prevent a vacuum from forming. I figure they aid somewhat with exhausting perspiration too.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves palm.

I wonder if these small holes will enlarge over time and eventually wear away into larger openings and the gloves wearing out prematurely? Thus far, over the course of 600 miles riding there was little to no change in the size of these vents.

Warmth

I was very surprised at how well these gloves did in the colder weather testing, but shouldn’t have been. All that Viscofoam definitely acts as an effective layer of insulation to keep my hand temperature comfortable down into the 50s. At those temperatures, I found the heated grips on my bike necessary to stay comfortable, but as far as the wind chill bothering me goes – no problem at all.

Touch Sensitivity

The supple leather on these Stingrays allows for easy manipulation of buttons and controls on the handlebars. The extra length on the end of the thumb got in my way a couple of times, but not enough to make me unhappy with them.

There aren’t any touchpad-friendly areas on any of the fingertips to allow a wearer to use their touchscreen phone, but it would surprise me if there was. There’s little doubt these really are racing-specific gloves with that single purpose in mind.

The thinner palm area leather impressed me with the fact I could faintly feel the ridges in my bike’s grips through them, but also makes me wonder about long-term durability despite the fact my research shows goatskin lasts longer than cowhide.

Grip Numbness

I often have an issue with numbness forming gradually (sometimes quickly) due to stitching in the palm area of gloves being too thick. When I grip the throttle a vein/vessel running close to the base of my index finger becomes easily irritated and limits blood flow to my thumb and finger when squished.

Many gloves fail this test for me, but the Stingray ones did quite well overall. I only noticed minor numbness on two occasions out of the 6 rides I’ve taken wearing these gloves.

Final Verdict

The 96 Stingray is above average in every category I can think of especially when factoring in the low purchase price of $190.

4SR 96 Stingray gloves and Simpson Mod Bandit helmet.

If I ever end up crashing on a bike I hope it’s these 4SR gloves that I’m wearing out of all the gloves I own. They would make a bigger difference than my other ones for sure.

Competitors

Dainese D1 Druid gloves
Yes, $190 is still a pile of money to spend on gloves, but comparatively, it’s a bargain. Refer to Brandon’s recent review of the Dainese D1 Druid long gloves which retail at $229.99. That’s $40 more without the same level of protection or comfort.

Held Phantom II gloves

These 4SR gloves should be closer to the $300 mark as evidenced by more similarly outfitted gloves on the market such as the Held Phantom II. Those Phantom II gloves have titanium knuckle protectors, Rayskin and even Superfabric along with more ergonomic closures which do make them the best, but are they really $135 better? Almost twice the price of the 96 Stingrays?

Maybe…

I haven’t tested the Held Phantom gloves myself but they are the best selling race gloves on the market for good reasons. I’m sure a seasoned racer would be able to show exactly why I should drop the extra $135, but I doubt I would deem them worthy of the extra cost in my more limited sphere of use. If you race regularly perhaps the choice is easier.

Alpinestars GP Plus R gloves

The Alpinestars GP Plus R gloves are considered a bargain-priced race glove at $199.95 with decent protective qualities. They’re good value, but don’t quite have the level of protection these 96 Stingray ones do from what I can tell.

Coming Soon

As I mentioned Jerry Sr and Jr are close to finalizing distribution of these and other 4SR products with sellers in the US like our friends at Revzilla, but at the time of this writing, it’s not yet there, unfortunately.

You can still order the gloves from the Czech HQ from the 4SR website in the meantime.

The Jerrys hope to have us review more products from their lineup moving forward and that feeling is mutual.

Pros

High quality materials used in construction
Excellent price
High protection
Race proven design
Ergonomic curve shape
Surprisingly warm
Decent airflow

Cons

Fuzzy edges on leather and Kevlar
Lacks Hi-Viz or reflective elements
Triple Closure is awkward
New product to North America
Some stitching isn’t straight

Specs

  • Manufacturer: 4 Street Racing
  • Price (When Tested): $190
  • Made In: Pakistan
  • Alternative models & colors: Three color schemes
  • Sizes: Small to XXL
  • Review Date: November 30, 2018

4SR 96 Stingray Gloves Image Gallery

The post 4SR 96 Stingray Racing Gloves Hands-On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Street Glove Reviews Web Bike World

Review: Velomacchi Speedway Gloves

They say that the first impression is the most important, so it’s best to make it count. On that basis, first impressions of the Velomacchi Speedway gloves – Velomacchi’s first foray into mass-produced digit defenders – are very positive. The 60s style jumps out at you and captures your attention almost immediately. These gloves will send you back a few decades and have you looking all the better for it.

But the Speedways are not without faults, and it’s those faults that keep these gloves from being truly exceptional. Problems with QC mean the gloves look excellent but lack polish; when examined up-close, both gloves have several areas where this lack of polish is visible. While minor, those of us that value fit and finish may struggle with a $150 pair of gloves with uneven trim and fraying threads.

These imperfections resulted in a lower score for the purposes of this review. On my hands and on the road, the Speedways are among the most comfortable gloves I’ve worn (even if they fit a bit bigger than the typical large).

Disclosure: Velomacchi provided these gloves at no-charge for the purposes of this review.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Features

  • Made with deerskin and goatskin leather
  • Conductive finger and thumb tips
  • High-impact for finger protection and goggle wipe
  • Brass rivets on the hypothenar impact zone
  • Adjustable velcro wrist strap

Style

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

The Speedway’s are unconventional, even if you ignore the 60s theme. These gauntlet-style gloves feature external TPR rubber finger guards that are a marked visual differentiator compared to most gloves, and the palms provide extra protection via a leather palm pad that has brass rivets intermixed for extra abrasion resistance.

These safety elements become a foundational component of the overall style of the gloves. Even if you can ignore the brass rivets on the palm, there’s no way you can ignore the rubber finger guards- they’re unlike anything I’ve ever seen on a motorcycle glove. They extrude about 1/4″ from the top of the glove and are quite noticeable.

You can get the Speedway in tan/black, as I have here, or black on black. The black on black versions are a bit more incognito – the finger guards and palm pad blend in a bit better – but a bit more incognito doesn’t mean the same thing as actually being incognito. These gloves are attention-getting, and I personally think that’s a good thing.

A Funky & Good Looking Motorcycle Gove!

Branding is big and bold but contained to the side of the glove; the color scheme feels retro and elegant in comparison to many race or touring-inspired gloves.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

Textures and materials are relatively consistent, helping the glove feel a bit more universal than gloves that showcase flashy graphics, color, and emphasized armor.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

If you ignore the squeegee-esque rubber finger protectors (which, for the record, can indeed be used as squeegees- I tried) and the palm pad full of brass rivets, the Speedway’s pass for… okay, never mind. They’re definitely motorcycle gloves, but without all the usual flashy branding and colors.

These gloves have a distinct style that I find attractive, rubber finger guards and all. 

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Build Quality

Unfortunately, once you get up close to the Speedways, deficiencies in their build start to become noticeable. A frayed thread here, an off-angle cut there… none of these areas are critical – the structural integrity of the glove does not appear to be compromised in any way – but they are visible. The photos used in this review, for example, are from the day I received the gloves and before I had ever worn them on the road. To see frays and uneven cuts in a $150 pair of gloves is disappointing, even if the impacts are only cosmetic.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

The QC issues exist on both gloves, but in different areas. This can partly be explained by how they’re made (by hand) but also speaks to what I feel is a misaligned price-point: these gloves should be $200 or $250 gloves, with excellent QC, vs. $150 gloves with mediocre QC.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

These gaps in build quality, however frequent, are minor and, honestly, forgettable once I’m riding. The comfort of the glove and the dexterity they offer overshadow the gaps in build quality.

The feeling I’m given with these gloves is they had materials they wanted to use – deerskin and goatskin leather – and a price point they wanted to hit – $150 – and the gloves were reverse engineered to achieve those two factors. I’d have rather a bit more energy gone into quality control and the price raised a bit so that frays and strays weren’t visible as opposed to cutting corners to reach a lower price point.

Comfort

These are, by far, the most comfortable feeling motorcycle gloves I’ve ever worn. The deerskin interior is plush and downright pleasing to the touch. They feel soft and comforting, like I’m shaking hands with an old and very dear friend. That’s how I felt after the first time I put them on, and they’ve only gotten more comfortable since.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

The gloves are warm and mostly unvented, save for a few holes on the sides of each finger. I’ve been wearing them in lukewarm weather for the most part, with temperatures averaging between 60 and 70 degrees. My hands have never felt cold and remain pretty comfortable overall.

Warm weather riding doesn’t result in buckets of perspiration, but if you live somewhere hot, gauntlet-style leather gloves are likely a recipe for sweat. The Speedway isn’t a hot glove in that it isn’t filled with insulation or padding, but the all-leather construction and minimal venting means that they can heat up inside.

Fit

Make sure you review the size chart and confirm before ordering. These gloves are the biggest large I’ve worn. I also have Fieldsheer Countour and REAX Tasker gloves on my bench right now, both size L, and the Speedways fit much larger than both. My fingers never feel like they reach the tip of the glove, and this results in a bit of loose material at the fingertips. This is most noticeable in the index finger, where I find I have to “pull” the glove back with my other hand if I want to use a smartphone.

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

Operating the motorcycle controls, and helmet audio controls, is fine. In fact, the Speedways communicate a good amount of feedback through the leather. But when operating sensitive devices, such as a smartphone, the index finger is all but useless for me unless I use the other hand to pull the glove taught.

Using the velcro wrist strap, you can adjust how the glove fits around your wrist. Unless, like me, you happen to have skinny wrists- then you’re limited in how tight you can get it, as you’ll run out of velcro quickly. I have 6.75″ wrists and find that I’m using the last 1/8″ of velcro to secure the strap.

The thing is that my hands fit into a large according to the Velomacchi’s size chart- my palm is 22.5cm wide and my finger is 11cm long. I bet I could have gotten a medium and found them to fit just fine. I recommend trying them on in person or shopping from a vendor that allows for no-hassle size exchanges.

Good Looking & Affordable, but With Some Corners Disappointingly Cut

Velomacchi Speedway Leather Gauntlet Gloves

The Speedway gloves are an interesting pair to review. On one hand, they’re the only glove I’ve ever worn where I got excited after opening the package. Between the two-tone leather, riveted palm pad, and awesome-but-also-weird rubber finger guards, the Speedway’s are definitely unique and worth getting excited over.

But, on the other hand, I expect better quality out of a $150 pair of gloves. Multiple loose threads, frayed ends, off-angle cuts, and other small gaps in their build quality are minor, individually, but frequent enough that it cheapens the overall experience.

Velomacchi offers a lifetime warranty on their products. I have not contacted them regarding the QC problems on these gloves, but I’d be inclined to had I purchased them.

Still, despite their flaws, these are also the gloves that I’ve enjoyed wearing the most this riding season. They’re comfortable – increasingly so as I wear them – and just so darn neat looking. They’re as much a conversation piece as they are a piece of safety gear… a description that is rarely applied to motorcycle gloves. The 3.5 star rating reflects that, as much as I enjoy wearing them, there are a few areas that could stand to be improved. If these gloves were to come without the visual defects that they have, they’d be a solid 4.5 star glove as far as I’m concerned.

Pros

  • Very comfortable
  • Good looks and unique style
  • Great dexterity thanks to exterior-mounted armor
  • Built-in squeegee

Cons

  • Small QC problems
  • Conductive fingertips are clunky
  • Fits large

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Velomacchi
  • Price When Tested: $149
  • Made In: Designed in USA / Made in Vietnam
  • Alternative Colors: Black on Black
  • Sizes: XS – XXL
  • Review Date: November 2018

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Photo Gallery

The post Review: Velomacchi Speedway Gloves appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review reviews Waterproof Glove Reviews Web Bike World

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves Hands-On Review

Introduction

For those of you who follow my articles, you may remember my review on the Ninja 1000 abs that I wrote last month.

I found myself reviewing a 2018 Ninja 1000 abs as well as an X Moto 2 jacket and pants. It was raining and right around freezing when I did this review. The jacket and pants worked excellently and I was not cold or wet – however, the leather riding gloves I was wearing were awful. After less than an hour on the bike, my left index finger started to feel weird. I stopped and checked my hand and my finger was actually starting to turn blue.

I decided to get a new pair of gloves. I decided to purchase a pair of ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves. Here is my impression of these gloves after testing at home as well as on the road on my 2018 Aprilia Shiver 900. Keep an eye out for the upcoming review at Web Bike World.

ICON was founded in 2002 in Portland Oregon. They list their core mission as protecting riders whenever and however they can.

Please note: I purchased these gloves and they were not provided for review.

First Impressions

I received my parcel containing the ICON Patrol Gloves and was quite eager to open it. At first glance, I immediately noticed how well constructed these gloves are. They are also very stylish. I loved the mix of waterproof textile along with the leather palm. The small reflective strip on the glove looks very smart and serves a purpose during low light riding.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves closeup of wrist and gauntlet design

Construction

The ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves are constructed of very good quality materials from the premium goatskin palms to the waterproof textile, These gloves are very high quality. Small features have been incorporated into the gloves to increase the comfort and performance.

For example, these gloves come with injected thermoplastic knuckles for hand protection, a shield wipe on the left index finger as well as a pre-curved palm and finger design to reduce hand fatigue as well as blisters.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves injected thermoplastic knuckles

One of the main reasons I purchased these gloves was the fact that my trusty leather gloves I normally wear left me with a touch of frostbite from riding in the rain at cold temperature. I wanted to make sure that the gloves were indeed waterproof.

I donned the gloves and headed to the sink. I ran the cold water and put my hands under the tap for a good 4 minutes. The water did not permeate the glove and I was very satisfied with the waterproofing claim that these gloves provided.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves are really waterproof

Protection

The ICON Patrol provides amazing protection against the elements. They are a level 3 waterproof glove which means that they feature a Hipora ® waterproof liner, taped seams and a cinch at the wrist.

In addition to protection in inclement weather, the Patrol gloves offer excellent hand protection. A co-molded knuckle offers protection to the back of the hand as well as leather fingertips will provide protection against abrasion in the event of a fall.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves leather fingertips

Finally, the gloves being gauntlet offers protection against the wind and the rain. As far as protection against the weather, the ICON Patrol gloves are constructed of superior heat retaining materials to keep the wearer comfortable in colder weather.

Sizing, Fit, & Retention

The ICON Patrol Glove fits small. I usually wear a medium glove, but with the Patrol, I was glad I ordered a large as a medium would have been a bit snug on my hand. I followed ICON’s sizing chart that prompted me to measure the width of my hand. I was surprised to see that the chart recommended a large glove but I was happy I did when I received the parcel.

All sizing aside, the gloves fit well… like a glove. I am quite happy at the fitment. The gloves have a natural curve in the palm and fingers. This is a nice feature as it already has the broken-in feel. The gloves feature a strap around the wrist as well as velcro straps to cinch up the cuff.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves wrist velcro strap

Once the glove is adjusted, the retention factor is excellent. It feels great on the hand and does not become a hindrance to tactile responsiveness.

My only complaint on the fit is that they feel a bit bulky. This may be because It is the first pair of gauntlet gloves I have ever purchased and I may need to adapt from a short glove to a glove that is designed to go over my riding jacket.

Road Testing

I wore the ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves on a cold day. It was 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) but I did not care, I needed to get out for a ride. It was early in the fall for a snowstorm, but nonetheless, Mother nature had her mindset and we got 18 inches of snow.

I was sure that my riding season was done. A week went by and the snow that was still very present on the front lawn of my house and the roof of my shed was nowhere to be found on the streets of Calgary… as mentioned earlier, I just purchased my 2018 Aprilia Shiver 900 and I wanted to go out for a rip… I got geared up and headed out for a ride.

The gloves were great. I did not feel like I was wearing a new pair of gloves. Although they were new, they felt like they were broken in from the factory. The gloves were very warm, even in this cold weather. I installed a set of aftermarket heated grips on my bike and I did not turn them on once during my ride.

I met up with fellow writers and riders Jim Pruner and Jennifer Angelina for a meeting and then off I went. I rode for a better part of the afternoon. I tried out the gloves in the city and on the highway. They performed very well. My hands did not get cold and did not get fatigued. I was able to use the controls on the bike without any issues and the grip from the goatskin in the palm of the glove really gave me the feeling of being in control.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves goatskin palm

A few days before finishing this article, the weather in Calgary changed again and it warmed up considerably. I rode into work at my regular job on Monday morning. It was 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit) in the morning and it went up to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) in the afternoon for my commute home.

The gloves still felt comfortable; however, they were a bit warm. My commute is about 30 minutes, I rode a bit more because it was a very nice afternoon, so about 50 minutes on the bike from my work to my home. At the end of the ride, my hands were quite warm and were just starting to sweat.

Conclusion

I have very few negative things to say about these gloves.

They are very well constructed, very well priced, and they are made of good quality materials.

The ICON Patrol features construction choices that make it a worthy pair of gloves. The co-molded knuckles, the goatskin palm with added grip are a start. It also includes the shield wipe on the left index finger as well as the pre-curved design. All this comes with a 1-year warranty.

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves palm side up full view

The gloves look amazing. I love the aggressive styling and the use of different materials in the manufacturing process. They are available in multiple sizes from small to XXXL.

In colder weather, these gloves are amazing. They are designed to keep your hands warm and they do so very well. In warmer weather, they are a bit warm. I would not wear these gloves in the heat of summer. I believe that this would not be very comfortable.

The fitment of the gloves is good; however, make sure that you check the ICON website and check out the size chart before ordering. They fit a bit small, so be cognizant of that. I recommend these gloves. They are good solid gloves and you do get a lot for you money.

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Stylish
  • Waterproof
  • Well Constructed
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Bulky
  • Cold climate use only

Specifications

  • Manufacturer: ICON
  • List Price (2018): US $75.00
  • Colors: Black
  • Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL
  • Review Date: October 2018

ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves Image Gallery

The post ICON Patrol Waterproof Gloves Hands-On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Dainese D1 Druid Druid Long Gloves Gear Reviews Hands On Review Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Web Bike World

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves Hands-On Review

Introduction

Riding gloves are for more than just protection. Gloves are the interface point between one’s hands and the majority of controls on a motorcycle. The front brake, the throttle, the clutch, and of course steering input are all transmitted from the hands to these various controls with gloves sitting in between them.

Good quality riding gloves have to provide protection from impacts and abrasion while still offering good feel and flexibility, something that isn’t always easy. That’s why when I was presented with the opportunity to review a pair of Dainese riding gloves I lept at the chance.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves full view both gloves

I’ve owned and reviewed some Dainese gear over the past few years and I’ve always been impressed with the quality of their products. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise as Dainese is considered by many to be one of the leading manufacturers of quality motorcycle gear.

Despite this fact, many people don’t realize where Dainese came from and what else they make in addition to motorcycle specific gear. Let’s take a minute to look at this.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy These Gloves on Amazon

Who is Dainese

Dainese started out life in 1972 when 24-year-old motorcycle enthusiast Lino Dainese took on the task of improving safety and ergonomics in sports where safety gear was required.

Lino’s vision became reality in 1974 where he unveiled his products at the company’s Milan showroom. Here the world got a first look at the potential Dainese possessed in combining style and performance. No longer would black be the only color associated with protective motorcycle gear.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves closeup right hand, knuckle armor

That 1974 reveal kicked off decades of innovations including the back protector first worn on a track by Barry Sheehan (1978) and the knee slider created for Kenny Roberts in 1980. The story continues with the creation of the aerodynamic speed hump, gloves with rigid inserts, and most recently the creation of the SkinSuit for use on the International Space Station.

You can read up on the entire history over at their website but the point is that riding gear coming from Dainese has pedigree. Needless to say, I had high expectations for the gloves I received from Revzilla for review. Let’s take a look at how reality compared to expectation.

The Dainese Druid D1 Long Gloves

The Druid D1 Long gloves represent the “upper middle” ground in the current range of leather gauntlet sport gloves from Dainese. The Druid’s slot in under the Race Pro In and Full Metal 6 racing gloves (the Four Stroke Long is on the way out of the lineup). The former is designed with a smaller cuff to go inside a jacket/suit sleeve, hence the “In” part of the name.

The Druid D1 Long gloves are designed for protection and safety suitable for spirited street riding as well as track days but with some consideration of comfort for longer rides. Seeing as they replace the Druid ST gloves, this makes sense, but we’ll see how well they do in this area a bit later on. First, let’s take a look at the highlights.

The Druid D1 Long gloves are surprisingly complex on paper (pixel?). The shell of the glove is all leather which includes goat, sheep, and a synthetic “micro sheep” leathers as well as some Amica suede reinforcement.

(I’m assuming that “micro sheep” refers to a synthetic microfiber type leather rather than being made from very tiny sheep).

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves open grip side view

There are many protective hard parts including carbon fiber and TPU materials adding up to ten separate pieces scattered around the glove shell. Throw in four separate accordion style stretch panels and you have quite a lot of action happening on the Druid gloves.

Considering the materials and construction details going into production of this gloves, the $229.00 MSRP seems perfectly reasonable and maybe even a bit of a bargain.

The Druid D1 Long gloves are available in a wide range of sizes from XS to 3XL which should cover most riders. These sizes are all in men’s but there is a similar glove in a women’s version called the Carbon D1 available in long and short configurations.

The Druid’s are available in four colors including black, black/red, black/hi-viz yellow, and black/red/white which is the colorway we have for these review gloves. I chose the black/white/red specifically as I appreciate any extra visibility I can get in my riding gear. Plus, I felt this is the best-looking color scheme of the available options, but that’s entirely subjective.

Now let’s dig into the details.

Construction

I mentioned earlier there are a lot of components that go into these gloves so I’ll do my best to break it down into “bite-size” chunks. The shell is all leather including sheep and goat with the palm making use of the goat leather for the best feel vs. strength ratio. I can’t swear to it but I believe the “micro sheep” material is used over the soft padded areas such as the those appearing on the thumb.

Amica suede is used to reinforce the area between the thumb and the first joint of the forefinger. I’m not sure why an extra layer of goat leather wouldn’t have been a better choice here but it is there nonetheless.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves palm flex view

Adjacent to the Amica suede is what is often referred to as the “Rossi” or “Dainese Tickler”. This refers to a textured bit of TPU that rests over the base of the middle and ring fingers at the top of the palm. It’s designed to provide a little extra grip on the throttle when one has their fingers covering or even engaging the brake while still holding the throttle in position.

The wrist strap, which runs under the wrist, appears to be made from the “micro sheep” leather and is .75 inches (19mm) wide. This loops back over itself and connects with hook and loop fastener.

The Gauntlet is large enough to accommodate most jackets at 11.5 inches (292mm) opening circumference and the closure is a single leather flap with some extra padding on top. I appreciate this simpler approach to gauntlet closure, especially compared to other multi-flap designs. It is less bulky and faster to work with.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves interior cuff/wrist view

Moving to the back of the wrist and hand we have a large bit of foam padding under leather on the gauntlet. In this colorway, this area is white and has the Dainese logo on it. As we move up toward the back of the hand there is a section of elasticated leather to help provide a secure fit around the wrist.

More elastic is found just ahead of this location which is part of a larger accordion stretch panel that covers a large portion of the thumb as it wraps around and underneath. Jumping to the knuckles we have smaller stretch panels at the fore, middle, and ring fingers for flexibility’s sake.

Backing up for a moment, there are two carbon fiber protectors on the back of the hand. One in the traditional spot over the knuckles which is of the floating variety and then a separate protector over the back of the hand. That’s some serious hard parts and it doesn’t end there.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves closeup of Dainese logo on back of hand

The fore and middle fingers each have a hard protector on top of an extra layer of leather and the ring finger gets two of these. The little finger gets a lot of love with a total of four small protectors running down the outside facing side of the finger as part of Dainese’s Distortion Control Protection (DCP). So with all those protectors you’d think that was plenty, but wait, there’s more!

Over the pisiform/lunate bones of the hand is another TPU protector. This one curves around from the top to the underside near the base of the thumb. So with ten protectors in these varied places, construction has to be complex.

The good news is that despite the complexity, the construction is very clean and the quality is outstanding. There isn’t a misplaced stitch or pulled thread to be found. The cut and quality of the leather is exactly the high quality I would expect from Dainese. Likewise, the styling and color is just fantastic. Looks aren’t everything, though, so let’s have a look at the protective features in more detail.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy These Gloves on Amazon

Protective Features

As I described above, the Druid D1 Long gloves offer a lot of protection and they are CE certified as Level 1 protective gear. Specifically, EN 13594/2010 STANDARD CAT. II Level 1 is the certification for those interested. It’s important to keep in mind that certifications aren’t everything as we’ll see in a minute. First though, let’s run down the good stuff.

The gloves are leather from gauntlet to fingertips which is a good start to any protective glove. The back portion of the gauntlet has a large area that is padded with .25” (6.35mm) foam padding that covers around one half to two thirds the circumference of the wrist depending on how far the gauntlet is cinched.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves closeup of wrist cuff

There is a very large area of hook and loop fastener keeping the gauntlet closed so it should be able to take a lot of abuse before being pulled open. The wrist strap also appears to be rather robust and has a leather flap covering a portion of it to help it resist being pulled open during a slide.

Moving up the outside facing edge of the hand we have a TPU pisiform protector made from a smooth and flexible plastic. This should allow that portion of the hand to slide over a road/track surface rather than catch and grip it. This can reduce the chance of breaking the wrist in the event of a fall.

Several smaller TPU pieces are present along the edge of the little finger which, like the pisiform protector, allow the outside facing edge of the little finger to slide on a road surface rather than catch and potentially cause over extension of the finger. This is what Dainese’s Distortion Control Protection (DCP) is all about and one can see this labeled on the larger of the little finger protectors.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves closeup of finger padding/armor

The tops of the remaining fingers are covered with an additional layer of leather and some TPU bits are also in place with foam backing that is topped with a layer of leather. These make for smallish, but substantial impact and abrasion protection in this area.

Over the knuckles is a very stiff carbon fiber protector with the Dainese logo emblazoned upon it while the back of the hand gets its own trapezoid shaped carbon fiber protector. Both protectors appear to be true carbon fiber, unlike some protectors that are just a pattern under some epoxy or other clear resin.

Did I mention that these protectors are stiff? These carbon fiber bits have little flex and feel very substantial. Fortunately, they are backed with foam so they don’t cause discomfort underneath them. The knuckle protector is of a floating design but the “float” is pretty small. Making a fist while wearing the gloves moves the protector just a little.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves closeup of finger knuckle material

This has all been good news so far but the thumb area is another matter. For impact protection, there are two padded leather bits on top. For the scaphoid, we essentially get nothing. In fact, the single layer of leather at the heel of the hand/base of the thumb feels like the thinnest area on the entire glove. It is soft and is a nice quality leather, but I find the lack of protection in this area to be a huge miss on Dainese’s part.

So overall the protection is very impressive, or rather it would be, if not for the lack of scaphoid protection. I would rather have lost some protection in other areas to have this spot protected.

Fit and Comfort

As expected, this portion of the review is going to be very subjective. I want to make this clear before moving forward as I found the Druid D1 Long gloves to be a mixed bag in both the fit and comfort areas. I’ll explain.

The Druid D1 Long gloves have a decidedly American fit which was not what I was expecting. Most gloves, and frankly most other gear, from European manufacturers tend to run on the slimmer cut side. In many brands such as Knox or Alpinestars, I can wear a medium glove but it will be snug and sometimes I have to go up to a size large as I did with the Klim Induction gloves

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves side view closed fist fit

To make the fit a bit more confusing, Dainese lists the Druid D1 Long gloves as having a “slim” fit. I can’t agree with their opinion here. The size mediums I received are a little bit big. Not too much to necessitate a smaller size but the fingers run a little long and I have long fingers already. The thumb has plenty of extra material on it for me to the point where it bunches up a bit when wrapping one’s hand around a grip.

Bunching up also occurs between the elasticized area around the wrist and the carbon fiber protector at the back of the hand. The accordion stretch panel in this location seems redundant and creates extra bulk where it isn’t needed.

The same can be said about the small stretch panels at the top/base of the index, middle, and ring fingers. These panels aren’t really stretching as much as they are serving to push one’s fingers into the curved position. This might seem like a good idea but when riding on the street it makes it tiring when one covers the brake lever. I can see how on the track this might not be an issue.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves palm view material

I want to point out again that fit and comfort is a very subjective thing. That being said, I found these to be a strange fitting glove and as a result, not that comfortable to wear. I had the opportunity to hand the gloves to my friend and fellow wBW reviewer, Kevin Anderson to get his input.

Kevin typically wears a size large glove but he’s only about a half size larger than me when it comes to gloves. The Druid D1 long gloves fit a little better on him with his thicker fingers and overall larger hands but he still felt the fit was “odd”. He also found the same bunching up issues I ran into.

Another thing we both noticed was that the floating design of the knuckle protector was more restrictive than similar designs on other gloves. Making a fist does get the protector to move, but it is a very stiff movement. This would likely improve over time as the gloves break in more but we both noticed it so there it is.

Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves side view closeup

I’ve been running down the negatives here but I should point out that despite the above shortcomings, the Druid D1 Long gloves offer some of the best “feel” at the controls. The top of the hand and fingers on the interior has a soft and thin nylon ( or polyester) lining but the lower areas are unlined and offer direct contact to the leather that is touching the grips and levers. This would be of great benefit to the track rider where overall feel and protection might be more important than long-term comfort.

As far as seasonal / temperature range Dainese sends some mixed signals here by calling them out as suited for “Summer” temperatures and at the same time specifying that they are “Wind Blocker”’s. The latter specification is the most accurate as the small perforations on the side of the fingers don’t vent very well and I found the gloves to feel hotter than my other full gauntlet gloves (Roadgear Cheetah’s) that are not specific summer weight gloves.

Conclusion

The Druid D1 Long gloves started off very strong in my initial evaluation. When I first received them I noted the high quality of the materials and the exemplary way those materials are put together. This gave me high hopes that I had found my next every day full gauntlet glove.

Unfortunately the odd fit and associated lesser comfort, due to said fit, has me placing these gloves on the shelf now that the review is complete. I have no doubt that there are plenty of hands out there for which these gloves will be better suited but I’m not one of them (nor was Kevin).

The protection offered by these gloves is excellent where the protection exists. The omission of scaphoid protection is, in my opinion, a big miss here. The previous version, the Druid ST, at least provided some padding in this space. Why that was removed with this iteration is a mystery to me.

Despite my concerns, there is no getting around the fact that these are beautifully constructed and they live up to the quality standard I expect from Dainese.

If one has the right shaped/sized hands for the Druid D1 Long gloves, they offer a good balance of protection and comfort for spirited street and/or track use for the price. Adding some scaphoid protection would make them a much better glove in my opinion even if it added $20.00 to $30.00 (USD) to the cost.

Pros

  • High-quality construction
  • Very protective design
  • Attractive colorways (including Hi-Viz)
  • Good price for the quality of construction and materials

Cons

  • Sizing runs large
  • Overall fitment is “odd”
  • Lacks scaphoid protection / slider

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Dainese
  • Price (When Tested): $229.95 (USD)
  • Made In: Vietnam
  • Alternative models & colors: Black, Black/Red, Black/Hi-Viz Yellow, Black/Red/White
  • Sizes: XS – XXXL
  • Review Date: September 2018

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Gloves on RevZilla

Amazon

Free shipping (with Amazon Prime)
30-day return policy
Excellent selection
Competitive pricing

Buy These Gloves  on Amazon

Dainese Druid D1 Long Image Gallery

The post Dainese D1 Druid Long Gloves Hands-On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Waterproof Glove Waterproof Glove Reviews Web Bike World

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Hands-On Review

Introduction

The REAX Ridge waterproof gauntlet glove is part of the new, recently launched Comoto family of riding gear, that includes jackets, pants, and gloves. I recently reviewed the companion jacket to these gloves, by the same name – Ridge. You can read about that, and see what I learned about what goes into their creation.

Styling of the Ridge glove is very conservative, with a color palette that is the same as the Model T’s once was – you can have any color you want, so long as it is black. Truth be told, even if I had a choice, this would be it. A black glove, even once well worn, or even quite dirty, still looks good!

Badging of the gloves is subdued, with a small “REAX” logo sewn into the arm closure, and a heat embossed logo in the panel above it, both done in black. The index fingers have a printed “REAX” logo on them, in gray, with matching small stripes on the middle and ring fingers. These three fingers also have small reflective stretch panels sewn in above the knuckles – more on those later.

The Ridge is a gauntlet style glove, that is said to be waterproof, by way of a bonded interior layer of a material called “McFit”. No, really, “McFit”. Go ahead and settle the “Fries with that?” question that readily comes to mind.

This material is very similar in feel to genuine Gore Tex, but presumably is costing less to manufacture. Provided it works as well, I’m pretty OK with this, as it would be helping hold the line on the cost of buying the gloves. I’ll be putting that waterproof claim to the test below.

The balance of the glove is a mixture of materials, chosen I believe for both comfort and durability. Let’s get a better look at how they are built.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Boots on RevZilla

Construction

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Left Glove View

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Right Glove View

As mentioned above, the materials chosen for construction of these gloves is a mixture, and it is a good mix. These were obviously designed by folks who actually ride, and it shows.

The primary material the gloves are built from is cowhide leather, 0.8 – 0.9 mm, thick enough to be protective, without being too stiff. All seams in the gloves are double stitched, and the stitching in them is even throughout.

The fingers are precurved, and the finger leather panels are cut to avoid having seams between them. The leather on the top of the glove has a finer grain than what is on the bottom of the fingers and palm – possibly to make it more durable, possibly for appearance.

The leather is a natural finish that does not have a glossy appearance layer. That will preserve their appearance over time, with nothing to crack or peel.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Interior View

The glove features two leather closures that are well thought out on a couple of fronts. Both use hook and loop material for fastening.

First is a strong wrist strap, an important safety feature. No glove can protect your hands if it is able to fly off in an emergency, and I would not wear street gloves that don’t have this feature.

Behind that is the arm strap, that both closes small enough to stay only on your arm, or large enough to easily fit over a jacket sleeve. It also has a foam pad sewn in on the outside of the wrist, helping to protect your wrist from impact injury.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Palm and Wrist closeup

Moving down toward the wrist area, the glove features a spandex panel that is well placed above the wrist, for freedom of movement. One band of leather reinforcement is found here, above the knuckle panel.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Knuckle Closeup

The top of the knuckle has what I believe is a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) plastic panel sewn in. Although it can be flexed, it is very stiff. Fortunately, it has thin foam pad sewn inside the glove to make it comfortable against your hand.

I was not able to verify that is what it is made of, and it is not removable.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Palm & Finger material closeup

Moving over to the palm, the safety built into these gloves, along with riding utility, really shines. From the bottom ¾ of the thumb, extending and inch (2.5 cm) into the index finger, and across the palm below the knuckles to the pinky finger is a layer of goatskin leather, sewn in with red threading.

For this high wear point on the gloves, this is a good choice. Abrasion resistance is also better with the goatskin.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Worn on Model

The outside of the thumb, along with the inside of the index finger, are covered in a layer of what feels like suede leather, useful for wiping a visor.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Lower Palm and Wrist Closeup

Saving the best for last, is the outer part of the palm. An additional layer of leather is sewn on, starting at the top outside of the pinky finger, and down into the palm beside the thumb. Into this panel is a sewn in, foam backed, Superfabric panel. This material is said to be pretty amazing stuff, in its ability to resist abrasion and tearing. Tiny laser welded ceramic plates go into it, and it still remains flexible.

The McFit interior lining is also well thought out, in that it is bonded to the glove, versus being sewn in. This prevents it from moving when taking the gloves off, or putting them on.

Both the index finger and thumb are made to be touch screen capable. Although they are in fact, I did not find this feature to be very useful. Unless I was using a rather large screen, such as a tablet, the dexterity needed escaped me. With a handlebar GPS or cell phone, I’m pulling them off.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Boots on RevZilla

Comfort / Sizing

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Worn on Model with Fingers Fully Extended

With no seams in the interior of the gloves, and padding placed where it needs to be, the Ridge is quite comfortable to wear.

Ventilation in these gloves is precisely none. I’m sure this was done in the interest of maintaining their waterproofing. The gloves also do not have any insulation.

With no ventilation to deal with summer heat, or insulation to deal with winter cold, the Ridge is really a two season glove. If your bike is equipped with heated grips, you might likely be able to comfortably extend their use into the colder months.

Unfortunately this is not something I was able to test, as I am doing it in the summer. I can say the lack of ventilation is quite noticeable now. They get pretty hot, pretty quickly.

Sizing in them in said to be American, and I found them to be true to size. My hands, measured below the knuckles and around, is 9.5 inches (24.13 cm). Using the Cycle Gear size chart, that puts me at the top of the Large glove range. Although a little snug at first, they broke in nicely.

Also of note here is that although the fingers are longer than some European sized gloves, they are not really any wider. If your fingers are especially wide, you may want the next size up.

The Ridge is available in sizes Small through 3 XL.

Protection

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves worn on Model with Hand Closed into Fist

I am pretty impressed by the protection these gloves offer. The Ridge is aimed at the sport touring / commuter rider, and makes no pretense at being a race glove.

Outside of the TPU piece over the knuckles, it does not feature armor. Given the mission for this glove, I think more effort went into their construction with regard to abrasion resistance than many similar gloves do.

At city speeds, particularly for commuting, I think this is the most likely way I would be injured in a crash. The goatskin in the palm, combined with the Superfabric panel, will work to keep my hands protected while sliding.

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves closeup of fingertips material

The gloves are said to feature “Subtle Reflective Highlights” in both the small stretch panels sewn in over the finger knuckles, and in a small strip on the outer part of the palm. They are definitely subtle, in that they do not work.

Even in a dark room, concentrating very bright light at them, they simply don’t reflect any real light back. I ran into the same issue with the Ridge jacket, and would offer the same advice with the gloves: know that other motorists will not see this at night.

Waterproofing

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves undergoing a waterproof test in sink

I tested the waterproof claim in the style familiar to readers of Web Bike World reviews over the years – filling a sink, putting them on, and immersing them for about five minutes.

I am pleased to report the Ridge glove is, in fact, waterproof! Although the water did begin leaking through the outer layers of the gloves, none got through to my hands inside the McFit liner. It works.

Conclusion

I like the Ridge glove for several reasons. First, is the safety I believe it offers. The wrist strap, goatskin leather, and Superfabric panel all speak to that.

Although wearing gloves that are really stylish makes you feel good about how they look, for me form takes a backseat to function every time. If the time comes that you need them to protect your hands, I want gloves that are up to the task.

It should be said that the conservative styling of the Ridge might be exactly what you after. There is something to be said for not showing up at the office in Buck Rogers gloves.

It is apparent considerable thought was put into their design with regard to utility and durability as well. Waterproofing that really is, suede for wiping a visor, and solid double stitching used throughout.

Misses are few. The “subtle reflective highlights” in them aren’t. Having no insulation for winter use is a minus, but the lack of ventilation will actually make them better in that regard. For full on summer use, you will likely want something that is ventilated.

The value proposition here is very good, I think. As of the time of this writing, the Ridge sells for $129.00. The quality of the materials used and their construction would cause most to believe they are more expensive than they are.

I rate these gloves at four stars.

Pros

  • Durable materials, built with an eye toward safety
  • Solid construction throughout
  • Waterproof
  • Good value for the money

Cons

  • Two season use glove, no ventilation or insulation
  • Reflectivity is poor
  • Touch screen use difficult

Specs

  • Manufacturer: REAX
  • Price (When Tested): $129.00
  • Made In: Vietnam
  • Alternative models & colors: Black only
  • Sizes: S – 3XL
  • Review Date: August 2018

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy These Boots on RevZilla

REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Image Gallery

The post REAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves Hands-On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Atomic Textile Gloves Gear Reviews Joe Rocket Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Textile Gloves Tuk Test Web Bike World

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves: Tuk Tested!

Tuk Tested

What Does Tuk Tested Mean?

Joe Rocket Canada Alter Ego 13 Pants On Model with Motorcycle

These gloves have been tested more thoroughly than any other piece of gear in WBW history to date (that I’m aware of).

I just returned from a 5600-mile adventure ride while using the Atomic gloves mostly on the way home because the weather turned very hot in that time. Beginning from my home in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada the journey ranged all the way to the northernmost location reachable by road in Canada: Tuktoyaktuk or Tuk for short.

Over the course of that trip, I encountered temperatures ranging from a chilling 30 degrees all the way up to a sweltering 90 degrees Fahrenheit and all the UV radiation accompanying it.

Plenty of rain almost every day for the first week straight, wicked dust on remote gravel roads and literally thousands of insects and flying rocks assaulted me for two and a half weeks almost nonstop.

I only used the Atomic gloves for part of the ride from Dawson City to Tuk due to cold and wet weather, but I wore them almost exclusively on the trip home in very hot temps.

Tuk Tested is an unprecedented higher standard to gauge riding gear worth.

First Impressions

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Finger Armor and Vents

Great looking gloves with adequately nice knuckle and finger armor built in. The mesh vents in the knuckle armor shine and look like they should allow for good cooling of a rider’s hands.

I like the predominantly leather makeup mixed with nylon textile used to build these gloves.

Fitment and Finish

Pulling on the gloves for the first time I immediately like the snug fit of the Medium size on my hands and fingers. There’s no extra material hanging off the ends of my fingers as is often the case with gloves I try on.

My hands measure 8.5 inches around the widest part of the palm which puts me between Medium and Large, but I opted for the Medium as I would rather they fit tight than loose. I have average length fingers.

Available Colors

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves In Hi-Viz Yellow Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves in White Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves in Black

Of course, you want your gloves to match your bike as much as possible. Joe Rocket Canada has made the Atomic gloves available in the white and red ones I have, all black, hi-viz yellow and grey.

Wrist Closure Strap

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Wrist Straps

The strap used to cinch up the two halves of the glove on the wrist area is totally inadequate for my liking. It’s very short and thin, making it not only somewhat hard to grasp with gloved hands, but it doesn’t reach all the way across my wrist. I can’t really get the glove opening to close tightly or completely no matter how I try and this is quite disappointing considering I like everything else about the gloves.

Armor

Molded Plastic covers the entire knuckle area nicely and part of the fingers above the first finger joint. The plastic is solid and about a quarter inch thick, but still malleable to the point I never felt like they were intruding on my hands at any point while wearing them.

Many people have said before that the best gear is often the one you don’t notice while wearing it and these Atomic gloves are totally unnoticeable so long as the weather is warm and dry.

There’s no armor on the scaphoid area or wrist. The mostly leather construction would hold up in a slide well, but really there’s nothing going on to protect a rider’s palm area otherwise in a crash.

Bugs and Rocks

The plastic armor did its job many times over as large beetles, wasps and the occasional stone bounced off them while I was testing the gloves.

Venting and Breathability

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Detail Closeup

As soon as I got out on the road with these gloves I felt cool air coming in the vents in the knuckle armor. That is a lovely feature in these gloves without a doubt. My hands were never sweaty wearing the Atomic gloves even when temps hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the other end of the spectrum I found the gloves were reasonably warm even down into the high 50s at highways speed, but anything below that I found myself turning on my heated grips and reaching quickly for my Rukka Virium insulated gloves instead.

Comfort On Long Rides

Using these gloves for over 2000 miles told me a lot about them. A huge must have in a motorcycle glove for me is well-tailored seams in the palm of the glove, especially around my thumb area. The reason being that thick seams tend to cut off the circulation to my thumb and cause it to go totally numb. This is most noticeable on my throttle hand which has to grip more than my left of course.

The Atomic gloves are a bit funny this way. There were days when I didn’t notice any circulation issues at all, but then there were others when it really caused me pain, too. I was never too sure which glove experience it would be on any given day, but most often The Atomic gloves didn’t produce the much-hated numbness in my right hand, thumb thankfully.

Rain

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Palms Up Detail

These gloves aren’t waterproof in any sense of the word being mostly made of leather. I wondered whether the cowhide palm would stain my hands black once I got them wet, but they didn’t bleed ink or discolor my hands in any way even when I got caught in the rain wearing them once.

Thin and Light

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Knuckle Up Detail

The Atomic gloves are thin and very lightweight, making them easy to keep handy for quick glove swaps to suit the ever-changing weather I experienced during my 3-week ride to Tuk. I found a great place to store them in the rear pocket of my Joe Rocket Canada Ballistic 14 jacket. That pocket would keep them dry if it rained while also easy to pull out once the sun came out in full force.

Don’t Lose Them!

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Inner Wrist Closeup

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Button Snap

There’s a snap on the middle of the wrist area of the gloves that work well for keeping the gloves together. You can also just use the velcro strips, but I found the snap more reliable.

Final Verdict?

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Knuckle Up Detail

There really isn’t much else to say about the Atomic gloves. They’re simple, straightforward motorcycle gloves that do a good job of protecting and cooling the rider’s hands in warm weather.

I find the $80 price tag just a little hard to swallow in some ways. I would be a lot happier paying around $50 for what they are, to be honest, but $80 Canadian dollars really isn’t terrible relative to some other gloves on the market.

It’s a shame they aren’t available in the US, but there is a very similar glove for all my southern neighbors to enjoy called the Joe Rocket Cyntek glove.

Pros

  • Molded Plastic knuckle and finger armor
  • Excellent breathability and ventilation
  • Lightweight
  • Fit snug around fingertips to allow good dexterity and feel
  • Can be connected together using snap-on wrist area or velcro
  • Priced at $79.99 Canadian dollars

Cons

  • Velcro strap doesn’t clamp tightly enough
  • Not waterproof
  • Leather seam around thumb is thick and can restrict circulation

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Joe Rocket Canada
  • Where to Buy: Joe Rocket Canada
  • Price (When Tested): $79.99 Canadian dollars
  • Made In: China
  • Alternative models & colors: Black, Grey, and Hi-Viz Yellow
  • Sizes: S to 3XL
  • Review Date: June 25, 2018

Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves Image Gallery

The post Joe Rocket Canada Atomic Textile Gloves: Tuk Tested! appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Rukka rukka gloves Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Web Bike World

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Hands On Review

Worth The Money?

Rukka’s Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit gloves are premium quality, adjustable, lightweight and appear to be built to last. They have a very effective layer of waterproof Gore-Tex meshed with nylon textile, polyester, suede and elastic materials sewn together with double stitching where it counts.

Armor built into the suede fingertips, knuckle and scaphoid/palm area. Special material on the thumbs and index fingers enable the use of your smartphone.

The rubber wiper on the left index finger works well for clearing water off your visor and overall the gloves allow for decent hand dexterity and comfort.

Are these near perfect, all-around adaptable gloves worth $179?

The short answer is a resounding YES!

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Gloves on RevZilla

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Full Top View Left Glove

Fit Testing and Break In

Fitment

When I first pulled the Virium gloves on they felt snug and stiff, (typical of any new piece of gear) but not too stiff to use the bike controls comfortably. As expected they fit great right from go and even better after break-in.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Undone Velcro Strap

The two velcro straps on each glove make putting them on or taking them off quick and easy, as well as adjustments on the fly. They remind me of baseball batting gloves.

My fingers all reached to the end in each digit sheath except for the thumb and index finger where I came up about a quarter inch short in the thumb and ⅛” short in the index finger. Annoying, but nothing new for me since I have short, fat fingers.

My hand measures about 8.5” around the widest part which puts me right at the front of the size 10 Virium range.

They better be good for the price they are! Yes, there are more expensive gloves in Rukka’s lineup, but these are no slouch at $179.

Fair warning: when I review something this expensive I’m extra fussy about any small issues, so be prepared for that as you read on.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Side View Left Glove

Dexterity Check

The material shell is thin enough for jobs like pulling a credit card out of my wallet when paying for gas or pushing buttons accurately on the bike’s handlebars, but I can easily tell there is more than just one layer of material between my hands and the outside world. There’s little sensation or feedback coming through the fingers or palm needed to tackle tasks requiring really fine motor skills.

I couldn’t successfully do up the D ring chin strap on my helmet, but I could manage the ratcheting one on a different helmet of mine. This is a tell-tale test of a glove for me, and thin as the Virium shell is, I didn’t find quite enough feel to work with the D ring.

Bunching Up

Nothing will make me throw away a pair of riding gloves faster than having the seams in the palm area bunch up around my thumb when I grip the throttle. That bump of material cuts off circulation to my thumb and causes it to go completely numb in short order.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Interior Closeup

The other thing I hate is when you pull your hands out and the liner comes with it.

The Virium passed these tests without any problem. I didn’t feel any lining or padding piling up around my thumb or fingers and everything stayed put. It’s very well made with the seams carefully cut and sewn tightly and accurately together. Bravo!

Road Testing

Orange and Black Motorcycle

Once I got to testing on the road with the Virium I would say the gloves broke in nicely after about 100 miles. Before that, I found the massive knuckle armor would press down occasionally on my hand making me think I was perhaps bumping the handguards on my bike.

Cold Weather Performance

My first ride was in fairly cold conditions right around freezing. I found at that low temperature up to 53 degrees I needed to turn on my heated grips to feel comfortable.

The top of the gloves blocked the wind and cold completely even when it was around freezing, and the knuckle, finger and scaphoid armor didn’t transfer any cold through to my hands. However, the suede-covered palm and padding are thinner and it transferred cold from the grips to my hands after about 20 minutes.

These aren’t advertised as winter gloves so it’s not fair to expect winter temperature protection. With the heated grips on I was perfectly comfortable and endorse the Virium down to 32 degrees happily.

Warm Weather Performance

I was very curious whether the Gore-Tex would breathe well once things warmed up.

Unfortunately, it’s still early Spring here and the highest temperature I tested the Virium in was 70 degrees. It was excellent at that temperature while riding at any speed, and I only noticed a small degree of sweating when I was stuck in traffic for 30 minutes in rush hour.

I would have really liked a vent on top of the gloves just the same for times like that to have the option of cooling off better, but all in all, I was impressed with the breathability in warmer temps.

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Gloves on RevZilla

Waterproof?

This is where I thought the Virium really shined through. I’m planning to take these gloves with me on my ride to Tuktoyaktuk in June and chances are good the weather will turn on sour and potentially drench me. I need to know I can rely on these gloves to keep me warm and dry for days on end.

Ridiculous Water Testing

Since we haven’t gotten any rain yet this Spring I took drastic measures and torture tested the gloves using the garden hose with my wife’s help.

Basically, I outfitted myself in my complete set of waterproof gear (including these Virium gloves) and had her spray me with the hose for about 5 minutes head to toe. What I noticed right away when the water hit the top of the gloves was that it beaded instantly and didn’t soak in at all! Nothing got through the top layer whatsoever.

The palm has a couple of layers of suede covering most of it and the bottom/sides of the fingers. I noticed the water absorbed into the suede right away, but nothing soaked through the GoreTex underneath… at all.

I was impressed with how quickly the gloves dried after being soaked too. I think traveling at speed they would dry out completely in about 10 minutes or less.

 Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Velcro Undone Worn On Model Wrist Closeup

The long cuff on the gloves tucks in perfectly under the wrist adjuster of my jacket and stopped water from coming up my arm even on a direct jet of water from the hose for several minutes. I suppose a lot of the credit has to go the cuff on the Joe Rocket Canada Ballistic jacket I was wearing too.

Well done, Rukka! Quite often as many of you know big claims from manufacturers like “waterproof gloves” don’t… well… hold water! The Virium is most definitely waterproof as you’ll see in the video below.

Visor Wiper

I was pleased to see a rubber strip on the left index finger for wiping off my helmet visor. While I was getting drenched with the water hose I took the opportunity to test the wiper. It worked wiping both left to right and right to left.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Index Finger Wiper Closeup

The rubber stayed soft even at low temperatures too.

Smartphone Finger Tip Strips

It’s funny how something can thrill yet disappoint all at once, eh?

Those mesh-covered, white strips on the end of the gloves’ index fingers and thumb worked awesome in the warmth of my living room and when the temperature outside was above 53 to 60 degrees. That surprised me a lot because as I pointed out earlier, my index fingers and thumbs both came up noticeably short in reaching the end of the finger voids in the gloves.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves White Fingertip Grips and Palms

Short man problems once again at work.

I found that I had to tap lightly in order to get fine precision on my phone, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t work well most of the time I used my phone with the gloves on.

Once it got below 50 degrees and the glove shell got cold after riding a while, I couldn’t get anything to happen regardless of my technique until the gloves warmed up.

So I love this feature of the glove, but only when it’s relatively warm out.

Rubber Grips

As I mentioned before there are small dabs of silicone or rubber on the palm and finger-tips to help with gripping levers and handlebars.

After putting almost 1000 miles on the Virium gloves the only indication of wear comes on seeing some of the little dots have fallen off or are nearly off the left glove. All that clutch work did it in. I don’t find the rubber necessary because the suede grips just fine without it, so I won’t miss the little fingertip dots.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Fingertips and Palm Material Closeup

Still, remember these are expensive gloves and after riding only for about a week I’ve managed to produce some abnormal wear and tear in my opinion.

I wonder if this would qualify for the 2-year manufacturer’s warranty for faults in workmanship or material?

The Verdict?

Back View of Motorcycle

I’m impressed with the Virium gloves and will be taking them to Tuk with me in June. I’m going to see whether I can wear them right out or not. I’m thinking they’ll be around a while.

They were perhaps not made for adventure riding specifically, but the amount of armor in them and the waterproof/windproof design makes them easy to pick for that kind of riding.

Virium is a Latin word meaning “forces” in case you were wondering. Are they referring to how the glove resists and protects from the forces of nature or how it forces you to carefully decide whether to spend so many of your hard earned dollars on it?

I don’t mean to harp on it, but $179 is a lot of money to spend on gloves. On the other hand (nice pun), finger and hand injuries can end an enjoyable bike trip real quick. If you add up the cost of all the lesser quality gloves you would buy over a few years that will likely wear out, leak water and not be practically bomb-proof the Virium starts to look like a wise choice and a good buy.

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Color Alternative in Hi Visibility Yellow Left Glove Full View

Pros

  • Comfortable, Adjustable for a snug fit, strong design
  • Waterproof, Windproof, Warm yet breathable
  • Double stitching, long cuff but not too long
  • Lightweight, thick but not too thick to bunch up
  • Suitable for warm or cold weather
  • Excellent range of Men’s and Women’s sizing
  • Three color choices
  • 2-year manufacturer’s warranty

Cons

  • Expensive to buy
  • Touch screen finger and thumb tips don’t work when cold
  • Rubber dots on fingertips wear off fairly quick
  • Just a little bit too thick to perform fine motor skill tasks
  • Could use a vent to open for more airflow in hot weather

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Rukka (Luhta Sportswear Company)
  • Price (When Tested): $179
  • Made In: Finland
  • Alternative models & colors: 3 colors to choose from: black, black/grey, black/hi-viz yellow
  • Sizes: Men’s and women’s sizes 6 to 14
  • Review Date: April 2018

Shopping Now? We Recommend:

webBikeWorld has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner.

RevZilla

Free shipping on orders over $40
30-day no-nonsense return policy
Excellent selection of all major brands
Awesome pricing

Buy This Gloves on RevZilla

Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Image Gallery

The post Rukka Virium Gore-Tex X-Trafit Gloves Hands On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Gear Reviews Motonation Rapita Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Web Bike World

Motonation Rapita Textile Mesh Gloves Meet The Desert: Hands On Review

My Criteria And Gloves Of Choice

For me, touch is important. I like to have the ability to touch lightly with just a finger or two if I am moving my helmet screen or adjusting my glasses. And in a lot of cases, a bulky glove does not allow for those fine motor motions. And even a thinner material can limit touch if the fingers are cut large and do not fit snugly to my fingers.

Because of my pickiness, I have amassed quite a collection of gloves over the years. I have a fully lined leather glove for winter. Yes, Phoenix does have a winter, it’s just not as harsh as most of the rest of the country. And on occasion, I do ride north toward Payson or Flagstaff to get out in the fresh air to see the mountains and enjoy minimal traffic. The leather is important to block the cold air out on those excursions.

I also have a set of leather gauntlets that were brought to accommodate a jacket with narrow sleeves. There was no space for gloves on the inside so I switched over to gloves that when over the jacket. I also particularly like the gauntlets for the massive solid armor protection on the fingers and knuckles as there are rocks flying everywhere in the desert. The fingers are perforated so I can wear them in warmer weather or in cooler weather with a liner.

For summer I would alternate between a short length mesh glove with full fingers and a short length combo mesh and leather glove with cut off fingers. The palms are a very thick leather but the entire back of the hand from the knuckles to the velcro strap are mesh. These tend to be my favorite due to the ability to have my fingertips exposed, but it can get too hot for these gloves. I have had burns on the exposed backs of my fingers when it gets really hot and sunny. As a result, I was eager to get ahold of a pair of the Rapitas and give them a try.

Bargain Pricing

The Motonation Rapita gloves are listed on the Motonation website for just $39. This is a very reasonable price for a glove that offers great protection and great airflow. The Alpinestars Atacama Air Gloves are comparable for airflow but offer less protection and sell for $69.95 on Revzilla.

Features – Motonation Rapita Textile Mesh Gloves

Sizing

I have never had the opportunity to try on any pair of Motonation gloves so I was at the mercy of the catalog size chart and general experience to guide my selection. It’s pretty simple with most gloves as the sizing is the generic choice of small, medium, large and so on. The Motonation gloves are offered in size small through size extra, extra large, so there is a great assortment to meet just about every hand size.

I ordered a medium which the chart indicated. The measurement is the circumference of your hand right at the point where your thumb meets your palm. I measured just over 8 inches and the chart indicated 8.3 inches for the medium. Also, keep in mind that the gloves are only available in men’s sizes. For me, men’s gloves normally work fairly well as I have a wide palm for a woman but I sometimes have issues with the fit in the fingers. I have somewhat long fingers but they are narrow so a glove with a more generous finger cut doesn’t work very well for me.

USA Sizing SM/8 MD/9 LG/10 XL/11 XXL/12
Circumference of Hand (cm) 20 21 22 23 24
Circumference of Hand (in) 7.8 8.3 8.7 9 9.4

The Fit

When I put the Rapitas on I found that the palm fits very well as did the wrist strap. That I found a bit unusual as the straps are usually designed for larger wrist being men’s gloves. My wrist is 6.5 inches in circumference right at the carpal bones. (the bump on the outside of the wrist) The length of all of the fingers was great but the thumb, index finger and pinky finger were all a bit loose. When I took the glove off, it was obvious that the two exterior fingers and the thumb were cut larger. This could be to increase the range of motion but it just wasn’t a great fit for me.

When I flex my hand or make a fist the solid knuckle protector fit perfectly and did sit right above my knuckles to make finger and hand movement very easy and comfortable. In addition, the added layer of reinforcement and padding on the palm also fit perfectly. The gloves are made with a slight curve to the fingers so they conform well to a natural hand position from the moment that you put them on.

The Construction

The Ripita palm is made from Clarino synthetic leather and is reinforced in the key grip and wear areas. The thumb is also reinforced in the area that is in contact with your bike grips. And all of the reinforced areas are double stitched with high tensile strength nylon thread for added durability. An added feature is the reinforcement on the tip of the thumb as well as the index and middle fingers. This area includes an added material to allow you to operate a touchscreen. An extra memory foam pad is inserted at the heel of the hand for added impact protection in the event of an accident.

The Venting

The back of the hand is where all of the airflow and cooling is happening. The Clarino leather covers the potentially high impact area around the resilient plastic mesh armor knuckle protector and around the split rubber pads on the top of each finger. The backs of the fingertips, up to the second knuckle, are made of vented mesh textile to promote great airflow through the glove when your hand is grasping the bike handlebar grips. An additional panel of vented mesh covers the center portion of the back of the hand, while a solid nylon material is used for the sides and for the back side of the thumb.

Knuckle Protection

A great feature of these gloves is that the knuckle protector is a separate layer that sits on top of the vented mesh material and is attached to the fingers and the side of the hand. But having the back of the protector loose allows for great airflow under the protector while still providing an awesome safety feature. This construction is also what allows you to flex your hand and make a fist without discomfort.

The Cuff

The cuff of the Ripita is constructed of neoprene for a snug fit. The 1-inch wide hook and loop closure add to the secure fit. An additional benefit of the neoprene is that it helps to absorb the sweat that can run down your arms and cause your hands to get wet and loose grip. And the final comfort feature of these gloves is the soft interior and well-finished seams. There is nothing worse than a glove that has rough or bulky seams that rub against your hand and cause irritation on a long ride.

Safety

Safety is what gloves are all about. If riders were not concerned with protecting their hands then we would all be enjoying the freedom of riding with naked hands. But flying rocks, debris and the thought of feeling the skin literally ground off of your hands as you slide across the asphalt is enough to make most riders forgo the added feeling of freedom that comes with no gloves. The reward is just not worth the risk.

The Armor

In addition to providing complete coverage for your entire hand as well as a couple of added inches of coverage for your wrist and lower arm, these gloves offer a decent amount of armor. The split rubber pads on the backs of the fingers almost look like they are more decorative than functional but they do provide a good amount of protection. Just to test my theory, I tried smacking the back of my hand against a solid countertop to see how the pads worked.

Surprisingly, they do offer some good protection for your fingers without impeding range of motion. In the same very non-scientific method, I was also able to determine that the plastic mesh armor provides some good protection. Grasping the knuckle protector on both sides of the hand, I could flex or bend it. But when it came to denting the knuckles by smacking it into solid objects, I had no luck. In addition, the mesh covering held up remarkably well to my neanderthal testing methods.

Reflective Piping

The final safety feature included in the Ripitas is reflective piping. Two rows of 3M reflective piping run up the sides of the vented mesh on the back of the hand as well as across the knuckle of each finger. It’s not a huge surface area but it does have a highly reflective surface that will definitely catch some light in a dark environment and let people know that you are approaching which is all that you can ask for so it meets the need perfectly.

The Selection

Motonation doesn’t normally offer a huge choice of colors when it comes to their products for street riders. When you venture to the back of the catalog to look at the off-road gear such as boots and socks, you can get some really bright, vibrant choices but street gear is more basic. The Ripita gloves, however, do seem to be the exception to the Motonation rule of subdued color choices. All of the gloves have the black Clarino synthetic leather palm but the vented mesh is offered in red, white, black and Hi-Viz yellow.

A Potential Miss – Don’t Forget the Ladies

I understand that there are fewer ladies out there on bikes than there are guys, but our numbers are growing. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, women account for 14% of all riders which is up from 10% in 2003. That might not sound like a segment of the population that is worth chasing with gender-specific gear but you might think differently when you know that the percentage translates to 1.2 million ladies who are riders!

And I applaud Motonation for offering ladies a couple of choices for footwear as well as jeans and a ladies jacket but ladies gloves would be a great addition to complete a set of gear. Having a well-fitting glove is a pretty significant addition to any riders gear. And one that I believe makes for a much safer rider. And just like the narrower foot mold for a ladies shoe or boot, the ladies glove would work from a narrower sizing pattern. But the result would be a glove that really fits a lady’s hand and one that they would be happy to purchase.

Test Ride Observations

Overall the Ripitas is a very comfortable glove. The pre-curved fingers and neoprene cuff allow the gloves to conform to the rider’s hand and wrist very well. The inside of the glove is also finished very well so there are no stray strings or abrasively sewn seams to irritate your hands as they get warmer. I found the glove to be very comfortable as soon as I put it on.

The First Ride

 

My first ride was early in the morning and the temperature was around 75 degrees. The gloves were very comfortable and I was able to clearly feel the cool air as it was entering through the mesh on the top of my hands. There was enough airflow that I never found my hands were soaked with sweat as they had been when I was wearing other summer weight gloves.

The “floating” knuckle protectors are a great design feature for the comfort as well as the safety. I have worn other gloves that looked like they would fit very well but after a few minutes with my fingers wrapped around the grips, the protectors were gouging into my knuckles. That was never an issue with these gloves. I also think that in the event of an accident, my hands would fare better with these knuckle protectors and not have any cuts as I would expect from some other brands. The wrist straps also fit very well and I was able to easily fit them inside the sleeves of my jacket.

The only real issue that I had with the gloves was in the thumb area and the larger pointer and pinky fingers. The thumbs felt a little awkward, almost like they were a bit too long. The thumbs are two pieces of material sewn together and come to a rather flat point for lack of a better term. I prefer a thumb with an inset on the sides to give it a more box-shaped end. But I did get used to these after a ride or two. The two fingers with the more generous cut just felt a little loose but it really wasn’t an issue.

Heating Up

After a few rides that got a bit warmer, the gloves softened even more and were really comfortable. My only problem was that they almost felt a little bit larger as they broke in. By the end of the fourth ride I found that when my hands were warm and sweaty, they moved pretty freely in the glove. This meant that each time to took my hand off of the grip, the glove moved and I felt like I needed to readjust my hand in the glove as I regripped the bike.

I attribute a lot of this to the fact that these gloves are cut for a man’s hand and not a woman’s. I have never tried on a small but not would be interested in trying the small to see if that is a better selection as the gloves break in and possibly get a touch larger.

A Second Opinion

 

Knowing that I was testing and passing judgment on a glove that was designed for a man, I wanted to be fair and get a mans opinion on the gloves. My husband commutes almost every day on his bike so I gave him the Ripitas for a test day. His palms are about as wide as mine but his fingers are a little larger so I thought this might be a more fair assessment.

He was more satisfied with the overall fit of the gloves. His fingers fit a bit better than mine as I had expected. He also said that the gloves are very comfortable and that they provide a bit better airflow than the gloves that he normally wears which cost about twice as much as the Ripitas.

The Verdict?

Priced at just $39, the Motonation Ripita is a very reasonably priced entry level summer weight short length glove. Most of the other gloves in this arena are going to cost $70 or more to offer comparable ventilation and protection. One of the key differences between the Ripita and the more expensive gloves is that the higher price tag gets you a natural leather versus the Clarino synthetic leather.

The pro for natural leather is the durability. It is a single piece of hide that survived on an animal and is now going to offer you the same protection. There are no threads or individual particles to break down or unravel. And while man-made materials to go through a quality control process, there is the chance for a defect or slight variation in the product. This is the reason that the durability of a man-made material can come into question. Most industries just consider a natural leather hide to be more durable than a synthetic material.

The con for going with the natural leather is the higher price tag and its impact on your application or intended use of the product. In the case of summer weight gloves, do you really want them to last for two or three years? I don’t care how much airflow and ventilation you add to a set of gloves, if I wear them for a full summer in the Phoenix heat then they have served their purpose. I don’t want to begin to think about the sweat that those gloves have endured or the aroma that is associated with it. For $39 I got to ride around all summer and not burn or wear the skin off of my hands. That’s a really good deal in my book. Now if we were talking about a $600 pair of boots or a $500 jacket, then I would have a different expectation. But gloves are in constant contact with your skin and the grips on your bike so after a summer of riding they are going to be well, gross I guess is a good word.

Motonation Overall

Overall, this year is my first experience with any Motonation apparel and I have to give them a round of applause overall. For the price of the items that I have “hands-on” tested, I am very satisfied and impressed. And I hope to have the opportunity to test more of their gear in the future. I also look forward to seeing the Motonation product line expand. I think that the quality and reliability of their gear is going to earn them an ever-growing share of the market which should allow them to bring out more awesome gear options. As of today, I am very happy with the Ripita gloves and I will continue to wear them and monitor the durability and modify this review should discover any serious issues.

And just a side note – even though this testing occurred prior to May 1st, we have already hit 100 degrees in the Valley of the Sun, so the Ripitas have been put to the test and they are holding their own in a pretty hot climate.

Pros

Cons

  • Good palm protection and padding
  • Double stitching
  • High tensile strength nylon thread
  • Reinforced fingertips
  • Touch screen friendly fingertips
  • Solid knuckle protection
  • Neoprene cuff
  • Great Airflow
  • Excellent customer service
  • Fingers are a bit boxy
  • No ladies sizes
  • Disproportionate thumb sizing

Specs

  • Manufacturer: Motonation
  • Price (When Tested): $39
  • Made In: Pakistan
  • Alternative models & colors: Red, White, Black and Hi-Viz Yellow Mesh
  • Sizes: S / M / L / XL / XXL

Review Date: May 2018

The post Motonation Rapita Textile Mesh Gloves Meet The Desert: Hands On Review appeared first on Web Bike World.

Categories
Alpinestars Celer Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon Dainese 4 Stroke EVO Gear Reviews Glove Reviews Icon Pursuit Joe Rocket Super Moto Motorcycle Glove Buyers Guide Motorcycle Glove Review Motorcycle Glove Reviews Other Motorcycle Blogs review Short Gloves review Web Bike World

Gear Guide: Best “Short” Gloves

Updated January, 2018

Most experienced riders agree that gloves are must even in the hot summer months. There is really no excuse to risk your hands when there are a number of really great short glove options on the market. From the “dry heat” of Arizona at 113 degrees to the humid 90 degree plus days of south Florida, there is a short glove that can meet all of your needs for safety, comfort and durability.

Be sure to check back regularly with us here at wBW to read about our latest hands-on reviews of short gloves, cooling vests, and other great products for riders.

Recommendations

  • Best overall: Icon Pursuit
  • Best value: Joe Rocket Super Moto
  • Fully loaded: Dainese 4 Stroke EVO
  • Other great options: Alpinestars SMX 2 Air Carbon, Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon, Alpinestars Celer

Motorcycle Glove Buyers Guide

Some riders will only wear short gloves in the summer in an effort to stay cool and reduce sweating, switching back to gauntlets in the cooler weather, whereas others ride with short gloves year round. Neither method is wrong, it’s just a matter of deciding what works the best for you. The only wrong answer is not wearing gloves and putting your hands at risk.

Best Overall: Icon Pursuit

Icon Pursuit

The Icon Pursuit glove stands out from the crowd for its ability to be 100% comfortable from day one but still offer great protection. In addition, this great design is offered in two styles, both perforated and non-perforated giving riders even more reasons to buy this great short glove which sells for less than $100.

  • This glove is a 100% Pittards sheepskin leather construction with goatskin overlays in critical areas to provide more durability and protection.
  • The integrated knuckle armor provides protection on impact and also serves as a strong sliding surface to help eliminate abrasion when you go down.
  • The hook and loop wrist strap ensures that this glove will stay in place throughout your ride and be easy to take off even when you are hot and tired.
  • The expansion gussets add to the comfort and custom feel of these gloves each time they are worn. And you will never need to worry about losing one glove again, as each glove has a snap to keep them together during storage.

The final feature is the riders ability to choose between the perforated and non-perforated version of the Icon Pursuit. The perforated model will certainly provide better airflow but will be just a touch less durable than the non-perf version. This feature along with the combination of quality and comfort offered by these gloves make them our best overall choice when looking at short gloves.

Best Value/Glove to Buy: Joe Rocket Super Moto

 Joe Rocket Super Moto

At less than $50.00 the Joe Rocket Super Moto glove is a great choice and a great bargain for a name brand short glove.

  • This lightweight glove is constructed of goatskin leather and stretch Span/Poly to provide a great fit and all of the safety that you expect from a Joe Rocket product.
  • In addition to the drum dried goatskin leather palm, this glove is reinforced with a synthetic leather overlay on the palm to add to its durability.
  • A great grip is provided even through these multiple layers because of the silicone printed texturizing on the palm.
  • The hard PVC knuckle protector provides protection on impact and also helps to reduce potential abrasion in a slide.
  • The neoprene wrist cuff with hook and loop closure keep this glove firmly in place all the time.

Riders will also appreciate that the glove is pre-curved to help reduce hand and finger fatigue, and improve the fit to avoid blisters and other abrasions. The thumb and index fingertip are constructed using a conductive material so you will be able to quickly access information on any touch screen device without removing the Super Moto gloves.

For a name brand short glove that is priced below $50.00, the Joe Rocket Super Moto offers many great features. Riders can feel protected and comfortable even in the heat of summer.

Fully Loaded: Dainese 4 Stroke EVO

Dainese 4 Stroke EVO

The Dainese 4 Stroke EVO glove is certainly a cut above most other short gloves. But that exceptional quality does come at a rather steep price which is why this is the best rated fully loaded short glove in this evaluation. This glove provides certified levels of safety and comfort features which are far superior to most gloves available.

Safety is definitely the priority for the 4 Stroke. It is certified to CE – Cat.II – Pr-EN 13594/2010 Standard Level 1.

  • The back of the hand and knuckles are protected by composite inserts made of preformed stainless steel and thermoplastic resin. Thermoplastic resin is also used to protect all of the finger joints and the outside of the little finger.
  • In addition, a special polyurethane insert is placed over the side of the hand and knuckle of the little finger for enhanced support and to reduce the risk of twisting in the event of a fall.
  • Additional inserts are located on the palm of the hand and in the cuff area.

Dainese did not overlook comfort and ergonomic features in this glove either.

  • The glove is constructed of cowhide leather for its durability but the palm is made from a softer reinforced goatskin to provide maximum comfort and flexibility.
  • The fingers are pre-curved to help reduce fatigue and there are perforations on the inner side of each finger.
  • All of the inserts are micro-elasticated to remain firmly in place.

Clearly, Dainese did not overlook anything when it came to constructing an extremely protective glove which also offers extreme comfort. What can be painful for some riders is paying over $200, but that is the cost of a great fully loaded short glove.

Other Great Options

Alpinestars Celer

Alpinestars Celer

The Alpinestars Celer is a great blend of protection and functionality for a fairly reasonable cost. The full goat leather construction is reinforced in the palm but still offers flexibility and a grip that remains comfortable for a full day of riding.

  • In addition to the leather body the palm includes EVA foam reinforcements on the landing zone as well as synthetic leather and synthetic suede reinforcements. The synthetic materials are also added to the thumb and side of the hand for added protection.
  • The exterior armor on this glove includes the PU knuckle protection system which provides a polymer flex insert to optimize fit for various hand sizes and TPR sliders on the first two fingers.
  • For maximum comfort, the Celer offers perforations on the finger surfaces, finger sidewalls, and the top of the hand for complete airflow.
  • Each finger is also pre-curved to reduce fatigue and improve grip.
  • Accordion leather flex panels on the fingers and thumb provide complete range of motion.
  • The wrist cuff with the Velcro closure ensure a secure fit and also provide additional support and protection in the form of EVA padding.

The Celer offers good protection and mobility for a fairly good price which makes it a solid choice for a short glove.

Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon

Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon

The Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon gloves are a design derived from the race glove, and offers many of the same safety and performance features. The combination of full grain leather and 3D mesh make this glove the perfect choice for summer use in even the hottest regions.

  • The leather/mesh shell offers superior protection and ventilation capability.
  • The carbon compound and injected TPR knuckle protectors offer great impact protection as well as slide capabilities for the back of the hand.
  • The palm is protected by EVA foam and TPR sliders.
  • Finger protection includes EVA foam and 3rd and 4th finger bridges to prevent rolling in the event of a slide.

Additional comfort in the SPX Air is provided by the ergonomic pre-curved fingers to reduce fatigue and improve grip on long rides, stretch accordion leather inserts on the fingers, and Lycra inserts for maximum flexibility.

An added bonus feature is the index finger compatibility for touch screen devices.

At just about $100 the SPX Air Carbon is a good selection for a mid range priced short glove that provides both safety and comfort in warm conditions.

Alpinestars SMX 2 Air Carbon

The Alpinestars SMX 2 Air Carbon is a refined model which offers riders a short glove selection made from a combination of full grain leather, suede and 3D mesh. This glove offers safety, comfort and a price around $20 below the full leather Alpinestar models.

  • The body of the SMX 2 is a combo of full grain leather and 3D mesh to provide both protection and comfort when riding in hot weather.
  • The streamline carbon knuckle guard is reinforced with thick EVA foam for added impact protection.
  • Additional TPR inserts protect the rest of the back of the hand and fingers.
  • Premium quality suede is used to reinforce the palm of the hand and provide landing shock absorption.
  • The pre-curved construction helps to reduce finger fatigue and also improves grip capability on long rides.
  • Stretch fabric is added to the sidewalls of the fingers for added mobility and comfort.
  • The neoprene wrist strap keeps the glove secured with a Velcro closure.
  • Riders will also like the touch screen compatible index finger and thumb.

At $79.95 the SMX 2 Air Carbon is a very reasonably priced short glove for summer wear. It offers riders exceptional comfort while still providing the safety features that are needed even for summer riding.

 

The post Gear Guide: Best “Short” Gloves appeared first on Web Bike World.