Topic: Best pair of riding gloves? - update June 8th 2008

[andy750]

Im looking for a new pair of riding gloves and have been considering Fieldsheer or AGV sports gloves.

Something like this:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/37/245/ITEM/AGV-Sport-Rush-Gloves.aspx

or

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/37/3991/ITEM/Fieldsheer-Troy-Gloves.aspx

My ideal gloves would be - leather, waterproof (or if get wet dont make your hands turn black! ), padding on palm, knuckles, and can be used in summer and cooler riding weather (i.e. I dont want cold hands in cool summer nights - so not really into mesh gloves for that reason). Do such gloves exist?

Does anyone have some really good experience with summer/early Fall/spring gloves? A well made glove that wont stain my hands when it rains and wont be incredibly hot when its 80F?

And while we are talking about gear does anyone have this jacket? Is it good? To be used in the above conditions - summer/early Fall/late Spring

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/39/7016/ITEM/AGV-Sport-Stinger-Leather-Jacket.aspx

Any thoughts,
cheers
Andy
 

[eldar]

Well I am trying these this summer.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92173

they are cheap yes but at$13, if they dont work I am not out a lot. They are padded in the palm some and while I have not tried it on my bike, they feel great while driving. I checked the grip with my hand grips and it was very good. The leather is like suede kinda. They should be nice when it is cool but I dont think they will be too hot. Waterproof? not likely unless I spray some proofer on them. There was another glove at harborfreight that DID have knuckle protection but the website does not have them listed yet.

maybe they are cheap but they will still provide some protection well above what skin will.

[Badger 5]

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=3406263L&store=Main&catId=402&productId=prod1000261&leafCatId=40204&mmyId=

I like these so far.  Good protection and not crazy looking.

[Uncle Ernie]

For summer use, I love these elkskin ropers.  Soft, yet tough as nails- I kid you not.  They're also great for pruning rose bushes.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Elkskin-Roper-p-16818.html

For cool weather, I've been using the same Thorlow (sp?) deerskin gloves for - 30 years now?  I stitched a tear from a get-off with dental floss.  Nikwax makes them more water repellant, and they even have a formula for gloves (not slippery). A very long time, anyway.  Love 'em.  Cold weather I have some Bates gloves that I've had for even longer.  I wish I would wear them out...

OK, I'm done.

[medic09]

+1 on elkskin.  Great stuff.  Feels good, too.  Not waterproof or padded, though.

Another glove I like a lot is my old pair of US Army 'recon' gloves.  Leather and suede glove with removeable wool liner.  But, also not waterproof nor specially padded.

Sorry 'bout that. 

[Rocking-M]

Hey Andy, I'm on the hunt to. The elkskins may be the way I go but I'm thinking the Troy Gloves you listed
might be interesting. Let me know which way you go. I did break down and buy a set of tour master winter
gloves which I like but my summer gloves aren't suiting me.

[Egil]

The only ting that's maters is they look good and fit your hands   

[azuredesign]

I've found the armored portion of armored finger gloves dig into my fingers, and I prefer gloves that are large and roomy to ensure good warmth. My gloves are perforated and are good until about 75 F. When it gets into the 30's I use silk liners inside my gloves. I'm good like that down to about 30 F. Above 75 F, I use fingerless gloves. My nephew bought some Fieldsheer gloves while we were in Texas, but they were about $80. They were great feeling, although it took us a bit to figure out what the thin rubber portion adherent to the first finger on the left hand was... a squeegee to wipe off condensation or rain from your helmet screen was as close as we could figure.

[eldar]

That is exactly what those rubber pieces are for. At least that is what I think!

[tsflstb]

Held seems to be one of the better brands to buy.  They were one of the first to offer the Kangaroo option for a little more feel.  I'd go for the longer gauntlet type gloves that you can cinch down over your jacket sleeve.  Something like these should work if your budget will stand it:

http://www.indysuperbike.com/customer/product.php?productid=112416&cat=22194&page=1

I bought some cheaper Teknic gloves with the Kangaroo palms about 6 years ago.  Other than a little discoloration they're still in good shape after thousands of miles and some bad weather.  The palms are about 1/2 the thickness of the cowhide parts of the glove and are very flexible.  I've never tested them on the asphalt *knock wood* but they say the 'roo is tough stuff.

[mick750F]

Hey Andy...My cold weather gloves are AGV. They are well made and comfortable but tend to be sized small so consider that if you decide to go AGV. I have yet to find summer gloves I like but will be looking at some today. Yes! A day off AND a three day weekend! The Power Trip gloves I bought last year split a seam half way through the summer. 

Mike

[DarkRider]

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=3406263L&store=Main&catId=402&productId=prod1000261&leafCatId=40204&mmyId=

I like these so far.  Good protection and not crazy looking.

Whats the fitment like on those Icons? I have been looking at those gloves for both riding and work...Half tempted to get the work pair first (in stealth) and some perforated ones for riding...

[heffay]

a riding glove construction tip...
a good riding glove won't have a seam running down the pointer, between the pointer and the thumb, then back up the thumb.  these seams can cause major irritation while riding.
a good glove will make a point to move that seam to a place that does not get so much force put on it between the grip and the hand.
... just a helpful tip from heffay 

p.s.  sometime they compensate for this by padding inside, beneath the seam... this can be ok too as long as the liner is sewn in well.

p.p.s.  i would never order a pair of gloves... fitment is so very crucial... why waste your's and the postman's time, money or energy? 

[Badger 5]

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=3406263L&store=Main&catId=402&productId=prod1000261&leafCatId=40204&mmyId=

I like these so far.  Good protection and not crazy looking.

Whats the fitment like on those Icons? I have been looking at those gloves for both riding and work...Half tempted to get the work pair first (in stealth) and some perforated ones for riding...

The fit of my gloves are snug but plenty flexible.  I like a little tighter fit so I get better feel and don't have to take my gloves off to reach into my pockets or make any adjustments that may come up.  I've tried bigger work gloves like the elk skin and I end up with one pair in my mouth while I'm doing things with my hands more often than not.  Just my personal preference.

[Uncle Ernie]

Heffay- good point.  I have to sit on the bike with my hands on the bars for a while.  Maybe my hand is weird, but the way I push, my thumb seems to jam up to the end of the glove and drives me nuts.
Little tiny things you wouldn't normally notice can end up like Chinese water torture on a long ride.

[pddpimp]

I am just about your size and I have problems finding stuff to fit well. 
These are the gloves I bought:
Icon Super Duty  (XXL)

The do the job well. The get a bit toasty in 90+ deg days and a little bit chilly in 30 deg weather on the highways, but overall good stuff.


Speaking of jackets, it took a while to find one that fits well. Like trying 10 diff. jackets.
Little info size wise 17.5"neck' 36.5" sleeve", 45" chest, 6'5", 230lbs. This jacket fit wonderful. They are only one of a couple manufacturers that make long sizes.

Fits like a glove...no pun intended. Its great in 90 deg weather with the liner removed and vents opened. And haven't had any complaints in 30 deg weather with liner in and all zipped up. It's pricey, but worth it.

[DarkRider]

Wound up taking a look at some Icon Pursuits today after getting my taxes and after realising that even their largest size wouldnt fit my hands i went for some Alpinestar SMX-2 Air Carbon gloves in all black. i should have them here on thursday...



Bought both the Alpinestar gloves and a new HJC helmet today...

  This is the helmet i got.

[andy750]

Great info pddpimp especially on the jacket. I did a review search on it and everyone says the same as you. The long arms are the hard part in a jacket and this one seems to fit the bill. Thanks for pointing this out to me.

Darkrider - can you comment on the gloves when you get them. I like the look of these and the Icons. Usually Im a large.

Waiting till pay day to buy gloves and replacement Shoei visor (cant afford a new helmet this year but do like the HJC - very nice). Jacket would be a bonus :-)

Thanks for the input!
cheers
Andy

[DammitDan]

http://www.foxcreekleather.com/1.html

I'll swear by it.  Fox Creek is the best jacket I've ever owned.  Paid a hefty price for it (~$425) but the jacket so far has lasted me 4 years and still looks new.  It's a very heavy raw leather and the jacket weighs about 20lbs, perfect for the occasional unplanned street skid.  My only regret was not paying the extra $50 for the "tall" version.  I'm 6'2, and when I'm on my cafe the jacket sleeves tend to shift up a bit to just above my wrists. Was annoying at first, but I've gotten used to it (and the clubman bars also put me in an awkward position, I'm sure on a more standard cruising bike it would fit better).

People also compliment the jacket everywhere I go.  It's got a natural cut and hangs comfortably once you break it in.

The best part?  They're having an overstock sale on the big n' tall versions of the jacket.

http://www.foxcreekleather.com/308.html

[Tim.]

I have a pair of the Icon Pursuit Stealth gloves and like them a lot.  Very comfortable, and have some protection for the knuckles without having visible plates on the surface.  May not be as protective, but I like the way they feel and look.

Wouldn't mind something with a longer wrist on them.  Not gauntlets, but something to cover the gap between my sleeve and glove a bit better when I'm stretched out.

[DarkRider]

Not a problem with bringing back info on the gloves andy. The one thing i like about the new helmet is its secondary retractable visor. no more tinted visors or sunglasses i have no where to put when it gets darker for me. The second visor is tinted and slides down via a small slider bar on the back of the helmet something like the visor on a fighter pilots helmet. The helmet also comes with a chin deflector that clips onto the bottom of it along with a breath deflector. the main visor itself is antifog. The one thing i dont like is the lack of positioning on the main visor..i usually like to ride with one notch open but the lowest the HJC will go is about the same as 6 notches on my bell. However...something i noted yesterday but havent had a chance to play with yet is what seems to be a lil stopper that you flip in the side of the visor that holds the visor open that one click...you can kinda see it in the pic i posted. However...its all moot given it comes with an antifog visor that works very well. If you have the breath deflector in place its very hard to fog up the main visor...the tinted one will fog but i suspect that the helmet is designed to be used with one or the other down not both with the deflector in.

Sorry about goin into a total helmet review there guys.

[troppo]

You got a link to that helmet darkrider?
Dont like the shades in helmet thing and that sort of helmet would be perfect

[DarkRider]

http://www.hjchelmets.com/

click on street on the page that comes up and the helmet i have is the FS-10

[troppo]

I see what you mean about the fighter pilot looks, my god that`s one hell of a helmet.
Pity i cant afford a new one now, gonna have to suffer with my poor old hjc lid for now

[DarkRider]

The main things that sold me on it was the fact it fit like a glove the first time i tried it on and the retractable sunshield. and the fact that it had a lot of the features of helmets priced much higher then it so i had no problems justifying what i paid for it. When it comes to helmets its a matter of how much you value your head when you choose what is protecting it.