If the Glove Doesn't Fit you Must Acquit...
I was riding around a few weeks ago with my Motogp RPM gloves, which oddly enough I don't think I've reviewed yet, and got caught in a massive downpour. Wasn't the worst thing in the world, and it's not the first scuba trip these gloves have seen, but after two days of hanging them in front of a space heater and wearing them they still hadn't gotten dry. I had recently taken notice of a strange pain in my right palm while riding for extended periods of time and thought that maybe this new pain and recent damp state of my current gloves warranted seeking a replacement. I went straight from work one day all of two miles over to my resident Cycle Gear to investigate what they had in the way of leather gauntlets. All the familiar brands were there: Tourmaster, Dainese, Alpinestars, Frank Thomas. I tried on a pair of Dainese gloves that felt pretty good, but not $190 good. A pair or two of Alpinestars and a set of touring gloves from Tourmaster just for giggles. For the money the Alpinestars felt like a decent replacement. Yes, I base comfort on cost. I'm not going to pay $200 for jeans unless it feels like I'm not wearing pants. Likewise, I'm not going to pay $200 for gloves if they feel baggy or constrictive.
The Alpinestars SP-2 gloves that I picked up were size medium, my usual choice, and were just a wee bit on the tight side when holding on to an actual grip. I thought this would be best and decided to give the gloves a few weeks to break in before thinking about a write up. Sure enough they loosened right up and well, fit like a glove. Interesting phrase, 'fit like a glove,' because personally I don't really find that many gloves that fit well enough to warrant their own expression. Usually gloves have fingers lengths that don't match that of my actual fingers. They also detract from tactile sensation which can be a little hindering at times.
This was not the case with the SP-2 gloves. I immediately noticed an increase in tactile sensation in comparison to my Motogp RPM gloves. They're both made of cowhide, but I can only assume that the Alpinestars must use a slightly thinner grade. Even so, the SP-2s have good additional leather in all impact areas and the now typical carbon fiber knuckle protector. One feature that I wasn't sure if I was going to like but ended up really enjoying is the lack of a wrist closure. There's a large Velcro strap for setting the cuff around the width of your jacket, but you only really need to do it once. After that it's just a simple pull on, pull off operation. The cuffs are long enough to make up for the short sleeves on my RS Taichi jacket and have finally filled the gap and prevented air from rushing in under my sleeve. The gloves provide good comfort, perhaps after a break-in period, and great ease of use. For right around $100 they're a very nice glove and come in black, black/white, red and blue if your'e so inclined.
The Good
Very decent price for great Alpinestars gear. Carbon fiber knuckle guard. Reinforced palm area. Decently long cuffs with good adjustable for most jackets. Easy on-off operation.
The Bad
A little stronger elastic around the wrist wouldn't be frowned upon by me. Tags are placed at very end of cuffs and tend to hang out in the wind, not a big deal. Broken-in feel at purchase would have lent to a more confident purchase.
The Alpinestars SP-2 gloves that I picked up were size medium, my usual choice, and were just a wee bit on the tight side when holding on to an actual grip. I thought this would be best and decided to give the gloves a few weeks to break in before thinking about a write up. Sure enough they loosened right up and well, fit like a glove. Interesting phrase, 'fit like a glove,' because personally I don't really find that many gloves that fit well enough to warrant their own expression. Usually gloves have fingers lengths that don't match that of my actual fingers. They also detract from tactile sensation which can be a little hindering at times.
This was not the case with the SP-2 gloves. I immediately noticed an increase in tactile sensation in comparison to my Motogp RPM gloves. They're both made of cowhide, but I can only assume that the Alpinestars must use a slightly thinner grade. Even so, the SP-2s have good additional leather in all impact areas and the now typical carbon fiber knuckle protector. One feature that I wasn't sure if I was going to like but ended up really enjoying is the lack of a wrist closure. There's a large Velcro strap for setting the cuff around the width of your jacket, but you only really need to do it once. After that it's just a simple pull on, pull off operation. The cuffs are long enough to make up for the short sleeves on my RS Taichi jacket and have finally filled the gap and prevented air from rushing in under my sleeve. The gloves provide good comfort, perhaps after a break-in period, and great ease of use. For right around $100 they're a very nice glove and come in black, black/white, red and blue if your'e so inclined.
The Good
Very decent price for great Alpinestars gear. Carbon fiber knuckle guard. Reinforced palm area. Decently long cuffs with good adjustable for most jackets. Easy on-off operation.
The Bad
A little stronger elastic around the wrist wouldn't be frowned upon by me. Tags are placed at very end of cuffs and tend to hang out in the wind, not a big deal. Broken-in feel at purchase would have lent to a more confident purchase.
Labels: gloves
posted by Courtney Bodett at 11:58 PM
1 Comments:
I tried to use these gloves for milking and the goats hated them. I was butted twice and double-kicked once. Thank god for the helmet and leathers!
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