Roadgear Gloves

ROADGEAR GLOVES

Year-round comfort and protection

NEXT TO BROKEN-IN BLUE JEANS AND boots that don’t hurt your feet, comfortable gloves are probably closer to a rider’s heart than most accessories we buy. They fall into the “old friends” category of riding gear. They also lead a hard life: Sweat, rain, sunlight, snow and road rash all take their toll, so they have to be replaced from time to time.

Which is why Roadgear’s All-Season Sport-Touring gloves are something of a pleasant surprise. They are a medium-weight, high-quality glove priced at a mere $40. For that amount, you get a pair of black cowhide gloves, each of which has a medium-long gauntlet to cover your jacket cuffs, suede backing on the first finger for wiping your faceshield (or nose, if you’re that kind of person), expansion panels at the backs of the knuckles and finger joints, reinforcement panels on the palm and grip area under the thumb, gathered elastic at the wrist and a velcro closure for the gauntlet. The lining is a layer of Dupont Thermastat, which we are told is a hollowcore fabric that duplicates the magical heat retention qualities of bear hair.

Whatever wildlife the concept is borrowed from, it works well, giving an instant sensation of warmth when the gloves are put on, but breathing well enough to keep the gloves from feeling clammy. Our intrepid Editor-at-Large, Peter Egan, wore them for a week on a recent trip through Mexico and found they worked just right as an “only” glove on the trip, handling chilly mornings and warm afternoons. Only on the hottest day of the trip (85-plus degrees Fahrenheit), were they borderline too warm.

Fit is comfortable (sizes range from SXXL, and we found the XL to be an ideal fit for a medium-large, not to say clumsy or fat, male hand) and the leather is tough but pliable. After several months of use, seams and stitching continue to hold up well, and the overall level of quality is very high-as good as any gloves we’ve seen. The people at Roadgear (206 West Elgin Dr., Pueblo West, CO 81707; 800/854-4327) tell us the gloves are made in Pakistan with Pakistani cowhide, American Thermastat lining and velcro, and sewn together with thread from Japan. A truly international glove that, bought with not too many American dollars, has proven to be durable, comfortable, well-crafted and a genuine bargain.