Biker gloves, what to get?

[phelan77]

Held.
Kangaroo

I've had and have many others.
I also have some insulated waterproof ones (Alpinestar?) that I can't recall ever wearing. A $100 plus "mistake". They were just too thick. For rain and cold I use some nylon shells. Works ok, for a while.........

Agree with held. Both my street and track gloves are Held kangaroo leather. The kangaroo leather gives excellent throttle feel

 

[Alan@JohnsonLeather]

Churchill (JRC) around since1890 makes amazing gloves old school and for warmth the thinsulate lined glove is great. We sell them to just about all the police departments in the Bay Area and the Highway Patrol.
Another great glove company is Sullivan Glove Company around since 1941 I think. The are old school again and make a Horween Vermont DHF 2.5oz double horse front vegetable re-tanned glove. They also make a Heavy duty 4-5oz American buffalo leather lined for cold weather.

 

[Carlos840]

Churchill (JRC) around since1890 makes amazing gloves old school and for warmth the thinsulate lined glove is great. We sell them to just about all the police departments in the Bay Area and the Highway Patrol.
Another great glove company is Sullivan Glove Company around since 1941 I think. The are old school again and make a Horween Vermont DHF 2.5oz double horse front vegetable re-tanned glove. They also make a Heavy duty 4-5oz American buffalo leather lined for cold weather.

I wouldn't ride in these, but they look like serious work gloves!
Got me a pair of Elk ropers and a pair of chore gloves, they look like they are going to be much better quality than anything i have available here. Thanks.

 

[Marc mndt]

I recently bought these gauntlets. I don't ride so I won't be using them but I just thought they look cool and they'd be nice to have.

The guy who sold them to me got them from a vintage dealer in Barcelona. A couple of years ago they found a pile of these somewhere in Belgium. Deadstock, almost mint condition. They even smell fresh. They're built like a tank and have a nice purple wool lining. On the inside there's a makers stamp which is unfortunately unreadable on mine.

However, the guy who sold them to me also bought a pair for himself, which still have the makers stamp.

'ANG. ET SCHUERMANS BRUSSELS BELGIUM. 1949'

 

[Edward]

Those look pretty cool.

Over the last few years, it seems motorcycle ppe manufacturers are starting to catch up with the trend for vintage bikes and offer a range of classic-looking clothing that also offers modern protection. I've probably already mentioned Helstons earlier in this thread - https://www.helstons.net/ (widely available in the UK, including from MotoLegends.com . I've bought a few things from Moto over the yeas, great to deal with). All Helstons' gloves are ECE-rated for protection. I have a pair I wear about as general gloves in the winter, and they are quality stuff.

Since introducing armour across their full range of classic looking jackets, GoldTop have turned to their gloves. Not all of them are CE certified, though a couple of great-looking pairs are already. I am given to understand the plan is to roll that out gradually across their range. It's entirely possible that the gloves not marked as certified are just as good, but they would have to be tested by the officialdom in order to be individually certified.

 

[roadking04]

Hi guys. With the temps falling and the leaves changing, fall riding season is upon us. I figured I would leave my thoughts on the 3 pairs I have.

 

[roadking04]

First up are my oldest ones from Fox Creek Leather. I believe they still sell these. Mine are about 15 years old. They are the deerskin lined with thinsulate. These have been my cold weather gloves for a long time. They have held up well and still serve their purpose. My hands are always the first to get cold. These gloves do a pretty good job of keeping your hands warm in 40 degree weather.

The deerskin is very soft and supple. Very easy to operate the controls. I like my riding gloves to be snug. Fox creek recommended a size medium with their size chart. Mine are medium and fit the way I like. Over all a great cold weather glove for the money.

 

[roadking04]

I always wanted some Vanson X ray gloves. I ordered a pair of the gauntlet ones about 5 years ago. I ordered their recommended size medium. I got the gloves and they were super cool. They were snug to put on. The gauntlet part barely fit over the sleeve of my Schott perfecto and there was NO WAY I could use the zipper on them. I reluctantly sent them back to Vanson for a refund.

About 2 years ago, I got the glove bug again and thought I would try the X ray roper gloves. I ordered these deerskin gloves in a size medium and they fit great. A perfect fit. Theses gloves are super soft right from the get go. They are more for warmer temps. They are unlined and they don't fit OVER your jacket cuff. Wind can still find its way in on cold days.

These worked well and I liked them alot. I used these in temps above 60 and my Fox Creek ones for anything colder. I had these for about 2 years until my rottweiler chewed on them. lol. They still work, but just kinda look messed up.

 

[roadking04]

This summer Vanson ran a 15% off sale and I really wanted to give the Gauntlet ones another try. I went ahead and ordered the mediums and they were rather tight in the hand. I could get the gauntlet over my cuff but no way could I zip them. I called up Vanson and talked to Mike (the owner). He said the gloves would stretch a bit, but, I could return them for a refund or size up. These gloves are pretty cool so I sized up.

I received the size large and and they were just as snug as the mediums in the hand part, but the fingers were just a tad longer and I could barley zip up the gauntlet part over my 618. I decided to keep them and hopefully they will stretch out some.

I have worn them about 10 times and they are starting to loosen up a bit. Over all I like them. Definitely not the gloves for someone anal about stitching. lol. The zippers are kinda useless in a way. Once you zip them up, they are hard to unzip with the gloves on. lol. They are unlined and not very warm. I think they would be better for a bike with heated hand grips. They were rather soft, but nowhere near as soft as the deerskin ones.

 

[roadking04]

I tried to post some close ups of the leather and stitching. The gauntlet ones are supposed to be from their comp. weight leather, but I don't think it is. The gloves were rather soft from the get go and not super thick.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Nice gloves! Deerskin doesn't feel tough but they last forever. Gets soaked and dries without shrinkage.

You might be able to get Vanson to repair those bones gloves under warranty. Doesn't hurt to ask. Postage is not a lot for gloves. They might just send you new pair.

 

[yellowfever]

+1 for Held full kangaroo leather gloves based on the reviews they get and the proper scientific CE testing they pass (as all proper bike gloves in EU must now do). Not cheap, but they may well be my next gloves.

By the way, CE testing includes things like testing the gloves will stay on your hands in a crash. Personal choice of course, but all those folks who love casual leather work gloves and think they’re protected by tough leather forget that that won’t do them any good if they’re ripped off their hands in a crash…

Apart from Held, my current Racer “hi racer” gloves are a good option. Racer also not a cheap brand (and they’ve gone up a lot tho’ still not quite as expensive as Held) and they’re cheaper than hand surgery. They’re a long established brand with a solid history of good reviews/testing results. They are also very popular with UK club racers who pay for their own kit and who real world test them in crashes over the season, so those guys should know…

The Racers are not (full) kangaroo leather, but the Hi Racer ones I have have kangaroo palms. So you get the thinner kangaroo leather for better feel on the palm where you most need it without compromising safety as kangaroo has the most abrasion resistance of any leather. They’re comfy once broken in, have the essential Knox scaffold slider to reduce the chances of snapping your wrist in a crash, carbon fibre knuckle armour and a fourth and fifth finger bridge to reduce chances of doing a Barry Sheen and losing your vulnerable little finger… Racer also do plenty of cheaper shorter gloves for a more subtle look easier to stick in a pocket when off the bike…

On warmth, I’m +1 for heated grips. I resisted for years including during periods of year round commuting, trying bulky winter gloves, bar muffs and in extremis stopping for petrol just to put my gloves on the exhaust pipes whilst I did so, so I could feel my hands again… I finally gave in and got heated grips and they really are the answer (if your battery/alternator can cope - most can these days, just make sure you wire them to a circuit that’s only live with the ignition turned on so you don’t accidentally leave them on when you stop and flatten your battery). Heated grips mean you can wear gloves with good feel and better control more of the year whilst having warm hands that work properly… so it’s good for both safety and comfort…