You Don’t Have to Ride Fixed to Wear a Fixed Shirt

Rapha Criterium Glove

Putting aside the obvious fact these gloves cost two body parts (an arm and a leg) to pamper your hands, Rapha's sniper-padded, open-knuckled Criterium gloves are the epitome of style. The fit gets better with age and with a careful hand wash every now and then I expect to get several seasons out of these beauties. Having seen the Continental boys give them a thrashing I know they can take it, but I'm reserving mine for special long rides and Sportives, when I need every boost a little extra style can provide.

The back of the thumb is covered in soft suede. No matter how much you're hurting you might think twice about using it to wipe your nose. I will.

Rapha Grand Tour Glove

Take the Rapha Criterium glove, upgrade the leather, perforate the back, ring and reinforce the knuckle cut outs and present it in pristine white and you have what arguably is the ultimate cycling glove. Certainly these say PRO even if our legs and bike handling do not. Rapha doesn’t stipulate any bar tape restrictions but these should come with a box of white tape and a white-tape-or-else warranty.

As you can see I've only got two hands and about two or three years worth of gloves to wear out. Somewhere along the line I'll find the right time to christen the Grand Tours, but it's going to have to be a very special occasion. Maybe I'll break them in gently, say watching a stage or two of this year's Tour wearing them, some pleasures you just don't want to rush.

Specialized BG Gel Glove

The long-fingered Gels are my favorite summer glove. I have three pairs of 07/08 Gels that have seen thousands of miles of riding, multiple washings and still feel good and perform well. There's definitely real science behind the BG (Body Geometry) designation that Specialized puts on its gear. Everything I’ve worn with the BG label (gloves and shoes) has been exceptionally comfortable and ergonomically sound. The 2009 Gel has beefier padding in the heel of the palm/base of the fingers, grippy polyurethane dots on the thumb, fore- and index- fingers and the full thumb wipe is soft enough to safely clean your fancy sunglasses (BR, those $6 safety glasses too).

Specialized BG Ridge Glove

Here's another nice glove from Specialized. In terms of overall feel this glove reminds me of the 07/08 Gel with an identical gel pad in the heel of the palm to protect the sensitive ulnar nerve (the one that turns our hands into numb meat hooks after hours in the saddle). Open mesh surfaces between the fingers add cooling for hot days and without being too tight, there's a nice stretch compression to the fit. The Ridge is my new go-to commuting glove.

Knog Ride Hard Glove

Meant to be ridden hard and put away wet is the short story on these lookers from Knog. They'll be sharing "Red" duty with a pair of Oakleys every time I wear a Rapha red jersey or pull on my red Lightweight Softshell Jacket. Cut from a slightly heavier goatskin leather with double stitching at all the strategic wear points and flash red suede inserts on the palms/crook of the thumb, these gloves from the boys in Melbourne rock. I've been wearing two pairs (black and white/olive) for a year and other than a little dirt on the white ones, they're still going strong. I've not washed either pair yet... but every few rides I rub in a little leather conditioner we've got sitting in the garage for the car. Works well.

If you sweat a lot, you'll probably have to give them a rinse more often. Just wash them on your hands, making sure if you use hand soap to really rinse them well (any soap residue will dry the leather and stiffen them). Hang them to dry away from any direct sunlight. While they are still damp put them on and stretch the glove back into shape on your hand. Again a little leather conditioner at this stage won't hurt.

Knog Eight Ball Glove

Another urban variation from Knog. The Eight Ball is basic black with white piping around the fingers and "8-ball" logo on the back of each hand. Suede inserts on the palm and perforated suede on the back of the thumb pad your grip on the bars and provide a soft wipe when you need to keep sweat out your eyes. Rapha Black Long Sleeve Jersey compatible.

Knog Fuck Off Glove

What a beautiful sentiment with almost universal appeal. Only Knog would have the stones and sense of humor to name a pair of gloves Fuck Off. Like the Ride Hards and Eight Balls these are cut from fine-grained goatskin. A suede inset on the palm adds padding and durability. The back of the thumb is white suede. I'd love to have been there when the design spec for these gloves reached the factory in China. There had to have been some cross-cultural head scratching.

Personally I was hoping for a very bold graphic presentation of the moniker; along the lines of Everlast boxing gloves, but Knog's treatment of the expletive is a restrained bit of heraldic fun. Pity, I fancied flashing my FO gloves at the next motorist who did something incredibly stupid.

Craft Power Wind Stopper Glove

I couldn't resist picking up this glove when Competitive Cyclist offered it at 50% off the in-season price. The glove looks great and fits me perfectly through the fingers, but getting it on is a real struggle. The neoprene cuff on this glove makes a velcro closure unnecessary (it might qualify as a NASA airlock). In fact I won't know till the fall and the first ride whether the compression is too much and it actually cuts off circulation. Hopefully a few rides will loosen the neoprene a touch and I'll have a fine pair fall gloves to keep the wind at bay.

Oakley Factory Pilot Glove

Oakley sunglasses are no stranger to the PRO peloton. Lance and George are just the first two names that come to mind wearing them. Turns out the company has a terrific lineup of gloves, starting with the Factory Pilot MTB glove I discovered last Fall. The Pilot is a great fitting, super comfortable synthetic with a nice compressive fit. Two bands of neoprene at the wrist and across the back of the hand eliminate the need for a separate closure. Unlike the Craft WS, the Oakley Factory Pilot is easy to slip on and doesn't overdo the compression.

The Pilot looks great with the Rapha Lighweight Softshell Jacket and anything else red. At $20 you're not going to find a better deal in a three season, full-fingered glove. Superb.

Oakley Golf Glove 3.0

I digress... having played golf with a single-digit handicap for more than 30 years, I've gone through a fortune in golf gloves. Early on I developed the unusual habit of wearing two gloves on my left hand. This started because I loved the feel of premium leather but couldn't afford to buy a new one every two weeks (ten rounds or so, I played a lot in those days). I figured out I could wear the leather glove inside a cheaper synthetic, so the outer glove took the wear and tear and the leather glove lasted twice as long. I got used to the thicker padding and feel of two gloves. When I started working and could afford a real two glove habit, it was cabretta leather inside and out. It never fails to surprise playing partners when they eventually notice I'm removing two gloves to putt.

Gripping a handlebar isn't that different from gripping a driver, but golf gloves don't come in pairs so you have to order left and right individually. Oakley's golf gloves offer the unmatched feel of premium cabretta leather. The fingers are pre-curved and vented, the thumb inset and vented. If you run gel under your bar tape, you'll have the best of both worlds (feel and padded comfort) with these gloves.

Lightweight and cool, I wear the Oakleys when the temp gets up into the upper 80s and beyond. It's nice to know if you happen to ride by a driving range you have the option to roll onto the practice tee and hit a large bucket.

Under Armour Golf Glove

Fifteen dollars for a premium leather glove is an incrediable value. My latest check on the Under Armour site, reveals a shortage of right hand sizes, so it may not be possible to assemble a pair at the moment. The sewn-in elastic at the wrist is narrower than the Oakley's so it's not quite as seamless. That one small deficiency is easily forgiven because this is an exceptional fitting glove; perfect finger length, synthetic heatgear webbing between fingers and a beautiful stretch mesh where the thumb is inset into the palm (I've not seen this on any other glove) round out another great glove worth riding in.