TLD XC glove

With a death grip that’s destroyed brand new gloves in a single ride, nobody is more suited reviewing gloves than I am… Of the thousands of mountain bike gloves out there, I can pretty easily discard 90 per cent of them on first sight. There are a few fundamentals you’ve got to get right with gloves, and if they aren’t there, no point pulling them on. The Troy Lee Designs XC gloves has all the basics right and more, with cool styling and a great colour range.

Your hands are the most important contact point you have with your bike. You use them for the vital functions – steering, braking, and changing gears, so while you need to protect them, you also need to make sure that as much ‘feel’ as possible is transmitted through your gloves. The Troy Lee Designs XC glove works because there’s no bulky padding or gel inserts. With four-way stretch, these gloves fit smooth and tight across your hand.

Gloves need to work well in the rain and when you’re muddy and sweaty, so the bit of light, rubberised grip on your palm is welcome, as is the rubber pull tab on the wrist. You need to be able to get your gloves on and off without having to pull them inside out. If you’re still sitting trailside flapping around with them between segments of singletrack your mates are going to ride off without you.

Best of all, Troy Lee Designs manage to embed most of their range with a little hidden message to ‘pop wheelies’, and the XC glove is no exception. Make sure you try them on before buying and look for a snug fit.

By: Imogen Smith

From: Lusty Industries

RRP: $39.95|

Hits: Great feel, inspiring message

Misses: None