Glove question

[ExarKunONe]

So I need a new pair of gloves and due to discovering how much better of a fit there is out there I'm not wanting to buy the poor quality <$100 ones anymore. My question is this, do more expensive gloves last the same amount of time? I'd be willing to spend $200 on a pair of gloves that fit me well as long as theyll last me two or three years. I worry though becuase as I do more trackdays I'm wanting to get the more racetrack oriented gear but all this gear says things like, "optimized for feel that the racers need" In boots and gloves does that feel come at the expense of long term durability? I wonder how long a pair of boots and gloves lasts someone of N8 or Brian's caliber. I simply cannot afford to be replacing more expensive gloves at a faster rate than I already do.

[PFFOG]

Held Phantoms, great street glove, one of the best track gloves, and I have not worn out a pair yet, My phantoms replaced a set 3 year old Helds with 20,000 miles and probably 20 track days, they are still in good shape, but the phantoms are better vented and just plain look cool and match the Replika.

[SergioK]

When it comes to my fingers, I honestly don't mind spending more $$$ to protect them and if that comes at a faster interval than cheaper gloves, then so be it. Think of it this way, if you lose a finger, would you rather have spent the $50-$100 more so you could keep it?

FWIW, I use Held Steve gloves. Had a relatively low speed off and they did the job great - metal sliders work! I like the doulbe velcro to keep them on too. I think Wheelie boy may provide better insight into better glove design too.

[R69S]

Held gloves are made with Cow, Kangaroo, and Stingray material. Many riders consider them to be "THE" best gloves available. I'm gonna get a set when I stop being a cheep-skate.

[markjenn]

Held are certainly good gloves, but I've had durability problems with my last couple pair and spending $235 for gloves that last a season or two isn't in the cards for me. And when Bike does their big glove tests every couple years, you never see any particular brand rise to the top - sometimes Helds are in the top third and sometimes they're in the bottom third.

My last couple pair have been $75-$95 Orinas and I've been very pleased with them.

- Mark

[bill pierce]

I have owned a pile of gloves over the years.

Right now I'm using a set of Lee Parks deer tours. They are not a race glove so I don't know just how well they would hold up is a serious crash. I do like them a bunch though. They are top quality, and the price is right

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by markjenn

Held are certainly good gloves, but I've had durability problems with my last couple pair and spending ......................
- Mark

There was some quality problems a couple of years ago as they started to outsource the middle and low line models, but my understanding is they have brought a lot of production back to Burgberg, Germany.

And as far as I know if you send them a pair of gloves that the stitching failed on, they will repair or replace them.

[AndrewA]

Although others have not had the same results, my five year old Held Alkira gloves still look new. They smell like ass; but they look great.

I paid something like $200.00 for them.

[ctd800]

+1 on the "two thumbs up" for Held gloves. I used to get $100 gloves that would last a season (25,000 miles). Helds last about 100,000 miles per pair and only cost about $200. Bargain!

Brands to stay away from: Joe Rocket and Icon. Absolute garbage!

Later,
M

[markjenn]

Originally Posted by Yeskino

There was some quality problems a couple of years ago as they started to outsource the middle and low line models, but my understanding is they have brought a lot of production back to Burgberg, Germany.

And as far as I know if you send them a pair of gloves that the stitching failed on, they will repair or replace them.

Maybe mine were in the bad batch. I sent the 2nd pair back to Held (the leather in palms had basically disintegrated) and asked for some consideration for a replacement as they were 18-months old and only had 10K miles or so. They're reply was that they were simply worn out, sorry.

- Mark

[shreddr]

Originally Posted by AndrewA

my five year old Held Alkira gloves still look new. They smell like ass; but they look great.]

You need to take your gloves off before using the porto cans....

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by AndrewA

Although others have not had the same results, my five year old Held Alkira gloves still look new. They smell like ass; but they look great.

My older oneswere starting to smell, so I used a trick that Lizzy leather recommends, I washed them in vinegar and water, the vinegar is suppose to neutralize the sweat , I dried them and applied effax leather balm, and they were soft, supple and did not smell anymore.

[bradzdotcom]

gloves can be overwhelmingly tricky. they're a whole science all by themselves.

kangaroo is stronger, thinner and lighter than leather, lambskin is comfortble but not too durable, leather comes in a wide range of thicknesses and quality.

when compared to helmets and boots, gloves are twice as hard to get a good fit.

look at your hands. short fingers, long fingers, fat fingers, thin.....wide palm, long hand, large wrist, etc all play into which glove is best for you.

size matters too. many moons ago my hand was used to establish the "middle" medium size for a JT racing glove. these days i have to wear large with most brands. my hands are the same size (i checked with an old JT pair), but the sizing has shifted over the years.

the really biggest factor to good gloves is your thumb and where it's located. you'd probably be surprised to discover how much thumb placement varies from rider to rider. the wrong glove for your thumb will prematurely come undone at the seams. and different glove manufacturers use different "rotation" of the thumb. properly built gloves have the thumb tunnel located in such a way as to make it comfortable while holding grips, uncomfy while holding a starbucks cup.

yet you always see people trying on gloves, and doing this "showtime!" spread hand, spread finger thing. WTF is that all about? do you ride that way?

next time you go riding, compare hands with your buddies. not just size, but the finger and thumb differences. it's really uncommon to find two people with the same dimensions. there's long fat fingers, short fat fingers, long thin, short thin, etc. toss in the placement of your thumb and the width of the palm and it becomes clear that hand sizes and dimensions vary drastically.

race enthusiasts know that riders have custom one-piece suits made for them. many top pros also have a foot mold for their custom boots.

the same holds true of gloves. an off the rack glove on a MotoGp rider just doesn't happen.

since we (okay, most of us, 'cept you of course) are NOT as fast as the really fast guys, we have to buy off the rack.

compare, compare, compare. different brands have different ideas. even within a brand, you'll find a different design approach, based on what the glove is destined to do: race gloves don't cut it for touring and visa versa.

the bestest gloves are the ones where the finger tunnels are just long enough so your fingertips don't hit the seams at the end, you can feel the same pressure throughout your palm and upper hand and your thumb is in the correct position for holding onto grips.

when the dimensions are out of whack for your hand, the gloves WILL start splitting seams, or bunching/folding (then cracking). you can buy the most expensive gloves out there, but if the fit isn't right, they'll probably only last a season before problems start showing up.

glove longevity is also maintenance associated. do you regularly use cleaners or conditioners like Lexol? probably not. probably should.

it's specialty gear. all of it. our jackets have the arms rotated forward, they're longer in the rear than the front, they have windflaps covering tank-like zippers.
our boots are great for riding, not so good for bowling.

of all our riding gear and it's quirks, gloves are the absolute hardest thing to find when you need just the right fit.

i probably have 15+ pair of gloves that i rotate through. there's one pair i really like in the summer, another pair with the thumb at tad off, but they're warm and retain dexterity.
all the other gloves have issues with my hands.

not good glove means no good love.

ps: keep an eye on what jim hale is doing with his mechanix glove line. the guy knows gloves from the old motoross days and he's not afraid to twist a thumb tunnel so the glove matches it's intended use. you'll be seeing more durable, leather-type gloves from him in the near future.

[sdaddy]

I agree with the other posts, Held is generally recognized as one of the best. Another option for the same (or perhaps even more $) is Ku****ani. I've had their GPS glove for almost 5 years now. Very comfortable and lots of protection. I'm ready for new gloves and will probably buy them again over Held due to my great experience so far.

[1100s nut]

My .02, I bought a cheap pair for a crosscountry trip...they looked great....blue and white, great posser gloves,lol. Well the first day a little rain, no biggie, that night I check in to the hotel my hands are purple like Barney. I just remember the recpt. girl staring at my hands the whole time. Long story short after 10 days/5000 miles the seams where opening. I returned then and got my money bad. Bought Helds (I don`t have the CF sheilds) about 4 years ago and maybe 20,000 miles they still look new. 2-3 times a year I give them a rub down with mink oil.

Lane

[Guest24]

If you have ever seen the fingers of someone who has had a get-off with a cheap pair of gloves, you'll spend the bucks on a good pair of Held's. Your hands are worth every penny.

[PFFOG]

Good testimony here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFHWUukNSnE

[cml748]

I've used Held gloves for several years and have had nothing but praise for them. It does sometimes take trying a few pairs before you get a set that fit properly, but when you do they are the best. I've tested them at over 100mph with damaged what so ever.

[markjenn]

Originally Posted by Nail24

If you have ever seen the fingers of someone who has had a get-off with a cheap pair of gloves, you'll spend the bucks on a good pair of Held's. Your hands are worth every penny.

The problem here is that a "cheap pair of gloves" may be expensive and vice versa. The people who have actually done some testing on gloves have found very little correlation between the price you pay for a gloves and the protection they provide. It's just like with helmets - generally expensive gloves give you better fit, better style, and better chance of dyes not bleeding onto your hands but not more protection. One school of thought is that you can match the protection of most $300 motorcycle specialty gloves simply by buying very heavy-duty welder gloves or construction worker gloves.

- Mark

[Guest24]

You're not going to get much feel through a pair of welder's gloves versus the 'roo gloves made by Held. Weld away Mark.