Best Hot Weather Glove
 

We are to purchase some new gloves for our Africa trip and would like some input that can ease our selection.

To me the perfect gear is not necessarily the "safest gear" in its original context. If the safety gear is too uncomfortable or impractical, I always get a little relaxed in using it, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place. Also, fighting uncomfortable gear while riding can be a safety hazard in itself, as is becoming tired from being uncomfortable for lengths at a time.

As such, my gloves need to be a compromise of safety, comfort and convenience. Although I am not made of money, I try not to let it become an issue when choosing safety gear. Eventhough looks are not overly important, when all other performance attributes are similar among available choices, I may chose to pay more for the one that looks ok.

Any suggestions or comments?

As no one has yet replied to this post, I will try to narrow it down a bit.

Any comments about neoprene and how this material performs in heat relative to other materials(the stuff that wet suits are made of).

I have lately cosidered the following two gloves:

Scotts summer enduro glove:
http://www.scottusa.com/i/images/pro...6154006071.jpg

Tophand
Airmesh/4 way stretch

Palm
Clarino palm with silicone application

Features
Mesh material for maximum ventilation
Velcro closure
Clarino side protection
Thumb reinforcement
Palm with ventilation holes and silicone print
Padded palm

Colors
Black/blue


And the SRE
http://www.scottusa.com/i/images/pro...6154006010.jpg

Tophand
Leather/neoprene/4 way stretch

Palm
Clarino with silicone application

Features
Leather/neoprene construction
ITD wrist strap
Finger protection
Ventilated knuckle protection
Side protection
Reinforcement palm
Thumb reinforcement

Colors
Black/anthracite


The first glove offers superior breathability

The last glove offers better impact protection and is made with neoprene.

Which one is more appropriate for an Africa trip? (I will be bringing rain mittens)

Last year I worn a pair of "Joe Rocket GPX" on my tour of the Baltic. Not quite Africa, but bear with me. These gloves have a plastic knuckle guard, very useful for those odd days of rain in Norway. But, they also have ventilation holes along the sides of the fingers which were useful when the temperature hit 30+C in Finland. I did find that putting the jacket over the gloves improved ventilation up the arms. Another idea maybe would be to adapt the hand guards on the bike to improve air flow over the hands. Holes drilled in the hand guards?

I have a set of Frank Thomas gloves that sound like the type baswacky has. They were fine around Northern Australia (40+C degrees).

They didn't take to me dousing them with water to tighten my exhaust very well, but I'm sure the extra holes burned through the lining are more "sporty".

--Dave

The BM GS gloves look very like the second set. the knuckle scoops work well - v cold in UK winter !! In temps to 42 in South America they were excellent. Done about 13,000+ miles and like new. £45 odd. recommended. (if you don't mind BMW logo of course) As thin, you will develope Calluses on palms - no jokes please - but after while you harden up....oh stop it please ! ;-)

I used Aerostich Elkskin gloves across Africa. Not too bad in the heat (they seem to soak up sweat which evaporates as you go along - quite good cooling). Also very comfortable, cheapish, compact and they don't make you look like a robot.
Not a lot of impact protection, and they don't like being urinated on (don't ask).

supermoto gloves
 

i like the new range of "supermoto" gloves coming out recently, they seem to be up-armoured enduro gloves with plenty of ventilation, usually with mesh and vents all over them. not much wrist protection because the cuffs are short or non existant, but all the ones i try on are very comfortable and feel like proper sports gloves without the wrist.
prices vary from market stall cheap to saville row ridiculous, as with all bike gear these days. up to you what somethings "worth", its a very subjective thing, value.

I use a pair of cheap gardening gloves - rough leather which should provide some protection, though I haven't tested that yet. They don't last forever but you can buy 10 pairs from the price of some pukka summer gloves.

Hi Wheelie,
I like your attitude to 'safety' equipment!
I bought a pair of Hein Gerick 'Taureg' gloves that are really light (and cheap!) and probably offer little protection but I found them comfortable in very hot temps in Iran.
You could also go into a mountain bike shop and look at the gloves they sell for downhill mountain biking. I used to use a set for summer motorbiking and they were extremely comfy even in very hot weather.
The safety conscious folks will no doubt be rolling their eyes at these suggestions though!
Matt

Before you bin the idea of leather gloves, try using a leather punch to make your own vents - particularly between the fingers! If done neatly there is no real reason they shouldn't be just as touch as new; after all, most race leathers these days come vented and they don't fall apart.
Another useful tip for the heat is pour a bottle of water into your helmet before puttting it on; the slightest breeze makes a world of difference!
Chris