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Swift carbon-pro race gloves
rrp £89.99
I’ve had these gloves for just under a year (had the good sense to buy them in
an autumn sale for £45). I’ve worn them as often as the weather’s allowed, but I’m still a little unsure
about them in some ways.
Construction
The gloves are of extremely thin leather of obvious high quality. They are held together with kevlar thread and
are double stitched in all the places that count, the fingers are pre-curved. There is the obligatory suede strip
on the inside of the first finger and thumb and a reflective logo at knuckle and cuff.
Protection
Apart from the base leather, protection is provided by a double layer of leather over the upper half of the fingers
and the palms. The layer on the palm also wraps round over the edge of the hand, further protection is provided
by woven carbon inserts over the first and second finger joints with a thick padded flap over the knuckles. There
are four foam inserts covering the back of the hand and another larger one on the cuff covering the wrist bone.
I am very confident in the protection provided for the upper side of the hand but somewhat dubious about the abrasion
resistance on the inside of the fingers.
Fastening
The gloves are held in place by elastication at the wrist and a large velcro flap around the cuff. The dimensions
of the gloves cuffs mean there not really suitable to wear over a jacket. If you try to fit the gloves over a jacket,
as there is no wrist strap, I doubt that the cuff strap would be enough to hold the gloves on if the worst came
to the worst. In the interest of safety these gloves are definitely best worn under the jacket.
Comfort
I find these gloves immensely comfortable, there is no lining yet none of the seams are noticeable and the thin
leather means feel & feedback is at an optimum. There are no vents but they strike a happy medium temperature-wise,
no problems with overheating and if it turns a bit cool they keep the worst of the chill at bay. Waterproof? no
promises given, no lies told, but if you are caught out thin leather will dry out pretty quickly.
Looks
Without a doubt I think these gloves look the business, I’m not sure how good the carbon inserts are for protection
but they look great, the perfect accessory to go with your favorite little black number.
Summary
As I said at the start I am not 100% sure about these gloves, the fact they can only be worn under the sleeve will
be a downer for some (I’m fine with it but I know a lot of other bikers hate wearing gloves this way). The main
reason for being leery of the gloves is the possible lack of abrasion protection on the inside of the fingers.
For looks & comfort alone I’d give them 10 out of 10 but taking into consideration the two points above I’d
have to take the overall rating down to 3.5 out of 5 'spanner' rating..
If you have any specific questions you can email me at phils.hoose@ukgateway.net
Phil
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