At a glance A brilliant value pair of high quality waterproof gloves for mild, wet and windy winter riding both off and on road with good reflective detail and features.
Tested by
Claire Maxted, tester for The Bike List
Performance
I wore these waterproof gloves for mountain biking and road cycling throughout winter 2011 and they proved themselves to be, in a word, awesome. The waterproof membrane and stretch-ripstop outer with durable water repellent finish takes care of both icy winds and freezing splashes from rain and puddles, and the soft inner insulation suits anything down to about zero degrees. For snowy conditions you would need a thicker glove, but for most wintery days where you’re working hard, the insulation level is perfect and cuts down on bulk so your fingers still feel dexterous as you reach for the brakes.
The comfort is excellent, with targeted gel padding on the heel of the palm and just below where your fingers start. There’s also a reinforced, slightly grippy area between the thumb and forefinger which makes it very comfortable when you grip the drop handlebars on a road bike. The padding also has either silicone grippers on it, or is covered with a suede-feel material that also grips nicely. There are also silicone grippers on the first and second fingers for extra purchase on slippery brake levers.
Getting the gloves on and off is easy with a grippy tag at the wrist, a stretch gusset, neoprene cuff and non-snag Velcro closure. When riding, although these gloves are black (great for muddy rides) it was very pleasing to see a large curve of reflective piping and a high vis Endura logo on the back of the little finger. It’s a nice touch, it doesn’t look out of place with the glove’s styling, and will keep you safer as you indicate left or right on the roads.
Winter always makes my nose run like nobody’s business so I always look for a nice comfy nose-wiping section on a cycling glove. With the Strike I definitely wasn’t disappointed as the whole of the back of the first finger and continuing down the back of the palm is a strip of towelling dedicated to just that. Luckily the gloves are machine washable at 40 degrees, so after a particularly snotty ride you can just chuck them in the wash!
I tested a size M, but I do advise you to try before you buy, as I thought I’d be a size S so I tried the smaller ones at first and they were too tight. The size M’s fit perfectly and my palm is 8cm across and hand is 17.5cm long, just to give you a bit of an idea, however there’s no substitute for trying a pair on. The thumb is the only digit where there is a lot of space at the tip of the glove, so I think I must have short thumbs! There is no problem with this when riding.
All in all, these are brilliantly low-bulk waterproof gloves with good reflective detail and mountain and road bike friendly features. If the temperature was below freezing you would probably want more insulation, but these are great for milder winter days, autumn and spring riding both off and on road. For £30 they are an excellent value product that should last for many years of riding.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
Endura says:
- Seam-sealed internal breathable waterproof membrane
- Stretch, wind-block fabric for dexterity and warmth
- Deep neoprene wrist cuff to secure best fit
- Reflective piping and logo for visibility
- Double fleece wipe pads
- Fast dry fleece inner
- Available In Sizes: S , M , L
