I'll start with a mini-noob-review of my first/only gloves to this point, Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbons:
Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon Gloves - RevZilla
As I said, these were my first/only gloves to this point. They have a lot of mesh and therefore flow a lot of air. The are great on hot days and provide a great tactile feel. I can easily manipulate the buttons on my SMH10R. However, aside from the carbon fiber knuckle protector, I didn't feel these would offer any significant protection in an accident/crash/slide/etc.
So as part of my new self-commitment to provide myself with the best protection I could reasonably afford, I started researching gloves. I narrowed down the list and decided on Dainese 4 Strokes:
Dainese 4 Stroke Gloves - RevZilla
I've been using them for almost 2 weeks now and to say I'm thoroughly impressed would be an understatement. They are a substantial upgrade over the A* gloves. Not that this should be unexpected at the price point. The leather is thick and sturdy. The combination of the knuckle protector and the underlying stainless steel plate leave no doubt that the back of your hand really couldn't have better protection. I thought the DCP joint on the pinky might be kind of gimicky. To test, without a glove on, I pulled my pinky to the side until it started to hurt. Didn't really take much until it was uncomfortable. Then I put the glove on and tried the same thing. I am unable to pull my pinky away far enough to cause any discomfort. I'm not saying you still couldn't rip it off going down, but I was surprised just how well it worked with me hossing on my finger. I had decided in my search I didn't want gauntlets. Reviews of the 4 Strokes from several people put them in the 3/4 range, which I would agree with. They are high enough I can tuck my jacket sleeve under and cinch down the strap. Is it enough to keep the sleeve from riding up in a slide? ...I doubt it, but it will help. Also, the goatskin palms provide an incredible sense of feeling. I can graze my palm/fingers lightly with something and it's almost like I don't have a glove on at all. The plastic slider on the palm also seems like it would do a great job of protecting your wrist bones (scaphoids?) in a slide.
Downsides? They are very stiff new. They are still loosening up, but the first couple days almost proved difficult to use them. I had trouble trying to feather the throttle. I suspect any good pair of leather gloves will be this way and they are getting a little better each day. We had a heat wave last week where several days in a row were 95+ degrees and heat indices in the 100-105+ range. Although there are perforations between the fingers, at the wrist cuff, and on the palm, these do not breathe much at all with your hands on the controls. My hands got warm and were sweating a little. It wasn't horrible or unpleasant, but nothing like the A*s I was used to. I did discover after dipping my hand to a few oncoming riders that the perforations on the palm actually work quite well. So keeping the clutch hand cooler is not an issue. Throttle isn't quite so easy, but on the down hills I'll clutch in and dip my right hand out in the breeze and it's better. I also wish the wrist strap would tighten up a little more. Cinched all the way with my Phoenix jacket sleeve tucked in, it's still not as snug as I would like. (Test fit with my new jack, to be reviewed later, provide a much better result)
Oh one other thing, they're pretty fawking sexy for a pair of gloves.
Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon Gloves - RevZilla
As I said, these were my first/only gloves to this point. They have a lot of mesh and therefore flow a lot of air. The are great on hot days and provide a great tactile feel. I can easily manipulate the buttons on my SMH10R. However, aside from the carbon fiber knuckle protector, I didn't feel these would offer any significant protection in an accident/crash/slide/etc.
So as part of my new self-commitment to provide myself with the best protection I could reasonably afford, I started researching gloves. I narrowed down the list and decided on Dainese 4 Strokes:
Dainese 4 Stroke Gloves - RevZilla
I've been using them for almost 2 weeks now and to say I'm thoroughly impressed would be an understatement. They are a substantial upgrade over the A* gloves. Not that this should be unexpected at the price point. The leather is thick and sturdy. The combination of the knuckle protector and the underlying stainless steel plate leave no doubt that the back of your hand really couldn't have better protection. I thought the DCP joint on the pinky might be kind of gimicky. To test, without a glove on, I pulled my pinky to the side until it started to hurt. Didn't really take much until it was uncomfortable. Then I put the glove on and tried the same thing. I am unable to pull my pinky away far enough to cause any discomfort. I'm not saying you still couldn't rip it off going down, but I was surprised just how well it worked with me hossing on my finger. I had decided in my search I didn't want gauntlets. Reviews of the 4 Strokes from several people put them in the 3/4 range, which I would agree with. They are high enough I can tuck my jacket sleeve under and cinch down the strap. Is it enough to keep the sleeve from riding up in a slide? ...I doubt it, but it will help. Also, the goatskin palms provide an incredible sense of feeling. I can graze my palm/fingers lightly with something and it's almost like I don't have a glove on at all. The plastic slider on the palm also seems like it would do a great job of protecting your wrist bones (scaphoids?) in a slide.
Downsides? They are very stiff new. They are still loosening up, but the first couple days almost proved difficult to use them. I had trouble trying to feather the throttle. I suspect any good pair of leather gloves will be this way and they are getting a little better each day. We had a heat wave last week where several days in a row were 95+ degrees and heat indices in the 100-105+ range. Although there are perforations between the fingers, at the wrist cuff, and on the palm, these do not breathe much at all with your hands on the controls. My hands got warm and were sweating a little. It wasn't horrible or unpleasant, but nothing like the A*s I was used to. I did discover after dipping my hand to a few oncoming riders that the perforations on the palm actually work quite well. So keeping the clutch hand cooler is not an issue. Throttle isn't quite so easy, but on the down hills I'll clutch in and dip my right hand out in the breeze and it's better. I also wish the wrist strap would tighten up a little more. Cinched all the way with my Phoenix jacket sleeve tucked in, it's still not as snug as I would like. (Test fit with my new jack, to be reviewed later, provide a much better result)
Oh one other thing, they're pretty fawking sexy for a pair of gloves.
