racing gloves, with experience

[TheIglu]

Jay,

I have been using Olympia Kevlar Armored gloves for years. Same pair of gloves for track and street duty. When I go racing, I take them with me. Done racing, they go back into my street helmet for everyday usage.

Since you've known me, I've had two pairs. That includes crashing on the street once and on the track three times. After 4 years they were spent and I got a new pair. I have since given the spent ones to a friend in need (had a small hole on the side of one finger from my last crash at the track) and he has been using them for a year. Crashed twice in them and still only that little hole on the side.

Cheap too, I think I paid $40 on sale both times, just gotta wait till the time is right. Worth a shot at trying out for the money if you can find them cheap.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...or-Gloves.aspx

[OreoGaborio]

Oh yeah... the LEFT palm on my GP Plus and GP Pro gloves wore through & tore in a season w/o the palms ever even seeing the pavement, it happened just through normal use.

BUT there's no way the palms on the GP Techs are gonna wear through prematurely like the other ones. It has a very different palm design.

[eboos]

Out of the 2 pairs that I have and had crashed in, I would rank the Held Phantoms as best and A* GP Tech as worst. The GP Techs were only 3 weeks old when I burned a hole in the palm from my first crash. My skin was pretty much saved, aside from a nickle size rash where the hole was. I now use them as my minibike gloves. The seams are starting to give now. These are now 3 years old.

The Held Phantoms are going on their third season this coming year and everything is as they should be. The finger tips are showing some wear, but that is it. The seams are still together.

[OreoGaborio]

yeah the techs have since been redesigned... The new palms are pretty beefy, especially on the heel of the hand, but doesn't get in the way of feel.

[CEO]

I had a pair of Alpinestars GP Pros. They were pieces of shit and seams started coming apart simply from normal (and minimal) everyday use. After a minor lowside in 3 they held up alright but some of the seam issue was furthered. I sold them.

I have tried on many race gloves. Just based on the visual construction quality I made a decision on a replacement pair.

I have Held Phantoms now. I've crashed them. They (along with the spidi pentas) are the best made gloves on the market.

The astars GP pros seemed of decent quality when I tried them on as well but I don't trust them after my bad experience.

EDIT:
A lot of the cheaper gloves are good bang for the buck but you can see the corners cut in stitching and construction to achieve that cheaper price. On a budget they are a good deal, though.

Personally, boots and gloves are something I refuse to skimp on. Feet and hands are far too critical to everyday life as well as racing to cheap out. Think about how a little trouble with your hand or foot can ruin your ability to ride or just do everyday stuff.

For example the other day I stabbed my right hand with some safety wire. It's still bugging me even though it was a small injury. I've had to rub one out with my left hand for almost a week now.

Same with my ankle which I've broken and has screws in it. I want the utmost protection for it.

Spend the cash on a top shelf pair of boots and gloves.

[eboos]

For example the other day I stabbed my right hand with some safety wire. It's still bugging me even though it was a small injury. I've had to rub one out with my left hand for almost a week now.

Perfect reason to protect your hands.

[CEO]

^glad we're on the same page here

[Brian675]

Looking for glove opinions for those with experience with them, not those who like the colors and think the gloves that they have and only ones they've tried are the best.

Here are what I've used and my opinions of them.

Worst - vanson gloves, the leather disintegrated without even crashing, just melted away.
2nd worst - Held, one crash and they were torn to shredds without even being extensively impacted to the ground
3rd - motophoria, worked good, pretty comfortable, the cuffs tore just from pulling them on
3rd/tie - Spidi TRE Composite, single pitbike race crash and the leather tore like a sheet of paper
best so far - $30 tourmaster guantlets from new enough - still holding up good, leather has gotten a bit hard, dye leaks onto my hands when they're wet or from sweating. Kind of typical for me, I was told due to the PH of my skin for suits and gloves to bleed on me, but it still sucks.

I need new gloves, educated opinions pleasse

People rave about those gloves. Guess they haven't really used them...yet.

[CEO]

People rave about those gloves. Guess they haven't really used them...yet.

i crashed mine. they are awesome gloves.

[Pittenger5]

People rave about those gloves. Guess they haven't really used them...yet.

Guess 4 out of the 5 people on this thread that say they're awesome are wrong.

No matter what the gear and how much you spend on something, theres always a case where somethings going to go wrong. Either you get a glove made at 4:55 on a Friday afternoon, or a stitch is missed, or a bad piece of leather, theres always a worst case. You just gotta play the odds.

[Awesome]

Guess 4 out of the 5 people on this thread that say they're awesome are wrong.

No matter what the gear and how much you spend on something, theres always a case where somethings going to go wrong. Either you get a glove made at 4:55 on a Friday afternoon, or a stitch is missed, or a bad piece of leather, theres always a worst case. You just gotta play the odds.

The problem is someone goes and buys them rides around the block then tells the world they're the best ever built because they own them, they spent the most money on them, and they have no idea what they're talking about.

That is why any arguement that states, these are the best ever get instantly discredited in my book, hence CEO's advice is out. Universal statements do not exist in this world, every, never, always, only, best because i say so.

[CEO]

I formulated my opinion that they are the best gloves on the market by trying on (or buying and wearing, or buying and crashing) and inspecting practically every glove currently offered, Jay.

[Pittenger5]

The problem is someone goes and buys them rides around the block then tells the world they're the best ever built because they own them, they spent the most money on them, and they have no idea what they're talking about.

No discrediting what you say, and I agree. Just you had a bad experience, and then Brian says everyone raves about these, but because one person had a bad experience they must be crap. He basically ignores the positive reviews of at least a couple people here and takes one persons experience. Thats fine if thats how you want to judge things, it makes no difference to me what anyone wears.

[CEO]

Plus, I know a LOT more people than those four who wear, race, and crash Held Phantoms and refuse to use anything else...

From what I have seen the pentas are comparable as well

[Awesome]

I formulated my opinion that they are the best gloves on the market by trying on (or buying and wearing, or buying and crashing) and inspecting practically every glove currently offered, Jay.

Obviously you did. Do you have a house in the south of spain with a room soley for your gloves?

[CEO]

Why create a thread asking for an opinion if you have already formed your own and discredit everyone else's?

[Awesome]

Why create a thread asking for an opinion if you have already formed your own and discredit everyone else's?

I started the thread for advice and experience.

I'm not interested in hearing, 'these are the only option if you want a good glove', 'these are the best on the market', 'you have to buy these'. I'm not attacking you, I'm telling you that I ignore those statements. And you're mad, why, because I don't accept your word that held gloves are the best on the market after my personal hands on experience with them?

[Kitt]

Why create a thread asking for an opinion if you have already formed your own and discredit everyone else's?

hestheoracle was ripping gloves when you were still in diapers (there jay, saved you the hassle)

[Punjistick]

The fingers on both hands of my MotoGP Nitrous gloves blew open after only one crash and I wasn't going that fast. I'm not a fan of having the stiching on the outside of the glove. I know it makes it more comfortable but I think it's easier to get abraided in a crash.

[Awesome]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZIbwwGSC4A

[JRide]

My Held Phantoms are going on 3 yrs old now and at the last TTD I noticed I had a hole in the thumb. Never crashed... not exactly sure why this happened. I'm thinking just regular wear and tear. The roo is paper thin in the thumb area. I'll take a pic and post it later on.

I never really thought about the pH idea but it makes sense.

Tony also mentioned it could have something to do with riding with them in the rain? I've gotten caught out in the rain quite a bit over the past couple of years with them.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

Why is this so complicated

There are Tens of Thousands Of racers who all wear Gloves in every Race, Is it that hard to find good ones?

[ultraTwist]

I like the expensive Teknic.

[eboos]

My Held Phantoms are going on 3 yrs old now and at the last TTD I noticed I had a hole in the thumb. Never crashed... not exactly sure why this happened. I'm thinking just regular wear and tear.

That is pretty much the same thing that is happening on the tips of my fingers on my left hand glove. My right one is fine, and I figure that I am using my brake a lot more then my clutch.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

I like the expensive Teknic.

I have Those as well The Speedster I think Nice gloves Very comfortable All only rode them around the block about 150 times So I can't recomend their crash worthiness