Rev’It’s Sand dual sport gear is pretty popular stuff, so naturally, they decided to come out with a matching pair of gloves. I got a set of their Sand Pro gloves to try this summer; here’s how they worked out.
The details
These gloves are made of a mixture of man-made synthetics and leather. The leather keeps you safe (it’s in the impact areas, palm and fingers) and the synthetics keep you cool. They’re made for heavy action in hot weather (think dual-sporting, across a desert), so they’ve got a short cuff, so you don’t get sweaty wrists. Because, who wants sweaty wrists? Nasty ….
Instead of the hardened knuckles seen on many gloves for protection, the Sand Pro gloves have rubber armour. The gloves have Velcro closure on the wrists, so they’re quick to get on and off.
The Rev’It Sand Pro gloves retail around $120 online.
How they worked out
I put a lot of miles on these gloves this summer, and I didn’t expect them to hold up. Because there’s no hard armour, and because they’re so light, I just didn’t think there was that much substance to them.
I was wrong.
Thousands of kilometres later, these gloves are just as sturdy as the day I first pulled them on. Sure, some of the textile material is a bit fuzzy, but the stitching is all intact and the leather is nowhere near worn through. Nothing’s frayed on the gloves. My fingers aren’t poking through any torn seams, and I fully expect the gloves would hold up well for another season.
The gloves aren’t anywhere near as sharp-looking as when I first got them; the white leather and fabric has picked up some stains. But plenty of the adventure-riding crowd looks on that sort of grimy schtick with an approving eye. If you haven’t ridden the Paris-Dakar, or even the Paris-Dacre, you might as well look the part.
These gloves aren’t warm, and they aren’t waterproof. That’s fine, because they aren’t intended to be. They’re supposed to be lightweight and breathable, and they do a great job of that. At speed, they flow plenty of air through the mesh fabric, and after a summer of hard use, they aren’t grotty or nasty-smelling. Another bonus of light weight is that if you do get them wet, they dry fairly quickly – much better than some waterproof gloves I’ve owned that kept as much water inside as they kept out.
All in all, I’d say these are a well-designed pair of gloves. They might not offer the same protection as a set of carbon-knuckled track gloves, but they’re a comfortable pair of gauntlets with padding in the right places, made from materials that are up to the rigours of the road.
The only question is – are they worth $120? If you really do want to ride around the world, that’s a lot of money you could put in your travel budget. And there would be nothing more stupid than blowing your savings on adventure riding equipment, then not being able to afford your adventure …
GALLERY
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I started using Mechanix gloves in hot weather, synthetic so they dry fast and wick sweat, durable, and you can get different levels of protection and airflow. I have a very high air flow pair for really hot weather and a more armoured version for regular summer weather. 1/5 the price.
For years, I used to ride in nothing more than a pair of leather Dakota work gloves from Mark’s Work Wearhouse. I’d saturate them with Vaseline every once in a while, and let them dry. They looked grungy but they’d repel quite a bit of rain that way, and they never ever wore out.
Trying to get rid of the image of you in nothing but a vaseline covered pair of leather gloves …
Errrrr … agreed, that was poorly worded. Let’s clarify that I also wore clothes.