FOR the car drivers who moan about having to scrape a little ice from their windscreens, maybe it’s time they spared a thought for bikers.
(Writes Burton Mail motoring correspondant Stephen Sinfield on the Inter-Bike website).The only thing protecting the rider from the harsh winter elements is their clothing.
But it’s no use wrapping yourself up in the thickest mittens you can find as this clothing also has to be capable of protecting you from harm should you hit the concrete at 30, 40 or even 70mph.
Thankfully Weise has the biker at heart.
This British firm — named after the German word for wise — has been developing clothing for almost 25 years and so can be trusted when it comes to design and quality.
The Montana glove is far more than just an item of clothing and an in-depth look at the materials involved in its manufacture proves this.
If we look at warmth, the material most important for warmth in a glove is in the lining and the Montana breaks new ground by being the first motorcycle glove on the market to use 120 gram Thinsulate Supreme insulation. When it comes to insulation, you can’t get better than Thinsulate Supreme, the microfibre design traps more air and insulates better than traditional hollow fibre fillings.
To put this into context, my every day gloves use Thinsulate insulation but the weight rating on these is just 40 grams — these bike gloves offer three times the weight of insulation compared to a typical good-quality winter glove.
Also making up the vital interior structure of the glove is Hipora — a waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric.
When it comes to the outer shell, it is this that is responsible for not only keeping out the wind and the rain but protecting your hands in a fall. The outer fabric is a mixture of full grain leather and polyester. Reinforcement is visible on all moveable finger joints yet movement is ensured through the use of stretch fabric.
As an extra precaution against water ingress, the glove features a double cuff design. The inner elasticated nylon cuff is designed to fit under your jacket or bike suit. An outer storm cuff can then be tightened to the outer layers of your clothing using the elasticated pull cord. This pull cord is reliant on the plastic toggles which all so often come unfastened from clothing — it’s for this reason that the toggle features a sewn in securing cord. The idea with this storm cuff is that if water runs off your jacket it cannot enter through the cuff because of the elasticated inner cuff, while the outer cuff adds added warmth and wind protection.
It’s important to look at the taboo subject of hitting the deck. If you fall it is human instinct to put your hands out to cushion your fall.
The areas where your hands are likely to contact the concrete are called impact zones. These impact zones as you imagine are on the lower edge of your hand (in line with your little finger) and your knuckles.
These impact zones are double stitched with double thickness full grain leather.
We are not talking synthetic leather, this is 100 per cent genuine hide noted for centuries for its strength and flexibility. The distinctive feature on this glove is its high-strength knuckle protection. The knuckle area is moulded from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). This material is known for its abrasion resistance, high shear strength and high elasticity.
To help keep your glove firm and in position — especially during a fall — the glove features an additional adjustable leather strap held in place with Velcro.
Finally, to offer extra grip on wet and icy mornings, the palm section of the glove features a Chamude overlay panel for improved texture. And for visibility, sections of 3M Scotchlite piping around the back of the hand offer additional safety
I told you there was more to bike gloves than just a pair of thick mittens. So with all this technology in place, are the gloves any good? That job fell to friends who are more competent bikers and have had their hands in far more makes, styles and variety of glove.
The thumbs up was the response I received and although the gloves have been tested in far milder temperatures than we endured last winter, there is no doubt that the 120gram Thinsulate lining would keep you warm in all weathers.
The wind resistance is excellent yet not at the expense of movement as the gloves still offer full finger joint control. The double thickness leather impact zones and the TPU bodyshell knuckle protectors also favoured highly.
The gloves are available in five sizes ranging from small through to XXXL — an accurate size guide is online to help make sure you get a good fit.
And for the seasonal rider who may go weeks without kicking up their twowheeled treasure, the gloves come in a clear zipped plastic case complete with elasticated hanging loop — this makes an
ideal storage pouch for the gloves when not in use.
Article reproduced from the Burton Mail with kind permission of the author Stephen Sinfield.
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