Doing it all the hard way...

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Specialized BG Body Geometry Comp Glove Review


The right hand glove may look a little Frodo-esque, but I can assure you, they come equipped to handle all your digits.

Little pick..
A glimpse of the glove whilst snacking.
On my trip of a lifetime to France one short month ago, after KLM lost my feakin' luggage, I was forced to buy what I could not borrow. I needed a pair of gloves and there wasn't a big selection at the tiny bike shop at the foot of Alp d'Huez, but there were options. In the end one option was a pair of Assos gloves that looked cool and had some pretty sparse padding. The other contender was a pair of Specialized BG Comp gloves. The Specialized gloves appeared to be much more protective. With several long days in the saddle ahead of me, I opted to go with the near "body armor" look of eye Specialized gloves. Even though the Specialized gloves cost forty percent less than the Assos, they looked to be the better option.

The first target is usually achieved in the store, fit and comfort. These fit my paws well without any loose spots or tight areas. I have to be able to move everything and feel like they are not even there when my hands are in a neutral position (the hands on hoods position). If a glove doesn't pass this test, they stay in the store.

The next criteria is padding. I hate bulky padding. For my eyes, if I see the padding is rounded, I don't even put it on. If I see a pad that is semi uniform across its width, I am quick to make friends with the gloves. I usually like thin padding and while these had thin to medium padding, it was across the bulk of the palm. There was a welcome vent of mesh in the middle of the palm. Cool. Literally.

The back of the glove was a white (pro) open mesh with Velcro closure. Something I really like is when I can fold over the Velcro to allow more venting (and an odd tan line). Velcro that is on the inside of the wrist is not my favorite and these avoid that pitfall.

On the bike they fit perfectly, with no slipping around or hot spots. The nose wipe worked to smear the sweat away from my eyes. The venting was impressive and I couldn't ask for anything more while riding.

When my long days of riding ended, getting these off was a chore, but that can be considered the sign of a good fitting glove. Some gloves have a gimmick for getting them off. Little loops or tabs can make a big difference. I'm not about to buy a glove because they have some little tab etc., these have nothing and I bought them and am delighted with them. If they had a tab that made getting them off easier, they would be the perfect glove.

I'm giving these five of five Evos.

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