Glove Love
Martin loves his gloves Yes he does, love the gloves One pair, two, four gloves in all Top to bottom dollar Gloves to fit you all.
This is the bottom-of-the-line Teknic street glove, but it doesn't look, feel or function like one. Such is the state of advancement in global competition that this made-in-Pakistan glove is easily the equivalent in quality to similar models that would have sold for much more money just a few years ago.
The Chicane model tested (2004 non-studded Blue/White) is well made, fits well, and is very comfortable. It does not have quite the feel or dexterity of more expensive gloves but it works more than acceptably well. The Chicane is made of goatskin, which is more supple than cowhide, so a thicker glove (which the Chicane is) works as well as thinner gloves made of other materials. No carbon fiber, Kevlar or other hard armor but the Chicane is generously padded everywhere you'd expect and has an extra layer of leather in all abrasion zones.
Teknic Chicane Glove (2004 model, purchased locally for $24.99. Original MSRP, $44.99.)
The ergos for the Chicane are great. After a very brief break-in period they fit, well, like a glove. The elastic around the wrist and wrist strap are particularly well thought out for an economy glove. The leather seems to be well impregnated with dye so no blue hands in the rain so far. The assembly is meticulous with double-sewn seams throughout (although the thread itself seems to be of questionable quality).
Overall two big thumbs up for the Teknic Chicane. It's a quality glove at a price that can't be beat. It comes in a variety of color combinations and has the boy/girl racer look that's currently all the rage. Easily one of the best values we've seen in a street glove.
The Joe Rocket Speedmaster glove is as serious as a it gets in the protective equipment genre. This pair of gloves, several seasons old, is a veteran of two years at Willow Springs Raceway and several sport tours. They are remarkable gloves that have proven to be durable, comfortable, reliable and amazingly functional beyond their intended narrow scope. In the right conditions these gloves are the preferred method for protecting my hands in almost every streetbike application.
The Speedmaster glove features a 1.0 mm cowhide top, a Pittards™ armor tan palm, molded vent system, molded carbon knuckle and thumb protectors, a heat and abrasion resistant aramid liner, a wrist strap and a single Velcro™ wrist closer, and a double leather wrap-around palm for even more protection.
You can still get Joe Rocket Speedmaster gloves, currently in the 5.0 iteration. I recommend them very highly for racing or performance-oriented riding. They are incredibly supple and one can almost remove a gas credit card from a wallet while wearing them. Even though these are very focused gloves -- the intent being on crash protection -- they are comfortable enough for everyday use as long as it's not raining or cold, in which case the vents become an extremely inconvenient feature. Fit, performance and function are basically flawless.
Joe Rocket products are usually well designed (and these are no exception) but quality control is sometimes an issue. I lost one of the wrist straps very early on but the fit is so good that I never worried about it. I did have to have a seam on one of the gloves re-sewn, but in all fairness these gloves have seen a lot of use. Two thumbs up!
More by Martin Hackworth
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