Product: Ground Effect Chipolatas
Description: Winter Riding Gloves
Price: NZ$49
Product Link: http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-CHI-ACC.htm
Reviewer details:
Name: Mel
Location: Hamilton
Rides: Sporadic, a few times a week, mostly urban jaunts
One Month Review:
First impressions upon opening the courier bag were that the Chipolatas looked really nice and understated – they don’t scream “bicycle gloves” like others do, so they would be okay for wearing when off the bike too. The Chipolatas are completely black/charcoal except for the white and orange Ground Effect logo embroidered on the cuff. They also have a little clip connector to keep the gloves together when stowing them in your bag.
The back of the hand and fingers/thumb are covered in “Windfoil” fabric – it looks and feels like microfleece. The palm and fingertips are covered in synthetic suede which looks like it would be hard wearing, but also feels quite soft and supple. The fingertips, edge of the index finger and outside of the little finger are also covered in this suede – I guess these are typical high wear areas.
Putting the gloves on, I found they fit nice and felt good. They seemed to curve well to fit my hand in a semi-grip position. The palm does bunch up a bit though, so time will tell if they give blisters when hauling on the bars. I noticed some pressure from the side seam on the right hand glove when making a fist, so again time will tell if this is a problem.
I was surprised the Chipolatas fit me so well – I usually buy women’s specific gloves to ensure they fit my slimmer hands. I got the small size Chipolatas, with my palm measuring 19cm (right in the middle of the 18-20cm size range for small). If your hands are smaller than 18cm, these gloves would probably feel too bulky.
When I gripped the bars I could still feel some bunching under the palm of my right hand. The left one didn’t seem to be bunching at all. The Chiploatas felt quite thick under my palms and between the fingers, but were soft and spongy so quite comfortable. I noticed that it was more difficult to hook my index finger over the brake lever, and the gloves generally felt a little restrictive due to their feeling so thick. These gloves are not really thick at all, it’s just that my preferred fair weather riding gloves are full-finger XC style, so the Chipolatas are just quite different to what I am used to. And if the gloves aren’t thick they won’t be warm. The Chipolatas are certainly warm – toasty warm.
I wore the Chipolatas on an urban ride on a day that was probably hovering around 10 degrees with a cold wind. I had considered not wearing the gloves because I thought I would get too hot, but it seemed like a good opportunity to test the potential for overheating. Well, the small bit of ankle that was exposed where my trouser leg was rolled up damn near froze! My nose was cold and the wind whistled past my chilled ears. Man I was glad I wore the Chipolatas - my hands were a perfect temperature.
So far the bunching in the palms has not been a problem. I have soft ‘office’ hands, so I was expecting a bit of rub from the seams but so far there has not been any rubbing, blisters or discomfort from the Chipolatas.
Over my subsequent rides, the ‘fat’ feeling of the gloves became less of an issue, so I am obviously getting used to them. I’ve got some slightly fatter grips on my bike at the moment, so I will change to some slimmer ones and see how that feels (the brakes levers are a bit of a stretch anyway).
On one cold morning ride, I discovered that the windfoil fabric feels very soft against your nose – and the thumb does a good job of mopping up the drips. I could feel a slight chill in my hands initially (mostly on the end of my thumb), but I soon warmed up and the Chipolatas keep my hands very warm.
Something I noted from the info on the Ground Effect webpage is that the Chipolatas can’t be put in the dryer, so choose your washing day carefully or be prepared to ride with wet gloves. Ground Effect also recommends washing the Chipolatas separately from your other clothes because the synthetic suede can stain other clothing. Incidentally, there is no care label in the gloves.
So far these gloves have been fantastic. Unfortunately the weather has not been so fantastic. Since I got the gloves, the temperatures have been mostly above zero in the mornings, or it has been wet - not the most ideal conditions for testing a pair of “winter riding gloves”. I even missed the snow at Whakarewarewa. I’ll see what kind of riding weather I can find for Part 2 of my review, due in a few months time (when it will almost be spring!).
Pros: Nice fit, feel and colour. Suitable for non-biking use. Very warm.
Cons: Washing and drying requirements. |
