Skip to main content

Prologo Enduro gloves

Prologo Enduro gloves

These gloves are very pricey, but something happened – or rather didn’t happen – when I rode them: hand numbness. I’ve always had it – 10 minutes into sustained climbing and the tingling starts.

But after an hour of continuous climbing in these gloves, there was no numbness. I hold the CPC technology on the palms responsible. It’s basically a collection of tiny hollow rubber tubes that squish when compacted–it’s the same material used in Formula One racing seats for traction and vibration damping. These pads are thinner and less obtrusive than conventional foam, but offer superior damping and bar feel. Plus, the tiny nubs are supposed to massage the hand, increasing blood flow. It seemed a bit far-fetched at first, but it worked for me. Prologo is best known for its road saddles, but the Enduro gloves convinced me that these Italians know what’s up. The fit is true to size and tailored impeccably for my hands. The fingers are the perfect length and there’s no bunching in the palms. Construction is solid as well, with tidy seams. A thin mesh would ventilate better, but I prefer the protection and durability of more rugged materials.

PRICE 120$

Popular posts from this blog

Merida Big Nine 100

Wit the bikes swapped over, we head out on the same loop again, this time on the 29in Big Nine 100. Whereas the Big Seven was snappy off the line, the 29er takes a couple more pedal strokes to get up to speed. That said, once it's up there, it's easy to keep the big wheels rolling, allowing us to cover ground with ease. The fire road is at times a little rough, and the bigger wheels roll over the imperfections so we barely notice them.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

Chromag HiFi 35 (50mm) stem

This is a seriously solid stem. Chromag use 5mm Allen bolts throughout, which makes it that bit easier to fit because you don’t have to swap tools. Once torqued up to the recommended 6-8Nm, it clamps both steerer and bar solidly, with no appreciable flex. We couldn’t get it to twist on the steerer, either in our static test or when riding. It’s also available in a 35mm length and three other colours. At 204g the HiFi is the heaviest stem on test by some margin, despite being one of the more expensive offerings here. Price $112

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge