Skip to main content

Sealskinz Dragon Eye MTB Ultralite gloves


Sealskinz are best known for their waterproof winter attire but these lightweight gloves are designed for fair weather riding. A super-fine stretch mesh fabric is used on the back, which makes them particularly cool in hot conditions, but offers little protection on overgrown trails. The synthetic palm doesn’t stretch and is surprisingly tough – our gloves have stood up well to a few crashes during testing. Touchscreen-compatible sections on the thumb and index finger work well. Our only gripe is the feel on the grips. While our size large samples fitted us like, well, gloves, we found the palm didn’t give the best contact, especially when pulling up hard on the bar to manual. It’s nicely pre-curved but the stretchy back allows it to come away from the hand slightly in these situations. It’s not the end of the world, but similarlyventilated gloves such as the 100% Celiums have a more secure feel.

Price $45
Labels

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.

READ MORE >>

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

READ MORE >>

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.

READ MORE >>

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.

READ MORE >>

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

READ MORE >>