Editor's Rating
Good value, high quality materials, and a great fit for cyclists who don’t want padding or insulation. The ultimate long finger glove for racers who hate wearing gloves.
While some racers prefer to go without gloves for cyclocross or gravel racing, we’re a fan of gloves for both. Today, we take a look at the Giro Rivet II long finger cycling gloves. Are they the perfect gloves for cyclocross or gravel?
Sure, some of you don't like to wear gloves. To each his own. But in cyclocross, we don’t always stay upright, and being able to keep the skin on our hands, and later type up product reviews and cyclocross news after a ride is pretty important for most of us. And when the temperature drops, we appreciate the extra warmth long finger gloves offer, and for some, the manicures protection.
While riding longer gravel events, holding the hoods for multiple hours on bumpy terrain can cause blisters and callouses. And on these long rides, we shouldn't forget the sunburn risk gloves can protect us from—coating our entire hands in sunscreen doesn't always provide a wonderful grip on the handlebars.
While a bit of padding can make tires feel a few psi softer, gloves with minimal or no padding can provide better grip, road feel and dexterity.
With its Rivet II, Giro looks to offer a glove for those riders looking for protection without bulk padding. Giro's goal was to create a "glove practically disappears when you put it on," and in our extended tests, we have to say they succeeded. The glove is incredibly form fitting, creating an amazing fit as the cut and materials contour to your hand perfectly when you’re gripping the bars or hoods.
The cuff, without any velcro strap, is snug. While riders will need to squeeze their hand in the glove, there’s no velcro strap to catch on a skinsuit, jacket, or on your jersey pocket as you fish for your gel or phone to stop your Strava recording.
Speaking of phones, we were able to operate touch screens using the gloves with a bit of effort, using the ends of our fingertips. Giro calls this "Touchscreen Technology™" and it works, at least on Android devices. We assume it will work on iPhones, flip phones and banana phones.
The micro-vented Pittards Leather is so soft and supple that we were wondering if we can get a set of tubulars made from the same material. The mesh side panels and back of the glove offer breathability and venting, preventing your hands from becoming a sweaty mess on warmer days.
Oh, and that nose wipe on the back of the thumb? It's called by Giro a "Highly Absorbent Microfiber Wiping Surface." Pretty overkill and quite technical for a nosewipe, but simply put, it's one of the best our runny noses have felt.
Giro sure has come a long way since Jim Gentes' foam helmets from thirty years ago.
See the slideshow of the Giro Rivet II long finger cycling glove below.
Giro Rivet II Long Finger Cycling Glove Specs:
MSRP: $30.00
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XL
Colors: Black, White, Olive (tested)
More info: giro.com
The material at the back of the Rivet II was breathable, keeping our hands cool in the heat. © Cyclocross Magazine
