Troy Lee Designs GP Glove

The GP glove is another in a long line of good-looking pieces of mountain biking apparel from the well-known helmet artist, Troy Lee. What he's managed to achieve with the GP glove is a really versatile blend of DH levels of armour and protection, but with a trail glove weight and fit.

Troy Lee is known for his unique and popular style and it's no surprise that the GP Glove is a good looking item. Masses of chunky, rubberised armouring panels line the back of the glove with visual appeal. Yet this huge amount of protection (8 or 9mm deep in places!) is notched and well spaced, offering bags of flexibility and comfort while losing none of its protecting properties. Occasional tree smacks barely register and bigger crashes leave you wondering how much of a mess your hands would have been without them.

Occasional tree smacks barely register...

Speaking of crashes, the quality and build of the glove is fantastic. Our test sample comes out of the washing machine looking brand new each time. Having seen plenty of action both in use as a full-time trail glove and for daily commuting duties - it hasn't had an easy life. And crash damage just doesn't register! Even the gorgeous single layer Clarino leather palm just seems to shrug scrapes off nonchalantly. A real credit because you'd never expect such a soft and comfy glove to stand up to so much abuse.

Troy Lee claims that the GP Glove is, "painstakingly designed to mimic the human hand as it rests on the handlebar". This might sound a little over the top and just marketing speak, but in use it's such a comfortable, snug and tactile glove which gives a really precise feel on the bars. A lot of gloves focus on ergonomic padding, but there's none of that here in the GP Glove and it's all the better for it; this glove is purely for precision pilots!

This glove is purely for precision pilots!

At £30 the GP Glove is actually good value as it'll outlive many cheaper offerings and even some pricier pairs. Comfort and fit is second to none and the level of protection on offer, with no sacrifice to comfort, is a real bonus. It only fails to score full marks because of a few very minor points. The armour makes fishing keys/change out of your pockets difficult as the ridges catch on the pocket lips, meaning you nearly always have to remove the glove to do anything.

Also the snot/sweat patch could also be a lot more generous and the mesh material either side isn't the comfiest to rub across your forehead when you 'over-wipe'. And finally, on longer xc rides the lack of palm padding and other ergonomic features might bother a few riders, but really this is a glove that makes no bones about its intentions as an out and out speed freak's glove and should be forgiven for this.

Light, tactile and superbly protected glove with good looks to boot!

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