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Endura Equipe Thermo windshield glove

8
£44.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Very comfortable and well-made gloves, ideal for spring and autumn rides when conditions are cold but not too wet. Not cheap though
Weight: 
65g
Contact: 
www.enduraequipe.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Endura Equipe Thermo Windshield gloves are made from a mix of fabrics including rubber, lycra, nylon and polyester - with a dash of leather thrown in - together creating a good quality product for spring and autumn riding.

We're testing size Large, and the fit is close with no bagginess, but not too tight thanks to the overall stretchiness of the material. This means the gloves are very comfortable indeed. The fabric on the outside (ie, the non-palm side) of the gloves is windproof, while the tight fit ensures a minimum of air around your fingers on the inside, which also helps keep your hands warm in cold conditions. In addition, gloves are long enough to properly cover your wrist, which further helps keep your whole body warmer.

Cold is one thing. Wet is another. The fabrics on these gloves definitely keep out the wind, and they're water-repellent, but they're not waterproof. If it rains hard, the water comes through. The tight fit ensures your hands stay reasonably warm for a while - similar to the principle used in wetsuits - and for gloves made of such thin fabric, the weather protection is surprisingly good. But these gloves are definitely for rides on spring and autumn days when conditions are cold but not too wet, and you need more than a pair of track mitts. For full-on winter riding you'd need more heavy duty gloves to keep out the rain more effectively, but these will inevitably be more bulky. As always with cycling kit, it's a question of balance.

Looking at some of the features of the Thermo Windshield gloves in more detail, while the fabric on the non-palm side of the gloves has a shiny surface to act as a wind barrier and help repel water, the fabric on the palm side has a soft rubberised feel to ensure a good grip on the handlebars. The main contact points on the palm area also have leather pads - a nod to Endura's off-road heritage - and the finger tips have dots of silicon to provide extra grip when taking a drink or reaching into your back pocket for a gel.

The back of the forefinger is made of even softer fabric, designed to wipe rain or sweat off your glasses, but this is rendered less effective by the plastic 'Endura' logo embedded in the fabric. Other features include a reflective strip along the outside edge of each glove, and a small tab on the wrist to help pull them on.

The Endura Equipe Thermo Windshield gloves retail at £45. It has to be said, this is on the expensive side for what you get. For the same kind of money you could get something more weatherproof. Alternatively you could get some similarly lightweight gloves for cool conditions for around 20 quid. What you might not get with cheaper models is the level of comfort provided by these gloves, or Endura Equipe's signature build quality.

Verdict

Very comfortable and well-made gloves, ideal for spring and autumn rides when conditions are cold but not too wet. Not cheap though.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Endura Equipe Thermo windshield glove

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Endura Equipe website says the Thermo Windsheild is a 'snug fitting windproof glove for cool and wet weather conditions'. The key word is here is cool; these gloves are excellent for dry days in spring and autumn, when weather conditions are not too serious, but you need more than a pair of track mitts..

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

As with all Endura Equipe kit, the quality of condtruction is excellent: all the seams are neat and the stitching is very tidy.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

In cool dry conditions these gloves work very weel. Ideal for those days when you need something just a biy more than a pair of track mitts.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

It's too early to say, but first impressions are of a very well-made piece of kit, likely to last a long time.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

For their svelte 65g these gloves provide a good level of protection against the wind. And if the weather warms up while you're out, and you take the gloves off, they're small and light enough to easily tuck in your back pocket.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

The gloves have many good attributes, but the price tag still seems to be on the high side.

Did you enjoy using the product? yes

Would you consider buying the product? not at full price.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? yes on performance, no on price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm  Weight: 11 stone / 70kg

I usually ride: an old Marin Alp   My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,

 

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