summer gloves

These ultra lightweight, female-specific track mitts from Prendas Ciclismo are intended to appeal to female riders who don't particularly like wearing gloves, but are looking for just a little bit of extra comfort for their riding.

The design reputedly came about as a direct result of Prendas' sponsorship of the Horizon/Matrix Fitness Women's Cycling Team in 2011, and the fit is intended to cater to the different proportions of the female hand.

The Castelli S Rosso Corsa gloves are a neat, well-ventilated option for summer riding.

There's nothing fancy about these Italian-made gloves but they do a straightforward job well and they're cheap to boot.

The lowers are hugely breathable polyester mesh with foam padding across much of the palm, the base of the fingers, and the area between the thumb and the forefinger. The padding is low profile and low tech but it has provided enough cushioning to avoid numb fingers throughout testing. You might want deeper padding for extra comfort on long rides.

These New Generation mitts from Prendas Ciclismo manage to combine being light and airy with a generous amount of effective padding. We like them a lot.

These elegant racing mitts from Swedish kit masters Craft are stylish and understated. At least, they are at the moment. I'm not sure how the gleaming white mesh will cope with a mid-ride wheel change or emergency chain splitting incident. Of course, if you're sensible you can always take them off and there are some handy removal loops between the fingers to assist you there. Alternatively, you could just buy them in black instead.