Galibier Crono aero gloves

To complement their Speedsuit, Galibier have launched these rather snazzy looking Crono aero gloves for those days when every second counts. There are a few competitors on the market but none seem to offer such a package that gets anywhere near this price.

Sticking straight out in front of you on the tri-bars the hands are exposed to the wind and while these haven't got the smooth profile of the 'flipper-like' Castelli Aero Gloves they are still a very tight fit with the lycra body finishing high up past the wrist. There are four sizes too so that you can get the fit as close as possible.

Unlike the Castellis though, Galibier have gone for some decently-thick padding. Padding isn't really that necessary in short distance time trials but if you go long distance you'll be thankful of it. It's deep enough to reduce road buzz but thin enough to not ruck up when being used on small diameter tri-bars.

Two strips run across the palm just below the fingers with another section positioned to support the ulnar nerve area. All pretty standard stuff but Galibier have shown a bit of clever thinking too. When in the time trial position the majority of riders, myself included, rest their thumbs on top of the gear shifters while clamping the tri-bars with their hands. The Crono gloves have a rectangular pad running the length of the thumb which stops any discomfort here.

In fact all of the padding is positioned bang on for riding on the tri-bars but also in the drops on your road bike too should you want a bit of an aero advantage in a road race or crit.

The quality looks good, especially for the £14 price tag with all seams being double stitched and the silicone grips being heat-pressed into position.

I have a fair bit of Galibier kit in my wardrobe including the aforementioned Speedsuit and it's all well made and durable kit so I don't see the Crono gloves being anything less in long term use.

Overall the Crono gloves are a cheap alternative to the likes of Castelli's version but with the added benefits of padding and dare I say it, better finish and quality being a lot less fragile.

The separate fingers mean that the Cronos are a lot less specialised too.

Verdict

Comfortable and well built wind cheaters; bargain compared to the competition