Alé Aria Gloves

The Alé Aria Summer Gloves are an excellent example of why sometimes things should just be kept simple. A bit of Lycra, a hardwearing palm and subtle padding make the Arias barely noticeable in use, which is great for mitt and non-mitt wearers.

Testing policy at road.cc is that if the product is something you wouldn't normally use, you're unlikely to be given it to test. If you wouldn't choose the product in the first place, it would be on the back foot from the start. Sometimes, though, it's nice to get the chance to be converted – and that's what the Arias have done for me.

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When I started riding I always wore gloves – thinking back to my first 'racer', a 5-speed Apollo Crusader at the age of eight, I can still recall the black pair I had. They made me feel proper pro when racing around the housing estate against the BMXs and mountain bikes.

Since then, though, my use of the short-fingered mitt has been in steady decline for reasons I don't really know – well, okay, tan lines is one of them! I also like to feel everything that is going on with the bike, so I avoid thickly padded gloves that mute things.

The Arias fit the bill, though. The palm is lightly padded, just slightly thicker where it needs to be for comfort without bunching up, and when paired with decent bar tape they're damn near perfect in the comfort stakes.

Running across the palm are strips of silicone, for grip, and they work very well on wet and slippery bar tape.

The rest of the construction is a simple printed Lycra back – black with a range of three coloured logos on offer, white, yellow or pink. It'd be nice to see some brighter colours to match the rest of Alé's vibrant kit.

I like the fact that there is no Velcro strap to secure them or finger loops to remove them, as while they are great at the start and end of the ride, I find they can irritate during. The stretchy material makes them easy to get on and off anyway.

For the 30 quid asking price they can't really be knocked. Yeah, you can grab a pair from Aldi or whoever for a few pounds, but the Alés are a quality item. I visited the Alé factory recently and saw how everything is handmade, plus there's a department where they go through every item to check for stray threads and imperfections; that's what you're paying for.

> Find more road.cc reviews of summer mitts here

To sum up, the Arias are a great, simplistic pair of mitts that are so unobtrusive they feel like you aren't wearing any at all. The fit is close, and without any form of fastening for tightening they offer a smooth transition from glove to skin for aerodynamics.

On the whole, an impressive pair of performance summer gloves especially for those who like the minimalistic feel.

Verdict

Simple summer gloves that give great results in minimalist fashion