Altura Peloton 2 Progel Mitts

The Altura Peloton 2 Progel mitts are a slim-fitting and comfortable design, capable of tackling road and, I was pleasantly surprised to find, lighter trail duties.

It's easy to dismiss ergo as meaningless marketing speak, but in this instance 'ergofit' refers to the use of 3D mapping technology to prevent gathering, bunching and similar discomfort.

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Fit is second-skin close, which might be a culture shock coming from a more traditional crochet back, leather palm design, but even on rides of several hours I never felt constricted. Large is my default size and these proved compatible – just the right length in the fingers, with nothing hindering dexterity, although the shallow cuffs took some adjusting to. Two finger tabs ensure they're easy to pull off.

Materials boil down to nylon/polyurethane with a small silicone rubber component. In many respects they reminded me of old school skin mitts with their tactile backs and subtle patterning. A surprisingly thin faux suede palm is double stitched and perforated for improved breathability, accompanied by four ulnar nerve-defending gel sacks of varying thickness, double layer panels and generous helpings of grippy silicone.

Performance has been excellent in every context. The first 100 miles were ridden on my fixed gear winter trainer. In fairness, said bike's leather wrap offers excellent grip and cushioning, and the Altura mitts simply accentuated this, offering just the right blend of purchase and control. The gel pockets offer just the right amount of squish, alleviating fatigue after several hours and plenty of washboard surfaces.

Arguably the best pairings were the silicone bar tapes on my Univega and Holdsworth. Most of my mitts and gloves have proven agreeable with these, but with the Altura mitts this refinement was greater still – and this only improved when the heavens opened.

Depending on the rain's intensity, 20 minutes or so and the mitts were pretty well saturated, but this made negligible difference to the control side – things just felt clammy.

They also dried swiftly: get a break in the clouds, add a stiff breeze to the mix and they're 70% dry in around 15-20 minutes (and much the same story at room temperature, following a machine wash). I was surprised to discover the backs retained reasonable amounts of warmth, too.

The microfibre thumb wipe is much thinner than typical Terry types, though equally effective at taming runny noses.

> Check out more road.cc reviews of summer cycling mitts

Calling their bluff, I took a few rides on the wild side – think detours on the 'cross/gravel/rough stuff tourer rather than old school trailblazing. Performance was much better than I was expecting and the relatively thin materials would suggest. Given a couple of hours' forest fun on a rigid late-90s chromoly mountain bike, some numbness was beginning to make itself known, but the fabrics held up with no trace of bobbling or similar bramble-induced damage, which was surprising.

A quick scan of other glove reviews on road.cc (see link above) suggests the Alturas sit about where you'd expect in terms of price, and I'd venture that £25 is very good value for the performance.

Overall, the Peloton 2 Progel mitts have been an extremely pleasant surprise. The second-skin fit took me a few rides to acclimatise to, but palm comfort is excellent: the ulnar-defending gel offers just the right blend of damping that lasts over longer distances, and the silicone grippers ensure excellent tenure regardless of conditions or handlebar wrap.

Verdict

Competitively priced mitts that are capable and comfortable on the road and off