Spada Enforcer WP Gloves
Gloves are like helmets, some fit well, and some fit not so well! There will always be brands where, irrespective of quality, they just don’t feel comfortable, they don’t feel...right. You know the story, fingers too short, cuff in the wrong place, knuckle protection off centre. It must be hard to get all this right, hands are as individual as fingerprints when you look at them closely. Spada have been going for about 10 years or so, and are part of the Feridax group of companies, who also own brands like Sidi, Airoh & Pinlock, so there certainly seems to be some pedigree there. I struggle how to class Spada’s products are they high end?, or anything else for that matter, when they get it right, it is normally amazing value, great quality stuff. However they can be a bit hit and miss...i once owned a Spada Jacket that leaked horrendously from day one, and was consigned to a bin liner in the attic, only a few months after I bought it...........with a mental note only to use in an absolute emergency. It seems strange that I should then buy their gloves, however this particular model received rave reviews from pretty much everyone, Journo’s and friends alike, so I took the plunge. The manufacturers blurb says
- Full winter race glove
- Moulded black carbon knuckle sections
- Digital leather reinforcements on palm with keprotec inserts
- 100% waterproof & breathable hipora membrane
- Thinsulate thermal lining
- Velcro wrist strap adjuster
-
Visor wipe on left thumb
I bought these gloves about 20 months ago, and to be fair only really use them whilst touring, and the odd day ride, so all in maybe 3000 miles of riding time, and in that time I am pretty certain they have been in all conditions. But more importantly I need bulletproof gloves when touring, cause there is nothing worse than being 500 miles from home, stuck in rain, and finding out that stuff didn’t perform as expected, i.e. waterproof!
Ride Magazine tested these in 2008/2009 and they scores very highly, and got the ‘Ride’ recommended triangle
Construction
The gloves strike me as fairly well made, it’s easy to see the double stitching on the palms and the back of the hand, as most of it is picked out in white thread on black material. I have to say the double stitching is everywhere, but seems to me (the layman) to be in the right places to ensure sound construction and abrasion resistance. The outer glove is soft leather, with the addition of carbon knuckle inserts, and finger inserts (on the middle 2 fingers), with a small carbon plate also located on the inner ball of your wrist. The cuff uses heavy duty Velcro that has so far refused to fuzz up (a good thing), and there is plenty of material to allow for big wrists, or putting your jacket cuffs underneath. The name is picked out in rubber letters on the top of the wrist, which if anything gives more protection on the top of the cuff too. The wrist closure is in exactly the right place for me, and tightens down nicely, they have even made the end of the Velcro tab fatter, which makes it easier to do up, and less fiddly, as the gloves are quite chunky. All of the fingers, allow enough material to curl your fingers closed without tugging at the knuckle material. My only little complaint is that the wrist closure and cuff closure are very close together and can be a bit fiddly when your other hand is gloved already, if it wasn’t for the wider tab end (already mentioned), I think it might be a mission to get your second glove on.
Features
I have already made reference to some of these in passing, however there are carbon plates on your most exposed or delicate areas (hopefully I’ll never test the effectiveness of them), meaning your knuckles seem well protected, however I query putting the carbon inserts on the middle 2 fingers only. Many people ride with 2 fingers always covering the brake and clutch, so if we are covering the more exposed areas, then it would be your inner 2 fingers, wouldn’t this seem the natural choice to benefit from the extra protection?. The glove is equipped with a Thinsulate layer, it’s a tried and tested brand name, and works extremely well, my hands have never been anything else other than toastie and warm. On your clutch hand, there is a visor wipe...which is the dogs!!, the rubber is soft enough so as not to impede your thumb movement, and also makes a good contact with your visor, so no streaks are left, it is also quite along strip, so a couple of swipes covers your whole visor, meaning you’re field of vision is nice and open. Spada claim 100% waterproof and breathable membrane, and to be fair I am always slightly sceptical on any claim of this nature, however despite my misgivings I have never felt the rain coming through to the skin. This is a winter glove, and there is the Hinterland of Spring and Autumn to consider, if anything the thermal liner does and astounding job, but the breathable membrane doesn’t perform as well, so on occasion I’ve had sweaty hands. I get round this by carrying a pair of summer gloves in my tailpack for just such an occasion. The strap adjuster is bang on, and locks my hand in the glove nice and tightly without being restrictive. As mentioned previously there is a lot of adjustment in the cuff and wrist meaning you can chose to wear these under or over your jacket.
Sizing
I find the sizing very good, and a common problem with gloves is the fingers are too short or too long...these are just right, so I have a bit of
feeling left at my finger tips meaning I can get at, and use my cockpit controls easily. I have relatively big hands, and wear a size XL glove.
Niggles
If I am being really uber critical, my list is as follows
- Wrist closure too close to cuff adjustment, can be fiddly, even with the oversized adjustment tab
- Could do with a closable air vent, so you can cool hands in changeable ‘Spring’ conditions
- Carbon protection should be on all fingers, not just middle two...question the logic of where they are placed
Summary
A very good glove indeed. Fits and performs well. Has scored highly in independent magazine tests and is widely available both in stores and online....target price is £44.99, so a lot of bang for your buck, considering you could easily spend more than £100.00 for a good quality do everything winter glove. Don’t pay too much attention to it being described as a Winter Race Glove, it is in fact a good all rounder. Keeps your hands dry and warm (sometimes too warm!). Since buying mine, I notice Spada have also released a version of this item with Hi-Viz panels, its £10.00 more, but it’s good to be seen....not sure if that’s worth an extra tenner, but there are very few Hi-Viz gloves on the market so maybe Spada are forming a niche?
Fatharry (April 2010)
