"Gauntlet" Gloves...How much protection do you really have?
 

A couple months ago my best friend, Mark, bought a pair of Held racing gloves for a ridiculously outrageous price cause they really cost that much. We were comparing several gloves at the BMW dealer and I noticed something I had never paid any attention to before- this fine pair of high dollar must-be-made-of-gold gauntlet gloves had hard protection in the wrist. I thought about my gauntlet race gloves and how the wrists were just some extra leather, no real protection, just enough leather to fit over the cuff which then magically provided enough protection to be worn on the track.

Now I discover a whole new level of protection is available and is very difficult to find. I frequent the local motorcycle shops and I've been looking at all the gauntlet gloves they have in stock. All but 2 of the 5ish shops I've been in have this hard armor around the wrist. Then I started looking in numerous thick motorcycle catalogs and the prices of gloves and whether or not wrist protection was provided. WOW! There are a lot of gloves at $100 or more with a longer piece of leather than their "street" oriented brethren and NO protection whatsoever. Some feature some foam padding which seems like it may cushion the fall should you trip walking into your garage. Other than that the wrist is completely exposed.

So enough rant, I just wanted to pass this tidbit of information along. Just because you are spending over $100 on a pair of A*'s doesn't mean you are getting a better glove with race protection. It just means you are a sucker and too cheap to fork out $200 for the GP's or Held's. After much research of the readily available stock of gloves I found a couple pairs with this hard protection in a sea of overpriced namebrand crap. Even ICON makes a pair with adequate wrist armor. Here's a link...

http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chap...5742A19CB546BF

And now that I look at these up close, they may be better than the Adrenalines
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chap...5742A19CB546BF

There's even protected gloves for cold days so you're not wearing something similar to sticking your hands up two Tickle-Me-Elmos' asses and trying to grip the bars...
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chap...5742A19CB546BF

I ordered the Adrenalines yesterday. If they aren't as good as they seem I'll post it here and return them for the Scarabs. Last year a coach let me borrow his Cortech race gloves, not sure of the model but they were ni i i ice...

The Adrenalines you linked too just look like they have "rubber" on top of the foam. Is that the kind of protection you are looking for?

The Scarab gloves look like they either have carbon fiber inlays or fabric made to LOOK like carbon fibre...not sure.

Neither design looks like it's going to really protect your wrist from breaking in the event of a fall any more than plain leather would. Resistance to abraision? Sure, but I have YET to see any rider suffer "wrist rash" from ANY gauntlet glove (with or without CF/rubber/plastic protection).

IMHO, the only benefit of gauntlet gloves to gloves that end at the wrist (shortie gloves) is the protection they provide to your wrist/upper arm as you slide along the pavement. If your jacket sleeve rises back due to the friction, the longer gauntlet would keep wrist skin from touching pavement. and also the benefit of not "peeling off" if your hands side "palm first" rather than "fingers first".

In either case, I don't see how the added plastic/rubber/carbon fiber is going to help. If there was some kind of intergral brace, that would prevent the wrist from bending too far back/forwards and breaking...that might have benefit, but i can't see those little plastic/rubber/CF parts doing a damn thing protection wise.

For me, there is already:
1 layer of outter glove leather
1 foam padding and a ton of stiching
1 Layer of INNER glove Leather
my jacket outer layer
the jacket sleeve cuff
jacket inner liner.

That's 5-6 layers of material/fabric to wear through. I don't see how adding yet another layer is going to make a significant difference, unless you're gonna do a "Wonder Woman" and try to deflect bullets/road rocks and large trucks with the front/sides of your wrists.

Don't get me wrong, I like HELD gloves and think even Cortech makes a good product, but I think you're reading to much into the added layers of wrist protection there. The only wrist injuries I've ever seen on a motorcyclist were broken wrists from hitting the pavement with their palms (shortie or gauntlet wouldn't stop/help) and "wrist rash" from shortie gloves peeling back or sleeves riding up.

EDIT
I have seen some broken wrists from the bars snapping to the side in a front end colision, but i don't see how these gloves would stop/protect from that.

[quote=Unless you're gonna do a "Wonder Woman" and try to deflect bullets/road rocks and large trucks with the front/sides of your wrists.[/quote]

:crackup:Apparently you haven't ridden with Hotbrakes before, LMFAO!!

check these out

$85
https://www.komodogear.com/store/pro...&cat=31&page=1

$114
https://www.komodogear.com/store/pro...&cat=31&page=1

The best $175
https://www.komodogear.com/store/pro...&cat=31&page=1
I have crash tested these & they hold up well - did grind down the palm heel sliders some but saved my hand !
Gloves are still quite usable :)

I love my new Held gloves.
The padding in the gauntlet matches up with the forearm pads in my jacket and suit to make a giant armored pad that extends from my wrist to the elbow.
The pinky also has tons of extra protection.

Well I've been unexpectedly breaking in my new Adrenalines in the warm weather we've been having and I'm very satisfied. The Scarab RR may have been better and a little cheaper, but not worth returning these. High quality and excellent protection all around. Not bad for less than $100. I'll try them back to back with my friend's Helds and see how they compare.

RPV- The reason for wanting the additional protection is because its available...why not get it? There are certain parts of my body that are important and deserving of the best armor out there. True, the likelihood of sustaining wrist trauma from a blunt object is low, but I would be pissed if it happened. There are so many gloves out there which provide only slight wind protection and nothing more, I wanted to call attention to anyone reading this and enlighten them on some of the best products available. And especially the fact that some of the pointless gloves are usually in the $50 range, for a few bucks more complete protection can be had. I would hate to have a limp wrist. Perhaps yours already is...Attachment 29836

I have these Kobe's and they are the "tits' for the money!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kobe-...QQcmdZViewItem

website http://www.kobeusa.com/gloves_pro_racing.html

I use Helimot gloves, they are not cheap but you do get what you pay for.....
http://www.helimot.com/shopglovesdis...cts.asp?page=1