Pearl Izumi Cyclone Gel Glove

The Pearl Izumi Cyclone Gel Gloves are well made, decent looking and offer good protection from wind and even showers, although they could perhaps be a little easier to take off.

The gloves are Pearl Izumi's model for middling temperatures, ranging from 5 to 15 degrees, so are best suited to milder winter days and autumn/spring riding.

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Thanks to the Elite Softshell fabric on the back of the hand, they kept my hands warm even below the recommended temperature range, helped by the slightly fleecy lining.

This softshell material is also designed to keep your hands relatively dry. In lighter rain there was never an issue, but there were a couple of times when my hands got soaked after a particularly heavy downpour. However, even though they were wet my hands didn't get especially cold, as what the material may lack in total waterproofing it makes up for in windproofing, even when the gloves are sodden.

As the name suggests, one of the key selling points of these gloves is the use of gel pads on the palms for comfort while riding. There are five across the palm: a large one on the outside of the palm, two under the thumb and two under the knuckles. These provide cushioning on rough roads but are firm enough not to remove all road feel, which you need for control.

Elsewhere on the palm there are grippers on the first two fingers, which work well to help maintain grip on the shifters in the wet. The first finger and thumb are also made from 'conductive synthetic leather', which means the gloves can be used with smartphones, bike computers and the like. These work well; I didn't have any difficulty in using either my iPhone or touchscreen Garmin while wearing the gloves, even in the wet.

> Read our guide to finding the best cycling gloves for winter

They fit well too, and keep out cold air nicely, not only because of the decent fabric choice but also thanks to the closure system, which reaches back further around the wrist than many gloves and creates a tight bond with a Velcro-style flap. The long cuffs certainly help to keep warm air in and cold out, but with this additional slightly elasticated material it makes the gloves more difficult than some to take off. Given that the fit of the gloves is relatively close and there are no pull tabs, it can take a while to remove them, though it's worth it for the extra protection you get.

As for value, £35 seems about right for a pair of well made, warm gloves, especially ones with some good innovative features such as the smartphone-friendly fingers and gripper pads, plus decent material choice.

I'm a fan. The Cyclones fit well, the materials used are well chosen, and they seem well made. Perhaps they could be more waterproof, but they were only really found wanting in torrential rain, and even then the windproofing stopped my hands from getting too cold.

Verdict

Well made, windproof and warm gloves for intermediate temperatures and lighter showers