Alé Air Glove (SS18)

The Alé Air Glove is a feathery, second-skin design that performs competently as a road mitt but the padding isn't on par with some competitors. If you like your gloves minimalist then they could be worth a look – their light weight makes them a good choice for time triallists and track riders looking to save every last ounce – but they wouldn't be my choice for more generic road riding.

• Pros: Super-snug fit, fast-wicking fabric
• Cons: Quite pricey, padding less effective than many I've tested

Sizing/cut

Skin mitts, by definition, are designed to be second-skin close, which might be a bit of a culture shock if, like me, you're coming from more traditional mitts. Their slim fit and minimal seams mean they don't interfere with your dexterity, but they can require a bit of wrestling on and off.

Our mediums were comparable with the Wearwell Revival mitts I tested recently, if that helps.

You might want to size up (sizing ranges from XS-XXL), but I found that within a few rides they relaxed very slightly. The fingers extended mid knuckle and slid comfortably over my pronounced gemstone rings, which isn't always so.

The cuffs are also very shallow, ending just shy of the wrists. This didn't pose any problems on a practical level, although took a little adjusting to visually.

Materials/construction

There's nothing particularly unusual in the mitts' construction: the backs are Lycra, the palms polyamide, impregnated with polyurethane foam.

Detailing and stitching is generally okay, although our test samples showed some signs of fraying/deterioration around the right thumb. I trimmed and glued ours but it's nothing that a good retailer wouldn't sort under warranty.

Having the backs emblazoned with the Alé logo – in our case, white – is useful for reinforcing hand signals; bold red and yellow are the alternatives.

Performance

Polymer/silicone bar tapes are now the norm for my two-wheeled fleet. The Alé mitts' tenure has been perfect with all of them – confirmed by riding through some intense downpours. Being relatively thin, the mitts dried in around 25 minutes.

Most brands seem to have got padding sussed, both in terms of shape and density, but I confess I questioned the effectiveness of the low-density, crescent-shaped padding used here. It felt bang on during the first few outings up to around 25 miles, but extending rides to 35-40 miles, I was surprised by some some subtle tingling in the ulnar region.

Keen to rule out some unrelated problem (there had been a few bar/stem swaps before the Alés' arrival), I persevered, sticking to well-surfaced roads, extending rides by 5-15 miles. No change, and I snuck the Wearwell in a jersey pocket, allowing the option of swapping should the discomfort intrude too intensely.

Rides on the wilder, mixed terrain side induced these symptoms after 15 miles or so, even with big tyres and a carbon fork. Look elsewhere if you're seeking a mitt that can cross over to gravel/rough stuff touring.

With the mercury wandering between 28 and 32°C for a fortnight, wicking prowess was seamless, although the black backs felt hotter than the Altura Peloton 2 Progels I tested last year, or some crochet-backed retro favourites.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling mitts here

Given a week of around 200 miles riding and the Alés were getting decidedly funky, and the sweat pad (which in my book would benefit from being a little longer) was looking a little salty. Nothing that a quick, 30-degree machine wash couldn't purge and they were ready to wear again, line dry in 20 minutes.

At the other extreme, while punctures were conspicuous by their absence, some oily transfers following roadside transmission tweaking also vanished without trace after 30-degree machine washes.

Conclusion

Overall, the Alés feel pretty average. Factoring personal quirks into the equation, the damping qualities were a bit disappointing, particularly at this price point. Several online retailers are offering them heavily discounted, but even so I'd steer potential buyers towards something like the Alturas I mentioned above, the Progel 3s for £26.99, tested by Matt Lamy, or – if you want your gloves minimalist – Giro's Zero CS mitts, which Stu really rated and which come in at a penny under £30.

Verdict

Some nice touches but the padding needs revising