Endura Equipe Thermo windshield glove

The Endura Equipe Thermo Windshield gloves are made from a mix of fabrics including rubber, lycra, nylon and polyester - with a dash of leather thrown in - together creating a good quality product for spring and autumn riding.

We're testing size Large, and the fit is close with no bagginess, but not too tight thanks to the overall stretchiness of the material. This means the gloves are very comfortable indeed. The fabric on the outside (ie, the non-palm side) of the gloves is windproof, while the tight fit ensures a minimum of air around your fingers on the inside, which also helps keep your hands warm in cold conditions. In addition, gloves are long enough to properly cover your wrist, which further helps keep your whole body warmer.

Cold is one thing. Wet is another. The fabrics on these gloves definitely keep out the wind, and they're water-repellent, but they're not waterproof. If it rains hard, the water comes through. The tight fit ensures your hands stay reasonably warm for a while - similar to the principle used in wetsuits - and for gloves made of such thin fabric, the weather protection is surprisingly good. But these gloves are definitely for rides on spring and autumn days when conditions are cold but not too wet, and you need more than a pair of track mitts. For full-on winter riding you'd need more heavy duty gloves to keep out the rain more effectively, but these will inevitably be more bulky. As always with cycling kit, it's a question of balance.

Looking at some of the features of the Thermo Windshield gloves in more detail, while the fabric on the non-palm side of the gloves has a shiny surface to act as a wind barrier and help repel water, the fabric on the palm side has a soft rubberised feel to ensure a good grip on the handlebars. The main contact points on the palm area also have leather pads - a nod to Endura's off-road heritage - and the finger tips have dots of silicon to provide extra grip when taking a drink or reaching into your back pocket for a gel.

The back of the forefinger is made of even softer fabric, designed to wipe rain or sweat off your glasses, but this is rendered less effective by the plastic 'Endura' logo embedded in the fabric. Other features include a reflective strip along the outside edge of each glove, and a small tab on the wrist to help pull them on.

The Endura Equipe Thermo Windshield gloves retail at £45. It has to be said, this is on the expensive side for what you get. For the same kind of money you could get something more weatherproof. Alternatively you could get some similarly lightweight gloves for cool conditions for around 20 quid. What you might not get with cheaper models is the level of comfort provided by these gloves, or Endura Equipe's signature build quality.

Verdict

Very comfortable and well-made gloves, ideal for spring and autumn rides when conditions are cold but not too wet. Not cheap though.