Castelli Chiro Due Glove

Castelli's Chiro Due gloves are good-quality mid-weight gloves for cool autumn/winter days - although not for the very coldest rides.

The Chiros owe much of their performance to the fact that they're made from a Gore Windstopper fabric throughout - and that includes the cuffs. No cold air gets through it. Plus, although these gloves aren't designed to be waterproof, no rain gets through the Windstopper fabric either. It can soak through the seams but not through the fabric itself.

More warmth comes courtesy of Thinsulate insulation that sits between the glove upper and your hand - but not on the less exposed underside . The 40g variety of this fine-fibred synthetic insulation doesn't provide as much warmth as the more weighty versions but it has the advantage of being extremely low bulk.

Castelli give the temperature range of these gloves as 5-10C. I agree with this although, as ever, it'll come down to the individual. (By the way, last time we checked the Castelli website it gave a temperature range of 10-18C for these gloves. That's a mistake.) If you buy a pair with enough room you can always wear liner gloves underneath for extra warmth. With no cold air getting though the Chiros, a pair of thin merino gloves inside will make these useable when the temperature is a few degrees cooler.

The palms and the underside of the fingers are textured Pittard's leather that grips very well and there's a small amount of padding in there. And it really is a small amount. I found that fine on shorter rides but I wanted mitts underneath for extra comfort on rides over about 90mins or so. Again, it'll all come down to your personal preferences on that score.

You get good reinforcement in that section between your thumb and forefinger (does that part of your hand have a proper name? It should) and a useful microsuede panel on the back of each thumb to take care of all your wiping-away needs. That stripe across the back of the hand is reflective and the subtle Scorpion logo is a neat addition.

The only negative comment I have to make is that I often found it difficult to get my hands back inside these gloves if I took them off mid-ride. Say you get a puncture or have to delve into your pockets for some change; you have to take your gloves off. Although the Windstopper fabric is breathable, the soft fleece lining and your hands will inevitably be a little bit damp, and that makes things difficult. It's something you find with loads of close-fitting gloves. Wearing a stretchy liner glove cures it... but you might not want that extra warmth or bulk.

Ah, I do have one other little moan. There are two tiny holes in each of the cuffs where the little bits of plastic that held the merchandise tags went. They're hardly noticeable but still... Grrr!

Verdict

Mid-weight Windstopper autumn/winter gloves with good warmth for their bulk -the price is steep, though