What type of riding gear are you most demanding and appreciative of? Of course, helmets must be high on everyone’s list. Could it be jackets or boots?
I’m naturally partial to helmets, and a strong second would be my gloves. Gloves surround sensitive hands, so a poorly fitting or constructed glove will quickly chafe and irritate.
Some gloves have twisted fingers (even slightly) or inside seams that don’t lay flat and cause pressure or rub the fingers. Others fall apart quickly.
I live in Southern California, so summer gloves are my go-to style for much of the year. Since I both tour and indulge in some quick-paced canyon rides, I don’t look for the track-day glove. Instead, I prefer a shorter glove that offers good protection from hard knuckle protectors and lots of soft leather, with some mesh ventilation and some forced-air intakes.
Enter the Pitlane gloves by Racer Outdoor in Austria, and imported by Racer Gloves USA in Bend, Oregon.
The Racer Pitlane is a three-quarter length glove that starts an inch or so above the wrist, and is everything I’ve described, including mostly soft, polyester-lined leather construction with kangaroo leather palms and mesh panels across the back of the wrist and down the thumb.
There are two small, padded areas on the palm of the Racer Pitlane glove, plus ram-air inlets on three fingers, hard knuckle protection, and a double layer of leather along the pinkie finger. The fingers are leather on the top and palm side with poly fabric along the sides.
The fore and middle fingertips have what look like touchscreen-friendly pads sewn into the tips on both gloves but they are not so. I am told Raver likes to put them on some gloves.
The tan palm is attractive, and the rest of the Racer Pitlane glove is black leather and mesh. Racer ensures you remember the brand by affixing no fewer than three logos to the back of the glove. The construction is strong and tight, with internal straight seams that do not irritate.
As for fit, my palm measures nine inches in circumference, and the Large glove fits nicely with just a skosh of extra room across the knuckles. The fingers are exactly my length. Racer’s size chart says 9.5 is a size Large, so I’d say the Racer Pitlane gloves are true to size.
The Racer Pitlane is a fine new addition to my glove drawer, as they are good-looking and good value at $110 for a pair.
Racer Pitlane Gloves Fast Facts
- Sizes: Small – 3X-Large
- Color: Black
Racer Pitlane Gloves Price: $110/pair MSRP
