TESTED: Giro Tessa short fingered gloves

Giro, based in Santa Cruz in the USA’s sunny California, make some of the nicest cycling gloves on the market, hands down. The Tessa short finger glove is another example of beautiful styling and excellent fit.

The Tessa glove features breathable, moisture-wicking 4-way mesh on the upper and a women’s-specific three-panel palm design that stretches and contracts without bunching. The palm is made of a synthetic suede that feels lovely to touch and provides excellent grip. The Tessa also has several gel inserts to protect areas of your hands prone to wear and tear – below the fingers, around the thumb, and on the palm.

But there’s a couple of problems: MTBA advise that all mountain bikers should wear full-finger gloves while out on the trail – and I agree wholeheartedly. Your hands are going to suffer in just about any crash you have – better a torn glove than a torn finger. That said, the Tessa is available in a long-finger version, too, and Giro have a whole range of excellent full-finger gloves to check out if – as I did – you like the features of this short-fingered version.

Another small problem is that the location of the gel inserts doesn’t quite match a mountain bike handlebar grip, and I suspect that this glove is much better suited to road riding or light recreational mountain biking on bike paths, where your palm might come into contact more with your handlebars.

There is a lot to like about these gloves: they’re easy to get on and off, fit tightly and smoothly, and they feature a gorgeously soft microfibre surface on the outside of the thumb for wiping at your face when you get sweaty or snotty. Just make sure you’re putting safety first and choose a glove that’s right for your ride.

Hits:

• Flawless fit
• Easy to get on and off
• Microfibre insert

Misses:

• Short finger gloves a no-no for most MTB riding.
• Gel padding inserts seem better suited to road handlebars

RRP: $45.00

From: Sheppard Cycles