HELD Summertime Gloves: (Rodney's in particular)

[deagle]

Starting to think about moving up to more expensive gloves. Has anyone tried the Held Rodneys? Can anyone chime in on whether the HELD brand is really worth the high dollars they ask? I get that Winter/Waterproof gloves would command more dollars, but these Rodneys are just leather and $120 (although have some nice features I think....)

If you have other high end gloves that were worth it, please post those as well (or if they ripped apart in a year, feel free to let that out as well).

I'm looking for a Summer glove, so not really interested in the gauntlet style. Man there are a lot of choices out there, and nowhere to try them on.

Thanks,

Don.

 

[FJRfarrier]

Take a ride/drive down to Iron Pony in Columbus, OH!! They have NUMEROUS gloves in stock and the glove lady there is super friendly.

I went there are a few different occasions and spent time standing there trying on gloves, asking questions, and comparing different brands, styles, and sizes.

I found a wonderfully fitting glove for my hands- Five Gloves. To fit my thick palm into the glove, I had to have a larger size. Well with most brands that means longer fingers- which is uncomfortable. So these Five's have a perfect ratio (for my hand) of palm size and finger length. And they come in the short wrist style, with an easy to snug wrist band.

Ventilation is nice- back of the hand, and between the fingers.

And they provide a few different features for safety and protection. I have not tested them yet, but I trust their production.

I then applied touchscreen droplets to a few of the fingertips, and now they can operate my phone.

 

[JustinNck1]

I wear a pair of Held Rodneys. My favorite gloves and I use them year-round. Once it gets cold, they aren't enough though. I've tried several brands and Held has the best rain wiper on their gloves IMO.

 

[RiderCoach Lar]

For many years, I had quite the collection of gloves that just grew year after year. I had some that I liked better than others but no one pair ever really stood out. About eight years ago I bit the bullet and bought a pair Held Steve's. Instantly fell in love with them. They were ridiculously comfortable and the protection provided by way of kangaroo leather was more than adequate. The next riding season I invested in a pair of Held Air Streams for warm weather riding. Since then, those are the only two pair of gloves I use (except for a cheaper pair of waterproof gloves that get occasional use). The Air Streams get the most use and after about 7 riding seasons they've not yet worn to the point of needing to be replaced.

My advice is to buy them. If by some reason you absolutely hate them or don't think they're worth the money, sell them here (or on FleaBay) and get most of your money back. I'm betting on the fact that you'll love 'em.

 

[Barn Boy]

Last winter I discovered Held gloves after reading a post on this board. IMO they are outstanding in design, construction, workmanship and materials. But... they are like Lay's chips. You can't have just one pair.

The Rodney's are great, but they have a short gauntlet. The Air Stream II's have a bigger gauntlet and you get a little more air flow with them. Check out the Air and Dry's too. They have an interesting design with two different pockets to put your hands in. One is wind and water proof and the other flows air to the palms.

The kangaroo palms are a must have. The sewing in the fingers is like no other brand of glove I have owned. There is no bind or pinch and I have never gotten tingly fingers in Helds. My last rave is for the pre curve that all Helds are built on. They reminded me of high end ice hockey gloves.

After I got my first pair of Helds, I sold all of the gloves in my gear closet and have become a Held junky and loving it.

 

[Ignacio]

Can anyone chime in on whether the HELD brand is really worth the high dollars they ask?

I've had four sets (Classic Size 12 eventually wore the fingers out, the second Classic Size 10 I lost one of the gloves in the IBR with plenty of life, a set of mesh that are marginally better in the summer than the Classics but I always sunburn my hands, and third set I still have...one of the more exotic full-coverage ones that I never seem to wear).

They really are premium gloves as a brand. Whether they're worth it is subjective to the purchaser/wearer. But since you brought them up--the last time I tried to find a set I gave up as they weren't being distributed in the U.S. and found an alternative that feels second-best.

Too bad they still don't have Classics again for $70. You talk about summer gloves....I wouldn't ignore the Classics as summer gloves at a cheaper price-point to try the Held difference. I've ran two Iron Butt Rallies on them before and they work great. If you can find a set--great gloves. I'm still looking.

I've also found I run the brand a little more snuggly as their sewing and detail doesn't require as much slop as other gloves. 12 in work gloves are a bit sloppy for me, but the 10s in Held are a better fit and break in nicely like a second skin.

Update: You know how the British pound is a bit sketchy these days? Well, I just found a set of these gloves at a very reasonable price including shipping...even though it will be 14-21 days for the reasonable price shipping. Held Classic 2530 for $57 delivered (43 British Pounds)

I just ordered a set.

 

[radiummadman]

I have bought a pair of TourMaster Airflow last 2 springs. Last until I need winter gloves, get new set in the spring. Pretty good deal

for < $25.

 

[JamesK]

I have use the HELD Airstream II gloves, and they lasted less than one season before the developing holes in the palm. HELD did refund my money so I guess I can't complain.

I have been using the Aerostich Competition Elskin Roper gloves for a couple of years now, and they are still as solid as the day I got them. These are extremely comfortable, have an integrated and functional wiper on the thumb and are very good in high temps, and priced very reasonably at $70.

https://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-competition-elkskin-ropers.html

 

[BigOgre]

I'll just echo what RiderCoach Lar and Barn Boy posted. Glove whore until I bought a pair of Phantoms a few years ago. That led to the Airstreams for the summer (a bit of a gauntlet but very doable under the sleeve for airflow) but I'd say they both get equal use. I oil them once in awhile with Red Wing boot oil and they seem to get even better, both fitting like a second skin. Initial cost may be an issue but when I consider that I haven't even looked at a glove advert since I'd say I'm ahead.

 

[Frushlorton]

Loved the Phantoms and they were still solid when I sold them a couple of months ago. For summer, the Airstreams were great. Many miles in the heat, rain and no issues. I did hear from several people the Airstream II had issues with quality when they first came out.

All in all, I would spend the money again on quality gloves and Held would be at the top of my list.

 

[900gc]

Don't know about the Rodney's but I have a pair of Steve gloves that I used for racing for years, even crashed in them on track doing about 80 mph (the palm heel rivets did their job well!) Still use them on the street today though not as my sole pair. They are 12 years old by now, still doing the job and still some of the most comfortable gloves I've ever owned. Yes, I'm a Held fan too.

 

[r.hesse]

Held is a German brand and afaik they actually manufacture most off their stuff in Germany as well. I Have a pair of Held gloves for many years and still fine.

They have a good reputation on my side of the pond, I would rate them as "advanced middle class stuff". Nice quality for the price.

Dunno how much that stuff costs overseas tho.

 

[bluesurf]

I wore Held Steve's for a couple of years, and found that, while very comfortable, they deteriorated quickly, especially with somewhat aggressive riding/throttle/brake inputs. Switched to Alpinestar GP Pro's after trying a friend's set on....more expensive, but have lasted ~5 years with tens of thousands of similar riding style miles and afford better protection than the Held Steve gloves.

 

[Punkinhead]

I'm not sure what model my Held perforated gloves are but I've had them for 3 or 4 years and love them. The knuckles have little air scoops on them and you can feel the flow. I should have bought them right from the start instead of several pairs of cheaper mesh gloves that never fit well and quickly developed torn seams. I've had a pair of Held Steves for 7-8 years and they're still in great shape too.

 

[ionbeam]

I've been wearing Cortech Impulse RR full gantlet summer gloves in 95° weather for a couple of weeks and I'm really pleased with how cool these gloves are in spite of the way they look. It is really like having no glove at all. The Cortech Impulse ST is a shorter non gantlet glove for a lot less $$$ that I may try. The Impulse RR are expensive at $130 but may be proving their worth to me. The Impulse ST at $80 would be the real deal.

Cortech gloves are supposed to be a "true size" glove so I ordered XL. When they finally arrived the XL was so small I almost couldn't get my hand into the glove. Pillion says, "Can I try them on, I need gloves too." She is still wearing them. I ordered XXL which do fit perfectly. This turned out to be an unexpectedly expensive process

• If I knew I was going to crash, these are one of the gloves I would want to be wearing
• The gloves flow air really well, my hands have never gotten hot or sweaty, holding your hand out you can feel the air flow over your hands, fingers and out the wrists
• The gloves are cooler than my textile gloves
• The gloves have a liner which help make them very comfortable to wear
• A biggie for me is these are about the only gloves which do not contribute to hand numbness, I wore out some goat skin gloves that were this good too
• The gloves do not cut into my hand between the thumb and index finger or the outside edge of my hand like most gloves do
• The wrist strap ensures that the gloves have the best chance of not coming off in an accident
• The gloves are pre-curved and took no break-in and contribute to the comfort
• The palm is heated grip friendly

On the other hand -->

• The gloves are maddening, fiddling nuances to put on and take off (never wait until you HAVE to pee, you will never make it by the time you get the gloves off
  
  )
• As I wear the gloves more I'm getting used to the closures and it is getting easier to put them on but they still take some patience which I don't have at 5:30 am
• (The Impulse ST should be *much* easier to take on/off)
• They are expensive
• If the liner gets wet it's very hard to put them on or take them off because of the liner
• They pack large
• They don't pretend to be cool or cold weather gloves, you will need another glove below 50°
• The color choices suck, I'd like a solid lighter gray and not the tutti-frutti color mashup they offer

 

[Fred W]

Wow. Those are something else. Never seen gloves with that secure of a wrist closure.

Just checked out the ST shorter version, and that is exactly what I've been looking for for the summer months. Of course if I procrastinate another 2 weeks summer in New England will be over and I can wait until next year.

I see that Cycle Gear carries these. Might be worth a drive* down to Woburn to try some on.

* The idea of riding down I-93 in the current heat wave is not appealing.

 

[ionbeam]

Since the ST is a shortie the wrist closure & glove retainer are all in one.

Note in the picture that the wrist closure is on top of a leather flap, in a perfect world the wrist strap gets closed and the flap goes over the top so the Velcro can't be ripped open.

I see that Cycle Gear carries these. Might be worth a drive* down to Woburn

Learned something, didn't know Cycle Gear was there. I may have to take a drive down and see what else I have to buy that I don't need

Oddly, I know where Cycle Gear is in Knoxville and Phoenix.

 

[900gc]

Since the ST is a shortie the wrist closure & glove retainer are all in one.
Note in the picture that the wrist closure is on top of a leather flap, in a perfect world the wrist strap gets closed and the flap goes over the top so the Velcro can't be ripped open.

I see that Cycle Gear carries these. Might be worth a drive* down to Woburn

Learned something, didn't know Cycle Gear was there. I may have to take a drive down and see what else I have to buy that I don't need

Oddly, I know where Cycle Gear is in Knoxville and Phoenix.

My Hydro GT's I just sold to Madmudder had the same type of wrist wrap (think they came with instructions, lol). Cycle Gear is 15 min. from my church and they are open on Sundays. Work of the devil I tell ya!

 

[Fred W]

Well, just went to Cycle Gear today. Don't bother. They have squat there. Just a bunch of the cheap house brand stuff and a few token decent gloves at full list prices. Nothing I was even interested in. I also want to go because they supposedly carry Scorpion Helmets and I am interested in checking out the new EXO GT920 for size and fit. But, they didn't have any of those either.

So that the trip wasn't a total waste I swung by Two Guys and snapped up a bundle of box pressed Dominican Maduros to restock the humidor, and then stopped by Naults Honda in Windham and looked their minimalist glove selection over.

I ended up buying a pair of Cortech HDX 3 shorty mesh summer gloves. Of course I had to pay full list ($60), but I did get to try them on, and the XL fit me... erm, like a glove. I'm a size 9 or 9 1/2 in gloves, so between an L and XL, but the L would have been way too tight, and the 2XL was too loose. The XL is juuuust right.