Well...... you all gave great input (as always) :clapping: . I got another set of Cheetas from roadgear. used them for the last
five years and had three asphalt get-offs with no hand damage and they ARE vented well
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Cheetah
CF723
The name says it all—
Speed, Power, Dexterity—for those who push themselves and their steeds to the maximum.
Calling all Canyon
Carvers and Sunday Racers:
"Here's your glove."
$99.90
Size
Color
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****
got the all black set****
also gonna go look into a set of these. They make a great set for woman and men.
Review: Racer High End Gloves By: Beth Mills
There comes a time when you need to retire your gloves, as faithful as they have been. My poor Alpinestars have been through pouring rain, ice, 100+ Texas heat and a nasty spill that crushed/shredded the knuckle armor on the right glove. I think that's enough punishment. I retired them to my Riding Gear Hall of Fame, which is actually a dusty bit of shelf populated with old and crashed helmets, mangled SV650 parts and a fuzzy alien doll in a purple cape named Wasabi. Don't ask.
It's time to go glove shopping! Finding gloves that fit and are well made is as essential as finding a good helmet. You plan to wear them for long periods of time so they shouldn't fatigue your hands or chafe. If you happen to decide to crash test them, you probably want something that has a pretty good chance of working. Your paws, like your head, are pretty hard to fix when broken. I happen to be pretty attached to mine so I buy as top shelf as I can.
Buying top shelf can be a challenge when you are a female. We have smaller hands and most of the higher end gloves out there are designed for male hands, which are wider through the palm. You guys have stubbier fingers too. We have narrower hands with longer, more slender fingers. In my case, I have ET fingers, which are especially hard to fit. You find yourself compromising between a loose fitting palm and fingers to get the length you need so your fingertips aren't bottoming out on the ends. That is, if you even fit into the smallest size offered by XYZ glove maker. In addition, while motorcycle clothing industry has started recognizing female demand for gear, unfortunately, most of the stuff marketed in the US seems to stress form over function. I see lots of pink and other pastel colors, skimpy fit and not a lot of armor. I don't care how feminine it looks and neither does God's Own Belt Sander. If I get my hand stuck between the bar, the tank and the ground again, I want protection.
In comes Racer, an Austrian brand who is now marketing in the U.S. They (gasp) make REAL gloves in women's sizes. This doesn't mean they scaled down the existing pattern and made the glove in XXS and XXXS. They made the palms narrower and the fingers longer. Racer doesn't offer all of their top end gloves in women's sizes but they offer a race quality glove that's a great price and has some amazing features � the High End. This isn't some watered-down version either. It's the real deal with a laundry list of features that I'll describe in excruciating detail.
The cow leather is buttery but tough and the kangaroo leather is supple and gives great feel. The leather feels a bit like Held's leather but thicker and more substantial. The carbon armor is thick and looks well molded. I picked up a friend's set of $230 Held Galaxy gloves and compared them with the High Ends. The Galaxy's leather and armor felt dare I say a little flimsy and cheap next to the High Ends. The carbon panels felt a little thin and brittle as compared to the High End's.
There are little things that shine, little bits that show a great amount of attention to detail that are usually reserved for models in the $200 plus range. For example, the thumb and index finger have articulated stretch panels to allow for better movement. The knuckle armor floats on its own layer of leather and padding, to allow better positioning. Even better, if you feel under that floating layer, there's another articulated stretch panel over your knuckles. This pocket also serves as a convenient stash area for toll money. The pinkie finger is braced to the ring finger to help prevent dislocation. The palms have huge pads with these clever little carbon �rivets� embedded in them right where you'll hit the ground if you do a Superman off the bike. I thought they would interfere with my grip. They don't. They're set just right. I hate hate hate rivets too but the idea of using little carbon fiber �pucks� intrigues me. They don't scratch your tank and maybe they'll help in a spill, although I suspect they'll shred. Speaking of set just right, there's a small carbon �puck� that covers that bony part of your wrist. I've never had a glove where that �feature� really worked. On this glove, it works. It fits perfectly over that bony protrusion on your wrist whose name I should look up in Wikipedia. Someone was really thinking when they designed this glove.
But wait, there's more!� For those times when you must give the Vulcan greeting or, more often, assume the �two fingers covering the brake and clutch levers� position, there's a panel of Lycra between the middle and ring finger to allow for better movement and even more breath ability. Speaking of clutch and brake levers, the index and middle finger trips have an extra layer of leather and three strips each of stuff that I can only describe as being like the goo they use to attach your new credit card to the activation papers you get in the mail. These little lines-o-goo spoil you. You get great fingertip grip on your levers. You'll find yourself massaging your levers with great love to feel the little goo strips grip semi-polished cheap cast aluminum. I kid you not.
The extremely pre-curved fingers plus the buttery leather make for a very comfortable glove that also happens to be armored for the motorcycle apocalypse. They may be a little bit race but they're also a little bit tour. I've done 600 miles straight without any problems, no hot spots or chafing. I didn't tear them off to relieve my hands when I stopped for gas. I felt almost no hand fatigue or cramping as my fingers wanted to naturally curve around the grips, instead of fighting a badly designed cut of a inferior glove. I feel no bunching of leather behind my knuckles or on my palms.
How do they fare in the hot, hot weather of the California Vall-ay? Simply put, they rock. The little finger vents do their job, as well as the perforated section on the back of the hand. If you put your hand out in the air stream and spread your fingers, that Lycra panel will let in some more air for that extra �Oh yeaaahhhh...� I did a 400 mile trip in 95+ heat and my hands were fine. Cold is another story. Cold is not our friend when wearing the High End but that's why the Powers That Be invented these things called �heated grips.�
I have just a few complaints. The lady's High End comes in sizes S-L. This is great news for those of us who have very small hands to medium-large hands but bad news for someone like me, who can palm a basketball. Size Large is a smidgen on the small side on my hand. I felt just a tad restricted for the first 100 miles or so. As they broke in, they stretched just enough to accommodate and I'm 98% satisfied. Still, if there was an XL...just a little more finger length (we're talking millimeters). The little pinkie bondage straps really bug me. I didn't realize how much I used my pinkies while riding. Maybe it's a female thing, like sipping from a teacup with pinkie extended. My pinkies want to be freeee! I cut the leather bracing between the fingers and trimmed it down to match the rest of the fingers. Problem solved for me. I'm glad Racer offers the feature as it's a good feature and it's 100% reversible if you don't like it. Finally, Racer only offers the High End in black for the ladies while the gents get colors to match their flashy leathers. I guarantee that your hands will not bake in the direct sun as long as there's air flowing but your gloves aren't going to match that custom white and blue Vanson jacket you wear. You can't have everything.
What's the damage to your wallet? This glove retails for about $160 US. They don't FEEL like $160 gloves. They feel like $260 gloves. They feel like what Held made 10 years ago and charged us up the rear for, before the off-shoring demon possessed their soul, started sourcing materials from third rate kangaroos and cows with crack habits and shipped production to the People's Republic of Cheapistan.
Oh yeah, the guy's version ain't that bad either. Go try on a set!
https://www.racer.at