Air Hero Dainese motorbike gloves - review

They’re not intended to be waterproof and certainly aren’t, says David Williams
Dainese

The latest gloves from Dainese - the Air Hero - weren’t created for rough, tough off-roading in the soaking rain; but that’s how I put them to the test. Just to be sure.

They are - as the name suggests - intended for warm summer rides when your hands can overheat. To combat this, they are made using a combination of cowhide and goatskin leather and tough, breathable mesh to let the air through. They also sport tough, effective-looking polyurethane impact pads over the knuckles and a separate thick pad - made of anti-skid material to prevent digging in - over the ulna, in your wrist. There are rubberised strips for flexible protection of the back of the fingers.

To ensure a good fit they leave the factory pre-curved and have a simple but effective Velcro strap, partially covered by a leather flap to stop it catching on your jacket sleeve. It holds the gloves on firmly, but comfortably.

These gloves appear very well made indeed; ruggedly constructed from quality materials, and evidently designed by people who know about riding motorcycles. They are flexible and very comfortable straight out of the ‘box’, conforming neatly to the contours of your hand. The Air Heros are fairly short - with just enough jacket sleeve overlap for safety, without making you overly warm on a hot day.

In practice they offer plenty of ‘feel’ while riding. I started with a brief road ride in the dry, and the comfort and ease with which they ‘fitted’ the bike’s controls was evident. Then I wore for them for two long days of riding off-road in soaking - but warm - arduous, muddy conditions, to see how they fared. They’re not intended to be waterproof and certainly aren’t; they soaked up the torrential rain quickly but remained comfortable and entirely useable throughout.

Fine handlebar control is essential off-road and this is what the Air Heros offer, with a minimal interface between skin and control, while also providing an effective level of protection. I didn’t hit the ground but feel that had I done so, they would have provided a reasonable amount of protection against impact and scuffing.

On subsequent, warm, dry rides they have proved comfortable too. They also offer a useful degree of manual dexterity while adjusting zips, goggles, visors, etc. Downside? As with most gloves, once soaked, they take a while to dry out, but they are designed for dry-weather wear. And I noticed that even when soaking wet, they were still reasonably easy to put on and take off, which isn’t always the case.

They’re even ‘scrunchable’ enough to stash in your pocket when walking around and, being breathable, remain reasonably perspiration-free even on hot days. Officially costing £79.50 at London’s swish new Dainese store in Commercial Street, E1, they can be found considerably cheaper online.

Dainese London

 

Motorcycle clothing stores ain’t what they used to be - at least some of them aren’t

The latest to dispel the grease, questionable-calendar-on-the-wall and grimy-mug-of-tea look is Dainese, with its airy new store in trendy Commercial Road, E1

With all the appearance of a slick fashion store it specialises not just in motorcycle gear but equipment for cycling, skiing and for equestrians too. Artfully arranged over three floors, and with big windows giving plenty of light, there’s lots of space to move around in, coffee and tea on tap, attractive product displays and highly knowledgeable staff

Bikers will love the fact that there is a neat stack of lockers, with keys, so that you don’t have to traipse around holding your helmet and jacket

The ground level floor is full of full-length racing leathers, T-shirts, helmets, fabric jackets, boots and gloves - there’s even a motorcycle to sit on, to get the trouser-length-fit just right. Downstairs, there is a studio where customers can pay to have their leather kit tailor-made, from a range of bespoke colours, while upstairs is reserved for more fashionable, casual, and retro street bike wear; ideal for hip east London. There are decent-sized changing rooms - and even a small amount of motorcycle parking outside, on the privately-owned part of the pavement. It’s a motorcycle clothing store alright - but not as we know it.

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