Initial Review: Louis Garneau Super Prestige Glove

[MattTuck]

Edit: Recycling this original thread in which I asked about these gloves.

Tried one on at the LBS yesterday and it seemed like a good glove, with the addition of a hidden layer lobster claw that you can deploy if it gets cold. Seems it is almost the perfect design to go from 35-50... on the other hand, it seems kind of gimmicky and 'the best of both worlds' rarely is.

http://nccyclery.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/gloveanimation.gif

[MattTuck]

They've now salted the roads worse than a nineteenth century cod fisherman, so my outdoor riding for the season is probably done. I was able to get out for 4 or 5 rides with these gloves, and figured it was worth a quick write up for anyone considering them.

Louis Garneau Super Prestige Gloves (http://www.louisgarneau.com/us-en/product/0/1482141/_/SUPER_PRESTIGE_CYCLING_GLOVES)

Fit and finish on them was solid. For $44, I'm actually impressed at the complexity. A few quick thoughts in case someone else is considering them.

1. I like the cuff on these: It is made of a neoprene material that seems the right amount of stiffness. It extends up the wrist just far enough, without interfering with the cuffs of a heavy weight long sleeve jersey or jacket. I have some PI pearl izumi lobster claw mittens that seem crude by comparison in the cuff department.

2. Temperature range: I tend to have cold hands, so take this for what its worth. I'd ride these gloves from 35-55, depending on a few factors that I'll cover below.

3. The Lobster cover: The cover is made of a "teflon spandex" fabric, which basically means synthetic on the outside, with some membrane lining on the inside. Of the entire glove, I suspect the lining will be the first part to fail. This is just a hunch, but that part of the glove gets a fair bit of abuse, between being crumpled up in 'pocket' and then pulled out and in contact with the exterior surface of the fingers. You can deploy and stove the cover while riding, and it does make a big difference in the warmth. I like this thinner cover better than the more insulated PI lobster claws, as I still have a fair amount of feel on the brifters.

Overall
I bought these from competitive cyclist with a credit and sale discount. But I would have no qualms about paying full retail.

They really shine for me in cold temperatures on the variable terrain I ride a lot. Up and down hills means that you're either getting too hot going up or freezing as you descend. These gloves give you the flexibility adapt to those different conditions. On flatter steady effort rides, I found that I didn't have much need to stow/deploy the covers except perhaps in the beginning of the ride, until I was up to temperature. With the covers out, I'm ok riding these down to 35 degrees, assuming I'm moving along producing energy. With the covers in, I'd say low 40's. On 5-10 minute descents, the covers keep my fingers warm enough in the wind.

I would not consider these 'winter' gloves, but the covers provide a nice feature that extends the usable range into some pretty cold temperatures.