Snow is coming. You can smell it in the air. This morning I stepped out into my driveway to find a thin frost over everything. It feels sterile and unwelcoming. It is also a harbinger of much time to be spent in a car. Enough lamentation -- I'm not off the road yet, even if my fingers do tingle and burn as they warm up again after each ride.
While AGV's Cool Tex gloves are not designed for winter weather, they do provide a surprisingly thick layer that can insulate your pick-up sticks against the burgeoning bitterness in the air. On the other hand, actually on both hands, there are big vents that cool across the knuckles and back of the hand, but like I said, they're not designed for winter. These vents, along with tough textile, make the Cool Tex excellent for cool to warm weather but not so much for cold or hot.
Surprisingly lightweight, these gloves do boast armor on the knuckles and gel inserts in the palms. The gel does a good job of taking the buzz out of the ride, but they also reduce feedback and feel. To return a little of that feel, there are silicone strips on the fingertips.
All in all, AGV's Cool Tex are hit and miss. They work best in moderate conditions, and AGV struck an awkward balance between protection and flexibility. You certainly would do better to look at some of the bigger names in gloves, but they are not going to give you AGV's price. The Tex costs anywhere from $12 to $35, depending on the vendor. They do have a decent look and come in red, blue, or yellow.
Find these AGV Cool Tex Gloves:
Find this glove on eBay:
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NEW AGV SPORT COOL TEX MOTORCYCLE GLOVES YELLOW S SMALL US $18.84   Auction Ends: 1d 21h 3m Make it yours... |
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AGV SPORT COOL TEX MOTORCYCLE GLOVES BLACK XS X SMALL US $18.84 Auction Ends: 1d 21h 3m Make it yours... |
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NEW AGV SPORT COOL TEX MOTORCYCLE GLOVES RED XS X SMALL US $18.84 Auction Ends: 1d 21h 3m Make it yours... |
These days, nothing is tailored to fit. You get a pair of new shoes that feel good, wear them for a day, and you end up with sore feet until you break them in --them being the shoes or the feet, take your pick. The same goes for motocross armor. It might stop those welts and scrapes from the heartless world, but you'll be plenty broken from chafing. What's worse is that every wound is right where your gear fits, and there's no escaping the pressing pain.
As it is the most obvious drawback, I'm going to address the ugly first. Icon's Hooligan 2 gloves are not pretty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but nothing coming through my retinas is being translated as stylish. I think it's the big, 1990s-style cartoon lettering on the knuckles and the loose skin look of the articulation areas on the fingers. So, this is looking pretty grim for Icon's gloves, but like proper hooligans, there's more than meets the eye.
Not too long ago, I put reflective tape on my helmet because, I was told, all that could be seen of my bike in the night was a little red dot. By happenstance rather than design, all of my gear is black and my bike is black. I can't say I mind, as it's a fine color, but visibility is an issue, especially if that lone red dot burns out during a night ride.
I tend to see my bike as 90 percent function and 10 percent show. This doesn't mean that I refrain from accessories, but I won't apply anything to my bike that inhibits its performance, unless it's unbelievably neat. Not everyone shares my view, and I'm happy for that, because it means I get to see all the crazy-fun things that folks do to their bikes.
Oh wee little Icon riding gloves, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Some people think I'm wasteful because I like frivolous accessories. Those people are dead wrong. I'm against waste in all forms and fashions. I do like to decorate my bike with a little leather, which is technically unnecessary, but I wouldn't call that wasteful. Now, big traditional-style turn signals are definitely wasteful.
Tire pressure gauges are nothing tools. You can pick them up for under a buck at most auto parts stores and, if you want to get fancy, you can get a $4 gauge. This is how I once saw tire gauges. Now, every time I want to check my air, I have to bend the valve stem more than I'd like. It's actually difficult to find a gauge with the right angle and, because I like to check my tires often, I know I'm adding undue wear on that valve stem.
I hate buying third party computer software for the same reason I love buying third party cruiser accessories: compatibility. Software requires plug-ins and mysterious workings, but the manufacturers of quality accessories for bikes make them mated perfectly to the machine you own. Which reminds me, make sure you get Cobra's dash plaque for the right bike, or you will have compatibility issues.
I ride in a full face helmet, a leather jacket replete with armor, leather gloves, leather boots, and jeans. I keep saying that I'll buy chaps later, but I wouldn't ride until I got my coat. I obviously rank my legs lower than my arms in more than just the spacial sense. Jeans may be pretty tough, but I remember being a kid and tearing through the knees of them in my day-to-day rough and tumble. In a crash, they'll strip away like wet tissue.
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