Color, cooling and low cost are the obvious buy-ins for Giro’s cheapest glove. They’ve become our favorite set for everything from road to hardcore trail riding this summer despite us having a plethora of the best mountain bike gloves at our disposal.
Design and aesthetic
While it costs less than twenty quid, Giro has kept pretty much every feature we love about its glove range. The one-piece, AX Suede synthetic palm is cleverly cut for minimum bunching and the super-thin, perforated fabric stops sweating - and they come in women’s and men’s cuts too. Even without any silicon detailing grip is excellent wet or dry and the totally unpadded Trixter will be an instant hit with maximum feedback fans. Lightweight stretch backing in five different designs from vibrant to stealth keeps them light and apparently feature ‘InstaChill’ technology to cool your skin when it becomes wet. Whatever the reason, they’re impressively sweat-free and mesh fourchettes between the fingers keep things fresh and breezy even on summer grind climbs.
Lycra thumb and cuff section add some structure and stop the glove from getting baggy even after months of relentless riding and it makes pulling them on and off super easy. The palm is extended around the side of the hand with a separate reinforcing panel wrapping the thumb to stop abrasion whether you’re on MTB bars or gravel/road drops. Apart from some pulled threads from punching bushes or wiping out all, three Trixter pairs we’ve been running since spring will be well up for another season once it warms up again. The only downside is that despite a web of promising-looking threads on tip of the first finger and thumb, the gloves are about as capable of making a smartphone work as your nan. There’s no fluffy snot wipe either but then these gloves are more about the hottest days, not cold ones.
Verdict
Giro’s Trixter glove stands out for its affordable pricing but it still packs in all the excellent fit, cut and durability details we’ve come to expect from Giro and it works anywhere from road to trail as long as it’s warm outside. Touchscreen threads don’t work well though and there is nowhere to wipe your nose.
Tech Specs: Giro Trixter gloves
- Price: $19.95 / £19.99
- Sizes: Men’s S-XL, Women’s XS-XL
- Colors: Black, Olive, Blur (tested), Glaze Yellow, Horizon or Grinduro