Troy Lee Designs Ace 2.0 gloves fall into the popular category of lightweight and minimalist, which isn’t always an easy thing to achieve but these do, and then some. The fit is perfect with a seamless level of comfort, the ventilation in warm weather is impressive, and the non-padded palm is grippy and works with touchscreens. For summer epics and big rides in the mountains, these fulfil the brief nicely.
The styling is very cool and understated too, with a raft of colors to choose from which should appeal to anyone looking for the best mountain bike gloves.
Design and aesthetics
Troy Lee Designs' range of gloves covers the full gamut from armored and loud designs to these which are at the opposite end of the scale: a lightweight design with no armoring and an understated aesthetic. There’s a wide range of colors to choose from too, so you can color-coordinate with your outfit/bike if that’s your thing. They are constructed primarily from lightweight materials with a vented palm designed to give that second-skin feel that maximizes comfort and cooling in hot weather over outright protection from crashes.
Specifications
Starting with the palm, TLD uses a synthetic leather material with perforations to provide maximum cooling when riding in hot weather. There’s nothing in the way of padding which some people might need to cushion nerves, but if you want the best feel, these tick that box. There’s mesh along the sides of the fingers to channel air into the hands and a thicker mesh is used for the top of the hand. The pull-on design eschews velcro to reduce weight and irritation with enough stretch for a comfortable fit. There’s silicone on the fingertips to grip the brake levers and they are touchscreen compatible, while a soft terry cloth material on the thumb is ideal for wiping away sweat.
Performance
I love the feel of a lightweight minimalist glove that just disappears into the background when you’re riding, and these deliver that sensation. The fit and sizing are perfect with the fingers neither too long nor too short, and the pull-on design, while trickier to initially get onto your hands, rewards you with a seamless level of comfort.
The palm material is grippy enough but not as grippy as other gloves (the Leatt 2.0 X-Flow has a grippier palm, for example). Nonetheless, it has performed adequately in a wide range of conditions and situations. The cooling effect from all the mesh material is impressive when it’s hot, but when it’s not (hello British summer) they can be a little chilly.
Verdict
The combination of great understated looks, brand recognition, solid construction, lightweight materials and great ventilation in hot weather means there’s a lot to recommend. The sizing and fit works a treat and the pull-on design amps up the comfort factor, while the lack of padding keeps the weight low, making them a first-class choice for all-day rides, cross-country, light trail and even gravel riding. The ventilation does mean they don’t provide much insulation when the sun isn’t shining, but for the warmest days, they are tough to beat.
Tech specs: Troy Lee Designs Ace 2.0 Glove Solid
- Price: $36.00 / £35.00
- Colors: Black, twig, olive, light marine, tangelo, brick, smoked green
- Sizes: S-XXL
- Features: Slip-on design, single-layer palm with mapped laser hole perforation, critical welding construction, silicone printed fingertips for lever grip
