The first gloves I tried on were the Alpinestars Overland Gloves and they fitted perfectly. It’s unusual for me to find motorcycle gloves that fit well so I was surprised that these felt so good straight away. I also tried the Alpinestars Vega and Alpinestars Apex gloves and I would have been happy wearing either of these gloves on a motorbike but the Overland Gloves just fitted the shape of my hand better. I chose the black gloves but they also had them in a black/white/red. I liked the colour of these gloves but I’m a mucky pup and I knew I would get them dirty the first time I wore them. Hopefully the black won’t show the dirt too much! I paid a very reasonable £89.99 for the gloves and chose to wear them on the way home.
It was a chilly Saturday lunchtime with a steady drizzle and a dark, overcast sky so the perfect conditions to test my new gloves. The first thing I noticed about my gloves was the reflective bits. There were cars pulling up outside MotorbikePlanet and, as I sat on my bike preparing to leave, their headlights were catching the reflective piping and adding that little bit of extra visibility to me on my bike. I’m not sure how much notice drivers would take of my reflective gloves but I’m a great believer in the old adage every little helps so it can only be a good thing.
I set off on my journey home with the drizzle turning into rain and a temperature bordering on freezing. The lining of the Overland gloves is soft and fleecy so comfortable from the minute I put them on. Being winter gloves I expected them to be bulky and to lose a lot of feel on the controls but these gloves surprised me again. They feel quite lightweight and flexible from the start. They are thicker than my summer gloves but they’re still easy to ride in.
I’m used to a highly armoured summer glove and I was always a bit worried that the winter gloves might keep me warm but at the expense of protection. The Alpinestars Overland gloves put my mind at ease on that score. The knuckles protection is very similar to my summer gloves with a TPU knuckle covered by leather so it absorbs and dissipates impact. There’s a high finger bridge, padding on the thumb and reinforced palm. I don’t notice any of this protection while I’m wearing the glove but it’s great to know that it’s there waiting to protect me if I ever needed it.
For me the most important thing about a winter glove is its ability to keep me warm and dry. The Alpinestars Overland gloves did that brilliantly. These gloves are 100% waterproof. I had confidence in their waterproofing ability within a few miles of putting them on. It was raining properly and my hands were completely dry. They were also warm enough too. I really feel the cold and my hands get cold easily. After 12 freezing rainsoaked miles I can honestly say that my hands were comfortable. They weren’t hot but I could have kept going on the bike for another hour or so if I had needed to without that horrible freezing feeling you get at the ends of your fingers when your gloves aren’t quite up to the job.
When I got home I showed my new gloves to my family. They’re quite used to having pieces of bike kit thrust under their noses to be admired and then discussed at length. They never seem as enthusiastic as I expect them to be but the Alpinestars Overland gloves did elicit a rather extreme response. The gloves were tried on and a search for mobile phones caused chaos for a minute or two. Then there was silence as they proceeded to use their mobile phones while wearing one glove each. When I finally got my gloves back I noticed that on the end of the first finger on the left and right hands there is a small pointy ‘pimple’. This is so you can use your smart phone or a touch screen Sat Nav or any other piece of modern touch screen equipment without taking off your gloves. I don’t know how well it works as I can’t use my phone properly even when I’m not wearing gloves but I can still appreciate that it’s a brilliant idea.
I’ve had my Alpinestars Overland gloves for 8 months now and they are still keeping me warm, dry and comfortable. I stopped using them at the end of April because it got hot and sunny for a few days and I went back to using my summer gloves. I still use the Overland gloves if I know I’ll be out late in the evening when it’s going to be chilly riding home or when I look at the window in the morning and see the wind and rain pouring down and I know the commute will just be more enjoyable if I’m wearing the right clothes for the weather conditions.
Overall I think these gloves are fantastic. They do everything well and only improve with use, getting even more soft and supple. They are made by Alpinestars who are a well known, trusted, top quality brand. They look good, work brilliantly and only cost £89.99 and I’d happily recommend them to anyone.
