Designed and manufactured to take on the toughest tasks you can throw at it, our Original Glove provides a winning combination of versatility and performance. The Clarino Synthetic Leather palm and fingertips extends the life of the glove while the Thermal Plastic Rubber hook and loop cuff closure and two-way stretch Spandex top provides a perfect fit. Imported
Submitted by
jkrispies
a Cross Country Rider
from Palmdale, CA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2011
Strengths: Comfortable, Cool to Wear
Weaknesses: No padding if that's what you're looking for, but I don't personally think that is necessary.
Bottom Line:
Beats all other biking-specific gloves I've used over the years. I bought these due to the Mtbr "best of" recommendation, but also some Youngstown Carpenter gloves at the same time (and at virtually the same price) to do a side-by-side comparison. I figured I'd just use the Mechanix for work gloves if they didn't work out on the bike, but I'm very happy with them as biking gloves. I actually have to give the nod to the Youngstowns, but not by much. The Mechanix gloves shed heat better, so I wear them on especially hot days. For comparison, the Youngstowns are better fitted, better stitched, have an unobtrusive padding, and they are fingerless on the thumb, index, and middle fingers so I can use a cell phone or tools without having to take the gloves off. The Mechanix glove is more of a basic glove, but high quality especially for the price. Plus, though I haven't taken a bad fall yet, since all the fingers are covered there is that much better protection with the Mechanix. (FWIW, I researched the Mechanix carpenter gloves but didn't find them to be as well-designed or reviewed as the Youngstown.) Overall, I'd recommend the Mechanix gloves for biking in a heartbeat, but would suggest the Youngstowns first, especially for a commuter who may need to get to a cell phone more often than a hardcore off-roader.
Similar Products Used: AXO something'er'other
Various gloves cheapy over the years
Youngstown Carpenter Gloves
Bike Setup: Specialized Hardrock w/Time ATAC & Sette clipless
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Submitted by
mjk230
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2011
Strengths: Comfortable, durable, good grip wet or dry, not padded, can be machine washed. Handy for working on the house and car as well.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
Best gloves I've used. The synthetic leather doesn't get hard after it dries like actual leather can, nor does it stretch or shrink much. With these gloves I'm less particular about grips. I prefer grips with texture, but these work well with a friend's ESI grips as well.
Similar Products Used: Various cycling and work gloves.
Bike Setup: A'ME Tri Star grips.
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Submitted by
Laser4G63
a Cross Country Rider
from Jackson, MI
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2011
Strengths: This review is for the Mechanix Original Vent glove.
Durable, breathable, no padding, fits great, easy to clean, don't slip, gets the Betties. Oh yeah, they are cost efficient.
Weaknesses: Absolutely none!
Bottom Line:
These are great gloves, Read the strengths. The have held up to some rigorous stuff, my man. They snap back wash after wash. Take a licking and keep on ticking. They just keep going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going.... You get the idea. Best of all, they don't cost a lot. I would have given up my first born for these, but I already did that for other bike stuffs and things. Second one will be going toward a vasectomy.
Bike Setup: '09 Gary Fisher Advance. Frame is the only stock part remaining. Real men ride 26ers. The rest want it easy. Can you say wimps?
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Submitted by
painterdude
a Cross Country Rider
from prior lake, mn
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2010
Strengths: good fit, strength, look
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I've used the original, padded palm, m-pact and cold weather machanix gloves. they are all good for what they are designed for.. I like the padded palms the best, they give good protection and comfort. M-pacts can be a little warm on hot days and I like more padding than the originals. they all last a long time. they are easier to get than other bike gloves too. lowes have a good selection and prices.
Bike Setup: salsa big mama, minute fork, sram, p-35 rims, maxxis tires, carnagey bars.
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Submitted by
Uncle Six Pack
a Weekend Warrior
from Bloomsburg, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2010
Strengths: good gloves, comfortable and durable so far
Weaknesses: I am waiting to see how long they last, I would prefer the velcro strap on the backside rather than the palmside
Bottom Line:
For about $20 these were worth a shot. I think I'll be happy with them. There is another version for about the same price with extra padding on the knuckles-might be good for DH/FR protection.
Strengths: Cheap and strong. Sort of like a tall boy of Steel Reserve.
I wore them through the summer and they were not too hot. I wore them through the winter and my hands got a little cold, but it was 30 degrees so I'm not holding it against the gloves. If I want winter gloves I'll buy some.
Weaknesses: None that I have found so far. I would recommend maybe trying them on for size. The recommended size for me wound up being a little small.
Bottom Line:
I feel like a fool for buying bike-specific gloves after using these. The only thing I get with bike-specific gloves over the Mechanix is padding and I use a thick grip on my bars so that's not an issue.
These gloves are great and cheap. When they finally do wear out I won't have buyer's remorse.
Similar Products Used: Some Trek full finger gloves which didn't last too long.
Bike Setup: 2006 Preston FR
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Submitted by
cdkrenz
a Cross Country Rider
from Stevens Point, WI
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2008
Strengths: Relatively durable, breath well and good for use in temperatures into the low 40 and up to the low 90s. It comes in a variety of colors, they're inexpensive, comfortable, and reasonable to wear from spring through fall.
Weaknesses: The elastic around the wrist wore out after six months of use. I was using this pair of gloves between 2 and 5 days per week from May through Oct 2008. Also, I did fall into some pricker bushes this summer and the prickers penetrated the gloves, ouch!
Bottom Line:
This is a very good pair of gloves. They last as long as they should and will put up with a beating. Get a pair.
Bike Setup: Trek 4500
Windsor Fens
Hiawatha
Bianchi SASS (retired)
Gary Fisher Rig
Bianchi WUSS
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Submitted by
BoomingSooner
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmond, OK
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2008
Strengths: Tough as nails. Plenty of cushion as well.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Great gloves for cheaper than any other top end glove. They have survived some good crashes and the stitches are solid. Will definitely buy some more. Might try the ones with the extra padding, but these are so good, it is hard to try something else.
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from West Hills, CA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2007
Strengths: M-Pact-2. Durable, partially padded palm, warm, good grip. Good for crashing.
Weaknesses: Glove sizing chart indicates I should wear an XL but I need an XXL. No problem, I bought an additional pair and will use the first pair for around the house. Also, I was mistaken for a bike mechanic at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. So I had to fix a few bikes before I got on to the gondola.
Similar Products Used: lots of short fingered gloves
Bike Setup: Giant VT-2 full suspension
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Submitted by
chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Mounds View, mn
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2007
Strengths: very durable and great fit and comfort
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
these gloves are great especialy for the cost. i've used these for about 7 years now, mostly for bmx, and they have held up great. STRONGLY RECOMEND!! can get at any auto parts store and some bike shops
Bike Setup: stock specialized hard rock & custom S&M dirtbike bmx
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Submitted by
Mile High Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Superior, CO
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2007
Strengths: Inexpensive, well ventilated, fit.
Weaknesses: Low bling factor (I know, who cares).
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Vent model, which, as the name implies, is all about ventilation. I run Ergon grips, so I don't want/need a lot of padding, and these satisfy that requirement (the palm is a single layer of faux suede). Ventilation is excellent, but probably comes at the expense of durability (no rubber armor, and the single-layer palm). Fit is a lot better than many cycling gloves I've tried, but I do get a little bit of "bunching" near the velcro strap. For $20 I'm not complaining, though.
Submitted by
ForestHorse
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2007
Strengths: Durable, excellent grip, comfortable, good ventilation.
Weaknesses: None I can think of
Bottom Line:
Amazing glove. Thank you to all that reviewed this glove here and turned me on to it. If more people knew, none of the trashy "regular" cycling gloves would sell.
Similar Products Used: Every expensive cycling glove on the market.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Nomad, Cannondale Jeckyll.
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Submitted by
Jason Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodstock, GA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2007
Strengths: Price and durability number one. Number two would be their versatility.
Weaknesses: None that I have seen
Bottom Line:
Glad to see Im not the only person using these as riding gloves. I have one pair I work on my car and bike with and another pair i ride with. Great gloves. Tons of grip and durable as hell. Great alternative to high priced Pearls and Foxes. Id give more than 5 peppers for value if could.
Bike Setup: Steel hard-tail. Rockshox Tora, Time Pedals, Mavic Wheels, Panaracer Tires, Easton Bar, Truvativ Cranks, Shimano Controls
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Submitted by
Spina Dawg
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2006
Strengths: Price, construction, feel, look
Weaknesses: a little warm but not that bad
Bottom Line:
Excellent value for the money. I bought both the M-Pact and the Lite - the lite is simply not heavy enough, so even though it's amazingly vented it would not handle a scrape over a rock garden (bummer). The new M-pact for 2006 has bash guards over the knuckes and fingers - the rubber is so well attached - much better than any other cycling glove out there. One of the best kept secrets in the MTB world - once Mechanix latch on to this expect to pay over $55 for gloves of this quality. I am sorely impressed! And the color range for those of you so inclined is also extensive.
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Pearl Izumi, Fox dirtpaw
Bike Setup: 2005 Specialized Ensuro comp 130 with some mods.
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Submitted by
michael
a Cross Country Rider
from tempe az
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2005
Strengths: great feel, i used these as my gloves whan i was stationed in korea as a mechanic on jet acft. in the cold they worked great, i used them in the mediterranian as well doing the same thing. even when my buddy was knocked out on a ride, i could still feel a pulse through these. very durable and functional. mud blood, oil, sweat, tears, you name it the glove can handle it.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
great for riding. you need to feel what you are doing in order to be an effective rider. a glove that is designed to be functional even when it is full of sweat and oil is a perfect choice for riding. full finger is the way to go, rocks like to take fingertips. logos just cause people to look and go "oooohhhh, looks like someone likes to spend 65 bucks on gloves that will wear out in a month" go for function, it is a ride not a fasion show.
I am in Washington DC this week for a business trip, and tonight we were privileged to have dinner at the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space. While checking out the Wright brother Read More »
thinking about getting the Mechanix Orignial gloves. how well do they absorb sweat for wiping the eyes? normally half way through my ride I start getting sweat burning my eyes. Read More »
