Bontrager Rhythm long fingered gloves

Recently we sampled some Bontrager shoes and a saddle in the Points Of Contact article.  This falls into that as well as certainly the interface between hands, gloves, and grips/bars is an important one.

The Rhythm glove is a lightweight full fingered glove, made with a top of Lycra mesh and a palm of Clarino with silicone grippers on the fingertips and an abrasion resistant palm heel.  The cuff is tight at the wrist and has no velcro closure there, just elastic.  There is a pretty good snot locker/sweat wipey fabric on the thumb area where it needs to be.  They retail for $29.99.

So after wearing these a bit, what do I think?  When I first pulled them on I was bothered by the seam at the thumb where the terrycloth fabric ends.  It was very tight.  However, after a few hours of riding, that has stretched to fit and is not an issue.  These are a lightweight glove, as Bontrager states, and has no back of the hand or finger protection, so do not expect these to fend off any branches or impacts of any magnitude.  The Rhythm Pro or Comp with the 'knuckle dragger' protection is made for that.  It is also not a cool/cold weather glove as you might expect.  They are slim, though, and could be a decent liner with a larger shell over them.

The ones we received are white (there are color options with the Rhythm glove).  Hmmm...white MTB gloves could be an issue if you live where clay soils tend to stain fabrics. 

I like the grippy sections on the fingertips and I can feel the increased grip on the brake levers.  They give great tactile feel at the grips but have no palm padding, something that is pretty common these days.

I really broke them in in Vegas at Bootleg Cyn when it was over 100 degrees.  I liked the idea of the rough and tough palm heel patch and, if I hit the desert on some unexpected soil sampling, I bet these would be a survivor.  The white color and the mesh backing made for a great glove for those conditions. There were no cactus plants to fend off there, so the lack of topside protection was no biggy.  They were comfy and just let me ride with no concerns.  The sandy desert soil did not dirty up the white gloves at all. 

I have ridden them some back at home and they are tending to dirty up a bit with our clay soil.  But other than that, I will say I am very happy with the Rhythm glove.  We are heading into Fall/Winter here so they may not get as much use in the cooler weather.  They offer enough coverage for climbs and mild temps, but the wind will cut right through on a cold day.  No surprise, and that is no big deal since they are not advertised as a cool weather glove.

The Rhythm gloves will stay in my gear bag for sure.

Guitar Ted's Thoughts: I also received these gloves to try out, and as Grannygear was to hand them off to me, we waited until I arrived at Bootleg Canyon for Interbike for me to get them on for the first time. They say timing is everything, and in this case, it worked out that way!

As stated, it was well into the 100's as I tried these out, and I can say that the Rhythm gloves never were noticed as being hot, uncomfortable, or bothersome in any way. I think there are a few good reasons for this.

-The gloves were thin and therefore cooled my hands by wicking away moisture and not holding in heat.

-The fit while riding* was great.

-The elastic cuff was quite comfortable.

*Note: You might notice that the fit, especially in the thumb area, (as noted by Grannygear and myself), seems off while trying these on at first, but try riding with them. The cut of these gloves is made to be comfortable while gripping a handlebar, and they do that well. Off the bike? Maybe it won't seem quite right. That's my take on the fit.

Finally, they are easy to get into and out of, but yet they fit snugly enough that you can operate most things like tools, or a point and shoot camera, with them on. I am not a fan of the white, since I can't seem to keep anything white that color for long. (However; there are other color choices available) I will say they are easy to find in the gear pile because of the color!

I did try them on a cooler weather ride, just for grins, and they do not do a thing to keep your hands warm. Trust me when I say these are definitely summer gloves! Other than that, I wouldn't hesitate to grab these for any mountain bike ride.