• Specialized Equinox gloves
• £29.99
• www.specialized.com
• 01372 840800

Lightweight full-finger gloves are often warm enough to use most of the year round, but sometimes it’ll get just too nippy. This is where gloves like Specialized’s Equinox come in. It’s not a full-on winter glove, and if you’re into riding in below-freezing conditions you’ll need something warmer, but for late autumn and early spring, it’s spot on. The Equinox is warm without being bulky, the insulation being predominantly on the back of the glove. The palm is Clarino synthetic suede-type stuff and is basically the same as that found on Specialized’s more summery gloves. It features tacky silicone bits across the base of the fingers and on the first two fingertips for enhanced traction on bars and levers, and Specialized’s Body Geometry padding on the heel of the hand.

On the back you’ve got Thinsulate Flex insulation, with an articulated panel across the knuckles and a neoprene cuff with Velcro closure. The Velcro’s underneath the wrist, which is fine by us although some riders prefer it on the back. Some reflective bits on the back of the fingers and a reinforced Gripshift-gripping area finish things off. Oh, and of course you’ve got a soft thumb area for all your nose-wiping needs…

Specialized reckons that these gloves are good down to 7degC, which sounds about right to us. They’re not waterproof so downpours will get your fingers wet, but the Equinox is windproof enough that you don’t get too chilled and the insulation remains effective in the wet. The cut of the gloves isn’t the most sophisticated. Some gloves have a natural curve to them, but the Equinox lies flat. We experienced a little bunching of the palm, but there were no major comfort issues. The Body Geometry padding feels a bit weird at first – the palms are essentially unpadded except for the BG blob on the heel of the hand which cants your hands in a bit – but we quickly got used to it. It’s hard to say whether it works, but we didn’t get sore hands which is a good sign.

Verdict
Specialized’s Equinox gloves are warm and adequately comfortable. We like the concept a lot – warm gloves are all too often over-bulky, but these strike a good balance. The price is highish for gloves, but there aren’t many other gloves in this sector. A good choice for those nippy autumn days…

Performance: 4/5
Value 3/5
Overall 4/5