For Fall 2011, Firstgear has revamped their mesh glove lineup, paring it down to only four and making improvements in each of them. For this year, what remains are the Firstgear Ultra Mesh Gloves, Firstgear Baja Mesh Gloves, Firstgear Sedona Gloves, and Firstgear Mesh Tex Gloves. Each of these has its own specific design and intended application, and they're all designed to keep you as cool as possible on the most trying of hot weather rides. Below, you will find our video reviews of the new Firstgear gloves in order of technicality.
Relatively basic but designed to keep you cool and protect from abrasion, the Firstgear Ultra Mesh Gloves feature a mesh backhand construction with an abrasion-resistant leather palm. The fingers feature a slight pre-curve in addition to a box finger construction in order to reduce fatigue and keep you comfortable on the bike. Good for the commuter, tourer or light enduro rider, the price is definitely right (bob barker) on the Ultra Mesh.
Offering a boost in protection over the basic Ultra Mesh, the Firstgear Baja Mesh Gloves are a solid summer choice for the tourer and even light dualsport rider. With added leather and TPR reinforcements at the backhand and across the fingers not seen in the Ultra, these will provide greater abrasion resistance. The backhand is still primarily mesh for airflow, while the Amara (synthetic suede palm) has foam-backed leather reinforcements for vibration dampening and durability. These gloves also feature an articulated and pre-curved box finger construction to reduce fatigue and aid in all-day comfort.
Bulking up a bit, we arrive at the newly redesigned Firstgear Sedona Gloves. Here, we find a primarily mesh backhand with leather reinforcements on your two control fingers in addition to Amara-coated foam protectors on the index and middle fingers. Further reinforcement on the backhand is provided by additional leather panels, a neoprene panel and TPR inserts. The chassis of the palm is abrasion resistant leather, with foam-packed Amara overlays in the control areas and at the heel of the hand. Again we see a box finger construction with articulation, and a single velcro cuff closure.
With an improved design over last year's model and hard part PU knuckle protectors, the Firstgear Mesh Tex Gloves give you the best chance at combating injury in a get-off scenario. The Mesh Tex gloves are the most protective summerweight option in the FG lineup, featuring a mesh, leather and neoprene backhand that provides the perfect mix of lightness, protection, airflow and comfort. The full leather palm features double layer leather overlays with foam backing that will provide added abrasion resistance, durability and vibration dampening. The mesh cuff features a single microvelcro closure and the pre-curved fingers use a box construction for comfort.
Another solid batch of products from Firstgear to complement their new run of redesigned jackets and pants.
As part of the brand new Fall 2010 gear lineup, Firstgear released a series of gloves to complement their standout ADV Touring gear. Today, we'll take a look at the Firstgear Kilimanjaro Gloves and Firstgear Kilimanjaro Air Gloves. Vastly different in application, what the Kilimanjaro and Kilimanjaro Air share is extensive R&D and thoughtful design from a company who has through the years developed many US patents, utilized innovative technologies and put their products through the veritable ringer of testing before ever going public. They continue to do so today and these gloves are another example of exceptional engineering and design.
The Kilimanjaro Glove boasts a 330D Cordura Gauntlet for durability with an integrated storm cuff that keeps the elements out of the glove. The Hipora waterproof breathable membrane ensures that no precipitation will get through to your hand while allowing perspiration to evaporate through, keeping you dry and comfortable. The palm sports a Pittards WR100X leather, a treated leather that is water/wind-resistant and breathable, but sacrifices nothing in the way of softness or suppleness. Injected TPU hard parts in the fingers provide additional protection while the left thumb's wiper blade provides the convenience of cleaning your face shield on the fly. Overall, the First Gear Kilimanjaro is a great cool/cold weather ADV touring option.
Consider these the little brother of the Kilimanjaro Gloves. Built for the summertime ADV touring rider, the First Gear Kilimanjaro Air Gloves are lightweight, built with a backhand construction of 320D mesh, and durable thanks to the leather palm with Clarino & foam reinforcements for resistance to wear and vibration-dampening. The liner is made with Bemberg fabric, a very soft and smooth silk-like fiber that creates a comfortable glove interior. It also has that great integrated wiper blade on the left thumb to quickly and easily clean your face shield, a feature we're seeing on a lot of the new Firstgear gloves. With exceptional features and functionality, these gloves are sure to be a huge hit for the rider seeking a lightweight summertime touring glove.
Stay tuned for more from the new Fall 2010 Firstgear lineup!
To see competitors of the cool/cold weather Kilimanjaro, visit our winter motorcycle gloves page.
To see what stacks against the Kilimanjaro Air, check out our summer motorcycle gloves section at RevZilla.com
