Mountain bike gloves

Wearing MTB gloves improves your grip on the bars and protects your hands on the trail. A grippy palm keeps its hold when sweat or rain makes the grips slippery, which helps you control your braking through a technical section. On a narrow trail, gloves also protect your skin from branches and brambles, and in a crash your hands are often the first thing to touch the ground: a glove then limits grazes on the palm. Some downhill and enduro race regulations even require full-finger gloves. Both Mavic gloves have silicone prints for grip, and the Enduro Air Evo adds a reinforcement on the knuckles and fingers.

The right MTB glove size for men comes from your knuckle circumference, measured with a tape measure around the hand and compared with the size guide on the product page. On the Mavic glove size guide, a size M matches a knuckle circumference of 20 to 21 cm. Both Mavic gloves come in six sizes, from XS to 2XL. A glove that is too small squeezes, while one that is too big moves around and costs you precision on the brake levers. Sizing varies from one brand to another, so the guide on the product page is the one to follow.

Full-finger gloves are the usual choice for mountain biking, because they cover the whole hand against branches, brambles and grazes in a crash. Mitts leave the fingertips bare for ventilation in hot weather, but on a trail, plants brush the bars and a fall comes quickly. Both Mavic gloves have silicone prints that keep your grip on the bars and on the brake lever. In strong heat, the XR Lite Evo X Five Glove and its stretch mesh keep you cool.

Gloves with gel or foam inserts filter more vibration on a long trail ride, while unpadded gloves give you a more direct feel for the bars. The choice of padding depends on your preference and on how long you ride: padded gloves ease your hands on a ride of several hours, while a thin palm keeps a direct contact with the bars on a technical descent. Neither Mavic glove is described with padding: their hold on the grips and levers comes from silicone prints.

Winter MTB gloves have an insulating lining and often a windproof or waterproof membrane, which protect your fingers from cold, wind and rain. Both Mavic mountain biking gloves are designed for ventilation and have no thermal insulation: their vents and mesh let the air through, which quickly chills your hands on a forest track in December. Waterproof MTB gloves suit the wettest rides, when a breathable glove soon soaks through. For winter riding, the Mavic cycling gloves collection, presented for both summer and winter, includes other models from the brand.

Mavic gloves are covered for 2 years from the date of purchase, from Mavic or an authorised Mavic retailer, against defects in material or workmanship. The Mavic warranty benefits only the original purchaser, on presentation of proof of purchase, and excludes normal wear and tear, as well as damage from improper use or maintenance, a fall or an impact. MAVIC CARE, the warranty extension, applies to wheels and helmets, not to gloves. To make a claim, take your Mavic gloves and the invoice to your nearest authorised Mavic retailer. The full terms are set out in the warranty policy on mavic.com.