Fox Racing Digit Gloves

(discontinued)

The last four pair of gloves I have purchased have been Fox Digit gloves. There are more elaborate designs out there. More padding, more colors, more style, more expensive, more everything. But I really like the basic design of this glove. They fit like a second skin without any thick padded sections or bulky armored graphics. I am a recreational mountain biker that rides up and down mountain trails (no bias, ride everywhere). I don't really need full-on downhill protection, but I also like to walk away unscathed from the occasional otb or high side event. These gloves offer good hand protection for that occasional unplanned trailside punching match with the ground that can occur. They are also well ventilated for hot days and the slim design doesn't absorb too much sweat.

The only detail that I don't like is the velcro closure. But that complaint is against velcro itself and not limited to this Fox design. 95% of the time the velcro works great, but there are times that I look down to see that it has mysteriously opened. This is usually right after a stop when the gloves are sweat soaked so it is definitely related to user error. A larger contact patch could help here or maybe a cool, micro boa thingamabobber is under development. The closer could also be completely eliminated and they could be slip-on since tension adjustment is already minimal with the velcro. Kind of a side topic, but something I think about while riding.

I recommend washing riding gloves by hand with a tiny bit of laundry soap. The agitation of the washing machine can break down stitching and cause pre-mature wear on the welds. It is far easier to rinse then off under running water while they are on your hands - just like washing your bare hands. Rinse the bits of dirt and rock out of the inside and let them hang dry. I like these gloves so much that I would recommend buying two pair at a time. Why would you buy two pair? It is nice to have a dry set ready for the next day or available as a back-up when you inevitably leave the first set on top of car at the trailhead.