To get inspiration for our newest glove styles, we don’t have to look far.
Your letters, emails and product reviews are GOLD for a small, family owned company like ours. When we want to update our current styles and make the best motorcycle riding glove, we don’t have a huge development laboratory or legions of scientists and designers …
We have something better. YOU.more
Updating a Classic
We all know what makes a classic car, motorcycle, or album (Led Zeppelin, anyone?). But a motorcycle glove?
Like most articles of clothing, gloves usually just go out of style and get replaced. Over time, styles begin to look a bit … er, how shall we put it. Retro.
When we update styles that have been in our line for many years, it isn\’t just to update the look of the glove on the OUTSIDE. We want to update the performance, too.
So we turn to the \”Road Tester\” emails we get from experienced riders, to see where there is room for improvement.
A Quest for the Best Motorcycle Riding Gloves
Lots of riders are on a quest for the perfect glove. You buy pair after pair … and like Goldilocks and the 3 bears: some are too warm, some are too cold, some are too bulky … none are JUST RIGHT!
Here\’s a sampling of what you\’ve told us would improve your gloves.
Olympia Road Tester Suggestions for Improvement
Problem is, thick gloves take away from the feel of the bike and the controls — so riders want a warmer glove, that is also thinner and not bulky. A generous gauntlet that fits well over a jacket sleeve, with a good closure to prevent it from letting the elements in would be nice, too!
Other Highly Requested Features:
- A visor squeegee to the back on one forefinger and a microfiber cloth to the back of the other for cleaning helmet visor on the road
- Better wrist velcro on the cuff, to keep gloves feeling more secure — but easy on/off when needed
- Durable, abrasion resistant fabrics and padding for protection, and to reinforce high wear areas like the clutch finger
- External stitching to avoid internal \”seam irritation\” and pressure points
- More rounded and flexible palms to prevent bunching on the grips
- Color fast leather that doesn\’t \”bleed\” or get dye on hands when wet.
- Touch screen gloves, with better overall dexterity, so they can be left on while performing other simple tasks.
- Gloves that fit true to size, but especially sized for people with shorter fingers and a wider palm, since \”too-long\” fingers are a problem we hear.
- Increased reflective areas for night time visibility and safety.
- Gloves with matching liners, for the style conscious. Black gloves and liners, for the rest of us:)
An Adjustable Glove: We\’re working on it!
The \”holy grail?\” An adjustable glove that can \”do it all — in warm, cold, wet, and dry conditions — better to carry one glove, then multiple pairs … right?
The \”ideal\” glove would keep hands cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather, rather than having to change gloves for every occasion (weather condition).
That\’s a tall order!
But, we hear you, and we\’re working on it!: We\’ve got an adjustable glove for Spring 2015, that we think riders will love.
What\’s on Your Riding Glove Wish List?
In 2014 we updated 2 New Fall/Winter 2014 glove updates and 2 New Spring 2014 gloves, with your suggestions … adding features like touch screen.
Leave a comment tell us what else you\’d like to see, Call out features of your current favorite glove that you really, really like.
Thanks for riding with Olympia gloves. And keep telling us what you need … we’re listening!
Read our rider reviews (click here). Or, shop for over 60 styles of gloves for riders, at a dealer near you or our online store:
