Rapha Merino Gloves

Rapha's Merino Gloves are well-made from excellent materials and offer good warmth for spring and autumn conditions, but check the cuffs are tight enough for you to avoid draughty wrists.

Rapha have chosen some top-quality materials here. The palms and the tips of the thumb and first two fingers, for example, are made from very soft and supple Pittards goat leather.

High-density foam padding across the palms provides plenty of low-bulk comfort even on very rough road surfaces and during rides that are a few hours long, while a silicone pattern on the fingers and thumb improve your grip on the handlebar. I've used these a few times on wet rides and never had a problem with the gloves slipping on either bar tape or shifter hoods.

The backs – the orange area on our review pair – are a comfortable mix of merino wool and elastane. Wind can get through there, so I've been using these when the temperature is anywhere between about 9°C and 15°C. You might use them when it's a little colder.

The back of the polyurethane thumb is soft although it's not as absorbent as some when it comes to snotty nose management issues (don't be squeamish; it's part of cycling in the winter).

My only real issue here is with the fit of the cuff. Whereas the rest of the glove fits like, um, a glove, the cuff is just a touch too loose for me, and I don't have particularly skinny wrists. I lined these up against a bunch of other gloves I have accumulated over the years and the wrists are certainly among the widest. Don't get me wrong, they're not baggy. Most of the cuff touches most of my wrist. But if it were taken in a couple of centimetres I'd have a sealed fit all the way around. Of course, I could go down a size, but then other areas of the gloves would be too small. I do have the right size, according to Rapha's size guide.

The other potential downside is that you need to handwash these and then apply something like glove balm to the leather areas to keep them supple. If that's too much of a faff for you, steer clear.

As long as they fit, these are a really good pair of gloves for cool autumn and spring conditions and the top-quality materials and high build standard means they should last ages.

Verdict

Neat gloves for spring and autumn conditions, but check the cuffs fit snugly to keep out draughts