Galibier Grand Tour Aero Mitts

If you are a fan of the whole marginal gains thing but you are on a tight budget in these inflationary times, then the Galibier Grand Tour aero mitts might well be worth a punt. Their close and comfortable fit works alongside minimal padding to provide comfort and all at a very reasonable price – especially when compared with some of the best summer cycling gloves you can buy.

> Buy now: Galibier Grand Tour Aero Mitts for £21.89 from Galibier

I'm not a big wearer of gloves when riding in warm weather, mostly down to the fact that I find the padding too thick or it deadens the feedback from the front end of the bike. I'm one of those riders that likes to feel everything that is going on.

The Galibiers are just right though, with just a thin strip of padding for the top of the palm sitting beneath the fingers, and another block for the base of your palm to protect your ulnar nerve – the compression of which is the main cause of numbness when riding.

There are no gel inserts or similar here, only a couple of sections of material that are thicker than the palm. That's fine by me, as it just takes the edge of the rough sections of road while keeping giving me full feedback from the tyres.

The palm is made of a 50/50 composition of polyurethane and nylon. After six weeks of use there are no signs of wear and tear, so long-term durability is looking good. Any seams are also kept well out of the way.

There are small air holes to aid breathability although most of the heat will be carried away from the stretchy sections on the backs of the gloves.

The backs are made up of a mix of 80% nylon and 20% elastane, which ensures a secure fit, and the stretchy material extends over your wrist for aerodynamic purposes.

The fit is so snug that the gloves don't require any form of retention, which is great for comfort, and Galibier has included loops on some of the fingers and the cuff to aid getting them on and off.

As you'd expect, the white backs of the gloves do get grubby pretty quickly, especially if you get caught in the rain. Galibier recommends a 30°C wash, and so far, I haven't had any issues with long-term staining.

There are four sizes with a helpful guide to hand circumference, which I found accurate in terms of fit.

Rivals

The £21.89 cost shows that Galibier has maintained its usual competitive pricing, especially when compared to something like the £35 dhb's Aeron Lab Mitt that Lara tested.

Lusso's £19.99 Momentum Summer gloves, which I rated highly when I tested them, don't quite have the same aero snug fit, but they have done away with the need for any Velcro wrist fasteners, and they are a bit cheaper at £19.99.

Conclusion

If it's full aero you want, Galibier's Grand Tour aero mitts offer a smooth and comfortable fit. Compared to something like dhb's Aerons, very much the same style product, they are quite the bargain too.

Verdict

Not the easiest to keep clean, but comfortable and very aero