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Rapha Merino Gloves

7
£70.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Neat gloves for spring and autumn conditions, but check the cuffs fit snugly to keep out draughts
Weight: 
88g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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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

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rapha Merino Gloves

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Rapha say this:

Merino cycling gloves with leather palm

Designed for racing and training in mild to cool conditions, the new Merino Gloves have been created to provide insulation and protection whilst being light and streamlined enough to give you maximum control.

Please note: If washing these gloves, once dried, glove balm should be applied to the leather panels on the palms to keep them supple.

Key features:

Silicone gripper on fingers, thumb and palm

Goatskin leather on palm and digits

High-density foam padding

Merino with Elastane blend

Soft brushed thumb backs

Black reflective piping

Cut specifically for cycling control

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Here's the fabric list from Rapha:

Main: 94% merino wool, 6% Elastane

Palm: 100% polyester

Thumb back: 100% polyurethane

Palm overlay: Pittards goatskin leather

Rib: 100% viscose

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

The materials and build quality are excellent, it's just that I could have done with a slightly tighter cuff to keep out draughts.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

The performance is good but it would have been better, for me at least, if the cuffs were a touch narrower.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

You're going to need to look after that leather to keep it supple. As long as you do, it should last ages.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

The price is high, certainly, but you're paying for some high-quality materials like Pittards leather.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They perform exactly as they should but for the cuffs being slightly too loose for my wrists. As long as they fit you there, the performance will be very good.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The merino wool backs are very comfortable and the silicone grippy pattern works well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

As I've mentioned, the cuff was just a touch too loose for me to get a good, close fit.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Only if they fitted me better.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? As above.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

I've said it a few times: if they fit you properly, these are very good gloves for spring and autumn conditions. They were just slightly too loose around the wrists for me – by a couple of centimetres. I'd definitely want gloves that fit perfectly if I were spending £70.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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5 comments

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The Finn | 9 years ago
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Just bought these from Rapha sales and they are excellent fit (at least for me). The grip is good and they work in cold weather as well. I've tested them in -10C (14F?) and had no problems. The trick is to use thin Merino or silk liners inside the Rapha gloves and you are okay. Good gloves to be used from autumn to spring are a neccessity also here in Finland. Good winter gloves are not cheap anyho, the Rapha Merino gloves from sales are good value for money. In colder weather I use lobster gloves with thin merino or silk liners inside.

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The _Kaner | 9 years ago
0 likes

Now down to €50 in the sale (rrp €80)  36

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russwparkin | 9 years ago
0 likes

i was convinced i was going to buy these but when i visited the store and tried them i have to say i thought they were not really that fit for purpose, the hand wash only and cream thing i have to say was a big decider,

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The _Kaner | 9 years ago
0 likes

How Much..blah, blah, blah!  16

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sneakerfrfeak | 9 years ago
0 likes

Oh i'm looking forward to this one  3

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