AGV is best known for their track gear – among other sponsorships, they supply the leathers, gloves, and boots for Keith Code’s California Superbike School. With that said, they also have a lineup of protection for riders who won’t be on the track, and they’ve introduced a new pair of budget gloves that are well suited for the café racer in all of us.
The gloves are built out of full grain cowhide leather and they stand out thanks to accordion stretch paneling with a YKK zipper that closes the backside. The zipper is then covered by a leather panel with a snap closure that wants to put pressure on your ulna. This makes it more difficult than it needs to be to secure the closure and is a potential concern if you were to land on the closure and have that force transferred directly to your bone.
A floating knuckle design aids comfort on longer rides, but the edges are stitched shut which slightly defeats the point. Protection is on the light side but right in line with the competition – you’ll trust your hands to a hard knuckle cover and an extra layer of leather over the palm and inner thumb. Interior feel of the glove is appropriate for the price point.
Sizing ranges from Small to 2XL – these run slightly small so double check AGV’s sizing chart before you grab a pair. For the price, it’s a solid balance between retro-inspired style and modern glove manufacturing techniques – but you can do better for just a few more dollars.
Check out the AGV Sport Blade gloves ($59) from RevZilla, who currently have them on closeout for $41.30.
Photo by Nathan May
The above review was written for a magazine after a month of intermittent use. I didn’t care for them and I gave them away to a rider who didn’t own gloves – which should probably tell you everything you need to know. Spend some more money and get something better.