This time of year, I don’t wear gloves on a road ride, but every trail ride needs them. And many readers will know that one of my enduring gear preoccupations is with gloves. I am still not exactly sure what I should be putting on my hands when it’s below 25F, though I think I’ve solved all the temperature ranges above that, including “early summer.”
This time of year, I’m pulling on light, full-fingered gloves for trail riding, and there is a small coterie of gloves I like. For those days when it’s north of 50F, but maybe south of 65F, I often pull on the Giro DND (Down n’ Dirty).
The Giro DND is made with 4-way stretch breathable mesh, has reinforced fingertips for durability, and 2MM EVA crash pads. They are good, durable gloves for all your kinds of bicycle riding, slightly heavier than the POC Savants, which I also love. In warmer temperatures, I opt for the Giro Trixter.
The DND is a little heavier, offers a little more protection, and maybe fits a little snugger, relative to its size. The fit and finish is more involved, with nice pull tabs for getting the gloves back on your sweaty mitts after you’ve taken them off to snap a photo of a rabid raccoon or rapidly escaping deer.
The Giro DNDs are $25 from Giro and come in 15 different colorways (some of which are on sale for as little as $12.50 right now), and also in sizes from XS to XXXL. There is something for everyone with this glove. If you want, you can even go to my friend Stevil Kinevil’s site and get a pair of DNDs of his own custom design. That’s where I got mine.