VIATERRA KRUGER RIDING GLOVES

`5,699 as tested www.viaterragear.com

RIDING GLOVES ARE AS CRUCIAL as any other riding gear and are available a dime a dozen. However `5,000-6,000 is a good mid-entry range for full gauntlet gloves. The ViaTerra Kruger come with an impressive spec sheet – full gauntlets, mesh ventilation, dual-velcro closures, SasTec level 2-rated knuckle protection, and abrasion protection for the wrist.

The outer shell of these gloves is mostly made of leather but has mesh patches on the top of the fingers and at the wrist to aid ventilation while offering good protection. The knuckles have Level 2-rated protection made up of viscoelastic foam that also makes the gloves comfortable. ViaTerra has put something called SuperFabric abrasion protection which is, to put it simply, a sandwich of multiple layers of fabric with a hard top layer. It’s claimed to not hinder the feedback from bars, which is true to a certain extent. However, ViaTerra has placed these patches strategically on places that would bear the brunt in case of a slide – wrist, scaphoid and pinky fingers. The bases of the fingers have a grippy patch that lets you hold on to the motorcycle grips without exerting additional pressure, which goes a long way in reducing fatigue.

While the top of the fingers have a mesh layer, there are rubber pads on the joints. The underside is completely leather, with the index and middle fingertips having conducive patches to help with touchscreen operations. Though these are a bit iffy to use but precise touches are a matter of getting used to the gloves. The fingers have external stitching which doesn’t make the insides pricky and keeps the gloves comfortable during long rides. While I used them in the Pune winters, these will be excellent in the summers as well, especially considering the ventilation they have.

All of those bits combined, the Krugers are worth a check and can give some imported gloves a run for their money. ⌧ Soham Mayekar (@soham_mayekar)