Used: Alpinestars Jet Road GTX gloves

IT is with sad news that I report the passing of my Alpinestars Jet Road GTX gloves.

I’ve had them for a couple of years now and they’ve always been my go-to gloves when the weather’s looking a bit dismal. They’re warm enough (but not the best I’ve tried) and waterproof (of that I have no doubt), but for me, their biggest plus was the fact that they managed this without sacrificing feel. Most all-season gloves are chunky, bulky and feel like you’re wearing boxing gloves. Not the Jet Road GTX. 

So why are they dead? The zip on the back of the right glove - that seals the outer cuff - popped off when I was trying to close it over a rather too bulky jacket that concealed a chunky watch. My expert seamstress girlfriend informs me that waterproof zips like these are tricky to repair and probably won’t stay waterproof, even if you can fix it.

OK, so they’re not actually dead and are still perfectly serviceable but the cuff flaps around wildly; it’s one of those things that shouldn’t be annoying but really is. We’ll have a go at fixing them but the outlook is bleak. So they might well end up on secondment to weekend mountain biking duties: the Old People’s Home for all-season motorcycles gloves, where I’m sure they’ll live out a happy life.

They were £129.99 when new but a quick Google shows them for around £75. They’re worth it, just don’t try and force the wrist zip closed over a bulky textile jacket.