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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE MAY 13th
HOW DO WE REACH THE OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
Lomo Short Finger Cycling Gloves
38g L Red £7.99
The Lomo Short Finger Cycling Gloves come in at a distinctly low price point, but offer a good deal more than you might expect for a penny under eight pounds. Although without the finesse of some or the dense padding of others, they have become something of a go-to for my usual mixed surface non-technical ventures in an unusually warm English spring.
Pros: price, robust palms, unobtrusive effective padding, light-weight back.
Cons: less effective than some over long distances and/or rough terrain.
Specification
The palm is made from Amara – generally pretty durable – and has three gel padded sections, in all the usual places to offer protection to those nerves. The backs are Lycra, so stretch pretty much in any direction. Ideal for a range of hand positions, as well as being quick-drying and cool when the weather warms up.
The rear of the thumb and index finger have a “towel like material which is designed to absorb sweat when wiping your face.” Well, it may not be Terry, but it is towelling. And it will deal with less palatable fluids than sweat, but we all know about that sort of thing without any more detail.
The wrist opening is described as “generous”, which is probably fair enough given that I’d opted for large rather than extra-large. There’s a Velcro-strap closure to keep things secure, and pull tabs to make removal easier or to straighten the fabric out. All told a nice design.
Lomo point out that these could also be used for your weights programme at the gym as part of your cross-training. I don’t know about that, but they are more than adequate for hoisting a post-ride pint or two.
Ours were red and black, but they are also available in black/lime, pink, and black/grey/red.
Size and fit 3.5/5
Small, medium, large, extra-large were the sizes on offer. There’s a handy size guide to help you get the right fit. I was on the large-extra-large cusp. The choice was not easy. No one wants baggy mitts allowing hands to slide about, on the other hand, it was still early spring so I expected to want to wear a pair of very light gloves under the mitts on early morning starts.
After a good deal of dithering, I plumped for the large. They are a perfect fit. Comfortably snug in all departments with the padding seemingly in all the right places. Even better, I could still fit a pair of Gore Wear inner gloves underneath, and keep the padding in about the right spot. On the downside, I found that when stretching to push the STD levers on the drop-bar tourer to the furthest point, there was some pinching of the webbing between the fingers (with or without inner gloves). Now, I’d not consider my fingers especially stubby, so my conclusion is that, I’d go larger if on the cusp. Having said that, these things are very personal.
Care and durability 3.75/5
After a hefty shower, they dried on the bike in thirty minutes, or so, of sunshine and breeze. Mind you, only the light fabric on the back of the hand really got very wet. After a wash and spin, two or three hours on the line have generally been enough to get them wearable again. Overnight indoors should be enough, too, although if hand-washed you might need a lie-in (as late as seven o’clock for me).
There’s nothing to stop you bunging these in with the general wash, although closing the Velcro straps is a good idea to keep them from clinging to the rest of your laundry. On the whole, I tend to go for a cooler wash with my cycling gear, say 30C, but I’ve noticed no harmful effects from the default 40C of the general wash
Wear-wise, I have done nearly 1000 miles with these now and there’s no sign of damage to stitching or fabric. They look quite robust and are proving to be so. It’s worth pointing out there that hey have not come into contact with canal-side brick work or spiky fauna along the forest roads, not have I done involuntary acrobatics on the asphalt.
Performance 3.5/5
As ever, let’s begin with the preamble: contact points can be very personal things – one person’s leathery grasp is another’s fairy thistle-down touch. I’d rate my hand as somewhere between the two, but tending to the leathery. I have used these mitts in conjunction with compact drop bars on my tourer (usually riding on the hoods, but not always) and on ergo-grips on the Jones bars of my commuter-utility machine.
They’ve performed very nicely on both. The padding seems to be in the right place. Age is bringing on increasing incidence of numb thumb, not to mention index finger, and neither has been completely avoided, especially on the mixed surface of my regular commute. This is actually comparable to many other mitts I’ve tried. However, on longer rides, say when the plan is to go over fifty miles, I have tended to opt for the Chiba Bio Xcell Mitts, which have a denser padding. So, for longer rides, I’d suggest the Lomo Short Finger Gloves may be better for smoother surfaces. Equally, they do the job, but others do it a bit better.
The straps hold firm, as you’d hope, but are easy to open. Likewise, the mitts, though a snug fit are easy to remove. When putting on, I’ve occasionally had to fiddle with the fabric flaps that extend coverage on middle and fourth fingers. These have shown a tendency to hide inside the finger holes. Not really a hardship, and they do add a bit of extra protection.
Rarely do I suffer with sweaty palms, but I have found these to be very temperate. The light fabric on the back and the tiny vent-holes in the palm all contribute to this. Mind you, regular changes of hand position probably help, too. Mind you, unusually for me, sticking to the drops for an hour didn’t cause any climate crisis.
I mentioned a little pinching of the webbing between my fingers earlier. To expand, opting for large rather than extra-large size meant that the gloves were a very snug fit. When pushing STD levers to their full inward extension has thus caused a little discomfort. Nothing much and certainly not a deal-breaker. The same effect has been achieved when pulling hard on the brake levers on steep descents. Again, not a deal-breaker, but maybe a consideration when sitting on the cusp of the sizes.
Value 4.5/5
Well, what do you want for a penny under eight pounds sterling? Maybe the answer will depend on what type of cycling you are doing. As mentioned above, the Chiba BioXcell Air have better padding – in my opinion. However, they come in at £34, but also offer an XXL size and are very well finished.
I have had great mileage out of Passport’s Crochet Backed Mitts. At £14.99 they are ideal for those who like a touch of tradition and are willing to give a bit of TLC every now and again to the leather palms. I have found them very robust and suitable for all kinds of cycling.
Sportful’s Matchy Gloves come in at £30 and are a very snug fitting, light-weight model, probably best for road cycling, but still very comfortable to wear.
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Michael liked the Cycology Life Behind Bars Mitts.
All the above are pricier than the Lomo Short finger gloves, and offer that bit extra. A quick Google will reveal numerous mitts around the same price point as the Lomo, however, many, in my experience, make significant compromises which the Lomo don’t.
Summary
Faster gravel and cyclo-cross riders, as may long-distance mile-munchers may prefer something a little chunkier – but may well have suspension stems or more shock-absorbent bar tape (hand comfort is not just a function of gloves). However, there is nothing really significant to dislike about the Lomo Short Finger Gloves and much to appreciate beyond the bargain price.
Verdict 3.75/5 Excellent value for general cycling.
Steve Dyster
https://www.lomo.co.uk/products/sg2-short-finger-cycling-gloves-red/
PUBLISHED MAY 2025
