The ION Dude gloves are a light, summer mountain bike glove with a one piece palm that allows a good feel on the bars and look great too.
Simple in construction, the Dude gloves are a fuss-free affair all over. Consisting of just two pieces of material – the upper and the palm, plus a small inserts at the thumb and on the side of the fingers, these are a minimalist pair, which I really rather like.
The gloves feature a stretchy cuff which sits low on the wrist and makes it easy to get them on and off. The upper 'flex mesh' is super stretchy too allowing for a good, close fit and they are pretty breathable too. My palm measures 7.5 inches in circumference and a size XS in this unisex glove fitted me perfectly.
The one-piece synthetic leather palm ensures that there are no seams to rub on the hands and no unnecessary bulk meaning you are provided with a good feel on the bars. There is, however, lots of silicone patterning over the middle to the heel of the palm which I found unnecessary, it meant my hands could move inside the gloves whilst I was gripping the bars and sometimes wrinkled up as a result.
There are two other colours in the range, a black pair and a set with light blue highlights. The gloves are available in a large size range from XS to XL ensuring there will be something to fit everyone. At £24.95 the Dude gloves are middle of the road when it comes to pricing, but I know ION has a good name for reliability I don’t mind paying the price for gloves of this quality. These minimalist gloves aren’t as flexible as other similar designs I have work such as the Alpinestars Stella F-Lite gloves but they are comfortable and robust meaning they make a good choice for summer riding.