A good pair of full-finger gloves is a necessity in my book. I just can’t see not wearing gloves — especially considering the unknown frequency with which I decide to hug a trailside scrub oak. I’ve been riding the new Bontrager Evoke gloves for the majority of the year and I’m still riding in them.
Bontrager Evoke Gloves Features:
- Singletrack trail glove with unsurpassed breathability and comfort: perfect for long singletrack rides
- inForm design reduces pressure on the ulnar nerve, helping to eliminate hand discomfort and numbness
- Synthetic leather palm is supple yet durable for long-term comfort
- Synthetic leather overlays at metacarpal heads and in thumb crotch for the ultimate in durability
- Mesh back of hand for great warm weather performance
- Silicone finger tips for braking grip
- Absorbent wiping surface on thumb
- Pull-on design with grab tab for easy on and off
- Price: $34.99
Evoke has remained my only glove
Upon arrival, the Evoke gloves were given a fair shot — even though they lacked touchscreen fingertips. Call me a tech slave, if you will, but once you’ve had a pair of touchscreen-friendly gloves (like the Specialized Ridge Wiretap), it’s hard to go back. In spite of their lack of touchscreen capability, the Evoke gloves have remained my only glove this year.
The fit is spot-on as I’ve been quite comfortable with the size large (which is what I wear in nearly every major brand) and have found them to retain their shape and fit over time. Sometimes gloves tend to stretch out quite a bit after use, but the Evoke’s have remained nice and snug after 500+ miles of wear.
Durability of both the synthetic leather palms and mesh uppers have been stellar with no visible signs of wear to speak of. A couple of tumbles have not done much to these gloves either. The inForm design has provided improved blood flow and maintained hand comfort on long rides.
I’ve appreciated the velcro-free cuffs as they are easily pulled on via the perfectly-placed grab tab. This tab is honestly the unsung hero, but hero nonetheless as it does a great job of allowing me to pull these gloves on. Even though it’s sometimes nice to have a tight cuff, I’ve not missed it one bit — these are comfortable gloves that fit well. Silicone fingertips have been excellent with a variety of brake levers for confident one or two-finger braking.
The only complaint I still have is the excess stitching around the end of the thumb. I still feel like there’s too much excess fabric at the seams, which prevents me from getting the proper tactility on my SRAM XX1 shifters. Ideally, the leather palms would wrap around the inside of the thumb just a little more. Other than that, the breathability has been superb with excellent durability.
The Good
- Simple pull-on design
- inForm design does reduce hand fatigue
- Proven durable after a season of abuse
- Breathable in the heat
- Excellent brake lever feel
The Bad
- Seams on the tip of the thumb reduce tactility
- Gotta take the gloves off to operate that smartphone
The Bottom Line: Bontrager Evoke MTB Gloves
The season is waning, but the Evoke gloves have been proven companions for hundreds of miles on several bikes with a variety of grips. They have held up well and are supremely comfortable overall.
Buy Now: Bontrager.com or Your Local Trek Dealer
