Since February I have been playing around with a few items from Answer. Not the usual bars and stems that I have raved about in the past but more on the soft-goods side of things. Answer sent down a few pairs of gloves for trek7k and I try out this season and I’m finally ready to share my review.
The Fall Line XC glove is a perfect full finger, lightweight glove for the cross country – trail rider. For one thing the fall line glove has a pre-curved palm which makes it easy to break in and helps reduce the annoying bunching that may happen with flat-palmed gloves. Along with the shaped palm you also get strategically placed silicone grippers for positive grip even when it gets wet. The index finger and middle fingers get the silicone treatment for grabbing the chicken switches and the palm has more silicone for gripping the bars.
On top you have two-way stretch nylon, great for airflow even when it’s hot outside. With sizes ranging from small to double extra large and a nice elastic wrist you are ensured a good fit. Answer offers a bunch of colors (Grey, Red, Clay, Dirt, Green, Orange, Tusk) so there is a variety of options to match your kit.
The Strike glove is a three season mitt. The Strike shares a similar curved palm and silicone prints on the fingers but beyond that, this glove is drastically different from the Fall Line. Constructed of 5mm Neoprene and Clarino Amara on the palm, the choice of materials really sets the glove apart for cooler weather with higher insulating values. The longer cuff on the glove also adds to the warmth factor. There’s even terrycloth on the thumbs for those emergency runny nose sessions. If you’re planning on riding in cooler climates these gloves are good for temps down to 25 F.
Wearing the Strike during winter and spring rides and the Fall Line on my trail and XC rides, I can say these have been both durable and comfortable. I am impressed with the fact that the silicone has lasted this long without signs of wear. The same can be said of the stitching on the gloves themselves.
Using the Fall Line XC on the trails I liked the firm fit and control that the gloves offer. Even after river crossings or muddy trail days the gloves don’t loose their grip or fit. The Strike gloves have even found their way into my car on very cold days, keeping my hands nice and warm while offering a firm grasp on the steering wheel.
You can get the Strike gloves for $40 MSRP and the Fall Lines for $30 which won’t break the bank, especially for such a quality glove.
I would like to thank the folks at Answer for sending these gloves for review.
