The first time you fillet your palm open on asphalt because you’re not wearing any protection will quickly change your attitude about motorcycle gloves. Because in the unfortunate case of a get-off, a rider is instinctively going to throw out their hands. Motorcycle riding gloves are a first line of defense, protecting against the elements, deflecting debris, and hopefully keeping skin on your hide. For the last several months, we’ve been putting a pair of Racer USA Mickey Gloves to the test to find out first-hand how they hold up to daily wear and tear.
The outer shell of the Racer USA Mickey Glove is a combination of leather (41%), Polymide (39%), Polyurethane (11%), Polyester (6%) and Spandex (3%). The interior liner is 100% polyester. There’s an extra swatch of fabric in the high-use area between the thumb and index finger and tacky little triangles on the inside of the three middle fingers, features that help provide a solid grip on handlebars. Fabric in the fingers is relatively thin which helps when trying to use buttons on control housings, from audio controls to cruise control. The thinness in the palms however makes the center of the palm feel a bit vulnerable, but luckily just below it is a hard, reinforced pad that is most likely going to shield that area if a rider is sliding across asphalt. The same hard, armor-style plating protects all four knuckles as well. The fingers see added protection with dual padded leather strips covering finger joints.
Racer USA’s Mickeys are a short cuff glove that use a Velcro tab on the back of the wrist to cinch them tight. Sizes range from Small to 3XL. Our pair was an XL and the tight was spot-on snug. There’s a small perforated panel on the back but it’s more for aesthetics than circulation. Beyond that, the gloves have no other perforations for wind circulation. Despite that, because of their short cut, they weren’t overly hot during summer months, the riding season they’re tailored more for because they aren’t waterproof. Over the course of several months, they’ve taken on the curvature of our fingers and there’s one loose stitch where the knuckle protector connects, but otherwise the gloves show little signs of wear, a testament to the quality of their construction. The Mickey Gloves come with a one-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
In addition to backing up their work with a warranty, Racer USA says once a pair of their gloves arrive, if they don’t fit right, the company will pay shipping to replace them with a pair that does. To help ensure they fit right first go-round, Racer USA’s website features a detailed “Sizing Chart” showing how to measure your hands for the best fit possible.
Racer Gloves says it’s been making gloves in the same factories with the same pattern makers for over 20 years, sweating details “like seam allowances, stitch patterns and materials in order to create a superior fitting glove.” Originally an Austrian-based business that’s already established in Europe, Racer’s expansion into the US market is a more recent endeavor. If the company continues to offer gloves like the Mickey’s that are stitched together well, fit comfortably snug right out of the box, and provide plenty of protection at a competitive price point of $115.99, we can definitely foresee Racer’s footprint in the American market growing stronger.
