Review: Specialized Radiant Glove

We Liked

We received the Radiant glove for evaluation right before the 2009 Cyclocross National Championships in Bend, OR. First and the freezing cold and blustery wind thanks to the Thinsulate insulation. There is only one thing worse than cold hands, that being cold wet hands. While many gloves are warm, few are truly waterproof. Cyclocross racers are undoubtedly going to get wet unless racing at a location where it doesn't rain. To combat the liquid sunshine, the Radiant glove has a internal shell made from Hipora that is fully waterproof. Nice! The microfiber thumb wipe on this glove is made from soft ultra suede material which prevents skin abrasions when wiping sweat or runny noses in the cold. Some gloves have terry cloth on that part of the thumb, which can be very rough on your skin and feel like carpet in the cold. The Radiant glove is more refined in this feature. Specialized added just enough material when they extended the cuff of the glove without going overboard. Some companies have designed their gloves with cuffs so long that it's to the point of being ridiculous. You end up with a gauntlet-type of glove that almost goes up to your elbows. The palm of the glove has rubberized material strategically reinforced with stitching that will easily grip the bars or anything else in the wet or cold. We did not experience any problems handling the bike in the cold and wet conditions at CX Nationals. The designers at Specialized incorporated many features on the Radiant including reflective details (piping, dots, and logos), rubberized pull tabs to tighten the cuff, and a small buckle to keep gloves together when not in use. Good job. This glove has clearly evolved and had some thought put into it's design.

We Didn't Like

While black is a standard color for winter wear, we would like to see the Radiant offered in other colors to separate it from the herd. My personal vote would be for a combination of white and black. When laundering the gloves, we noticed that the cleaning instructions on the garment tag were a little unclear. The fact is that most cyclists are going to wear these gloves in nasty weather. Whether it's for cyclocross, winter training or commuting, riders will want to properly clean the gloves and protect their investment. While it appears to be a typo, please clarify the "Do Not Bleach Line Dry" instructions on the tag.

The Final Say

Simply put, this is a great glove. Period. We used it at the 2009 Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, OR and needed every bit of protection that the Radiant had to offer. With daytime temperatures below freezing, they kept my hands warm and dry and didn't let me down. The next time the temperature drops, get your hands into a pair of Radiants and they won't be disappointed.

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