The Ride 100% Ridefit glove is one for the minimalists. No padding, no fancy features, no masses of seams. Just a glove that will stop your hands from getting clammy, or the skin coming off when you hit the dirt. The Ridefit does what a glove should do, no more, no less.
Here at MTB GearBox, we believe that gloves generally should go unnoticed. They should fit like a second skin, and not cause any reason for you to take them off. A glove that you notice will generally be because they are hot, they aren’t touch screen compatible, or, most commonly, they cause discomfort on your palms.
This review looks into whether or not the 100% Ridefit fits the ‘unnoticed’ category or the ‘ugh, get them off me’ category!
Firstly, we have a few key tips on what makes a good set of gloves and what to avoid.
A few key things to look out for!
In order to find a mountain bike glove that works for you, there are a few key components of a glove that will help you in selecting the best one.
1. How the glove stays up
When I am looking for a pair of gloves, I am wary of how the glove sits on my wrist and the closure system.
Velcro closure systems are great as they allow you to tighten the glove so it won’t slide off your hand. You just need to look out for velcro straps on the top of the wrist, as the velcro seems to catch the wind and come undone at inconvenient times. I don’t have this problem when the velcro is on the underside of the wrist.
Gloves held in place by elastic can be good as there is no velcro to deal with, but they can stretch out of place. If you wear a watch while riding, keep an eye out for longer cuffs. Longer cuffs can push your watch back and become uncomfortable at times.
2. Padding
I don’t enjoy having padding while mountain biking. I don’t find it necessary, and I don’t find it comfortable. If you get numb hands while riding, check out this post which will give you a bit more help in finding gloves!
3. Fit
I can not stress enough how important getting the right fit is. You don’t want excess material bunching at your palm, as it will fold and cause discomfort. You also don’t want it to be too tight, as the fingers may get crushed and tingly.
4. Durability
While getting a cheap, thin pair of gloves may seem nice, they won’t hold up in a dirt vs hand altercation. Get a pair that is going to last a good couple of seasons (gloves aren’t made to last forever), and ones that will actually prevent your hands from losing skin.
100% Ridefit Glove Review
Well-designed, simple, minimal gloves that will last you seasons to come!
What’s Good?
- Excellent touchscreen capabilities
- Breathable
- Inexpensive
- Perforated palm
What’s Not?
- Weak seams
- No women’s sizes
- Nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd.
Grip
The grip is one of those aspects you don’t notice until it’s missing. The new glove feeling makes you realize how important grip is, and the 100% RideFit is no exception.
The microfibre palm provides plenty of traction between the bars and your hands. It also soaks up any sweat and moisture on your hands so you have plenty of control over the bars. There is no silicone palm graphics- like there is on the RideCamp- but I feel as though it doesn’t need the added grip.
Silicon grips on the middle and index finger allow you to easily grip the brakes, even in wet and miserable conditions.
Breathability
I have been testing these gloves in the warmer New Zealand months. While these temperatures aren’t extreme, they do get you pretty sweaty. I found air could flow through the gloves pretty easily with light and breathable material on the top of the hand.
The microfibre palm is perforated to allow the hand to breathe nicely. In all, the breathability is excellent and doesn’t require me to take the glove off for long hot climbs.
Padding
This is a minimalist glove that forgoes the padding. Some people prefer this, while others may prefer gel padding to reduce the vibrations felt through the bars.
The gloves do provide a little bit of dampening of vibrations due to the microfibre palm- but it isn’t a lot!
If you would prefer padded gloves, we have the top padded gloves for mountain biking here.
Fit and Comfort
The length of the fingers is great. This is often quite a hard aspect of the glove to get right, and was upgraded from the last RideFit version.
The other thing I really like about the RideFit is the simplicity of the palm. There are no unnecessary seams and sections that cause indents in your palm. The likes of the Giro DND do this to reduce bunching, but I find it causes more pain than it’s worth.
In saying that, the Ridefit did bunch slightly on me. There is no women’s specific sizing with the RideFit, so I went for the size small. I get a fold in the glove, just above my thumb, which can become a little uncomfortable after a while on the bike and cause blisters.
If you have small hands, the fit isn’t great. I am usually a women’s medium (and the gloves I am wearing here are a men’s small), so if you have hands smaller than that, I’d recommend looking at specific women’s gloves (see here for our collation).
If you can get the fit right, or even close to being a secure fit, the glove is super comfortable!
Durability
The RideFit isn’t a flimsy feeling glove. The microfibre palm is thicker than many of it’s competition (such as the Giro Trixter) so I doubt that will wear through any time soon.
The material doesn’t feel like it will stretch out of place, and the cuff is thick and durable- designed for maximum durability.
Update: However, after a year of pretty rough use, the seams for the middle finger have come undone on both gloves. This seems to be a weakness in the glove, and is pretty annoying while riding as my middle fingers poke out of the glove! It is a pretty simple fix with a bit of thread- but still, you wouldn’t expect this off a decent set of gloves.
Cuff and Closure System
The RideFit has an adjustable TPR wrist closure with an embossed neoprene cuff. This essentially means the cuff is thicker than the rest of the glove and is done up using a velcro strap.
The velcro strap is on the underside of the wrist. I much prefer the strap being on the underside than on the top of the wrist, as it means the velcro tab doesn’t just come undone when it catches the wind or you bend your wrist.
The thicker cuff means it won’t stretch out of place easily, and it prevents sweat, rain, or dirt from getting into the glove while you ride.
The length of the cuff is also really nice. It doesn’t get in the way of my watch, and it doesn’t feel like it will slip off my palm (like some of the gloves do!).
Touch Screen Compatability
The integrated tech thread on the middle and index fingers results in excellent touchscreen compatibility. I am so impressed with how easy it is to use my phone while wearing the gloves.
The fact that I do not feel the need to take my gloves off to send a text or scroll through Instagram while I wait for mates is unreal!
Other Features
Microfibre nose wipe on the gap between the thumb and index finger. This may not actually be its intended purpose and may just be reinforcing for where this part of your hand touches the handlebars- but it works!
The Ride 100% Logo on the top of the glove is reflective. So if you find yourself riding in low light conditions, you have a little reflectivity on your hands.
Value and Comparison
For what you pay, you don’t get a lot of glove. If you find it on sale, it could be a good bargain. But for as long as it costs more than a Fox Ranger, I will probably tend towards the Fox Ranger.
The very similarly priced RideCamp glove by 100% is an almost replica of the RideFit, but with a couple of minor adjustments. The RideCamp has a generally better fit and slides on, rather than tightening with a velcro strap.
On the other hand, other similar gloves, such as the IXS Carve, POC essential mesh and the Giro Havoc, and even more expensive. So you aren’t getting ripped off!
Final Thoughts
The Ride 100% Ridefit glove certainly isn’t part of the ‘ugh get them off me’ category. They are lightweight, breathable, and, if you get the right fit, generally pretty comfortable.
The effectiveness of the touch-screen threads is one of the best I have come across, and I really like the cuff and positioning of the velcro wrist closure.
However, they aren’t the perfect glove either. I don’t feel as though they are the best value for money glove. There isn’t anything that makes them stand out from the likes of the Fox Ranger or Giro Trixter.
So, in all, I would say it is a nice glove that will do you well. If you find the RideFit on sale, it will be an excellent, minimalist, no-fuss kind of glove that will last you seasons to come.
