Madison Road Race Aero Mitts

Madison's Road Race Aero Mitts are, surprise, surprise, designed for high speed racing. I can't confirm their aero credentials, but they're certainly well made and won't slow you down. Which is just as well, as you probably wouldn't want to be wearing these on slower or more leisurely rides – comfort isn't their forte.

Aero is all the rage in cycling at the moment, whether it's designing bikes that slice through the air quicker or somehow making the rider more slippery, from aero overshoes to aero helmet covers.

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From the outset it's pretty obvious these gloves are designed for speed. In fact, you might well have seen the Aero Mitts on the hands of the Madison Genesis team racing on the domestic UK scene. The padding is minimal, and the wrist coverage is significant.

I'm all for kit that helps you go faster, but at the same time I think that for the average consumer it still has to be usable and practical. On many fronts the Madisons live up to this, but they are a bit minimalist in the padding department. You might prefer this, though, in which case don't let me put you off.

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I also found the faux-leather material on the palm a bit 'sticky' against my bar tape. It wasn't enough to be a serious problem, but nonetheless it did feel a bit weird when taking my hands off the bar to change position.

There's not a huge amount more to say about the mitts. They're reasonably comfortable on short, fast rides, look pretty cool, and seem well made. If you are serious about saving watts wherever possible in a race situation, the Road Race Aero Mitts are definitely worth a look. I couldn't find any serious fault with them, and you could do a lot worse for a penny under 25 quid.

Verdict

Minimalist aero gloves for the consummate racer – less useful for the more casual rider