Prologo CPC Short Finger Gloves

The Prologo CPC Short Finger Gloves are a decent pair with phenomenal grip, but this does come at a price, both in fit and RRP.

• Pros: Very grippy, decent breathability
• Cons: Expensive, not much padding

Prologo might be best known for its saddles, but the company also makes gloves and mitts. The CPC material is the main selling point of these mitts, as the name might suggests, so it makes sense to start with that.

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Prologo says, "CPC (Connect Power Control) is an elastic polymer that's been moulded into a mat of hollow cones of various heights and diameters, this helps to reduce vibrations when going over uneven and bumpy roads and also helps to provide a massaging effect to keep blood flowing while riding."

It's incredibly grippy. These are probably the grippiest mitts I have used regardless of the weather conditions. As soon as you hold your bar tape you notice the difference.

Prologo has placed the CPC liberally across the palms of the mitts, with a small patch on each finger, four across the top of the hand, one on the thumb and two on the heel of the palm. It means that pretty much regardless of what you're holding, it will be impacted by the CPC somehow.

All of this CPC does come at a price though, as the placement is where you would traditionally put pads, so beyond the minimal padding that you get from the CPC, there is none to speak of. Whether this is a positive or a negative very much depends on how you want to use them. For track riding, for instance, these would be ideal as you don't generally need a huge amount of padding but do require a lot of grip for when you're really pushing the pedals. Many people also prefer to have a more accurate feel of the bar too, so these would be equally good for that.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling mitts here

I found the fit of the mitts a little odd because of the choice of material on the palm, which almost feels like a thin layer of rubber. When you clench your fists it has a tendency to bunch more than other mitt materials, as the material is slightly stiffer and doesn't rest against the palm as well.

On the upper the mitts are made of two panels – one Lycra, covering the back of the hand, and a microfibre area on the thumbs. The Lycra material has good wicking and breathability properties, and I never felt that my hands were getting too hot. The microfibre area was useful for wiping away sweat or clearing glasses.

There is no getting away from the fact that these are expensive mitts. A penny less than 50 quid at rrp makes them some of the most expensive mitts we've reviewed on road.cc. Okay, they're only £3.99 more than the Wearwell Revival Mitts, but when we've described £35 mitts as 'a bit pricey', another £15 moves them up the scale.

Overall, there are a lot of elements that I like about these mitts, with the grip being a particular highlight and the breathability also a positive. However, they are going to leave quite a hole in your pocket.

Verdict

A very grippy pair of mitts, but you're paying a high price for it