Alpinestars GP PRO Review

I thought I'd take the opportunity to review some of the gear I've used to pass on info to any others that might be considering it.

First on the list is the newest piece of gear that I've acquired. My Alpinestars GP PRO gloves. A friend of mine told me that he'd tried every kind of glove out there and found the GP PRO to be the safest, and most comfortable of the gloves he tried on. Long story short, I ended up with a pair. For street riding, I was using my Icon Merc short gloves and for track, I'd wear a pair of Joe Rocket GPX gloves (I'll review each of these in the future, maybe) Tracks require you to wear a gauntlet style glove, (a glove that covers over the wrist) The GP PRO was designed for racers. After trying a pair, I feel that they're far more protective than any other glove out there, definitely more protective than any glove I've tried.

I've looked around for gloves quite a bit, and Alpinestars are the only ones I've found with a "bridge" that connects the little and ring fingers. Many racers have lost pinky fingers in crashes, the most recent I'm aware of is Troy Bayliss. The bridge between the ring and little finger should give more support to the little finger in the event of a crash. Also Alpinestars states this will keep the fingers from rolling and prevent injury. I thought it would restrict movement and take some getting used to, but it doesn't I haven't noticed it unless I was trying to.

The GP PRO Has plastic armor at the knuckles and the fingers, but also the outer palm of the hand. This helps the glove/hand to slide in a crash and not wear through the leather. Keep in mind these were designed for racers who fall off their bikes at high speeds and slide a long distance on asphalt, the more material you have to wear through the better.

For example Max Biaggi's crash in Phillip Islands turn one.

Or Dani Pedrosa At Sachsen Ring on Sunday. (Please excuse the horrible music on this video, when I can find a better clip I'll edit it.)

You wouldn't expect to get up right away from a fall and slide like that, but with the right gear, you can. Imagine if Max were some squid riding in a t-shirt and shorts.....

Now, back on topic. The GP PRO includes it's plastic armor to cover the wrist also. Wrist injuries are common in just about any sport. Every bit of extra armor in that area helps. The GP PRO wraps plastic armor almost around the whole wrist. I thought this would hinder mobility, but I've yet to notice it.

Continuing with the safety features. There are several areas that are reinforced with leather, the

palm for example has second layer of leather covering it. Also, Alpinestars uses Kevlar reinforcements under the leather. The leather used in the glove is much thicker than the leather used in my Joe Rocket Gloves.

The GP PRO has two wrist closures on it, one wrist strap and a gauntlet strap. You wouldn't want these coming off right? Seeing the speeds involved, if your hand were to get pinned between your body and the asphalt, at the right angle, it could get pulled off if not on tight.

Now for the comfort. These are the coolest gloves i've ever worn. The GP PRO has several ways of getting air throughthe glove, and it works. The first time I tried these gloves was in April. I rode down to MMP to have my suspension adjusted by Corporate Suspension. I brought my ICON gloves with, just in case. My hands were freezing by the time I got ot SLC (about a 30 min ride) You can feel the air move through the glove, which has been very nice on these hot summer days.

Now stitching. The first thing I noticed was the lack of seams in the fingers. The seams are stitched on the outside of the glove. This makes the glove very comfortable and less bulky feeling. My Icon gloves have the seams stitched inside the fingers, having nothing to previously compare to, it never really bothered me, but now I do notice the seams.

Overall the glove looks big and bulky and like it would be cumbersome to wear. Wearing the glove however, it feels more like a pair of isotoners than a super duty race glove. I'm very happy with them. I have some Alpinestars gear and will be looking at more. If these gloves are a sign of their craftsmanship, quality and innovation, I'd have no problem buying more gear from Alpinestars.

I give the Alpinestars GP Pro gloves a big cheesy thumbs up.