Before these Raida CruisePro II gloves, I was using Royal Enfield’s Intrepid short cuff gloves for my daily commutes. And while they were well-padded and comfy enough, they were never really meant for Mumbai’s climate. With thick fabric construction and warm lining, they provided barely any ventilation. Hence I drafted in these gloves to handle my commutes, and the experience so far has been positive.
The CruisePro II are Raida’s entry-level gloves, and are mostly constructed using perforated leather. This not only offers decent abrasion resistance, but also provides plenty of ventilation, which is key in Mumbai’s hot and humid conditions. The comfort factor is also largely good, as they’re lightweight and have a slim, polyester lining inside. I say largely good because the inseam around the thumb feels a bit too tight and the internal stitching leaves an imprint on my skin after riding for even short distances.
As for impact protection, the CruisePro II feature CE-certified knuckle protectors and some foam padding for the fingertips. While it’s nice that you get CE Level 1 protection for your knuckles, these gloves leave more to be desired in terms of protection for the palm, wrist and fingers.
The CruisePro II are also touchscreen-compatible, which is a boon when riding in the city. Having to not take the gloves off to set navigation, answer text messages and so on has been very convenient. There is also a foam pad on the palm area, which Raida says helps in damping vibrations from the handlebar, but I haven’t felt any noticeable difference.
However, I wish the gloves featured a beefier velcro strap for closure; the current one seems a little too slim and flimsy and I’m not sure how effective it’ll be in securing your hands in a crash.
But these gloves have proven to be durable. I’ve been wearing them nearly every day for the past two months and there are only some mild signs of wear and tear. The materials have held up well, with only some nominal fraying, and the colour hasn’t faded too.
Raida is offering the CruisePro II gloves in six sizes (XS to XXL), and four colours. Overall, they offer decent value. Protection in certain areas could be better, but it’s reasonable for the price, and the comfort and ventilation are nice. They do a good job of city commutes.
Where: raidagears.com
Price: Rs 2,899
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
