Dakine Defender Gloves review

Dakine have taken notice of how mountain biking is developing, and are designing their equipment to satisfy these new needs. The Defenders, as the name would suggest, are built to protect.

Our rating

3.3

Good protection but slightly irritating pads

Robin Weaver

Published: March 1, 2007 at 12:00 am

Our review

Good protection but slightly irritating pads

Dakine have taken notice of how mountain biking is developing, and are designing their equipment to satisfy these new needs.

The Defenders, as the name would suggest, are built to protect. The only downfall with all this protection is the effect on the feel of the glove. The moulded ballistic nylon knuckle takes some getting used to and can feel uncomfortable at times, but on the plus side it gives you peace of mind while you're thrashing through the undergrowth.

At the outer base of the palm is a fairly hefty pad, which is easy to forget about until you alter your hand position. Venting is well taken care of via a mesh on the back of the hand and tacky pads on both the index and middle finger take care of braking. These gloves are well made and will take the knocks comfortably.

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Technical editor-in-chief

Rob Weaver is BikeRadar's technical editor-in-chief. Rob manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelance writer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.