NZO Trail Master gloves review

NZO’s lightweight general-purpose mountain bike gloves are cool and comfortable, with enough protection to ward off scratches and enough terry towelling to mop up a warm day’s brow sweat. At under twenty quid a pair, they’re excellent value for money too.

I particularly like that NZO hasn’t gone overboard with the padding. There’s an extra layer of synthetic leather under the heel of your hand and your knuckles, and that’s it.

They therefore work well with thicker grips like my preferred Oury lock-ons, but you’ll have to look elsewhere if you like padding in your gloves.

The mesh back covers your first three fingers but there’s a denser more protective fabric over your little finger and the outside of your hand for those moments when you don’t quite manage to miss that tree.

Controversially, there’s a stretch cuff but no Velcro closure. Opinion’s divided on this feature. Some riders like the security of a traditional closure, others prefer the lack of bulk of a cuffless glove. It’s a swings and roundabouts deal.

Grippy pads on the fingers help you hang on to the brake levers and there’s extra synthetic leather over the first and second finger ends to reduce wear.

Construction quality is good, with tidy, even stitching and well-finished edges.