Updated KH Pulse Gloves for Spring 2011

[flycross]

Hi Kris, can I ask you a question? Look at the picture below. Is that a normal? These are brand new gloves. After three rides (about 3h each) and two falls (asphalt and dirt) looks like this. I'm quite disappointed

[turtle]

i really hope they are better made! i love all your kh products, but the quality of the gloves are bad. every time i fall on them, my wife have to stitch them... or they even cant be repared. i like they way they are made, but not the quality.

[danger_uni]

I know that the grey gloves wore faster for some people that I would want. I think it might have to do a little bit with fit - because they fit small and the fingers were slightly short, a lot of people bought them quite tight, which would put extra stress on the seams. The slightly longer fingers in the new gloves puts less stress on the base between each finger and sizing them slightly larger puts less stress across the palm. The synthetic nylon used in the glove palm area is the same as what's used in DH bike gloves.

Because the gloves get made in big quantities (so not very often), I've already been testing the new blue gloves for a year, with hundreds of falls on them. My original pair are looking pretty worn now but none of the seams have ripped.

Kris

[DavidHood]

I have owned a couple sets of KH Pulse gloves and I will be one of the first to buy a Spring 2011 pair when available. I also own a a pair of ProDesign, Hillbilly (fingerless), and DocMeter's Flexmeter but all of those have plastic skid plates in the palm that make it all but impossible to operate the brake lever on the Shadow handlebar of my "36 Nimbus (disc) Impulse. My left "braking" hand rarely leaves the handlebar (see Title of post) so Pulse gloves are my one and only option. Another wonderfully unique product brought to market by Kris Holm that I just can't live without. I stitch up the rips and tears as they come thanking goodness all the way that the glove saved me from road rash. As for handling the brunt force of a UPD off a 36er at speed, I trust my right "disc golf" wrist to DocMeter's Flexmeter from SnowBoardingSecrets dot com. I got the all seasons guards but would be interested to know if the Single Splint guards would allow me to operate my brake lever. I have asked this in a couple of other (see links below) threads if anyone knows.

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=18

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=12

Edit: I understand the supply/demand curve of a niche market but if those fingerless ever go into production, I would most certainly buy a pair.

[UPD in Utah]

Hey Kris,

I didn't see any comments re bacteriostatic/cidal treatment of the new gloves. Did you consider it?

While I love my grey pulse gloves, I don't love the way my hands & wrists smell after a decent ride -- they wreak -- as do my lower legs from the impact shin/knee guards. I've washed both gloves and guards by hand several times, which helps for 1 or 2 rides before the funk returns. I'm reluctant to machine wash, for fear of significantly reducing their life expectancies.

I was also wondering if is there any aftermarket treatment you would recommend to control the funk, besides frequent washing? I've heard that hydrogen peroxide works well, but I fear it would weaken stitching & materials. Your thoughts?

I know I have a sensitive sniffer, and that others might not even notice, but I find it hard to withstand the funk that emanates from my wrists & legs and fills my office after lunchtime rides!

Thanks,

UPD in Utah

(a.k.a. Bert)

[turtle]

thanks kris for response! the problem is not the matrial it is how tight it is cut, there is almost not a mm at the seam, so it just pulls out

[Tirving]

Originally Posted by UPD in Utah

Hey Kris,

I didn't see any comments re bacteriostatic/cidal treatment of the new gloves. Did you consider it?

While I love my grey pulse gloves, I don't love the way my hands & wrists smell after a decent ride -- they wreak -- as do my lower legs from the impact shin/knee guards. I've washed both gloves and guards by hand several times, which helps for 1 or 2 rides before the funk returns. I'm reluctant to machine wash, for fear of significantly reducing their life expectancies.

I was also wondering if is there any aftermarket treatment you would recommend to control the funk, besides frequent washing? I've heard that hydrogen peroxide works well, but I fear it would weaken stitching & materials. Your thoughts?

I know I have a sensitive sniffer, and that others might not even notice, but I find it hard to withstand the funk that emanates from my wrists & legs and fills my office after lunchtime rides!

Thanks,

UPD in Utah

(a.k.a. Bert)

That material may be a bit expensive. One thing that I have always done with my MMA and unicycling gear is to spray it down with Lysol after every ride. This helps to keep the funk down.

[rob.northcott]

Originally Posted by UPD in Utah

Hey Kris,

I didn't see any comments re bacteriostatic/cidal treatment of the new gloves. Did you consider it?

While I love my grey pulse gloves, I don't love the way my hands & wrists smell after a decent ride -- they wreak -- as do my lower legs from the impact shin/knee guards. I've washed both gloves and guards by hand several times, which helps for 1 or 2 rides before the funk returns. I'm reluctant to machine wash, for fear of significantly reducing their life expectancies.

I was also wondering if is there any aftermarket treatment you would recommend to control the funk, besides frequent washing? I've heard that hydrogen peroxide works well, but I fear it would weaken stitching & materials. Your thoughts?

I know I have a sensitive sniffer, and that others might not even notice, but I find it hard to withstand the funk that emanates from my wrists & legs and fills my office after lunchtime rides!

Thanks,

UPD in Utah

(a.k.a. Bert)

Somebody on here mentioned spraying kit with alcohol (surgical spirit here, rubbing alcohol in the US I believe) after a ride to kill the germs in the sweat. I decided to give it a try and I've been doing this for a year or so now. It definitely helps to reduce the smell (my pads and gloves now stink of surgical spirit, which is a much more peasant odour )
I just keep a garden spray filled with surgical spirit and give my kit a quick spray when I take it off. Seems to work, and doesn't cost much. Now I only wash pads and gloves when they're filthy, rather than because they stink.

Rob

EDIT: Looks like Tirving beat me to it - assuming Lysol is some sort of alcohol-based product.

[danger_uni]

For the pads - hand washing works well. Machine washing in cold water, in a front loader (not a top loader) washer also is OK. Best is to wash them in the mesh bag they come in, as it makes the velcro last longer. Do not put them in a hot drier!! The abrasion patches will melt.
For the gloves, I also either wash them by hand or in a front loader washer, in cold water, hang to dry.

Making sure they dry promptly after use definitely helps for avoiding stink.

Personally I haven't considered using an antibacterial treatment. As a general note I am a bit wary of these.

Kris

[UPD in Utah]

Tim & Rob,

Thanks for the idea of post ride treatment with Lysol or Isopropanol to slow the growth of the things that cause the funk (i.e., stink). I checked out the active ingredients of Lysol and it turns out it's 79% ethanol, and 0.1% O-phenyl-phenol -- so you guys are basically suggesting the same thing.

I had been hoping that the new Pulse Gloves might be impregnated with something bacteriostatic/cidal, so that every time you work up a good sweat the agent does it's thing "from within." I have a couple of polyester tee shirts from Mountain Hardware that are treated with "ZeO2" (zeolites?) which are nothing short of amazing. I've worn them during ultras and over the course of 12 or more hours they simply do not develop any funk.

I've also heard that impregnated silver has the same effect. One day I might try soaking my kit in a silver nitrate solution, and letting it dry thorougly before wearing. Apparently if you don't let it dry it will stain your skin brown, black or purple. (I can just see trying to explain that one!)

Are there any chemists out there think this is a bad idea? (Scott?) I know transdermal transfer of silver is minimal to zero, and that silver -- even when taken internally -- is relatively non-toxic to humans. (It can, however, when taken internally in stupidly-large megadoses, cause a condition called "argyria" in which your skin and organs are permanently turned silvery blue. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyria).

Just wondering about how one might improve on an already great thing....

Cheers,

UPD in Utah

[mbalmer]

Originally Posted by UPD in Utah

Tim & Rob,

Thanks for the idea of post ride treatment with Lysol or Isopropanol to slow the growth of the things that cause the funk (i.e., stink). I checked out the active ingredients of Lysol and it turns out it's 79% ethanol, and 0.1% O-phenyl-phenol -- so you guys are basically suggesting the same thing.


UPD in Utah

I use lysol on anything that can't go in the dryer. I avoid it on my wrist guards because I can't tolerate the smell. It's sickly sweet. I spray and then wash and it's still smells like lysol. I'd rather smell the funk. I'll give alcohol a try.

[mbalmer]

Originally Posted by danger_uni

Personally I haven't considered using an antibacterial treatment. As a general note I am a bit wary of these.

Kris

Alcohol is different than antibiotics. The way I understand it is that bacteria need time to "change" and antibiotics give them time. Alcohol kills and evaporates too quickly to cause this dilemma. I'm no expert on the subject though.

[MilanMUni]

I have two pairs of this gloves. Kris designed them with all things that uni-riders need. Every part on this gloves is perfectly thought. And what is the best? Kris show us something new - better every year
Thanks Kris!

[Jonathan Erh]

—in fact, all my protection except my helmet, which I rinse— need to avoid reeking.

[Dane M]

I wash out my gear after every big ride, and let them dry outside. No smell.