There are sure to be a lot of riders who feel cell phones have no place on mountain bike rides, but how else are you supposed to work Strava? All kidding aside, there is a time and place for getting off the grid, but for a lot of us a smartphone like an iPhone can be just as useful as a pump on our daily rides. Whether it’s stopping to take a photo of some epic scenery, trying to meet up with your time-challenged buddies at the trail head after work, or using it as a last resort in case of emergency, there are many reasons you might need to pop out that phone during a ride – which usually requires removing your gloves.
Seeing as how more and more riders seem to be favoring gloves without a velcro strap, removing gloves especially when soaked from Midwestern humidity can take a minute – even more so when you go to put them back on. The Answer Won gloves are no different, in fact they’re very hard to put back on when wet. Fortunately though, thanks to their “answer-it” technology you never have to take them off to get to that call. Developed with Input from Eric Porter, and designed by Tom Bender, the Won is a winner.
More after the break.
Way long ago, we brought you this simple glove hack that converts any of your full finger gloves into touch screen compatible models. However, for the sewing inept, the Answer Won answers the call (how many answer puns can we fit in this? Know the answer?). Thanks to a box stitched index finger tip on both hands of each pair of gloves, the Won allows you to operate a touch screen with almost no pressure at all from your finger. Out on the trail it worked exactly as advertised, meaning I never had to take off my gloves to take pictures or operate the phone. Texting is a little difficult simply due to how little control you have, but that’s what Siri’s for, right?
While the “Answer-it” tech might be the stand out feature, the gloves shouldn’t go unnoticed even if you have no plans on ever using a touch screen while riding. The Wons are noticeably lighter and breath better than the Answer Fall Line XC gloves, and offer a tighter fit as well. Once the gloves are on and snugged into place, fit and feel is excellent. I’ve noticed a little bunching on the first few rides, though as they break in it’s becoming less noticeable. Perhaps best of all, the snot/sweat wipe thumb covering is ridiculously soft, hell, it’s almost more like a fleece blanket than a glove, and it covers the entire thumb.
The Won gloves seem to have a pretty bomber construction, and even after doing some heavy trail work in them, including clearing thorns, they’re still in great shape. Padding is pretty much non-existent, so look elsewhere if you prefer some padding on your palms. Four colorways are offered, the Green/Black, Black/Black, White/Red/Black, and White/Black (not pictured).
