Until the weather starts to get cold, some riders might not put a lot of thought into gloves. Some wear them, some don’t. Handup Gloves wants you to have some fun with your gloves, while they disappear between your hands and the bars.
The Details
Dubbed a mountain biking glove, the Mug Gloves (or “The Merican” – same glove, just a different print/color) also work great for road and cyclocross. The palms are made of Clarino leather with silicone printed graphics for grip (and fun). The backs are a printed four-way lightweight stretch mesh that keep things cool, while remaining durable. Instead of a velcro strap, the cuff is elastic to keep it simple. There is also a sweat/snot wiping section on the thumb and back of the wrist.
The Background
I had a chance to talk to the guys and Handup, and wanted to know more about how they got into the game.
“We got into cycling by mountain biking as cross-training for motocross, then we found our next love, Cyclocross. We used our motocross gloves when cycling because we couldn’t find similar gloves in the cycling market that were minimalist without intrusive seams and padding, but noticed aspects of cycling gloves that our motocross gloves were missing like the sweat wicking material on the thumb.
Because of our newfound love for Cyclocross, we wanted to bring the painful yet fun-loving, family atmosphere of 
Cyclocross to every aspect of cycling whether you were at a cycling team training camp, mountain biking with your buddies, or suffering at a Cyclocross race with 50 other freezing fans. We chose the name Handup because it was exactly what the gloves embodied. A temporary relief from serious racing that may be a bit controversial, but the one thing during a racing event that connects riders of all skill levels. Sometimes taken by the serious racer or enjoyed by the weekend warrior but every time bringing people together cheering for the same thing.”
I first saw the Mug Glove on a friend racing for Astellas Pro Cycling, Jake Sitler. I know Jake more from the cyclocross world and while he is a serious racer, he still likes to have fun. At the finish line at the Iron Hill Twilight Crit, there he was with some funky red, white, and blue gloves with an eagle and “‘MERICA” on the palms. They looked awesome.
Roadies that take themselves too seriously will probably not appreciate the fun of the gloves. For everyone else, these unique gloves will be right at home, and might even help you make some new friends on and off the bike.
The Review
I picked up the digital camo pair at the Richmond World Championships, and after my first few rides, I went for the patriotic theme for my second pair. The stars and stripes version definitely stand out more, and I’ve had a lot of people comment on them. I used them through a season of cyclocross and a warm winter of riding on and off the road. Only the cold rides have kept them in the drawer and not on my bars.
The Clarino leather palms are minimalist. That was a big change for me. I typically rode padded gloves for years, but I liked the feel of a thin glove for cyclocross. If you prefer padded gloves, you might need to look into some thicker tape. As far as grip, the silicone print really makes them tacky. Even in wet conditions, they won’t let you down. They even stick to cats.* On the thumb, the towel sweat cloth gives you plenty of real estate to clean up the slobber on your face after that run up your buddies said you couldn’t ride or the hand up that turned a little sloppy.
I wasn’t sure about the stretch cuffs at first, but the more I rode them, the more I liked them. Not having the velcro around the wrist, regardless of the top or bottom, makes you feel like you have complete range of motion. They are not too tight either, so they don’t feel like they are cutting off the circulation. For pulling them on, Handup included a nice little pull tab with their logo stitched onto it.
I love to ride, and I love to race, but I have learned not to take myself too seriously on the bike. I also race cross, so that too. But, these gloves are a blast, and are functional. Â So grab some bars, grab some beers, but first, grab some gloves from Handup Gloves.
The ‘Merican – $26
http://www.handupgloves.com
*No cats were harmed in this review. He was throughly annoyed, but was rewarded with a catnip mouse and some extra wet food.
Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Scott joined Bike World News as the Cyclocross Editor in 2012 before taking over as Tech Editor in 2016. He has also worked as a photographer for various pro teams and shoot races along the east coast of the US, including the 2012 US MTB National Championships, 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and 2016 UCI Road World Championships. Scott has a passion for performance and technology, with 35 years of riding and mechanic experience. He also enjoys soccer, running, teaching group fitness classes, and is the founder of Lancaster Beard Company.
Discover more from Bike World News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.