only like 5+ years of riding - i do have others but these were like 80% worn most of time, 1 major highside @ thill turn 8 which left the top part of my hands numb for like 3-5 months.
i heavily conditioned them with lexol every season or so too
I have two pairs of Held gloves. One pair is finally getting a hole in the end of a finger. I hate to toss out gloves that are otherwise good. It's only been about 15 years.
At some point riding gear wears out and has to be replaced. You know what you need to do with those gloves.
Leather gloves, especially racing gloves that have thin palm and finger panels deteriorate rather quickly if not properly treated.
Sweat rots the leather. So, if you wear one pair of gloves all the time, ride a lot, sweat a lot, think about the possibility of gloves blowing up in the event of get off.
Applying tons of mink oil onto the gloves that are all dried out and hard, have never been washed, is NOT a proper way to treat them.
If you put too much oil, the leather cannot breath. You should avoid excessive use of oil on gloves.
If you wish to prolong the lifetime span (of the gloves, not yours), the best way is to get two pairs or more gloves and rotate them. And, wash them on regular basis.
So, how do you wash the racing gauntlet with those armors and padding and retention straps?
It is pretty simple, actually.
Let the gloves soak in lukewarm water for a couple of minutes, so that the salt, oil, dirt, all the crap will lift from the leather.
Wear gloves on.
Using baby shampoo, wash them as you’d wash your hand.
Water in the sink gets dirty very quickly. Also, keep in mind that water would look dirtier with dark colored gloves because of leather dye coming out from the gloves. I wear white or natural finish, avoid black gloves.
When you are done with washing, place the gloves in between the bath towels, gently press and take excess water off.
Hang them dry in the place that gets enough air flow.
Avoid direct sunlight.
Don’t try ti dry them quickly. (Don’t throw them into the dryer. No heat gun, no hair dryer. Be patient.)
When they are about 80% dry, apply leather conditioner.
Don’t do it when they are dripping wet.
Hang them again, and let them dry.
You spend time and money to find a pair that fit your hand, a pair that you like to wear on every ride.
Surely you don’t want to wear them out way too soon.
Keep them clean, you can extend quite a bit of life (of the gloves).
Over time it has seemed that some people have trouble with Held gloves and others don’t. It doesn’t seem random; it correlates to the person. One theory is the difference in body chemistry from one person to the next and its effect on leather. IIRC, it was especially an issue on the gloves with kangaroo leather.
If those are roo leather, it might be good to avoid roo on your next pair and see how longevity compares.
Too bad the new Held gloves aren't any thing like those made years ago. They are kind of feeble if you ask me. I still have a serviceable pair of Steves made around 2000 or so. They are gradually dying, but have lasted well.
My advice, get some Helimot gloves. They take a while to break in, but if you like quality, they are second to none. The Helimot Race gloves are the shiznitz, but you'll need to add a finger-squeegee to make them "foggy-morning" compliant.
I had 3 pairs of Held gloves where the index finger split in the same spot (my riding style, I guess).
Anyway, I sent them to Anthony's Leatherworks in SoCal. They cleaned, conditioned, and repaired my gloves. They're not 100% back to like-new, but they're back to being gloves that I can wear daily and I have confidence that they're just as sturdy as before.
I just want to say I feel your pain, because nobody sells the god damned held gloves anymore in the US!! Definitely just grab a new pair. Even a repair job would probably cost you enough to get a decent new pair of clearance gloves.
