ViaTerra Holeshot Pro Riding Gloves 6 Month Usage Review

We have been using the ViaTerra Holeshot Pro riding gloves for the past 6 months. Over this time period, the gloves have been a constant companion through countless rides, a long trip down to India Bike Week 2024, and even 2 races. Here’s how the experience with the gloves has been during this time.

The Build & Protection

The Holeshot Pro features a hybrid construction, using both leather and mesh panels. It features 3D mesh panels on the top of the fingers, combined with abrasion-resistant goat skin leather on the palm and wrist cuff. The idea behind this construction is to offer good ventilation, at the same time also decent protection. 

Coming to protection, the gloves feature low-profile KNOX SPS 303 protectors to protect the scaphoid bone, a CE level-2 certified knuckle protector from SAS Tech and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) protectors on the top of the fingers. Along with this, the gloves also get a carbon fibre wrist protector. This addition makes the gloves feel like a good middle ground between regular short riding gloves and full gauntlet gloves. 

ViaTerra has also added in a dual-layer leather panel with foam protectors on the pinky finger. But we wished the brand had given a full-on pinkie bridge along with it, for better protection. Other than this, the gloves also feature some convenience bits like silicone supergrip on the palms for better grip. 

There’s also a visor wiper available on the left-hand glove, which comes in handy during the monsoons when you’ll have to wipe your visor from time to time. Lastly, there’s the touch-friendly leather panels on the thumb and index fingers.

The Fit, Comfort & Ventilation

The Holeshot Pro has been the most comfortable pair of riding gloves that I’ve used. For my hands, the glove size I use is L, and it fits me quite well. The low placement of the protectors, along with the EVA foam panels underneath makes these gloves so easy to wear. 

The protectors don’t protrude out like in other gloves, so there’s never that concern of the protectors coming into the way when gripping the handlebar. The silicone supergrips on the palms also make it easy to get a good grip on the handlebar. Add in the pre-curved nature of the gloves, and there’s never an issue with grip while riding.

One of the things I personally love about the gloves is the ventilation. The hybrid construction ensures that there’s always enough airflow, the usage of perforated leather also adds to this and it really did make quite a difference when riding in hot weather.

After I got these gloves I’ve done countless weekend rides, a long ride from Pune to Goa for India Bike Week 2024 along with racing on the flat track 2 times. During my weekend ride, and the long trip down to Goa I didn’t face any issues with the gloves. Even when riding for 8 hours or more, the gloves never started to get uncomfortable and this was quite impressive.

Another thing I personally like about the gloves is how they offer a good feel from the handlebars. This came in handy when I was riding on the flat track and also offroad. The versatile nature of the gloves really makes it stand out in that sense.

That said, the leather construction does have its drawbacks. After riding for long periods of time in peak Indian heat, the gloves do get a bit uncomfortable because of the leather’s heat retention. In my particular case, it is a bit more annoying as my palms tend to sweat. I often remove the gloves when taking short breaks during rides. But overall this is not a big deal breaker for me, as I’d rather not trade the leather’s abrasion resistance for better comfort.

Longevity

After 6 months of use, the gloves have held up quite well and this comes down to the excellent build quality. For this review I’ve been using the Yellow colour Holeshot Pro, which features a white and yellow dual tone colour scheme on the top of the hand, pinkie finger and wrist. The colours haven’t faded on the wrist and the top of the hand, and the shade has remained consistent since day one. 

The occasional dust and dirt does get accumulated on the leather with prolonged use, but it is not a big problem as such. What I’ve found is that wiping the gloves with a damp cloth from time to time usually does the trick, keeping them clean and restoring the same colour back. 

Another thing which I liked about the gloves is how well they have held up during this time. The goatskin on the palms are still as flexible and comfortable to wear, and so far I haven’t faced any issues with the gloves.

Should You Buy The ViaTerra Holeshot Pro?

Before answering this question, I would have to mention the price. The Holeshot Pro is priced at Rs 4,299 which is towards the more expensive side. Now, after using the gloves for so long I can honestly say that the Holeshot Pro is definitely worth the money. The comfort levels combined with the good protection it offers makes it a really good deal in my opinion. 

As someone who doesn’t like the hassle of full gauntlet gloves, the Holeshot Pro feels really good. If you are someone like me who prefers short-cuff gloves and want the best in the market, then the Holeshot Pro is an option worth considering. But if you want to enjoy the same levels of protection at a slightly lower price then the ViaTerra Holeshot gloves are a good option.