Question for Joe Rocket Speedmaster Glove Owners

[Boy Scout]

I'd would like to hear some feedback from current or former owners of Joe Rocket Speedmaster gloves, specifically how well or how poorly they have held up for you.

I bought a pair July 2003, which makes them just over a year old at this point -- 53 days beyond warranty to be exact. I really like the gloves as they fit me well, are quite comfortable, and are vented. I am, however, a little disappointed in their durability. I'm not a racer, but do hit the track a few times each year. Other than that, these gloves have just been used for your average run of the mill street riding. They have never experienced a crash. In short, I really don't feel that they have been subjected to harsh conditions or use.

That said, the silver coating on the knuckles began flaking off long ago. While a bit of a disappointment, it is strictly costmetic. This morning however, I noticed a split/rip/tear in the palm of one of them. Upon closer inspection I discovered that there are several places where the leather has small holes/tears -- generally, but not always, near seams.

I realize that gloves wear out and need to be replaced, but considering that these are JRs top of the line professional race glove, I really expected them to hold up better than this under relatively tame conditions. I have older cheaper gloves that have been through a lot more than these that are in better shape.

My question is whether my experience is "normal" or if it is out of the norm for these gloves. If this is normal, I'll just toss them and move on. If my experience is unusual, I'll probably drop JR a note about them.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[Hozerking]

Nate, long time no see!

I have borrowed a pair once but I have never used a set for long time, but my experience with the speedmaster line gloves and almost all the joe rocket gloves is that they are not well made! ... what I don't understand is that they try to market it in the same category as their speed master jacket/pants/leather line which is very high quality! ... the gloves on the other hand don't look like they could withstand a 30mph crash!? ... I'm glad you like the gloves but go do a direct comparison between a different brand glove say an alpinstar or a teknic and you'll see what I'm talking about! ....

everytime I get a new glove (its usually an alpinestars) it isn't extremly comfortable for the fest few long rides until it breaks in! its kind of like a good set of leather or a sport riding jacket it takes time for it to brake in! ... but once they do they fit like a "glove"!

In my opinion the JR speedmaster glove isn't as wel made as some of the other products out there! I have felt this way ever since I first tryone one on at the store! ..

-side note: last year I crashed going approx 60mph and I slid most of the way on my hands (brain fart?) on asphalt, I was wearing as set of alpinestars sp2 that were toast afterwards but the only damage to my hands was a blister(caused by heat) on the tip of my right ring finger! ... since I have upgraded to a set of sp1s, courtesy of my friend Venkat, but I don't mess around with flimsy feeling gloves any more!

-al

[CSUAdam]

The stitching in one of the fingers of my Joe Rocket Replica gloves (supposedly their top of the line glove) started coming undone after about only a couple dozen times of wearing them. It really pisses me off, these are supposed to be their best glove and the stitching starts coming out after only a few times of wearing them.

I'm going with some Alpinestars next.

[BrandonR1]

I have a pair, and they are pretty much toast after 1.5 riding seasons. I used A-stars before these, the A-stars seem to be a better product...

[Devil954]

I have two seasons and two crashes on mine and they are still in great shape

[Bueller]

I have heard several stories of people with JR stuff that fell apart and they contacted JR and complained, they recieved new and sometimes updated gear for their trouble. One guy was just contacting them to find out if he could get his pants fixed (willing to pay) and they sent him a new pair!
Give it a try.

[Mista Black]

i have a pair of JR Razor gloves that i bought about 4 or 5 months ago. no crashes or unusual situations they've been subjected to and i noticed one of the fingers (at the tip) is starting to come apart. by contrast, my olympia gloves that i bought in '96 are still perfect for wear (except the velcro is a bit old). i noticed this this AM and will contact JR. if they dont satisfy this i'll likely never buy anything from JR again.

[Boy Scout]

I have heard several stories of people with JR stuff that fell apart and they contacted JR and complained, they recieved new and sometimes updated gear for their trouble.

Was already in progress, but I thought I'd wait for the outcome before posting...see below

i have a pair of JR Razor gloves that i bought about 4 or 5 months ago. no crashes or unusual situations they've been subjected to and i noticed one of the fingers (at the tip) is starting to come apart. by contrast, my olympia gloves that i bought in '96 are still perfect for wear (except the velcro is a bit old). i noticed this this AM and will contact JR. if they dont satisfy this i'll likely never buy anything from JR again.

My guess is they will repair or replace in your case since they are still under warranty. My Olympia's from the late 90's are just now starting to fall apart too, but they are an entirely different class of glove.

Long story short, I wrote to JR and asked if I could send my out-of-warranty gloves in for review and replacement consideration. They said yes and today I received a new pair of gloves! We'll see how well these hold up, but I am impressed with their handling of the situation. They called me within 45 minutes of my letter to them being delivered and my new pair of gloves went out the same day they received my old ones. I couldn't ask for a better response than that.

[Bueller]

JR Rocks! I wish I could have found some JR leathers on sale cheap as my Teknic's. I would have rather had them.