Aerostich Competition Elkskin Ropers :: Aerostich Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

Product Description

Details

These Competition Elkskin Ropers take the Standard Elkskin Ropers to the next level with an added hook and loop wrist closure, reversed for ergonomic advantage, and also add a generous Elkskin covered TF3 impact-foam knuckle pad.

This is a premium rider’s glove, made by a ranch and work glove company in Washington State. They’re strong and durable enough to take on everyday rough cowboy and ag work -- from handling barb wire fences to accurately directing a lariat, and ultra-comfortable all-day because of their superb medium weight luxuriously tanned natural tan Elkskin. This comfortable abrasion resistant leather absorbs and dissipates sweat, wears cool, and quickly conforms itself to the shape of your hand.

The visco-elastic TF3 impact material padded knuckles make a protective difference in some crash scenarios, and of course, the left thumb is equipped with a resilient visor squeegee to help keep a clear view of the road in damp and rainy conditions.

These are the ultimate gloves for serious combat touring adventures and all A to B rides. Full and half sizes 8-12 (not available in size 11.5). Natural. Made in USA

Sizing Guide - Glove Fitting: A fast, easy and accurate way to measure: You will always get a precise, comfortable and correct glove fit. Place your open hand on a flat surface as shown, palm down. Mark point ‘1’ and point ‘2’ then remove your hand and measure this distance. Use the Sizing Chart to determine your correct size.

Other Reviews

Aerostich Competition Elkskin Roper Glove (review) by Line Dempsey, NC Touring
Aerostich Elkskin Competition Ropers – Gloves Review – The Motorcycle Obsession

Additional Information

More Info	Mr. Subjective on Breaking in New Aerostich Gear One of the unusual aspects of most Aerostich gear (in today's world of conveniently pre-digested, artificially-aged items) is there's usually a lengthy old fashioned 'break in' period. The time and distance needed varies from a few hundred miles to a few years, depending on how much one rides, and how sensitive the wearer is. It’s also a bit different for different items…boots, gloves, helmets, shirts or riding suits. For me, a new Aerostich suit or jacket feels acceptably comfortable after a few hundred miles and then reaches it's best after a couple of years of use and wear. By the third and forth season it's about perfect (ironically this happens just as similar gear may start feeling worn-out). That may seem an unusually long time by today's standards, but with much of my most-favorite stuff, from boots to jeans to you-name-it, it's always been this way. We email a newsletter to riders interested in Aerostich products and sales, and a recent one titled "For the Long Ride" has several nice stories about this. You’ll find it here http://www.aerostich.com/long-service-model Beyond general long-break-in periods and long-service stories, actually breaking in stiff new gear remains very much a pain in the ass: It is uncomfortable, and I always feel a bit more awkward wearing brand-new sparkly gear than well-worn examples. A bit of wear and patina can be almost as important as a product’s design, materials and functionality, partly because it silently tells a useful story which testifies to one’s long experience (without being overly proud of it, though). It’s always the same. When I was a kid I usually hated the brand-new back-to-school school clothing my mother provided each fall, and being forced to give up old familiar things which were only a bit too small but clearly worn-out. Today I sometimes still feel this way, so even breaking in a brand-new (and much nicer) helmet can be awkward and uncomfortable. It’s odd to complain about this from an economic standpoint but in some ways good ‘new’ and unfamiliar stuff must always be endured for at least a little while before it becomes ‘old’, comfortable and familiar. This is always worth it though, because new things are improved in real ways which matter over the long run. New is good…and new-and-broken-in is even better. It’s impossible to not prefer (for example) a comparatively newer and lower mileage rental car and many other newer and less-worn things, but for many other things this isn’t such a simple a decision. And even with today's popular pre-aged and faked-old items (like pre-washed jeans, pre-distressed whatevers) simultaneously offering both the worst-of-both-worlds (inauthentic and already partly worn out), and the best of both worlds (experienced-looking and requiring less uncomfortable breaking-in), the choice actually comes down mostly to your perspectives and not the functional qualities of the item. In the end what matters most is finding stuff which best meets your needs. Whatever they are. Here is an authentic (albeit nonsensical) way to fairly quickly break in your stiff brand-new Aerostich Darien Jacket, pant or riding suit: Remove impact armor and all contents of pockets. Soak jacket in large bucket of muddy water for fifteen minutes to three hours. While jacket is soaking, dig, or hire someone to dig a hole in the ground large enough to bury the jacket fully. Wad up the still-wet jacket and bury it in the hole. Water the dirt covering the jacket liberally, as if the hole contained a plant seedling. Wait three days, then dig up the jacket and let it air dry. After drying out, grab the jacket by the shoulder area and whip it hard against the trunk of a large tree five or six times. (This step may also be done when the jacket is wet.) Replace impact armor and wear the broken-in jacket with pride. Alternatively, ignore steps 1-8 and just put on your stiff new Aerostich gear and go do some riding.

Reviews

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Customer Reviews (64)

Simple PleasuresReview by Joe: Competition Elkskin Ropers provide a luxurious feel and superior comfort over a wider range of temperatures than any summer glove I’ve owned. Unrestricted short cuff entry and relaxed fingers make them addictively effortless to pull on and off. Yet, wrist straps keep them properly secured for the worst. The straps were stiff and seemly short at first but they slacken quickly. Although the fingers are loose-fitting compared to sport gloves, the supple leather provides good tactile dexterity on sport and dual sport bikes. The sum of its attributes more than offset any negligible loss of feel compared to thinner high-end kangaroo palmed sport gauntlets, IMHO. High quality leather, solid construction, comfort and ease of use define these gloves.

Ropers sizing chart is accurate and comparable to other motorcycle gloves in half sizes. Even though CE Ropers are made from mid-weight elk and for sport riding, I’d pay more for a second layer of elk or SuperFabric on the palm heals. Unsurprisingly, road grime is more visible on the light natural color. (Posted on 1/22/19)
Best glove Ive ownedReview by jim: I've owned other gloves but none felt like this one. Very soft and comfortable. Sizing was spot on. (Posted on 10/6/18)
Great glovesReview by Walt: I was apprehensive about buying gloves without being able to try them on, but the size of these gloves were spot. They are very soft, yet still have some substance to them. The hook and loop closure is perfect as the entire strap is secured leaving no loose ends to flap in the wind. They are by far the best riding gloves I’ve ever had. (Posted on 7/23/18)
Excellent Gloves Review by Bradford: These are excellent gloves. The fitting guide is just right to give me the size I need. Elk skin wears very well. These remain soft over many years. Doing business with this company couldn’t be easier and inspires confidence. You can’t go wrong with these. Happy riding. (Posted on 6/5/18)
Love These Gloves!Review by Mark: I own and exclusively ride with three pair, the regular ropers, the insulated version, and these Competition Ropers. They look and wear well, and I feel very protected when I ride. I typically wear gloves for 10-12 hour riding days, and these are always comfortable. Break-in period slightly longer than the plain Ropers, probably because of the padding. These are great gloves! (Posted on 6/3/18)
Ropers Gloves....greatReview by lpw: The gloves are really comfortable and the sizing was perfect. I appreciate the "break in" tips, they worked very well (Posted on 5/24/18)
Super fast shipping!!Review by Kodak: I was very pleasantly surprised how fast they arrived. Just got them so not much to review yet.

Gloves are comfortable as heck. Quality seems very good. Worried about the rising? Don't be if you use the sizing chart.

I can't wait to break them in.

Thanks! (Posted on 5/9/18)
Great glovesReview by Duck: Purchased a pair of these a little over seven years ago. Sizing was right on. These are my go-to gloves for both touring and short ides if it's not too warm or too cold when riding. They're thick so can handle cool weather but when it gets down into the 30s I switch to insulated gloves.

Easy on and easy off.

When I bought them, I thought the thumb squeegee strip was hokey but, sure enough, have found it incredibly useful to keep my shield clear when riding in heavy mist or light rain. I now wish my other gloves had this feature.

The Velcro on them is starting to lose it's effectiveness but I suppose that's to be expected after all of the use they've seen. Aside from that they've held up quite well and all of the seams are still in tact and seem to be holding together well.

By the way, I'm kind of a gear whore so I've got something like 15-20 pairs of riding gloves but this pair is the one that ALWAYS goes with me when I tour. (Posted on 5/6/18)
Elkskin RopersReview by Dan: Just purchased a pair of the Elkskin Competition Ropers. Haven't had them that long, but they're to replace a pair of regular Elkskin Ropers purchased in 2004 and worn on almost every warmer-weather ride since . . . For an idea of their longevity, I just received my 100K mile award from BMW; that doesn't count the @ 70K miles on other bikes.
I'm a mileage piker though, compared to some!
(BTW, the originals still work fine; I mainly wanted the knuckle padding). (Posted on 4/22/18)
Great gloves!Review by Mike: Great Gloves. I was hesitant about the sizing chart but it was/is spot on. (Posted on 1/10/18)

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Product Videos

Videos

Washable Leather?

“All of the elkskin glove models are cut and sewn on the exact same patterns so they fit similarly from model to model, but there are slight variations from glove to glove because each glove is hand made and each section of elkhide is a little different. A great way to quickly custom-fit a new pair is to fully wet-saturate on a warm day when you know you'll be riding continuously for several hours, then let them dry and conform to the shape of your hands during that ride.

Elkskin and deerskin can be safely washed using warm water and mild soap. This removes accumulated dirt, oils and stains and will help gloves last longer and feel nicer. After rinsing to remove residual soap, gloves should be gently wrung damp and allowed to dry gradually at room temperature. Do not apply direct heat when drying. They shrink slightly but will stretch to fit during wear.”

–Mr. Subjective.

Which Elk Glove?

“...As I mentioned earlier, I do a lot of sport riding and sport touring on a Honda VFR and will do occasional adventure touring on the GS, so I was leaning toward the gauntlet. Would there be any issues with that fitting over the sleeve of a Roadcrafter and allowing smooth rotation of the wrist?

Insulation is not really an issue, given that I live in San Francisco and the climate here is fairly consistent - rarely below high 40s or above the mid 80s.” —Chuck S. (email)

Thanks for your question. I wear both versions of the Elk glove. About 90% of the time I grab either the regular or competition Elkskin Ropers. The gauntleted version is also available, but I seldom take it. Probably only because I don’t have a sport bike option like your VFR.

The gauntlet on the unininsulated version of the gauntleted ropers is not lined, so the suede-ish backside of the leather does drag slightly against the sleeve of a textile jacket, but it’s not enough (to me) to be an issue. Also, as the gloves break in the suede-ishness wears a way slightly so the drag seems even less after a few hundred miles.

The gauntleted models are slightly more to deal with in subtle, nuanced ways. There are just ‘more glove’. The fastest and most unconscious pull-on-and-go is the regular roper. You just snap the wrist snap without thinking and go. Perfect for everyday short-hop, on-and-off-the-bike riding. Next fastest/easiest is the competition model. The wrist strap is much more secure than the snap, but it takes a nano-more of consciousness to manipulate it. For all-day riding, though, I usually pick this one. The gauntlet models add another nano-bit of rigamarole, but for a sport bike rider are probably a better option. These shades of ease-of-use distinction are very slight.

When I travel I normally take two pair of gloves -- usually a pair of competition ropers for wear most of the time, and the insulated gauntleted ropers or Luxury Cowhide. And the triple digit raincovers.

Last November I rode around Lake Superior with some friends on Gold Wings. I was riding my unfaired bike which has heated grips, but is without hand guards (wind protectors). Temps every morning were about 30ºf and the high each day was about 45ºf. I had both of the above and switched multiple times for comparison and evaluation. In the end I liked the insulated elk ones slightly better, but it was very close.

Since that trip (and as a result my experiences on it…) we have slightly increased the insulation thickness of the wind barrier hidden within the backside of the hands and fingers on the insulated elk ropers. Before it was a layer of windproof fabric placed between the wool liner and the elkskin outer. Now it’s a layer of thin windproof fleece (fleece laminated to a layer of wind blocking coated fabric).

The elk gloves are sized by glove sizes, not s,m,l, xl, etc. Basically there are twice as many sizes. For example, both a size 9 and a 9.5 are ‘m’ graded. So you end up with a more precise fit. A good-fitting glove is as important as a good-fitting shoe. It’s the only real difference between an ok glove and a great glove.

-- Mr. Subjective

A Second Skin

Elk and Deer leather mold to one’s hand really well. Two tricks to a fast break-in so they will feel great fast:

1.) Start with the exact right size. Our gloves are traditionally graded, not S, M, L, XL, so there are twice as many sizes and the incremental size-to-size fit difference is closer…nearer to custom-made, feel-wise.

2.) On a warm day when you can ride for several hours continuously, wet the gloves completely, wring them out, put them on and go for that ride. At the end they will have dried around your hand, stretching and shrinking slightly in places. From then on they’ll feel like a second skin.