Copy for Giro Xena glove
Giro believes that gloves should provide a sensible level of protection and otherwise stay out of your way. For an all-mountain model like the Giro Xena, that translates to shielding key areas without making any compromises on fit and bar feel. It seems to work for Katie Compton, who used the Xena on her way to becoming the world's top cyclocross rider.
Like the men's Xen model, the Xena's features start with the palm. The Super Fit design uses three panels of Japanese-made Clarino synthetic leather that fold along the same lines as your hand when you make a fist. The advantage is that the Super Fit palm adheres to the bars and your hand without bunching up around the base of your fingers like other gloves.
Giro has also removed almost all padding from the palm of the glove, leaving the job of absorbing impact to your bike's suspension. That makes sense to us. On the heel of the hand, Giro has kept a 2mm cushion of Technogel, a pretty amazing material that Giro claims is 300% better than standard gel at distributing pressure and doesn't degrade over time.
Although Giro has taken pains not to overbuild the Xena, it's still a rugged design with strategically placed armor on the pinky and ring fingers, across the knuckles, and around the wrist. The upper is made from a durable, 4-way stretch breathable mesh; silicone print on the fingertips enhances grip against your shift levers. Pull on the Xena with the wrist tab and secure it with the low-profile Velcro closure.
The sizing of a Giro women's glove is similar to a men's glove one size smaller, but with a narrower body. The Giro Xena glove is available in Black/Charcoal or White/Gold.
Copy for Challenge Fango cyclocross tire
To cut through the slop without collecting a build-up, cyclocross tires designed for muddy courses feature tall, widely spaced knobs. In that respect, the Challenge Fango Tubular is not the most aggressive mud tire on the market. But its slightly more conservative tread pattern makes the Fango a better all-around tire than its rivals in the mud-specific category.
In a review of 'cross tubulars, VeloNews Test Editor Matt Pacocha wrote, "I can whole-heartedly recommend the Fango for someone looking for a mud tire that can cross to dry conditions as well. It’s also very good in snowy, slushy or variably icy conditions where lower knobs present an advantage."
That's not to say that the Fango is a subpar performer in the squishy stuff. Designed with input from the likes of Belgian powerhouse Team Fidea, the Fango features a uniquely dimpled center knob that, according to Challenge, improves traction in all conditions without affecting the tire's ability to shed mud.
The Fango boasts the same, supple 260tpi cotton-poly casing used in Challenge's road and track tubulars. The company lists a weight of 400g for both the 32mm and 34mm versions and recommends a pressure range of 28-87psi. Plus, the classic look of black rubber and brown sidewalls will never go out of style.
If you're looking to get through a 'cross season without changing tires every week, the Challenge Fango is an excellent choice for a mud tire with versatile appeal on all courses.
