When it comes to choosing just the right gift for friends and family, some people are easier to shop for than others. Actually, motorcyclists are one of the easiest groups to shop for of all! more How to Delight the Riders in Your Life? Riders are happiest when they are the road … and we’ve found lots of thoughtful gifts to make your rider safer, more stylish, and more comfortable. Whether the motorcyclist in your life is out on the road all winter and needs a little something to help keep warm, or is just dreaming of the first ride of...

Our guest post today is from Marilyn Elmore Bragg, a Southern writer, photographer and long time rider who had to improvise through the snow, sleet and winds of a New England nor’easter. We get asked all the time which winter motorcycle gloves are warmest for winter rides. Here’s one rider’s unusual way of dealing with unexpected weather ****** Keeping Warm, by Marilyn Elmore Bragg As I write about this subject, the temps outside are falling fast. The red stuff in the thermometer outside my window read 54 degrees! The skies are partly cloudy with a slight breeze. That’s changed in a matter...

If you’re a private label glove buyer, and you’re good at what you do, it’s because of your unique management style. In our experience, each private label buyer has a slightly different way of approaching the sourcing process. Of the 6 glove buying/management types we have identified, which management style best describes you?more 1. Type B: “Bottom Line” This type of buyer is most likely to say: “Here’s the retail, this is the product I want”. When we work with “Type B” , we appreciate the trust he places in our expertise and ability to deliver the right product. He...

Recently, we were working on a new line of sport gloves for a client. As it happened, the first samples were more than satisfactory, but cost was not. At this point, the challenge becomes, how to get the same look and function, and hit the target cost? Where can we save some money?!more A Framework for Analyzing Glove Cost There are 3 basic places we look: Step 1. Explore glove material options  For instance, a material made in one country may cost 1.5x the same material made in another … or, a “B” grade leather may work as well as an...

Here’s a question we get asked: how come one beautiful glove costs $20, and another “similar” one is twice that? It’s a really important, basic question, with a pretty simple answer. To answer it, we’ll begin by looking at how a target glove cost is determined — Then, examine the key factors that impact glove costs during development:more How To Make Gloves:  Start With a Retail Price Target If you’ve been buying gloves – or any category, for that matter – you already know how to work cost in reverse. Start with SRP (suggested retail price) minus dealer margin = wholesale...

To make gloves well, it takes special skills and experience at all points during the process.   Some companies have the necessary capabilities within their ranks, others do not.  It may sound strange coming from a glove manufacturer, but outsourcing can be the right solution for some companies and not others.  If you are developing a line of gloves and face a ”make or buy” glove making decision, here are some arguments pro and con, for outsourcing vs. going direct.more Factors that Favor Direct Manufacturing There’s more to making a good glove that meets the eye.  When we see glove quality...

Welcome to our blog, where we share our glove manufacturing, design and sourcing experience, as well as more general views, tips and news for glove buyers and others within our industry. Let’s talk about glove sourcing by starting with a story. A new food store opened in my town last week. On my first visit, I tried a few items from their private label food line. Specifically, store brand almonds, vanilla ice cream, mango salsa, and some salads.  Packaging? Nice.Assortment? Interesting. Price? Fair.  Quality? Meh. Actually, the vanilla ice cream was gummy, and the salads were just so-so. What does this have to...

Keep Warm and Ride Your Motorcycle Longer In Cold Weather Man has yet to control climate in order to make every day a good day for riding. So, in lieu of chanting and prayer, the keys to cold weather motorcycle riding are the proper gear and preparation. First, check local forecasts for the area you’ll be riding in and make sure you have the necessary gear on hand for the weather. No matter what the outside temperature, remember to calculate for the wind-chill factor. Make sure that as little skin is exposed to the elements as possible, and take care to cover the...

Riding At Night: “High Visibility” Tips for Safety Most new motorcycle’s lighting systems don’t come with an on/off switch.   The lights are always on when the motorcycle is running, and that’s no accident. Here’s why: Lights increase the chances of keeping the rider and bike visible to other people on the road. While lighting is a proven way to increase visibility, there are some other ways as well. High Visibility Gear for Maximum Visibility It’s also no secret that most motorcycle riders prefer black gear, but there are ways to continue wearing dark riding colors while maintaining high-visibility. more...

Riding Motorcycles in Windy Weather The wind can be a difficult weather condition for motorcycle riders. Strong wind lowers the temperature even further than what the thermometer reads. Not only that, but strong side wind gusts make bike handling and staying in your lane more difficult. To contend with windy weather, riders need to take steps to protect areas of the body most exposed, and vulnerable, to the wind, and to anticipate the wind in handling the bike. Here are some specific suggestions for riding in windy weather conditions Areas of the Body Most affected by Wind Hands are one of...

Motorcycle Riding In The Rain Riding a motorcycle in the rain can be tricky. Almost a quarter of all crashes happen in bad weather, especially on wet pavements. Luckily, there are many steps a rider can take to make a wet ride a safe and enjoyable one. Tips for Riding in the Rain From a slight drizzle to a torrential downpour to freezing rain, here are some safety tactics that a rider should know Make things easy on yourself and wear a full-face helmet. The shape of the helmet is more aerodynamic than goggles or glasses, and water will naturally flow...

Riding in Rain  In an online motorcycle rider’s group, the conversation turned to wet weather gear. Specifically, what’s the best moderate priced gear to wear when riding in the rain. Fellow riders expressed a range of opinions about what’s best, from wearing fishing gear and ski gear, to wearing rubber gloves over or under other gloves!  Well, we really don’t advise wearing fishing gear when you ride, LOL …. but it raises the question …  What makes a good waterproof motorcycle glove? All Waterproof Motorcycle Gloves Are Not The Same Lots of motorcycle gloves look the same on the outside. But, it’s what’s on...