The Held Sambia KTC 2 gloves are short, lightweight summer gloves designed primarily for road riding and touring.
They combine a perforated leather palm with a breathable textile back, while the knitted cuff - which gives the gloves their KTC name - is intended to make them easy to pull on and create a comfortable overlap with a jacket sleeve.
I wore them for around 2000 miles, including a 10-day summer tour through France, Germany and Switzerland on a Suzuki V-Strom 800 RE. Temperatures climbed into the high 30s and occasionally reached 40°C, giving the gloves a demanding hot-weather test.
Fit & comfort
Once I found the right size, the gloves fitted me very well.
My hands sit between medium and large, corresponding to sizes 8 and 9 on Held’s size chart. I initially chose the medium because I expected the gloves to loosen as they broke in, but that proved to be the wrong decision.
When the weather became hotter, my hands swelled just enough for the medium gloves to become uncomfortable. Moving up to a large solved the problem. They remained close-fitting and secure without pressing against my fingertips.
Anyone who falls between two sizes may be better choosing the larger option, particularly if the gloves will be used in high temperatures.
Held’s sizing feels smaller than many other manufacturers. In my experience, a Held medium is comparable with medium gloves from Rev’it, Richa and Alpinestars, but smaller than the equivalent size from several other brands.
The leather across the palms is supple and comfortable, while the knitted cuff gives the wrists plenty of flexibility.
Photography: Helen Meeds
The gloves sit inside the jacket sleeves, with the knitted sections intended to bridge the gap between glove and jacket. This worked perfectly on my left wrist, but a narrow strip of skin remained exposed on the right.
That appears to be a quirk of my own proportions rather than a fault with the gloves or jacket. It did, however, leave me with a thin band of sunburn across my right wrist - like a watch tan line in reverse.
I would prefer the wrist fastening strap to be slightly longer. On several occasions, the end slipped out of its metal retaining loop while I was putting the gloves on, despite a rubber tab that’s intended to stop that happening.
Feeding it back through the loop while wearing the other glove was awkward. I eventually found that fastening the strap at the very end of its hook-and-loop panel left the opening wide enough to insert my hand without pushing the strap out of the loop.
Dexterity & break-in
After changing to the larger size, the gloves required very little breaking in.
They took a short time to mould to the shape of my hands, but they felt natural relatively quickly and never restricted the movements needed to control the bike.
The soft leather palm provides good feel through the handlebars and controls, while the flexible textile construction prevents the gloves from feeling bulky.
Touchscreen operation is handled by Held’s NUDUD system on the right glove. It consists of tiny stylus-like contact points built into the tip of the forefinger and thumb.
It is the most effective touchscreen system I have used on a motorcycle glove. Tapping, swiping and pinch-to-zoom gestures all worked reliably without requiring me to remove the glove.
The system is fitted only to the right hand, so it is not possible to operate a screen while riding unless the bike has cruise control.
That can occasionally be frustrating, but it also discourages interacting with a device while moving and encouraged me to take a more responsible approach to my own safety, and that of other road users.
Hot weather performance
The Sambia KTC 2 gloves are clearly designed for warm and hot conditions.
Perforations in the leather palms and the fourchettes between the fingers allow air to pass through, while the mesh-like textile across the back of the hand helps prevent heat build-up.
I wore them in some of the hottest conditions I have experienced on a motorcycle, with temperatures regularly in the high 30s and occasionally reaching 40°C.
The handguards on the Suzuki V-Strom 800 RE blocked airflow and att times, I found myself lowering my left hand beneath the handlebar to expose it to passing air.
That helped in moderately hot conditions, although once the temperature reached its highest levels, the airflow itself was hot and offered little cooling.
Even so, I was very glad to be wearing these gloves. A warmer or less ventilated pair would have been considerably less comfortable.
The lightweight construction, perforated palm and textile back all helped prevent my hands from becoming excessively hot during long riding days.
Cold & wet weather performance
These are dedicated summer gloves and offer no meaningful protection from cold weather.
There is no thermal lining, and I would not have wanted one for the conditions in which I tested them. They are best reserved for warm-to-hot riding rather than used as an all-season option.
There is also no waterproof membrane, so they should not be expected to keep hands dry in sustained rain.
Held has fitted a rubber visor wipe to the left forefinger, which is a useful feature even on a non-waterproof glove.
On motorcycles with handguards, such as the V-Strom I used, it is possible to continue wearing summer gloves through light rain without the hands becoming immediately soaked. In those circumstances, a visor wipe can still be very useful.
Protection
The Held Sambia KTC 2 gloves are certified to CE Level 1 KP.
The leather palm is supplemented by an additional leather reinforcement panel running around the outside of the hand.
At the heel of each palm is a padded panel covered in SuperFabric, a highly abrasion-resistant material intended to add protection in a common impact and sliding area.
The gloves are lightweight, short-cuffed touring gloves, so I would not choose them for a trackday or expect them to offer the same level of coverage as a full-length sports glove.
Within the context of their intended use, however, the combination of leather, reinforced impact areas and CE certification gives me a reasonable level of confidence in the protection they provide.
Durability
After 2000 miles, the gloves were nicely broken in but showed relatively little significant wear.
The main issue was some fraying at the tip of the left thumb. This appears to have been caused by repeated contact with the hook-and-loop fastening on the right glove while I was trying to feed its wrist strap back through the retaining loop.
Photography: Helen Meeds
The knitted cuffs also became discoloured after being exposed to around 100 hours of intense sunlight. The original black material developed a reddish tint.
That has not affected the performance of the gloves and I actually quite like the worn-in appearance. The fading gives them some character and reminds me of the trip on which I used them.
Held has advised that premature discolouration of this kind may be considered under its two-year warranty.
Apart from the minor fraying and colour change, the gloves remain in good condition and have retained their shape and comfort.
Final thoughts
I like the Held Sambia KTC 2 gloves and found them ideally suited to my trip.
They are comfortable, flexible and provide excellent feel at the controls. Their ventilated construction also helped me avoid badly overheated hands in temperatures approaching 40°C.
The NUDUD touchscreen system is a highlight and is the most reliable solution of its kind that I have used.
There are a few drawbacks. Riders between sizes may need to choose carefully, the wrist straps would benefit from being longer and there is no protection against rain or colder conditions.
The fading cuffs and small area of fraying are also worth noting, although neither has affected the usability of the gloves.
For warm-weather touring and everyday summer riding, they offer a strong combination of comfort, dexterity and useful protection.
Even the cosmetic signs of wear have become positives for me. They make the gloves feel personal and serve as reminders of a particularly enjoyable riding holiday.
