[CC09]

what are all of your personal opinions on gloves? Who rides with them, who doesn't? Why?
Personally I love them when its colder out, but when its warm i find them in my jersey pockets. I understand why you would wear them on long rides, if the roads were terrible, and for racing (some protection if you fall and put your hands down). so....

 

[dogmeat]

Wipe your wheels?

I always wear gloves on the bike- more than any other sport. I can think of many times where I went gloveless X-C skiing, for example, because it was warm enough.

On the bike, there is obviously winter riding. But how do you wipe your wheels?

Say I ride through some mixed, uncertain gravelly stuff on the road. Some sticks to my wheels- so I drag my palm over the front wheel, coast for 2 seconds and reach back and wipe the back wheel. "tic-tic-tic-tic..." sound is gone, front wheel looks clean, and until recently, I've not had a flat in quite some time. (Bad mojo with my tandem, see other threads.)

Also, I'm not yet quite the master of the "snot rocket" technique... what I'd call a "farmer blow"... the back of a crochet glove whisks the tail end of snot right clean off my cheek. "Eeewww!" you might say- but so much faster than fiddling with kleenex- and I have yet to litter a glove by accident.

Oh, I fell of the bike last week at a stop sign... changed bikes and pedal systems, forgetting that Looks clip back in so easily if you don't clip all the way out... fall down at 0 mph in a crowd...didn't chew up my palms, though.

I dunno- I store my gloves inside my helmet... that's how often I use 'em

'meat

 

[bikeboy389]

what are all of your personal opinions on gloves? Who rides with them, who doesn't? Why?
Personally I love them when its colder out, but when its warm i find them in my jersey pockets. I understand why you would wear them on long rides, if the roads were terrible, and for racing (some protection if you fall and put your hands down). so....

You think people only fall off when they're racing? I wear gloves for the same reason I wear a helmet--just in case I DO fall.

Lots of people wear them for padding on their hands.

I don't. I wear full-finger, unpadded MTB gloves. They're very light, cool, and fit snugly--I can even fix a flat without taking them off.

 

[markhr]

wear them all the time - especially with the variable british weather - wet hands slipping off hoods

 

[DriftlessDB]

A while back someone posted a pic of their shredded palms after a fall. That convinced me that wearing my gloves, even on the hottest days, was a good idea. I keep them velcro'ed to the bars when I take them off so I don't forget.

Dave

 

[geraldatwork]

Definitely need them for protection in case you fall. You don't want to have seriously scraped palms instead of a little scraped leather. Also I find my hands get a little sore if I don't use gloves on any ride over about 25-30 miles. I realised this recently when it wasn't cold enough for winter gloves but too warm for fingerless summer gloves. So I wore some baseball gloves(which don't have any padding) and about 30 miles into a 50 mile ride my hands were starting to get sore. At the end of the ride I could really feel it.

 

[ericm979]

Besides protecting your hands in a fall, gloves absorb shock from the bars. A few months ago my left hand started going numb on long rides. I finally figured out that my gloves were old and the padding packed down. Started using new gloves (same make and model) and the numbness went away.

 

[Fogdweller]

I even wear them on the trainer to prevent my hands from going numb. It's a problem I have...

 

[The Carlster]

also necessary for wiping glass off of tires after riding through the occasional unavoidable glass on the road. I could not imagine riding w/o gloves

 

[Cory]

Wear 'em for warmth in winter, protection in summer

They don't help on the bike--in fact most of the time I'd rather do without them. But every time I've fallen without them, I wind up with gravel rash on the heels of my hands that hurts like hell and takes a long time to heal. I wear them every ride.

 

[lonefrontranger]

I don't. I wear full-finger, unpadded MTB gloves. They're very light, cool, and fit snugly--I can even fix a flat without taking them off.

ditto that.

I wear fullfinger gloves all the time. and especially now with the fixte. Dunno how to explain this but when I'm backpedalling / braking, having fullfinger gloves really improves my leverage on the bars.

the main reason to wear gloves tho is there's that whole falling-down thing. Check out the Fox Incline. they're plain grey, light, airy and super slim. No bunchy padding.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Full Finger

I wear full finger mtb gloves just for the Mickey Mouse tan.

 

[MR_GRUMPY]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I always wear them in a race. I always wear them when it's cold (with a glove liner with those rubber dots). When it's hot, I wear them on hard rides, but don't on solo or moderate group rides. One of the reasons that I don't wear them, is because then when someone asks me about my lack of gloves, I get the chance to say "Gloves are for sissies". That alone, makes it worth it.

 

[Zaurusman]

When I was 15 I crossed a street on an old 3-speed in-hub Sturmey Archer-equipped Toys R Us special and a truck crested a hill just as I started across the street and sent me spinning into a ditch after nailing me at 50mph+, bicycle totalled, me a little better off. Steel may not break, but it'll sure bend beyond all repair. I had stitches all over, and for years the imprint of my left pedal remained on my right leg where it was pushed through the frame. Cracked my pelvis. Still have scars on my knees well over a decade later. Until I tried to walk on that cracked pelvis (physical therapy), the worst pain from the accident was torn up palms in spite of the butch seamstress who stiched me back together (she also pulled gravel out of my hands). I wear gloves now. With wrapped drop bars to the flats with grips I used to have, all the more reason. Cheap gloves are my gloves -- they're consumables IMHO, happily ripped all to hell to keep me smiling. Just don't take my bike this time...

 

[Jesse D Smith]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I always wear them in a race. I always wear them when it's cold (with a glove liner with those rubber dots). When it's hot, I wear them on hard rides, but don't on solo or moderate group rides. One of the reasons that I don't wear them, is because then when someone asks me about my lack of gloves, I get the chance to say "Gloves are for sissies". That alone, makes it worth it.

Did you steal that line from Paul Sherwin? I have the video to prove it

 

[aliensporebomb]

I've got a couple pair of gloves - a nice pair of Pearl Izumi full finger winter gloves
that I haven't had the opportunity to wear too often and a Specialized Body
Geometry fingerless gloves that I've had since '97 or so and they're sort of a
weird good luck totem - I've always survived every ride with those so I keep
them around.

 

[MShaw]

I'm gonna be contrarian again. Only time I wear gloves when its warm out is when I'm riding in a group. The rest of the time, I'm going out bare-handed.

When its cool out, I'll have on my FF gloves for warmth.

M

 

[al0]

Gloves

I wear or wear not them occassionally, depending on my mud. Even in winter I sometimes ride without gloves. I have noticed that on shorter rides I wear gloves much more often then one longer ones .

 

[MR_GRUMPY]

Why yes I did. It's from one of the videos with Phil. I also use that line on hot days when I don't carry any water, and on pretty cold rides when I show up in knee warmers and everyone else has tights on.
No matter how many times I pull that stunt, someone always falls for it. Sometimes, when you have a fish on the line, it will take a long time to reel him in.

 

[real stonie]

Have you seen the new Spenco Ironman Elite gloves...suckas are like catchers mitts!