Hypno Toad

Not a fan of this quote, in part because this is the logic I've heard from bike-hater: "put your bike away, it's a child's toy and you're a man" - this logic is so flawed. But not really the point of this thread either.

wphamilton

I'm more in the camp of "why wear gloves", although I'll put them on sometimes to complete the cycling costume. That's not very often.

I'll admit that I've torn the glove fabric on a crash so it saved some skin. On the other hand I've had more crashes with no scrapes on my hands but road rash elsewhere, so if I wanted to wear something extra for protection it would logically be on my knees or elbows. Maybe hips. I just don't see the logic of skipping 3 or 4 down the list for safety equipment. But the style, I can understand.

Keeping my hands warm, even with fingerless gloves, that makes perfect sense also.

KraneXL

Think allegory. Its not seeing a bike as a toy. You will instinctively use your hands in a fall. If any extremity needed to a cover/protection it would be your hands. I have fallen, and my gloves did protect me.

wphamilton

Generally speaking, that's probably true. Me personally, not really. I may use my hands, but not to absorb the impact (a little bit of training in falls).

But aside from that, even for most people, I am dead serious about this. The hands are not the most vulnerable in these falls. Your knees and your elbows are the most likely to be damaged, and that damage may very possibly be more severe than skinned hands. Right after you learn not to extend your hands to the ground, you learn to keep the knees and elbows in. So the gloves as safety feature, to me, doesn't scan right.

Even riding a motorcycle, I'd have felt silly wearing gauntlets if I didn't have the leather jacket on.

Hypno Toad

An allegory can be used many ways, included that bikes are a child's toy - I've heard it many times over the years. And for the record, I'm offended by that either.

Not true for every person. My YouTube channel is full of videos of me hitting the ground, and I can tell you that my hands stay on the bars until after I hit the ground. It's likely from years of snowboarding, you learn quickly to fall on your body (tuck & roll) not to try to catch yourself with a hand.

This is a TERRIBLY shaky video - I didn't like the GoPro wrist mount for riding - but you get a view of my hands on the bars right to the ground: Just to be clear, you can train yourself to fall well. (afterthought - I'm wearing gloves, and I did for every ride prior to 2018)

Bikerider007

It's not cool to wear gloves in the gym either anymore.

KraneXL

I used to believe that to following the bro crowd. But sporting the callused, chopped-up hands look is not attractive to anyone. Today, I wear gloves at the gym (which reminds me I need a new pair), and on my bike. I'm now happy to say I keep my hands are well manicured and callus free.

50PlusCycling

I always wear gloves, they make the ride more comfortable, make it easier to wipe the sweat off my forehead, and allow me to keep the skin on my palms if I happen to get knocked off. I don't always wear a helmet, but feel naked without gloves.

KraneXL

That nice terry cloth on the thumb. They also enhance my grip and my gel variety further cushions vibration through my joints and relives pressure points.

Jim from Boston

Riding without gloves - why?

I didn’t read the whole thread, but maybe this is a unique reason to wear gloves:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I recently posted to this Road Cycling thread, “Do you wear cycling gloves.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by bargeon

The sox thread got me wondering.

Since some folks are bothered by the tan line at the ankle, do you not wear gloves because of the line at the wrist?

I always wear gloves, especially on sunny days to acquire a distinctive, classic cyclist’s tan. In particular I wear gloves with a crocheted back for that “reticulated” tanning pattern, with the strap line. It’s a variation of Rule #7 of the Velominati,

Quote:

Tanlines should be cultivated and kept razor sharp.

I was once asked if I am a golfer from that pattern, but I think golfers only wear a glove on one hand.

MrJames67 

This is the #1 reason I wear fingerless gloves in warm weather = a helmet for my hands. One time I went down on a downhill turn in West Virginia where there shouldn't have been any sand -- but there was in one spot and it was near invisible -- I wasn't going full speed but fast. I didn't break anything, I usually take all falls well. But what hit the pavement was the heel of my right hand to instinctively protect my body just before I could crunch up and roll away. The coarse rural pavement was a #20 sanding belt. It took weeks to regrow the skin and tissue over my heel bone after sanding it off. No thanks, not again. I like my hands so I wear all manner of gloves for various tasks and substances, where it makes good sense. Practicing wheelies on the lawn? Not needed..

sdmc530

surak

A few weeks ago I was riding on a MUP and a low-hanging branch from a bush or tree was hanging well into the middle of the trail. I brushed it aside, but because I was wearing half-fingered gloves, I got a nice thorn on my finger. Made a note to only swipe with a protected part of my hand in the future.