gabkr

The Bontrager tape that came oe. on my Madone is pretty good. I was going to go w/ Lizard Skin,and still would if I was planning to wear gloves. Any suggestions appreciated.

Myosmith

Why ride gloveless?

TrojanHorse

Yeah, wear gloves, unless you like road gravel embedded in your palms if you should crash. Nobody plans on crashing but...

LAE

If he wants to ride gloveless that's up to him, tbh sometimes I prefer it. Let's my hands breathe so to speak and keeps em cool in very hot weather.

You can get some gel understrips for the bar and some nice soft cork tape should be comfortable.

ijsbrand

Even the pros still just take a piece of plastic garden hose, and use that for extra padding. Old fashioned, maybe. But nothing is as cheap. And you can use any tape you fancy as a top layer on that.

Seattle Forrest

Cork tape. Even synthetic cork is nice. If that's not enough, get gel inserts and put them between the bars and the tape. If that's still not comfortable, you need to get your bike fit, because that would mean too much of your weight is on your hands, you're too far forward.

Because your hands aren't cold...!

Wolfwerx

Haha, I was at my LBS a few days back, and I noticed one of the owners had incredibly tan arms, but his hands and shoulders were severely white. Incredibly sharp lines at his wrist and just above his elbow. He told me that he had been on out for several long rides over the past (very sunny) week, and everybody had been teasing him about his "farmer's tan".

Sorry this is off-topic, talking about gloves made me think of it.

Seve

https://www.bontrager.com/model/00075/

Bontrager Gel Cork provides a nice surface for just bare hands.

Nothing wrong with the other makes of Gel Cork that I know of?

Cinelli, for example.

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/pr...-254.27.1.html

TrojanHorse

He is wise in the ways of cycling.

https://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#7

Wolfwerx

Hehe, that is a great read, thanks!

Mondo734

Specialized Crux gel wrap
is what my bike has on it and I ride without gloves. Personally I think it is great.

catonec 

fizik dual. its two strips of tape sewed together down the middle offset %50. nice and cushy. Its your choice not to wear gloves but as horse said if you crash your palms will be a bloody mess, let me guess no helmet either?

brawlo

+1

I bought this stuff as an off the cuff extra with an online order. To say I'm a convert is an understatement. This stuff is awesome!

cbuddy2005

Glad I am not the only one!
I have the tanned arm/white hand thing going too. Texas will do that to you every time. But I wear a tank top so I don't have the farmer tan. Can't do that.

bdinger

I always rode with gloves, but after not being able to find them the first time I rode this year - I haven't used 'em. Just Cinelli Gel tape and I'm good! Ironically my hands get less numb and issue-prone with just the gel tape than they did before.

Now if I could just learn how to wrap the stuff so it doesn't bunch up, but that's a different story..

FrenchFit 

Two best I've tried to date for gloves free are the Lizard Skins and F.U.B.A.R. Dot Matrix - which is a much cheaper. The Lizard Skins has the slightest tacky, grippy, wet feel, and FUBAR doesn't...if feels completely dry. Both do a good job or shock absorption and feel great on bare skin.

And, yes..no helmet, no chamois, no spandex and no whining. Gloves are for cold weather.

dwellman

For me, that'd be Fizik MicroTex. But I sweat way too much to ride gloveless very far.

socalrider

I like just your stock Cork Gel tape for max comfort.. If you want to maintain great feel - take a look at Brooks leather tape.

mprelaw

And, I guess helmets are just for people who have something worth protecting.

chevychic55

I have gloves that seemed to fit in the store but hurt when I ride. The gloves seem to stretch the "webbing" between my fingers. Does this happen to anyone else?

dscheidt

Why ride with gloves? They're hot, they're uncomfortable, they're another thing to keep track of, and if you need gloves to make resting on the bars comfortable, there's something wrong with the way you hold the bars, or the fit of the bike.

I'm a big fan of sythetic cork tape. Coated in shellac, it lasts a long time, and survives weather well.

Homeyba

Fall off your bike and end up wih road rash on your hands and you'll know why it's a good idea in a hurry. Road rash on your hands is he worste place to get road rash. Really, it's not a life or death thing, it's just a pain thing. If you don't ever crash or you don't care it's no skin off my hands. If we were out on a ride I certainly wouldn't give it a second thought

Definitely agree that gloves are no subsitute for proper fit!

gabkr

Thanks for the suggestions on the tape......you guys that worry about gloves in a wreck-don't forget your knee pads ,elbow pads,and mouthguard....and I do always wear a helmet

Homeyba

Gloves are not in the same league as your helmet. If someone doesn't want to wear gloves I have no problem with them doing so. Having said that I still have to add that I've had roadrash just about all over including the palms of my hands I can pretty safely say there is no worse place to get road rash. I would feel remiss if I didn't share my experiences. Choose to use it as you will with no judgement from me.

dscheidt

You know, I've crashed enough bicycles in enough clever ways that I'd thought I'd done as much damage as I could without having crippling injuries. But I've never had road rash on my hands. Maybe the backs of them, at the wrist, but never the palms. And I've mostly given up doing that sort of thing. (Though I had a crash on a city street last fall, from a utility ditch that I didn't see at 25 in the dark, that made me very glad I had lots of practice falling down. Still hurt for two months, though.)