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Gloves or No gloves

  • Gloves

    Votes: 177 74.7%
  • No Gloves

    Votes: 60 25.3%

Gloves or No gloves?

35K views 91 replies 68 participants last post by  Benjamin Less 
#1 ·
#2 ·
The first thing you do when you fall is try to stop your fall, usually with your hands. And most bikers know, there's two kinds of cyclists, those that have fallen, and those that will. If you've never lost any skin from your palms I suggest taking a rasp and trying it sometime, it's not fun.
 
#4 ·
Hi, your poll needs a third option - gloves sometimes.

I commute without gloves and sometimes I forget them on the longer rides but always do the ride. Don't seem to miss them much when I forget them. But they might help save some skin in a fall/crash.

Later, Axlenut
 
#14 ·
I wear full finger gloves when commuting, mostly for warmth and fall protection.

If I'm wearing a jersey though, I inevitably forget them for some reason.
 
#16 ·
I have fallen many times. I still don't wear gloves. I've never really scraped my hands, broke an arm though. I typically try to roll into a fall, it works... sometimes.
 
#21 · (Edited)
So don't put your hands out. Don't fight it. Everyone falls, so learn to bring your hands and arms IN toward your chest as you fall so you spread the impact across the whole side of your body, and then ROLL.

This is an important enough safety issue for any serious cyclist that if you're having trouble learning how to fall on your own, I think I might look around for a martial arts or similar class where they teach this stuff.
 
#22 ·
I have always worn gloves, until recently. I stopped mostly because my gloves always got sweaty and dirty, which made for very dirty white bar tape. I have given up on white bar tape now.

I will still wear fullfingered gloves when the weather calls for it - 60 or below. I always wear gloves on my mtb.
 
#26 ·
I use gloves on every ride, they're part of my kit and it feels weird to ride without them.

for me, their purpose is not crash-related.

in the summer, they keep my sweaty hands from slipping on the bars. in winter, they give me something to wipe my snotty nose on.
 
#27 ·
I usually wear gloves, but lately I've been opting to leave them at home. I used the Lizard Skins bar tap and think it feels awesome so on warm mornings I go sans gloves. I especially like doing long alpine climbs without gloves, of course descending it would be smarter to put some gloves on.
 
#30 ·
I Really only wear gloves when it is cold or super hot. Overly sweaty hands is not a fun experience on my bar tape, and the cold zaps my fingers useless. I rode for years without gloves, just prefer it that way. Lately though, I have been wearing gloves more often..
 
#33 ·
I'd rather break my arm/wrist trying to slow a fall than roll and use my head. Tuck and roll is easier said than done, for me.

The one time I forgot to wear gloves, I managed to remove most of the skin on one palm. That kind of injury for some reason takes a long time to heal. No other injuries other than a scuff on a knee.
 
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