# Gloves vs no gloves



## MrSocko (Oct 22, 2005)

I have noticed that alot of riders in promo videos and youtube do not wear gloves. I have ridden for 20+ years and feel way out of place not having them on. If I crash, i want to protect my hands as much as knee's and elbow's. Is it just a comfort thing ?


----------



## Grassington (Jun 24, 2017)

Mostly a style thing, I reckon. There'll be a small loss of bar feel/trail feedback with gloves, but nowhere near as much as running fat foam grips, so if you see a rider with fat foam grips and no gloves then you know it's definitely a style choice.

See also running without valve caps. Why anyone would want to save a couple of grams and then knack their shock/fork/tyre valves by blowing dirt into them I don't know.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Grassington said:


> Mostly a style thing, I reckon.


For some it's just habit, others just prefer the feel or like more airflow. I rode for years without gloves and it had nothing to do with style, I pretty much always wear them now though.

For sure I make sure that shock schrader valves were capped but I've never used them on presta valves because there's no need to.


----------



## ethierjung (May 30, 2017)

Getting old made me smarter...I wear gloves now. Hands have enough scars from being hard headed.


----------



## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

J.B. Weld said:


> ... I make sure that shock schrader valves were capped but I've never used them on presta valves because there's no need to.


Except the little poppet is easily damaged by sticks or twigs that get into your wheel. I guess it depends on where you ride. Lots of sticks and twigs in wheels around here.


----------



## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

I like no gloves but our humidity can get things slickery.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Lone Rager said:


> Except the little poppet is easily damaged by sticks or twigs that get into your wheel. I guess it depends on where you ride. Lots of sticks and twigs in wheels around here.


Yeah I guess so, I worked in shops for years and never even heard of that being a problem. Anyway I've never used them.

Yes to gloves though, I'll ride without but I'd rather have them.


----------



## huckleberry hound (Feb 27, 2015)

Only protect the fingers you want to keep and only protect the eyes you want to keep. What's up with the riders in a lot of videos with no eye protection? I can't tell you how many times that there have been stray branches hit my riding glasses.


----------



## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

huckleberry hound said:


> Only protect the fingers you want to keep and only protect the eyes you want to keep. What's up with the riders in a lot of videos with no eye protection? I can't tell you how many times that there have been stray branches hit my riding glasses.


stray branches and bugs. I get tagged with bugs in the glasses all the time. Have never worn gloves though in the summer. I don't like the bulk on my hands. In the winter i have thin glove liners that I wear most of the time, and i do the outer shell to the liners if it is cold and wet, but I rarely use them.


----------



## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

How many videos do you actually see without gloves/glasses (especially glasses or goggles) of pros doing real riding? A lot more have both, rarely do I see no glasses on actual trail riding videos. Gloves are hit and miss.

Glasses I almost always have (high humidity makes it hard after dark sometimes), gloves always.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


----------



## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

What kind of riding? I don't wear gloves when it's warm. I wear them for warmth when it's cold. I don't wear a helmet either most of the time, but I'm riding cross country, where at worse, I slide out due to leaves in a turn or something. I'm about as likely to get hurt riding as I am cross country skiing, where people wear gloves for warmth, but no helmet.


----------



## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

RAKC Ind said:


> How many videos do you actually see without gloves/glasses (especially glasses or goggles) of pros doing real riding? A lot more have both, rarely do I see no glasses on actual trail riding videos. Gloves are hit and miss.


Watching the DH Champs in Cairns it seemed like most riders were without gloves which I found surprising. I'd never taken much notice before.

I always wear gloves. I've had a few stacks and thrown a hand out and got minor cuts through the gloves, however gloves means that there was no dirt to clean out of the cuts.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

My son came off a few years ago, no gloves and his hands were quite a mess. If he'd been wearing gloves I think he would've walked away without a scratch. A friend caught the side of his hand on a fence, ripped it up. Again, I reckon gloves would have totally prevented the injury.


----------



## TrailGoat (Sep 6, 2016)

no gloves (or helmet or eye protection) is just kinda naïve and foolish if you ask me. even if your are the tough guy who doesn't mind being tore up and wear your scabs and scars as a badge of courage, you can tear yourself up to the point of not being able to ride for a bit. a thin leather glove can go a long way in keeping the skin on your palm if you fall. I wear full finger gloves all year and I have never (or heard of someone else) had/having a problem with their fingers overheating. I have forgotten my gloves in the summer and my sweat made my hands slide around on the grips.

riding without gloves is just not worth the risk and no good reason not to


----------



## kpdemello (May 3, 2010)

I sweat, and sweat slicks up the grips, which makes gloves mandatory for me for that reason alone.

I also like the protection for when I fall.


----------



## tims5377 (Oct 20, 2010)

I clip my knuckles on trees. Gloves keep the skin somewhat attached.

My palms sweat. Glove provide better grip.

I use my hands to break my fall. Gloves prevent a puncture.

My nose gets runny. Gloves make a quick tissue.

etc. 

I like gloves. Forgot them the other day. Didn't like it.


----------



## Grassington (Jun 24, 2017)

J.B. Weld said:


> For sure I make sure that shock schrader valves were capped but I've never used them on presta valves because there's no need to.


They're not called dust caps for nothing! Sure, presta valves won't fill up with dirt as much as a schrader valve but there are still plenty of pathways for dirt to get in and mess with the crucial little rubber seal. Each to their own, I suppose.

It's interesting to read that some folks don't like gloves because of heat. I often have overheating issues in the summer, but at no point have I ever felt that the fingerless mitts I wear contribute to that.

I tend to throw the front end of my bike around a lot, and that's hard on the hands even without crashing. My current summer mitts have some serious gel padding on the palms, and even with that in place I have managed to develop thick callouses on my palms and the inside of my thumbs. Most of that I can attribute to practising drops on every ride - I shudder to think what my hands would look like if I rode gloveless.

I've got a small collection of old gloves with skinned palm padding from crashes, and every now and then I look at them and am reminded of the injuries I've avoided, or at least minimised. Apart from one particular pair... these had little triangular mesh vents in the palms, and they worked well until one day I took a tumble down a sea defence wall when a skinny went pear-shaped. A sharp bit of concrete caught me right in the mesh vent of one glove, and instead of a nasty bruise I wound up with an even nastier gouge. Lesson learned: no more gloves with palm vents for me, I don't need 'em and they're a liability.


----------



## MCHB (Jun 23, 2014)

I always wear gloves and glasses while out riding...though that last one is because I'm blind as faq. In the summer I go lighter with the gloves and as the temperature cools off I gradually go thicker.


----------



## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

Helmet, glasses and gloves are always on when mountain biking. I just started wearing hardshell kneepads on the steeper rockier trails. 

I prefer thin summer gloves most of the time. They won't survive much abuse, but they protect my hands when I crash. Our summers are very hot and often humid and sweaty grips can be very slippery, no way I'd risk going gloveless on a proper ride. I don't wear them for rides around town. For the coldest days of winter I use them with liners.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

xcandrew said:


> I don't wear a helmet either most of the time, but I'm riding cross country, where at worse, I slide out due to leaves in a turn or something. I'm about as likely to get hurt riding as I am cross country skiing, where people wear gloves for warmth, but no helmet.


Cross country skiing is slower, the ground is softer and I've never gone otb on them. I ride xc and my helmet has scratches and dents all over it, which is better than scratches and dents all over my head. Obviously a personal choice but I'd be nervous as heck riding without one, if I forget my gloves it does't bother me at all.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Grassington said:


> They're not called dust caps for nothing! Sure, presta valves won't fill up with dirt as much as a schrader valve but there are still plenty of pathways for dirt to get in and mess with the crucial little rubber seal. Each to their own, I suppose.


No big deal and I'll shut up about it after this but I just want to point out that there aren't plenty of pathways for dirt to get in and mess with the crucial rubber seal on presta valves. I've been through mudfests galore with 0 negative effects, crucial rubber seals remain pristinely dirt-free. 35 years without a problem.

Sealant is another issue.


----------



## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

I always wear gloves because cactus. In winter I wear ones with plastic/rubber reinforced knuckles. It's too hot in summer for that so I just wear light gloves and when I punch a cholla I can pull off the glove and most of it comes out.


----------



## DirtyHun (Jan 9, 2011)

I ride the same type of terrain, but it's not the cactus that causes me to wear gloves but rather the rocks. I grew up riding dirtbikes, and gloves were never merely an option-always a necessity.


----------



## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

J.B. Weld said:


> Cross country skiing is slower, the ground is softer and I've never gone otb on them. I ride xc and my helmet has scratches and dents all over it, which is better than scratches and dents all over my head. Obviously a personal choice but I'd be nervous as heck riding without one, if I forget my gloves it does't bother me at all.


My average speed and max speeds xc skiing is about as fast as my mountain biking speeds. Trees are just as hard in the winter as summer. I've had close calls more times skiing (skiing ice rutted trails) than mountain biking, but I've never seen anyone ever wearing a helmet cross country skiing in my life. My head doesn't have scratches and dents all over, and I don't go OTB ever. I've been riding since I was a kid, so 40+ years. I didn't wear helmets when I was a kid (no one did), so there's no nerves about not wearing one. I ride within my limits when without my helmet. When I say I'm within my limits, I'm as sure of myself as when I'm running trails (similar head to ground height) or skiing non-icy trails. If I'm pushing my limits, I'll put a helmet on.

I've only once cut my hands in biking fall in 4 decades, which is a lot less than I've cut my hands in running falls.


----------



## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Gloves. Always. I like Handup.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

xcandrew said:


> My average speed and max speeds xc skiing is about as fast as my mountain biking speeds. Trees are just as hard in the winter as summer. I've had close calls more times skiing (skiing ice rutted trails) than mountain biking, but I've never seen anyone ever wearing a helmet cross country skiing in my life. My head doesn't have scratches and dents all over, and I don't go OTB ever. I've been riding since I was a kid, so 40+ years. I didn't wear helmets when I was a kid (no one did), so there's no nerves about not wearing one. I ride within my limits when without my helmet. When I say I'm within my limits, I'm as sure of myself as when I'm running trails (similar head to ground height) or skiing non-icy trails. If I'm pushing my limits, I'll put a helmet on.


I'm not judging, it's a personal choice. I guess my definition of xc must be a little different than yours, that or I'm just a crappy rider.


----------



## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

xcandrew said:


> My average speed and max speeds xc skiing is about as fast as my mountain biking speeds. Trees are just as hard in the winter as summer. I've had close calls more times skiing (skiing ice rutted trails) than mountain biking, but I've never seen anyone ever wearing a helmet cross country skiing in my life. My head doesn't have scratches and dents all over, and I don't go OTB ever. I've been riding since I was a kid, so 40+ years. I didn't wear helmets when I was a kid (no one did), so there's no nerves about not wearing one. I ride within my limits when without my helmet. When I say I'm within my limits, I'm as sure of myself as when I'm running trails (similar head to ground height) or skiing non-icy trails. If I'm pushing my limits, I'll put a helmet on.
> 
> I've only once cut my hands in biking fall in 4 decades, which is a lot less than I've cut my hands in running falls.


LOL... this guy ^^^


----------



## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

J.B. Weld said:


> I'm not judging, it's a personal choice. I guess my definition of xc must be a little different than yours, that or I'm just a crappy rider.


There's basically no rocks where I usually ride - most often straight out my back yard into the woods. Your XC is probably tougher. The newer local trails are IMBA smooth flow trails, the older trails are just dirt skiing and hiking trails. The trails might be rooty in places, but that's it. Where there are jumps on the new trails, I don't jump, I just check my speed and roll. I never learned to jump, and I know from the saddle hits to the gut that I would need a dropper post in addition to putting my helmet on if I wanted to learn.


----------



## xcandrew (Dec 30, 2007)

d365 said:


> LOL... this guy ^^^


What's funny?


----------



## Brodino (Sep 15, 2008)

I always wear gloves even in thick southern humidity. To me it just feels "natural" since I also own a motorcycle and they are a necessity when riding one.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

J.B. Weld said:


> Cross country skiing is slower, the ground is softer and I've never gone otb on them. I ride xc and my helmet has scratches and dents all over it, which is better than scratches and dents all over my head. Obviously a personal choice but I'd be nervous as heck riding without one, if I forget my gloves it does't bother me at all.


Some people are dumb, that's all I can say. You don't usually plan to fall. I was doing a long multi-thousand foot grind up a hill last year when I came upon a rider doing the same, I look away for half a second, then look back, and he's completely gone. At first I thought he grew some mega-lungs and zoomed around a corner or something. He's gone because he fell down the slope on the side of the trail, which is covered in high grass with rocks and such. He was ok, but it took a few of us to form a human chain to pull this guy out. I don't remember if he was wearing a helmet or not, but this is the kind of stuff that happens out there that you don't plan on. Another, on a similar trail this year, had a similar fall and broke a few ribs. I consider myself an expert rider, but I'd be lying if I were to claim I've never had a bone-head move while climbing like this, and that's exactly what helmets are for. They are not for the general "oh, I this is slow most of the time so I'll be ok". This guy was going slow too, until he fell off the side of the mountain. So I'll end with this, people are dumb. They often won't take action until forced to. I rarely ever "fall" too. I didn't have any real falls last week in WA riding in Bellingham and other challenging spots, but that's not why I wear a helmet.


----------



## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

Gloves whenever I'm riding, with a healthy amount of padding. You only need to go down once on rough terrain to realize their value. Unless you're a really slow learner...


----------



## alexbn921 (Mar 31, 2009)

Crashing sucks without pads and gloves. Smashing you hands into branches and tress without some protection sucks too. I would have a broken finger from my trip to Northstar 3 weeks ago if it wasn't for armored gloves.
Really comes down to risk vs reward. I see no reward in not wearing gloves.


----------



## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

ARandomBiker said:


> I always wear gloves because cactus. In winter I wear ones with plastic/rubber reinforced knuckles. It's too hot in summer for that so I just wear light gloves and when I punch a cholla I can pull off the glove and most of it comes out.


man...I could not even imagine going off into a cactus patch. Rocks, roots and sticks hurt enough. Also...rattlesnakes, scorpions and tarantulas? No thanks!


----------



## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

kpdemello said:


> i sweat, and sweat slicks up the grips, which makes gloves mandatory for me for that reason alone.
> 
> I also like the protection for when i fall.


this ^^^^


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

i wear gloves while riding DH or racing BMX. no gloves if i'm riding xc, road or the dirt jumps...


----------



## @[email protected] (Aug 25, 2017)

I wear knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, eyewear, helmet, and I'm contemplating shins guards for all the briars and maybe something for my shoulders. I really really don't want to break my left collarbone a fifth time, so I'm thinking what might protect that.


----------



## Cerberus75 (Oct 20, 2015)

I've damaged enough gloves in falls to know they're not an option. Sometimes it's just someone who doesn't know how to ride coming the other way will make you wreck. For me helmet, eyewear, gloves, and something on my knees.


----------



## Mckinley (Apr 22, 2017)

I put holes in the fingertips of a pair of gloves after going otb into a long slide on hard packed dirt. My palms were bruised and swollen as well, and these were decent weight gloves. I think it would have been a lot worse without the gloves, so I always wear gloves.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> I wear knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, eyewear, helmet, and I'm contemplating shins guards for all the briars and maybe something for my shoulders.


Yeah, I tend to wear my knee and elbow pads most of the time now. Because...why not? Half of my falls have been silly mistakes on easy trails.


----------



## MasterBaker (Oct 25, 2014)

I always assume that people who ride bikes and motorbikes without a helmet don't have a lot to protect anyways.

With gloves they're pretty much mandatory here as it's always hot, and I'm always sweating when I ride. Without gloves I have a hard time not slipping around on the grips.


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

My glove wearing discipline has come from years of riding a moto on the roads. What's the first natural response for most when going OTB or just simply coming off the bike? The hands go out in front if there's any time to think about it. It's an ingrained reaction. It's why our passion yields so many blown up collar bones. Gloves won't help that, though. On the street or on the trail, my reasoning for wearing gloves is I prefer to maintain the dignity of wiping my own ass. If you've ever seen someone with rash on their hands that amounts to brutal 3rd degree burns, it ain't pretty and if you go there, you're hands can be useless as tits on a boar for a long, long, time.


----------



## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Gloves, helmet, and eye protection, I also wear knee protection. I see so many riders w/out any of the above and its just SMH.

I have maybe 4 pairs, and only use full finger at the bike park, or maybe a new trail.

No helmet seems stupid to me, but its your head after all.


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Riding w/ the homeez = gloves

Riding w/ the sprogz = no gloves

Sent from my kltedv using Tapatalk


----------



## Chicane32 (Jul 12, 2015)

Last week a lady ripped of her finger holding onto a fence while watching her son play baseball, so why deal with the unexpected for not wearing gloves. Just pointing out that the unexpected happens, when you least expect it.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Chicane32 said:


> Just pointing out that the unexpected happens, when you least expect it.


I may have to sit down after reading that. At least I might if I wasn't already.


----------



## Chicane32 (Jul 12, 2015)

I guess no one told her to keep her fingers out of the fence to keep a ball from smashing them. Gloves would have prevented this, just like they will prevent a branch from ripping of your pinking at 20+MPH.
Mom loses finger in freak wedding ring accident | Daily Mail Online


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Chicane32 said:


> I guess no one told her to keep her fingers out of the fence to keep a ball from smashing them. Gloves would have prevented this, just like they will prevent a branch from ripping of your pinking at 20+MPH.


It's not really very relevant.

For a start, gloves probably would not have prevented the loss of the woman's finger. The ball would've smashed it anyway.

Secondly, you're guarding against probable events, not freak ones. Riding a mountain bike involves a high probability that you are going to fall off or run into the scenery and impact your hands occasionally, so protective gloves are a reasonable precaution.

A baseball hitting your finger while you watch a game is not very likely. Clearly, very rarely, it might happen but the odds have to be low so it's not the same thing at all.


----------



## Chicane32 (Jul 12, 2015)

Mr Pig said:


> It's not really very relevant.
> 
> For a start, gloves probably would not have prevented the loss of the woman's finger. The ball would've smashed it anyway.
> 
> ...


If you grew up playing little league as a young kid, you would have heard parents tell you hundreds of times to keep your fingers out of the fence, so that was a joke and not relevant to gloves. Absolutely gloves would have prevented the ring from catching on the fence and she would still have her finger!

Just pointing out that severe hand injuries are highly more probable without gloves and digits come off more easily then you think.


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I read about that ring incident. The analogy would suggest we should be wearing gloves from morning till night...just in case. I relate to it, though. Nearly 50 years ago as a kid, my best friend's (still today) Dad was working in the back of a truck with a lumber rack on the back that had welded hooks for securing ropes, etc. He jumped out of the truck and as he was going down, his wedding ring caught one of those hooks and his finger stayed behind! He was an early recipient of some of the first micro-surgeries where they reattached the finger and he has full use of it in his late 80's still. Before that technology, you were pretty much SOL. Stitch it up, go fingerless for life. It taught me a lesson as an adult, especially working in the service/labor sector around big equipment. I never wore a wedding ring or any jewelry aside from a watch nor allowed my crews to, either. Only now that I'm in a semi-retired state do I wear my wedding ring.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Oh My Sack! said:


> The analogy would suggest we should be wearing gloves from morning till night...just in case.


Or just don't wear the ring. I virtually never wear mine. I don't like the way it feels and if you're working with your hands it's a liability.


----------



## Chicane32 (Jul 12, 2015)

Mr Pig said:


> Or just don't wear the ring. I virtually never wear mine. I don't like the way it feels and if you're working with your hands it's a liability.


Not meant to be analogy. This story just points out how much more vulnerable our hands out then other parts of the body.


----------



## timobkg (May 24, 2009)

Mr Pig said:


> Or just don't wear the ring. I virtually never wear mine. I don't like the way it feels and if you're working with your hands it's a liability.


Heh, that's my approach. I stopped wearing my ring for a different safety reason - we had a baby, my ring has lots of sharp edges on the detailing, and I was paranoid of cutting my son. Then I realized that I didn't enjoy wearing the ring, and only wore it because society said I should, and just left it off.

As far as the original question, whenever I go riding I wear full finger gloves, helmet, and sunglasses. Protection over comfort. But then I'm just out riding my bike, and not making promotional or Youtube videos.


----------



## SARASR (Jan 2, 2017)

Nice to hear Im not the only one, re. not wearing THE RING, ....

As far as the gloves go... I wore fingerless once on a hot humid day, the grips we're so slippery from sweat I spent the whole ride trying to maintain control of my bike, not fun...


----------



## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I always wear gloves. I've punched cactus and smashed my knuckles enough times to know better. It hurts enough with gloves on.


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

SARASR said:


> Nice to hear Im not the only one, re. not wearing THE RING.


My not so precious.


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

I've seen enough roughed up, dislocated and mangled digits to continually remind me of the wonders of wearing gloves all of the time.


----------



## Rockbrook (Apr 17, 2015)

Sometimes I roll with gloves and sometimes I dont. I used to roll with the half finger gloves but then I picked up a set of cheap full fingered mountain bike gloves from Walmart and I prefer the full finger feel much more as it just gives me a bit more peace of mind if I were to have an uh oh moment.

And eyewear is a must for me. Ill never forget the day I was about 4 or 5 miles out and got something in my eye which gave me a corneal abrasion. That sh!t sucked big time.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Chicane32 said:


> Last week a lady ripped of her finger holding onto a fence while watching her son play baseball, so why deal with the unexpected for not wearing gloves. Just pointing out that the unexpected happens, when you least expect it.


----------



## audrey27 (Oct 6, 2017)

Wearing safety gears while riding my bike has been my lifestyle. Doing so, will guarantee safeness as well as comfort.


----------



## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

I have no idea how people ride without gloves. Between falls, sweat, blisters and snot wiping gloves are must for me. But to each their own.


----------



## notso (Jan 22, 2015)

I pretty much always wear full finger gloves simply due to the sweat issue (and nose wiping), but I wish I could wear eye protection. Any time except the dead of winter, I'm going to have sweat running down my face within about 10 minutes of riding. Glasses become worthless and then end up getting broken or lost when I take them off and try to stash them for the rest of the ride. I've certainly taken my share of sticks and dirt to the eyes as a result though...


----------



## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

xcandrew said:


> What kind of riding? I don't wear gloves when it's warm. I wear them for warmth when it's cold. I don't wear a helmet either most of the time, but I'm riding cross country, where at worse, I slide out due to leaves in a turn or something. I'm about as likely to get hurt riding as I am cross country skiing, where people wear gloves for warmth, but no helmet.


 No helmet? Hmmm, you can forecast all accidents? Nice. Filled out your organ donor card? Guess you don't wear your seatbelt when driving slow. If you don't wear it for yourself, wear it for your loved ones. I have dented one, cracked one and split one, each time getting up and walking away. Being 6'4" I get to hit my head a lot. I find rocks, trees and dirt to be a lot harder than soft snow, YRMV.


----------



## audrey27 (Oct 6, 2017)

As for safety is my our concern, I use gloves when I go out cycling. It is very important to use gloves just in case accident might happen there is always a protective gear you can depend on. Not just gloves but everyone should wear protective gears when going out for cycling.


----------



## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

Be8ng a prior motorcycle racer, I feel naked without gloves. Only time I don’t wear them is a stroll around the block with th3 kids, but I st8ll wear a helmet to set the example


----------



## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

I have to have gloves otherwise it just does not feel right, probably due to many years spent on motorcycles.


----------



## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

MrSocko said:


> I have noticed that alot of riders in promo videos and youtube do not wear gloves. I have ridden for 20+ years and feel way out of place not having them on. If I crash, i want to protect my hands as much as knee's and elbow's. Is it just a comfort thing ?


 Hmm, do you live in a video or you tube? Do you often skip down the beach with your loved one during a perfect sunset to come to your perfectly washed car ? Wake up, life is not a video. Dude.


----------



## kpdemello (May 3, 2010)

The body sweats, the grips get wet, and the hands slip. 

Need gloves or I'll fall on my face.

Also nice for when you fall on your face, as you can put your hands down first.


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

MasterBaker said:


> I always assume that people who ride bikes and motorbikes without a helmet don't have a lot to protect anyways.
> 
> With gloves they're pretty much mandatory here as it's always hot, and I'm always sweating when I ride. Without gloves I have a hard time not slipping around on the grips.


this: "I always assume that people who ride bikes and motorbikes without a helmet don't have a lot to protect anyways."

about says it all...


----------



## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

shekky said:


> this: "I always assume that people who ride bikes and motorbikes without a helmet don't have a lot to protect anyways."
> 
> about says it all...


yep...that might have to become a bumper sticker for my car....


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

sXeXBMXer said:


> yep...that might have to become a bumper sticker for my car....


lemme diverge from the subject of our thread ever-so-slightly:

my understanding is you're from ohio, given your avatar. i'm born and raised in chillicothe. i spent some time driving in ohio this past july, and given the amount of motorcyclists i saw without helmets, ohio still does not have a mandatory MC helmet law on the books yet.

am i wrong?


----------



## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

ARandomBiker said:


> ...and when I punch a cholla I can pull off the glove and most of it comes out.


Said no one in Ohio ever.



shekky said:


> lemme diverge from the subject of our thread ever-so-slightly:
> 
> my understanding is you're from ohio, given your avatar. i'm born and raised in chillicothe. i spent some time driving in ohio this past july, and given the amount of motorcyclists i saw without helmets, ohio still does not have a mandatory MC helmet law on the books yet.
> 
> am i wrong?


Nope. Ohio = helmet optional

When I was ~12 I crashed my BMX really hard and took the skin off one palm, my knees, elbows, one hip, and even my toes through one of my shoes. I always wear gloves for riding. They have saved my skin many times and not just from falls (sideswiped trees, fences, rocks - yellowjackets, spiders - dirty chains, slimy creatures...). Thinking about it, I have multiple gloves for almost every activity I enjoy so I can enjoy them more.

And my helmet has hit far more low branches than earth.

-F


----------



## MudderNutter (Oct 23, 2014)

I wear gloves all of the time when i ride. The grip is nice... and I'd much rather have a pair of gloves to sacrifice on asphalt/dirt/rocks than my skin. So far none of the crashes that I have had have been planned, lol.


----------



## Jvis24601 (Sep 19, 2017)

I am usually totally all G-Form up with FF helmet and Gloves when I hit the trails. At my age, I need to be as protected as possible. LoL.


----------



## Nash04 (Dec 24, 2012)

TiGeo said:


> Gloves. Always. I like Handup.


Ditto ^


----------



## fatboy43 (May 4, 2008)

kpdemello said:


> The body sweats, the grips get wet, and the hands slip.
> 
> Need gloves or I'll fall on my face.
> 
> Also nice for when you fall on your face, as you can put your hands down first.


True that! My hands sweat a lot. Riding without gloves for me is just dangerous. Sure when I'm with the kids nothing but a helmet but for serious rides I just simply won't go if I don't have gloves.

I wear these (Wristers) year round if I can take the freezer burn in the winter. They protect the wrist a little in a fall. I'm very retroactive with body protection. Break a wrist....get wristers. Break a knee...get knee pads. Before long I'm going to look like a 17th century knight 









Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

fatboy43 said:


> True that! My hands sweat a lot. Riding without gloves for me is just dangerous. Sure when I'm with the kids nothing but a helmet but for serious rides I just simply won't go if I don't have gloves.
> 
> I wear these (Wristers) year round if I can take the freezer burn in the winter. They protect the wrist a little in a fall. I'm very retroactive with body protection. Break a wrist....get wristers. Break a knee...get knee pads. Before long I'm going to look like a 17th century knight
> 
> ...


i dislocated a shoulder and am now considering some sort of lightweight shoulder pad--but there doesn't seem to be anything out there for what i do.


----------



## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

ethierjung said:


> Getting old made me smarter...I wear gloves now. Hands have enough scars from being hard headed.


Yup, I resemble that remark 

We wear a helmet for protection, good shoes, some wear body armor.

Tree's, I can't count the times I tore a glove open. The best I've had so far last If I'm lucky a whole year. I've got vines, thorns and ledge walls whizzing by my knuckles,, Gloves Ya think !

Saw a guy riding single track In open toed sandals once,, no words.


----------



## Tommybees (Dec 25, 2014)

I think there is false security for most people with respect to helmets used for moving sports. Most crashes I've had or have seen involved the front forward facing portion of the head hitting the ground. As such, a minimal head protector would be a face cage and then evolve into something that wraps around the back of the head for more protection. In general we have it backwards by starting with protecting the top and back of the head and then adding chin protection. Above all other protection, I believe a full facey is the minimum protection one should start with when riding bikes. Drinking dinner through a straw gets old real fast and a brain injury does not compare to anything else so why even debate it. New modern helmets are vented, light and so worth the cost of stitches, lost tooth or worse.
As for gloves, never came across a reasonable explanation for not wearing them and almost any spill starts with the hands touching down first. And then you cant ride for a few weeks just because it was cool? I go with full fingers on every one of my rides.

YMMV


----------



## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Tommybees said:


> Most crashes I've had or have seen involved the front forward facing portion of the head hitting the ground.


That's not been my experience. I'm not doubting the value of a full-face helmet but I've yet to hit my face off the ground in a crash.


----------



## Fairbanks007 (Sep 5, 2009)

Mr Pig said:


> That's not been my experience. I'm not doubting the value of a full-face helmet but I've yet to hit my face off the ground in a crash.


Agreed. In nearly 40 years of riding, I've yet to go face first into anything. I usually manage to turn my head to the side just before impact. Could be decades of taking falls in judo, or I just may have more experience falling off a bicycle than most.


----------



## IPunchCholla (Dec 8, 2013)

Fairbanks007 said:


> Agreed. In nearly 40 years of riding, I've yet to go face first into anything. I usually manage to turn my head to the side just before impact. Could be decades of taking falls in judo, or I just may have more experience falling off a bicycle than most.


Or it could be luck. I'm pretty good at crashing (I roll and don't brace my arms) unless it is totally unexpected or slow speed. Once I was going down narrow single track and suddenly was in the ground. Hit, bounced, tumbled and my face far too a stop with my tooth touching a rock. Mph or two faster and reconstructive surgery. No skill in my party just dumb luck.

Another time, I was going down a short rock ramp I had cleared many times before. Went OTB and my face went right between two basketball sized rocks. 6 inches either direction and no front teeth.

Then my dentist told me (he specializes in cosmetic dentistry) that a big chunk of his business is mountain bikers and implants for them.

I ride full face (Met Parachute) every ride now.

And wear gloves. And knee pads. Cause at 45 abrasions that keep me awake just suck.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


----------



## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I have $4500+ OOP invested in #8 implant (front right tooth). Worse than that by far was the year and half the process took dealing with it and the 'flipper' substitute, as well as the simple fact it's pretty tough to not be conscious and always thinking about one's appearance as a Toothless Joe when one makes a living of day-to-day personal contact with clients. It was a nightmare. Mine wasn't the cause of a bike get-off, though.

My worst get-offs on a bike where injury has occurred has always been a complete "WTF" surprise. Riding one second, on the ground a millisecond later. Those are the crashes I gear up for. If you know it's coming, you're doing it wrong.


----------



## PUNKY (Apr 26, 2010)

No glove; no love.


----------



## Guest (Dec 16, 2017)

TrailGoat said:


> no gloves (or helmet or eye protection) is just kinda naïve and foolish if you ask me. even if your are the tough guy who doesn't mind being tore up and wear your scabs and scars as a badge of courage, you can tear yourself up to the point of not being able to ride for a bit. a thin leather glove can go a long way in keeping the skin on your palm if you fall. I wear full finger gloves all year and I have never (or heard of someone else) had/having a problem with their fingers overheating. I have forgotten my gloves in the summer and my sweat made my hands slide around on the grips.
> 
> riding without gloves is just not worth the risk and no good reason not to


foolish indeed, when bailing OTB or otherwise, one's instinct if a mere second allows is to brace the fall with your hands........put gloves on fuggers and save your epidermis layers.


----------



## IPunchCholla (Dec 8, 2013)

Sometimes you know its coming and there is nothing you can do. This summer i got wide on a couple of scrubbers. After coming over the first one, I knew I was going off trail. I basically just barely skip on the second, so no chance to correct since I am in the air. Land hitting the brakes, but know I am going to hit a tree branch and that is going to put me off the bike. So I just try and relax into it and roll when the branch rips the bars from my hand. Did a nice double somersault (I think) and ended up standing up without a scratch. 

Then there are the crashes that are so long and drawn out that you have time to think about them as they happen. I barely shorted a 30 foot double. The impact blew both my feet off the pedals, so I am riding with my belly on the seat heading into a berm with lots of time (it seems like) to think I better just dump as much sped as possible and roll out to the high side if possible. Which I did.

But usually, yeah, it is just Boom, I'm on the ground, or, "hey why are my handle bars going under my legs?"


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Gloves beat no gloves but I'll still ride if I forget them whereas I won't if I forget my helmet.


----------



## Guest (Dec 17, 2017)

j.b. Weld said:


> gloves beat no gloves, but i'll still ride if i forget them whereas i won't if i forget my helmet.


thats a big 10-4


----------



## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

Well the last post here was nearly a year go. Since it's December I might as well awaken it. 

I never wear gloves. Oddly, I can't get on my dirtbike without feeling out of place without gloves but it feels foreign to ride MTB with gloves.

I've used my MX gloves on some colder rides without issue. Just feels different. It's been since late 2017, or early this year that I last wore gloves. 
I forgot I had a pair (found them cleaning out the garage) so I wore them Sunday (yesterday) on a ride and it was fine. I have a pair of Fox Digit that did the job well. Maybe a size too small, the finger was bit short at times. But overall I didn't feel any hindrance or problems wearing gloves. Maybe because it was a chilly morning my body preferred the gloves over going numb. 

I can't say it changed my life and will from here forward wear gloves. But they were comfortable enough and got the job done without any negatives. 

I was shopping for gloves Saturday (as I expect to ride more in cooler weather this year). The Giro Remedy x2 looks pretty appealing.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Yeah, old topic. I do a LOT of winter riding, but the thing I've found about gloves in winter is I can't do thick ones, they just lead to terrible bike control. I wore some thicker once during a DH day or DH race, can't remember which, but going down steeps, drops and jumps was just crazy bad. You don't have the control. I ride with pogies in the winter and I'll still do drops, jumps, etc., usually on the fat-bike, but sometimes on the skinny, but always with thin gloves (which is what the pogies allow me to do). Besides the problem of sweating in the thicker gloves (and later having the fingers go cold), I can't get past the poor control. Maybe ok for putzing along, but for riding hard, ski gloves don't work IME.


----------



## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

That is how I feel about gloves for winter too. Too thick can't seem to offer the rider feel/control.
Glad it's not 'cold' here. But if it's in the 40's I'll be reaching for the gloves on the night rides.


----------



## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

I always ride with gloves and it’s a good thing because I would have otherwise shredded my hands a few times now. That said, I did a western Canada tour at the end of the summer and had my phone out lots to check Trail Forks on lots of unfamiliar trails. I ended up putting my gloves in my pack for easier phone access and OMG. Incredible. It was 1000x nicer riding with no gloves. The only downside, apart from the risk of shredding my hands, was that I ate through my new-ish Chromag grips like they were butter. But apart from that, absolute heaven.


----------



## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

I've always worn gloves. Well, at least since when they were "invented" for mountain biking (yeah, I'm that old). Living in a warmer climate, I had always worn finger-less gloves. But in the last 3 years or so, I've actually come to like full fingered. Probably because I happened to find a pair that I like. I do wear 'em on all rides. I like the feel and grip I get from the glove and grip combination I have. As for cold weather, well, I usually don't ride when it's below 50. That limitation still lets me ride year 'round.


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Miker J said:


> I like no gloves but our humidity can get things slickery.


+1

Gloves help keep your hands on the bar i.e. soaking up sweat...

They also keep your fingeez warm when it's cold.

If you have a really flash pair of gloves, they'll protect your hands from scrapes & bumps etc.

The only reason not to glove would be a comfort thing (or perhaps on medical grounds)

'Born to ride!'


----------



## fredcook (Apr 2, 2009)

So, funny thing happened yesterday that made me think of this thread. Went for my ride, and my regular riding gloves weren't in my bag. It was on the cold side, high 40's. Yeah, that's cold for us as far as I'm concerned, so riding without my gloves was going to suck. Although, the Giro Bravo Gel full finger gloves I use don't do much to take the chill off. But as it turns out, I had a pair of my 511 TAC A2 tactical gloves with me, so I used them. To my surprise, they were awesome. I think I like these better than any riding glove I've used. The palm padding didn't even begin to bunch up, and the outer side stretchy nylon had the perfect tension. I didn't have any knuckle hits, but the knuckle padding is pretty thick. The hook loop is far more secure than any glove I've ridden with. These are my 'new' cold weather gloves! They actually kept the chill off nicely, and I had no restrictions in movement, single finger braking, shifting, etc. In fact, I completely forgot about them as soon as I started getting into my ride. I may use them in warmer weather too and see if they're cool enough. I do use them at the range and while hunting when it's over 100 degrees, but those activities don't work up a sweat like riding does. They get a lot of abuse, more so than my gloves get when riding, and they hold up really well. These may just be my daily riding gloves. We'll see...

For $30, there a pretty good glove overall. Here's a link... 
https://www.511tactical.com/tac-a2-gloves.html


----------



## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fredcook said:


> For $30, there a pretty good glove overall. Here's a link...
> https://www.511tactical.com/tac-a2-gloves.html
> 
> View attachment 1227778


Seams in the palm? Gross. No thanks.

I used to wear cutoff roadie gloves with padding, but in the past few years I've really come to like Handup gloves. Especially since I've started using fatter grips. I tend to buy a new pair or two every year so I can spread the wear & tear out among multiple pairs.

Sweat is the number one reason I continue to wear gloves, even though I started using them for fall protection. Minimalist gloves like these don't do much for knuckle protection, but they do help a little bit.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Never understood the "cut off gloves" thing, even when riding in 100+ degree temps and crazy humidity. Having my finger slip off the brake lever or something is just not worth it at a critical moment. And in those situations your hands DO get "that" sweaty.


----------



## MikeyMK (Jul 27, 2014)

Always gloves, but that's it. No helmet.

I've had all sorts of crashes over the years, from fast slides on gravel/rocks, to trees/branches, to head-on collisions with motor vehicles - and apart from i scar on my arm from hitting a Ford Transit i've only ever hurt my hands.

You get the idea you should get some mitts whilst standing there with shaky hands, trying to pick gravel and stones out of your skin.


----------



## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

MikeyMK said:


> Always gloves, but that's it. No helmet.
> 
> I've had all sorts of crashes over the years, from fast slides on gravel/rocks, to trees/branches, to head-on collisions with motor vehicles - and apart from i scar on my arm from hitting a Ford Transit i've only ever hurt my hands.
> 
> You get the idea you should get some mitts whilst standing there with shaky hands, trying to pick gravel and stones out of your skin.


:skep:


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

MikeyMK said:


> Always gloves, but that's it. No helmet.
> 
> I've had all sorts of crashes over the years, from fast slides on gravel/rocks, to trees/branches, to head-on collisions with motor vehicles - and apart from i scar on my arm from hitting a Ford Transit i've only ever hurt my hands.
> 
> You get the idea you should get some mitts whilst standing there with shaky hands, trying to pick gravel and stones out of your skin.


Congratulations. I've never been ejected out of a car either.


----------



## motard5 (Apr 9, 2007)

Not wearing gloves is like those students you see wearing a jacket in freezing weather, but keeping it unzipped somehow is dope


----------



## Andrew Coates (Dec 3, 2020)

I always wear gloves while driving. They protect me if I accidentally fall.


----------



## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

Andrew Coates said:


> I always wear gloves while driving. They protect me if I accidentally fall.


funny but ridiculous.

I've driven my car literally thousands and thousands of times since I started driving back in the late 80s and have never once fallen out of it. I've ridden my bike I presume hundreds of times and have taken plenty of spills into the dirt and rocks.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk


----------



## fitek (Nov 25, 2014)

Can anyone recommend a set of armored gloves? I had Fox Attack which were minimalist full finger with some rubber material on the finger tips to help w grip in the wet and some hard knuckle protection I didnt ever use. Ripped apart in thr crash that broke my hand a week ago. Not sure if palm padding would have helped (front wheel washed out unexpectedly and I went down on my right hand). Mostly though blackberry bushes tore me up at times. I bought TLD Swelter for PNW winter riding.


----------



## Imasurfboard (Jul 5, 2017)

I stopped wearing gloves because I missplaced mine, really liked the feel and didnt bother replacing them. 2 years later Ive moved to a new country and I replaced loamy forest with dry, hard rocky coastline had a crash and removed alot of skin from my hands. Couldnt ride for a couple weeks because of it so now I wear gloves everytime again.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Andrew Coates said:


> I always wear gloves while driving. They protect me if I accidentally fall.


Interestingly, I will never auto-cross or race my car again without gloves. They make that much difference for control.


----------



## Igotsoul4u (May 11, 2019)

Every piece of skin will lose the battle against a rock so I pad and glove up every ride where I plan to be aggressive. I also hate when my hands get sweaty and I lose traction on my grips. Gloves are a must for me. I'm also a musician by trade so I need all of my fine motor skills and skin.


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Glove up except when riding with kids...

As they get more capable, I'm sure we'll all be gloved up for family rides.

My usual rides, I wear gloves. 

Sent from my HD1900 using Tapatalk


----------



## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

I wear gloves never really did it for crashes though it does help but more for grip. I suppose if you sweat alot and they got soaked you might not want them.


----------

