Commuting - Do you wear gloves all the time?

I obviously wear gloves for warmth in the colder weather, but not in the summer. I know most experienced cyclists wear cycling gloves whenever they ride, but I'm one of those plainclothes cyclists with a short commute, and I've never felt a need to wear anything on my hands except for warmth. I've had a few minor scrapes, but nothing real bad. Just wondering what others think about it.

I wear my gloves all the time; full-fingered ones for winter. I'm not so worried about mopping out, but my hands fatigue fairly quickly without padding. Also, let's face it, they look spiffy.

I wear gloves all the time (whether lobster claws in colder weather or half-fingers in warmer weather). Part of it's habit (I feel somewhat nek-kid without them) but also it's a question of the support I get. Getting CTS isn't fun and I've found the gloves make a difference in me enjoying the ride to me whining about it (that is, if I didn't have the gloves).

I wear gloves most of the time. I have neoprene gloves for winter (and a liner for when it gets colder), and half finger gloves for this season.... although I forgot to wash them last night (I really should consider getting more than one pair and color).

So my answer was "sometimes" (taking this morning into consideration heheh).

Rarely after the weather warms. I'm just not a big fan of gloves.

I normally ride a recumbent, and the times I've laid the bike down, my hands and thighs take the brunt of the damage. For me, I see no other choice. I'm tempted to get the protected-thigh shorts I see advertised on occasion.

I didn't wear gloves all the time until last week when I was sideswiped by a car. I went sliding across the road. The gloves I was wearing saved me much pain and road rash on my hands. I think I'll wear gloves all the time from now on...

I feel naked without gloves. When I ride naked, people throw things at me.

I always wear gloves when cycling, I find my hands get tired and/or irritated otherwise. In cool (but not cold) weather I like thin leather gloves: strong, long lasting, breath well, comfortable. Let me tell you, though, you get strange looks cycling in balck leather gloves, boots, OD combats, and (in cold weather) a black leather jacket!

Always a glove wearer. They have saved my hands on a number of occasions.

Also I like a little cush on the bars.

I took a tumble a few weeks ago and did some damage to my palms. It's hard to do normal everyday stuff when your hands are missing flesh and you can't grip anything without feeling pain.

I started wearing gloves after that happened. I think they actually DO help with hand fatigue, I was surprised.

So can someone recommend a good pair of gloves that will keep my pinkie and ring finger from feeling numb after a long ride?

I think riding without gloves makes it harder to get a perfect circular tanned spot on the back of one's hand in the summer.

I sure do. I just like the padding it offers.

Koffee

I never wear gloves other than for cold. I don't like the feel of them, or having more piece of equipment. I am going to double wrap my bars, though.

jagged: numbness is bad. Talk to a doctor about nerve problems (carpal tunnel syndrome for example) and your LBS (or people here) about how to set up your bike. You probably need better ergonomics on your bike. Check out my thread (it's a little old now but should still be a page or two down) "My wrists hurt" it's got lots of great suggestions about hand positioning as well as setting up your seat, handlebars, etc.

Generally I think the gloves with padding across the palm will help. I like the pair I found which have a soft cloth backing that's great for wiping sweat off your face.

I have a pair of road cycling gloves (no fingers) and a set of MTB gloves. I haven't worn my road gloves since I got the MTB ones, even in hot weather. I'm not sure why I prefer them. I just get a better feel for the bike with full fingered gloves.

I wear gloves for everything... I work at a computer...

Because I bicycle and sail, and push a mouse around all day, I have an iron grip... but baby soft hands... odd combination, eh.

I have a couple pair of bike gloves, couple pair of sailing gloves, and a ton of gardening gloves.

always...The padding helps with the friction...holding handlebars for hours on end, there is friction...also...The two times I have fallen from my bikes, the threat of road rash on your hands...we all know as we are falling,human nature tells us to cushion our fall by grabbing the road with our hands... those two times, my hands did not take the brunt of the fall, but that was just luck...
when it is hot, the gloves I use are those crocheted...I like gel lining for the palms of my hands.

After having gravel plucked out of my palm I'll never go gloveless again. Though, no matter how often I wash them they always end up being pretty funky.

I have some long REI coldfinger gloves for cold days (down to about freezing, then I put on the winter gloves). Other than that, I never wear gloves.

I commute 10 miles a day, and do 20-40 mile group rides without gloves. No hand pain. I used to get it on my mountain bike, oddly enough, and wore gloves with that one. But on the road bikes I never have any hand or wrist discomfort. Knock on wood.

Hand abrasions take a long time to heal.

I always wear gloves.

I consider gloves in the same light as my helmet.

I had a scary crash two weeks ago. Ended up being fine, thanks to the gloves. Head injury was never a problem but if I wasn't wearing gloves I would not have had any skin left on either of my hands and palms.

Never ride without em.

Helmet and gloves each and every time

yoy don't need gloves in the summer. in the winter though... you need them... unless you like feeling like throwing up whenever you walk inside (your finger tips will hurt like HELLLLLLL!!!!!).

anyone know of some good winter gloves that block wind and cold and rain?

edit: after reading the abrasion posts i've decided wearing gloves at all times can be a good idea.

I wear gloves all the time while cycling. I've "soft" hands-I wear nitrile gloves all eve/night long at work+wash my hands easily 20+ times/shift (I work in a hospital tranfusion service).

-Remember your hands when your adding sunscreen for a long sunny ride. I forgot once on tour, and got "nifty" 2nd degree sunburns on my wrists (older gloves, that have the velcroe strp on the back-leaving a bit of exposed wrist)-ouch.

I wear gloves all the time. I feel naked without them anymore.

Safety is the main reason I wear gloves, gravel rash on you hands isn't fun. Along with the padding the fabric to wipe sweat away is also very handy. I can't see any reasons to not wear gloves.

CHEERS.

Mark

I obviously wear gloves for warmth in the colder weather, but not in the summer. I know most experienced cyclists wear cycling gloves whenever they ride, but I'm one of those plainclothes cyclists with a short commute, and I've never felt a need to wear anything on my hands except for warmth. I've had a few minor scrapes, but nothing real bad. Just wondering what others think about it.

I usually use them for the added comfort. The comfort difference from gloves is not as noticeable on a ride say less than 20 miles on the road. Over time it is magnified and becomes more important. On a short errand I don't usually use gloves. That would also be the only time I don't wear cycling clothes too.
The difference is also much more noticeable with a road bike with small high pressure tires. If you ride a comfort bike or a hybrid the ride is softer and the bars don't transmit shock as much. Gloves are good for cushioning impact and preventing scrapes on off road bikes. It's a personal choice on a short commute. On your bike the bars don't have that much vibration. If you started doing lots of 60 miles rides you would probably like padded gloves, they can also reduce irritation from the grips or the tape too. I always wear gloves on long all day road rides, I would never want to do otherwise. It's uncomfortable. I always wear them when mountain biking. For the comfort and the protection.
:)

The first time you 'slide into home' and you're not wearing any gloves will be the last time you don't...

It takes just one good case of gravel rash to make a glove believer out of any cyclist.

I have 3 pairs of gloves, 2 full finger, 1 short, that have huge patches taken off em. If it weren't for them, they would've taken chunks of my hand. Gloves all the way.

The first time you 'slide into home' and you're not wearing any gloves will be the last time you don't...

It takes just one good case of gravel rash to make a glove believer out of any cyclist.
I know it made one out of me way back in the day. I remember my first good pair too - Red White and Blue Crochet back Spenco's

I need my hands for doing my job, which pays the bills, so I always wear the cycling gloves. It would help avoid most of the scrapes.

I wear gloves all the time while cycling. I've "soft" hands-I wear nitrile gloves all eve/night long at work+wash my hands easily 20+ times/shift (I work in a hospital tranfusion service).

-Remember your hands when your adding sunscreen for a long sunny ride. I forgot once on tour, and got "nifty" 2nd degree sunburns on my wrists (older gloves, that have the velcroe strp on the back-leaving a bit of exposed wrist)-ouch.


That patch of tan or patch of sunburn used to be how you could ID a fellow cyclist back in the day... all gloves back then were the same crochet net back that had a huge hole just before the velcro... Avid cyclists typically had a tanned area the size of a 50 cent piece on the back of their hands.

That patch of tan or patch of sunburn used to be how you could ID a fellow cyclist back in the day... all gloves back then were the same crochet net back that had a huge hole just before the velcro...

Actually, they used to have a snap button if you want to get picky about it. ;)

Up until 2 weeks ago, I could ride with or without gloves....it did not really matter that much to me. However after surving a direct hit from a car while riding to work 2 weeks ago, I am sure glad that I had gloves on that day otherwise my handprints would of been permanently embeded in the concrete...

Needless to say, I am now a firm believer in gloves and on this past Sunday which was my first day back on the bike since the accident, my now somewhat tattered gloves reminded me of how useful they are in protecting one's hands...

After having to pick gravel out of my palms may years ago (I droppped my bike crossing an erosion gully on a forest road), I started wearing gloves too. Now it's a habit which, from the look of the palms on my four pairs of gloves, has saved me further damage.

I have three pairs I wear depending on season. None of them are "cycling" gloves. I have a thick insulated pair of winter sport (snowboard) gloves for the coldest days. Since it is often wet here, I wear neoprene sailing gloves on rainy days. And I wear my summer weight leather motorcycle gloves the rest of the time. All work great and I hate riding without gloves.

I think riding without gloves makes it harder to get a perfect circular tanned spot on the back of one's hand in the summer.

Yea, mine are an old pair of knitted-style ones that give me a great checkerboard pattern on the back of my hand. Ultimate commuter cool.

String back cycling gloves, so other cyclists can recognise you when you dont have the bike with you

Okay, you're all starting to convince me. As I said, my commute's short, and I have a hybrid with padded bars and haven't noticed any discomfort in my hands in 3 years of riding, but those road rash stories are starting to get to me... :eek:

Okay, you're all starting to convince me. As I said, my commute's short, and I have a hybrid with padded bars and haven't noticed any discomfort in my hands in 3 years of riding, but those road rash stories are starting to get to me... :eek:
Not being able to comfortably use your hands due to road rash sucks. Gloves can be cheap insurance.