Mountain Biking - Full vs. Half -fingered gloves?

What's the difference between these two gloves..this is functionally speaking of course hehe ;)

what are the advantages and disadvantages of the two?

thanks :)

ONe keeps your fingers warm...one dosn't.

One stops blisters....one dosn't.

One protect your entire hand...one dosn't.


You can probalby guess what type I wear ;)

Half finger gloves ventilate better but won't completely protect your hands in a crash. Full finger gloves are very hot but protect yours hands more in a crash. Both will add padding and prevent calises (spelling?).

Alright serious talk here. The full fingers gloves are great to protect your hands on trails. But I have worn them on general 60km bike rides and then get so friggen hot and swetty! I have the cheaper Fox gloves and when its windy they do nothing!

Best thing to do would have a set of each so you can decide what to wear depending on conditions.

And the half gloves wont give you blisters by the way :P

My full finger gloves don't cause blisters :p , but my cheap-o grips do! :D

uh the main differance is that NOBODY RIDES HALF FINGER GLOVES

uh the main differance is that NOBODY RIDES HALF FINGER GLOVES

You might have just started a big debate....XC guys do.

up here in vancouver my friend, nobody rides them

You never said that before. :p

You might have just started a big debate....XC guys do.
Old roadies do too... I think the answer lies in where you like to ride, and how often you crash. Heck, they're under $15... Get a pair of each.

Half finger gloves ventilate better but won't completely protect your hands in a crash. Full finger gloves are very hot but protect yours hands more in a crash. Both will add padding and prevent calises (spelling?).
I wear full fingered most of the time and have never had an issue with heat when it comes to gloves.

uh the main differance is that NOBODY RIDES HALF FINGER GLOVES
Holy foolish generalization Batman!

up here in vancouver my friend, nobody rides them
Have you personally interviewed everyone in Vancouver? How about just the cyclists? Didn't think so.

Old roadies do too... I think the answer lies in where you like to ride, and how often you crash. Heck, they're under $15... Get a pair of each.
I'm not "old" nor am I really a roadie, but I loved my old crochet back Spenco's. Too bad the only ones I can find now are the Nashbar versions.
That was the mark of a cyclist - mesh "freckles" on the back of your hands

What's teh difference between these two gloves..this is functionally speaking of course hehe ;)

what are the advantages and disadvantages of the two?

thanks :)
Half-fingered gloves are kind of flaky. They remind me of dorks at the gym who use them.

uh the main differance is that NOBODY RIDES HALF FINGER GLOVES
Maybe, but people do wear them.

I wear full fingered most of the time and have never had an issue with heat when it comes to gloves.
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Exactly...it's not like your hands are a major source of heat dissipation.

I'm a fan of half finger gloves myself. Cooler than full fingers in the summer. Can't say I get calluses from braking and shifting. When I do go down, usually end up using the palm area of the hand anyways. Neither full or half finger will prevent thorns anyways in my area.

Generalization bad! Comfort and fit good!

Half-fingered gloves are kind of flaky. They remind me of dorks at the gym who use them.
Then you'd never appreciate these
http://img97.echo.cx/img97/3579/campyglove4qw.jpg :p

Then you'd never appreciate these
http://img97.echo.cx/img97/3579/campyglove4qw.jpg :p
nope...but they would look really sexy on a woman working out!

yea, so i was wondering...wouldn't it feel hot in fll-fingered gloves? I plan to wear them mainly to prevent calluses from forming...so would half-fingered loves do the job? and do they look THAT bad?

I dont see the problem with either glove. If your riding a lot and its hot, wear the half fingered. If you want better protection then wear the full 'hand' one.

You might have just started a big debate....XC guys do.

Possibly but I'll admit to being one XC guy that doesn't. As far as heat is concerned, I ride mine during the summers and haven't had a problem with my hands getting too hot. I ride with half-fingers when I'm on my roadbike though because the fingertips of full-fingered gloves tend to get caught in between the STI shift levers and I feel they're generally unnecessary for me for road riding.

yea, so i was wondering...wouldn't it feel hot in fll-fingered gloves? I plan to wear them mainly to prevent calluses from forming...so would half-fingered loves do the job? and do they look THAT bad?
No...they don't look that bad at all... :D

Just don't wear leather chaps as well.

yea, so i was wondering...wouldn't it feel hot in fll-fingered gloves? I plan to wear them mainly to prevent calluses from forming...so would half-fingered loves do the job? and do they look THAT bad?
Slow down and take some prde in what you post. This isn't a real time chat where everything is going to scroll off the page.

Myth: Full fingered gloves are hot.
Truth: Full fingered gloves are perfectly comfortable in most temperature ranges. Most gloves these days are made with wicking fabrics similar to those used in jerseys

Myth: Half finger gloves don't protect you
Truth: Half finger gloves protect nearly as well as full finger gloves. Full finger gloves tend to have a little more rubber "armor" on the top but that's usually just a slight abrasion deterrant and it's attached to a substrate that can be cut in a severe crash. Most times you'll be landing on you hands palms down which is why they tend to use leather in this area.

If you're worried about looks boy did you pick the wrong sport

I wear full fingered gloves. Addmittedly your hands do become sweaty (after a while causing your gloves to smell kinda like a mixture of vinegar and dog poo :p ) but heat has never been a problem for me. The funny thing is that if you get a cheaper, tight-fitting (which you want BTW, otherwise they'll bunch up when you grip the handlebar) pair (like mine I assume), you'll probably find that they'll get holes in the ends of the fingers and turn out like half-finger gloves anyway!
(Mine are ok though - I got mummy (mommy) to sew them up :) )

I'm going to get half fingered gloves. I just know I'd rip full finger gloves if I ever get full finger gloves...

Half-fingered gloves are kind of flaky. They remind me of dorks at the gym who use them.


When I started mountain biking, I wore my weight-lifting gloves. They're still around here somewhere. And, no, they're not full-fingered. They do look super, tho, thanks for asking. Now, I just wear what's comfy. Half-finger Specialized right now cuz it's stupid hot and humid here.

If you're worried about looks boy did you pick the wrong sport



:eek: :D

For the record I have both full and half fingered gloves. They both work the same, their cool (and they don't make my hand sweat) and they protect my hands. End of really.

When you wipe out, if any part of your hands hit the ground it's going to be the palms. Who tries to break their fall with their knuckles and finger tips?

I think it depends on your riding style. If you're doing some major DH'ing and traveling at high rates of speed, then I would recommend you protect (or at least cover) as much skin as possible.

Blisters are not an issue. I've never gotten a blister on my finger tips from biking.
Warmth is an issue if you ride in very cold and wet conditions. I ride year round with half-finger gloves and even in the winter it's ok (granted I live in the South where we only have about one month of sub freezing temps). When I'm riding I'm focused on the trail, not how cold my fingers are.

And like Rayin said...if you're concerned about your looks, then you may want to take up road biking.

I wear full-fingered for mtn biking and half for road biking.

I like the added protection of the full fingered gloves when mtn biking. Not just crashing either. I like to grab branches and push off of trees. The added protection is admittidly subconscious, but whatever works.

I don't notice a difference in heat from full or half.

I can also usually find a pair of full fingered on closeout for less than the half fingered ones, so that's what I buy.

I wear full-fingered for mtn biking and half for road biking.

I like the added protection of the full fingered gloves when mtn biking. Not just crashing either. I like to grab branches and push off of trees. The added protection is admittidly subconscious, but whatever works.

I don't notice a difference in heat from full or half.



Ditto.

I will add that the full fingered gloves I wear (Fox Sidewinders) are nice to ride on the road with in spring and fall (before switching to winter gear) just to keep the digits out of the wind.

I wear full fingered most of the time and have never had an issue with heat when it comes to gloves.

Holy foolish generalization Batman!

Have you personally interviewed everyone in Vancouver? How about just the cyclists? Didn't think so.

I'm not "old" nor am I really a roadie, but I loved my old crochet back Spenco's. Too bad the only ones I can find now are the Nashbar versions.
That was the mark of a cyclist - mesh "freckles" on the back of your hands

hey if you're looking for half fingered crochet back gloves check out the ones made by Bell. I've got a set and they're pretty good. Dirt cheap too!

http://www.fogdog.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1248714

up here in vancouver my friend, nobody rides them

Oh, bad luck. I wear them. AND I'm from Vancouver.

I like to keep my fingers handy, in case I see a quarter on the ground. (Just because it hasn't happened yet…) Also, when I ride, I generate enough heat to alert the grow-op squad. Full-fingies roast my hands something fierce, unless it's really cold.

AND I get to look like Ajax.

When I started mountain biking, I wore my weight-lifting gloves. They're still around here somewhere. And, no, they're not full-fingered. They do look super, tho. Now, I just wear what's comfy. Half-finger Specialized right now cuz it's stupid hot and humid here.
just kidding :D

i wear full-fingered haro hevron gloves (i think that is what they are) these are also my bmx gloves so they should not last very long doing double duty. i love them they have a lot of mesh on them so i do not have a heat problem at all.

the only thing i like about the half-fingered gloves is when you have to fix something on your bike it is much easier becasue you can do it without having to take off your gloves.

but, i still wont wear them. it might be that i have worn them since i started wearing gloves.

I wear Louis Gearneau Ergo Air. a pair of Freddy full finger for below 40 degrees and 1/2 finger Xgel for temps above. I dont ride road and I dont care whether anyone likes my gloves or not. I wear what is comfortable, I work 40+ hours in the heat so I can buy the stuff I want. if someone comes up and gives me stuff Ill consider their opinion. until then Ill carry my oversized belly with my spandex shorts, and roadie cut Devinci or Cobblestone jersey, Tbone helmet, and half finger gloves all over the trails. if it gets below 20degrees I have a pair of aluminum foil looking glove liners I wear inside my other gloves. I wear toe booties over my Shimanoo M180 shoes too in the cold. I found a pair of 661 shoes for under $20 at JensonUSA and they are black and white. they fit nuff said. Im getting a pair of SPD sandals too. I am the one the fashion police have nightmares about

For me full fingered is the only way to go, that's what i used to ride way back when i raced BMX, and same for BMX dirt jumping, just bought a new pair of TLD full fingered gloves and i love em, pretty much buy some inexpensive types of each and see what feels better then go for a good pair of what you prefer.

I wear full fingered most of the time and have never had an issue with heat when it comes to gloves.

Ditto. My gloves ventilate pretty well, but get sweaty, like any gloves will.

hey if you're looking for half fingered crochet back gloves check out the ones made by Bell. I've got a set and they're pretty good. Dirt cheap too!

http://www.fogdog.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1248714
No thanks. I actually had a pair of those. Turned my hands black.

No thanks. I actually had a pair of those. Turned my hands black.

That's quality, baby!

Added to South Park reference in above post, hehe

uh the main differance is that NOBODY RIDES HALF FINGER GLOVES

I ride half finger gloves ... I'M NOT NOBODY DAMMIT. I'M A PERSON ;-)

I would say that MOST XC guys wear half fingered gloves in the summer. Most abrasions you'll get is on the palms when you crash. If you keep your fingernails clipped, torn nails shouldn't be a problem.

Of course, more aggressive riders should consider full fingered protection as well as body armor and full faced helmets.

Half-fingered gloves are kind of flaky. They remind me of dorks at the gym who use them.

So you prefer the guys in the gym wearing FULL fingered gloves???

So you prefer the guys in the gym wearing FULL fingered gloves???

LOL! :roflmao:

So you prefer the guys in the gym wearing FULL fingered gloves???
So long as it's not the ones with the full fingered LATEX gloves :eek:

So you prefer the guys in the gym wearing FULL fingered gloves???
Sorry...I must have offended you.

Sorry...I must have offended you.
That happens a lot Just don't mention suspension seatposts :lol:

I have never got hot hands from wearing full finger gloves. If anything, they get cold.

full, half, none, depends on the day and where I'm riding.

You won't catch me on a bike without a helmet and gloves anymore. I've learned my lessons well

I've never really thought of gloves as protection, rather as something to give more control and comfort. I wear full-fingered Fox Sidewinders and they're great. They protect well in crashes, you only notice how hot it is inside them once you take them off and put them back on. The towel thumb is good for wiping sweat away, except most of the time it's dirty from the falls. :) Plus they're warm enough in winter to stop most of the cold.

I'd probably never go back to wearing half-fingered gloves while biking.

Ohh. Ohh...I know those lyrics.
I belive someone name Thom sang them.

Raiyn you put the X in X-TREME!