Fifty Plus (50+) - Gloves How many miles

I do much of my riding in the early mornings before it warms up and as a result my hands don't sweat that much. I have 1000 miles give or take on my Pearl Izumi padded gloves, and they are about done. In terms of miles what is a reasonable expectation for the life of a fingerless cycling glove. Is there any brand that is much better than the rest? Anyone try Assos? Thanks Hotwired in Milwaukee

I've been using Louis Garneau Air Gel gloves for a few years and they are the best I've tried. I wash them every week and they have endured 1000s of miles. I had 2 pair of the PI and they quickly fell apart.

I have several years on a pair of Performance gloves - they are doing fine. I wash them when they get icky. Bought a new pair of Giordanas but they are a little uncomfortable because they are a tad too big (they slip up and put pressure between my fingers).

My favorite gloves are a pair of unpadded PIs that are in their third season. I bought another pair this year just in case, but haven't needed them.

I also have some Specialized long finger gloves for cooler weather that three years old and in good shape except the velcro, and I own two pairs of Cannondale Windfront gloves for winter.

All my gloves get washed weekly (when used). None are padded.

When I see people with self-destructing gloves, they're always padded, some to oven mitt levels. I know a guy who wore out a pair of Gill padded gloves in just 800km on a 15-day tour (http://flickr.com/photos/alrocket/2803276817/in/set-72157606983893187/) this past summer.

I just plain prefer unpadded gloves, but I can't help wondering if it's because of the padding that padded gloves just don't last.

I had some Specialized gloves (3 pairs) I bought in 2001. The last pair finally wore out in early June. I bought some LG gloves and had a hole in the palm by the end of summer.
I now have some PI gloves. Not real thrilled with them but we'll see how they wear.

I use them until they wear out. That usually takes a few years. I have never thought about gloves in terms of miles and don't think I'll start now.

I do much of my riding in the early mornings before it warms up and as a result my hands don't sweat that much. I have 1000 miles give or take on my Pearl Izumi padded gloves, and they are about done. In terms of miles what is a reasonable expectation for the life of a fingerless cycling glove. Is there any brand that is much better than the rest? Anyone try Assos? Thanks Hotwired in Milwaukee

Mechanix Gloves 5,000 miles for me.

I usually go through gloves almost as fast as tires. Still haven't found a pair that lasts any length of time.

I wear Trek gloves (women's) and they wear pretty good, but they STINK after a while and there is no way to get the stink out. Must be the fabric they make them with - YUCK! I really liked the Cannondale gloves but they worn out so fast, it was silly (literally falling apart). I don't like a lot of high padding on my gloves, makes them feel weird on the handlebars.

Until it gets down into the 30s, I use a pair of gloves I bought from Sierra Trading Post. They are better than gloves that cost three times as much. When it starts getting COLD (below the 30s), I use a pair of PI AmFib gloves, sometimes with a thin glove liner. Have been using those for two years.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,57620_Manzella-Insulated-Fleece-Gloves-Gore-Windstopper-For-Men.html

Okay, maybe I'm going to reveal what a doofus I am. How do you wash cycling gloves? Just throw them in the washing machine with the clothes? In the dishwasher? I confess, I've never washed mine. (Oh, the humanity!)

Warm water, liquid dish soap in a bucket.

I am on my third pair of gloves this season. I didn't wear the first two pairs out. Had my crashes been on different sides, only two pair would suffice. I wear the unpadded style and I put them in the clothes washer about once a week.

Gloves vary widely in this regard. I have had gloves that fell apart in just a few hundred miles. On some the leather disintegrates and on others the backs do.

I used a cheapie pair of performance brand gloves for the whole TA (4244 miles) and the (fake) leather part was still almost like new. The lycra part was completely shot and I wondered if they would completely self destruct, but they didn't.

I have also had good luck with Pearl Izumi gloves, but they had a bad batch of leather in 2006. The leather on the defective ones didn't last 1000 miles. They replaced them for free and the new ones are holding up well with a a couple thousand miles so far.

My daughter uses Specialized BG gloves and the comfort is great, but the last pair needed to be replaced at 2500 miles or so.

A friend on the TA used a pair of Trek gloves bought during the trip and they held up well for the remaining 3000 miles or so, I don't know how they have done since.

Okay, maybe I'm going to reveal what a doofus I am. How do you wash cycling gloves? Just throw them in the washing machine with the clothes? In the dishwasher? I confess, I've never washed mine. (Oh, the humanity!)

My glove washing idea does work: Clean out a 34 oz coffee can(your glove washing machine), add cold water, some mild detergent(just a dash), add dirty gloves(you may want to allow some soak time), put on the lid, shake the works, rinse until no soap present, hang to dry!

Okay, maybe I'm going to reveal what a doofus I am. How do you wash cycling gloves? Just throw them in the washing machine with the clothes? In the dishwasher? I confess, I've never washed mine. (Oh, the humanity!)
I have done both the wash them out with dish soap in the sink and the just throw them in the washer and drier with the bike clothes thing. Both have worked well enough.

I only wash gloves when they get stinky or really nasty looking. In 100+ F heat and on tour riding 5 or more hours every day this is fairly often (once a week maybe), in cooler weather almost never.

Sometimes I wash mine in the sink with a little laundry detergent. Most times I attach one glove to the other using their own velcros, and toss them in the laundry.

My faves are a couple old pairs of Yoko Warriors. They're the same cut as road gloves but made for MTBing. Both pair are about 10 years old, and the padding is pretty well gone, but they're still going strong at 10,000+ mi each. Unfortunately, Yoko got out of the bike glove biz some years ago (their main line is XC ski stuff). I've also got a pair of Assos Sport gloves, and frankly I'm underwhelmed. They need to be washed after literally each wearing. I've had relatively good luck w/ PI gloves, but when they wear out, I go back to the old Yokos. At this rate, I may wear out before they do...

Scott P
Bend, OR

I noticed that it takes several wash and dry cycles to get those gloves to smell nice again. The laundry detergent will do its job. But the sunshine freshness is what's the best.

The backside of the gloves has a rough cloth portion designed that way to wipe off sweat or snot or whatever. That's the part that gets bad. And that's why I need to routinely wash them.

I usually go through gloves almost as fast as tires. Still haven't found a pair that lasts any length of time.

Most of my gloves are MTB unpadded ones- but on the road I use Pearl Izumi padded ones. The gloves are OK but the padding goes within a year. And wash them? Throw them in with the other cycling gear about every 6 months or so

Perhaps that why the padded ones don't last as long.

12

Currently Giordanas (padded) are in great shape after 2000 miles. I sweat a lot, but wash and dry in the regular clothes machine keeps them in good shape. I previously had Trek gloves and they fell apart after 2000 miles.

Have a half dozen pair of gloves. No particular brand, sometimes just what's on sale or strikes our fancy.
Picked up a pair of Voit leather gloves (made in Pakistan) and they were on clearance sale in a dollar store . . . 80 cents!They work as well as the expensive ones.
Prefer gloves with cotton mesh tops compared to lyrca (which seems tro shred pretty fast).
When they are dirty, just throw them in the washing machibe, but we do dry them in our plentiful Arizona sunshine.

Ok! so I cashed in my vast stock holdings today and have decided to use the $$ to get a pair of Assos gloves as my way of supporting the European economy. I was not impressed with my summer PI gloves. Thank goodness winter will be arriving shortly so that I can break out a pair of winter gloves. Hotwired in Milwaukee

I have never had a pair of gloves wear out or come apart. Could that be because I am so scatterbrained that I misplace them in the house before they can get worn out. I try to buy all gloves on sale. I've been happy what I found!

Sometimes I wash mine in the sink with a little laundry detergent. Most times I attach one glove to the other using their own velcros, and toss them in the laundry.

This is what I do - just fasten the velcor piece and toss em in the wash, dry them on a clothes rack.

I have over 1,000 miles on a pair of gel Pearl Izumis and I don't see any real deterioration in performance yet. I would buy another pair when I feel I need them. Although a new pair each year would be nice.

Warm water, liquid dish soap in a bucket.

+1. Let 'em soak overnite, then rinse.........no stink (works on the strap of a HRM as well)

I have about 4,000 miles on my current pair of gloves. They are Specialized BG's.

I was just looking at them the other day and wondering why they haven't fallen apart yet, since most of my gloves haven't lasted that long. Usually I lose them before they get too worn out.

As for cleaning -- I usually put them in an empty soda bottle with some Pedro Citrus Degreaser for a couple of hours, and then soak them in Pro Link Gold.

Oh, no wait, that's my chain.

Never mind.

Am I the only one who finds it odd to talk about miles on a glove? :twitchy:

About washing, sometimes I spray a few squirts of Febreze into each glove before tossing them in the washer on gentle cycle. It helps to get that awful sweat funk out of them that sometimes withstands normal washing with laundry detergent.

Ok! So I cashed in my vast investment in the stock market. I was going to get a pair of Assos gloves with the proceeds but I checked out Louis Garneau product line and ordered four pair of the Rex gel model. Their products appear to be of higher quality than PI. Thanks! Hotwired
I've been using Louis Garneau Air Gel gloves for a few years and they are the best I've tried. I wash them every week and they have endured 1000s of miles. I had 2 pair of the PI and they quickly fell apart.

Does the soda bottle go inside the washing machine? In addition to the Pedro degreaser can I use fabric sofener?
I have about 4,000 miles on my current pair of gloves. They are Specialized BG's.

I was just looking at them the other day and wondering why they haven't fallen apart yet, since most of my gloves haven't lasted that long. Usually I lose them before they get too worn out.

As for cleaning -- I usually put them in an empty soda bottle with some Pedro Citrus Degreaser for a couple of hours, and then soak them in Pro Link Gold.

Oh, no wait, that's my chain.

Never mind.

Am I the only one who finds it odd to talk about miles on a glove?
What better measure of usage could you find? Years would be meaningless, one rider might ride 1,000 miles in a year and another 20,000. Hours of riding could work, but who knows that? I doubt most riders do. I am likely to know miles or at least have a good idea. Hours I could only guess based on miles.

I had 2 pair of the PI and they quickly fell apart.
Were they by chance 2006 models? PI got a bad batch of leather that year. They replaced my 2006 pair of Gel Vent Pros that lasted only 1,000 miles. The new ones are holding up fine.

What better measure of usage could you find?

How about "are they worn out yet?"