Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Do you wear gloves?

I'm trying to put together a list of the gear I need to be riding seriously, and one thing I'm unsure on is gloves. Heat more than cold is a problem in SoCal, so I think its more about comfort than anything else. Anyway, do you wear them, and if so which ones?

I like them because I feel like they add some padding, and prevent blisters during long, sweaty-handed rides. I forgot them once and turned back after half a mile because my hands hurt.

I think they are absolutely necessary.

I have a simple pair of fingerless Bontrager gloves.

http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1908&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=1908&path=1%2C2%2C14%2C123&bShopOnline=1

I'm trying to put together a list of the gear I need to be riding seriously, and one thing I'm unsure on is gloves. Heat more than cold is a problem in SoCal, so I think its more about comfort than anything else. Anyway, do you wear them, and if so which ones?

There are several options, some gloves like mine are full fingered with leather palm and cloth back, made by Louis Garneau, I wear them even when it's hot out, I have about 2000 miles on them, they are only slightly worn. They were expensive, but work well and have lasted well. I would like to get a pair with short fingers and mesh back for hot weather though.

hi,
I only been ridding a year, oddly enough I ve been wearing the ones that have the Gel V to prevent Ulnar Nerve compresson, but they seem to make my hands more numb than with out.
Today I rode 32 mile no gloves and my hands actually felt better and less numb.
Not sure why,, I do feel a sore spot at the base of my thumb and palm but my guess I'll get a calous soon enough.
Doug

I always wear gloves. They provide a better grip on the bars if your hands are sweaty, may help dampen vibration (if the palms are padded), and will help protect you in the event of a crash. Most also provide a terry cloth section on the thumb or back of your hand so you can wipe sweat off your face. I wear Pearl Izumi gloves. Can't remember which model; maybe the Slice? On cool/cold days, I wear full-finger wind-proof gloves to keep my hands from freezing. Even if the temp feels find standing around, wind chill can make your hands very cold, very quickly.

I wear the fingerless style. Trek brand. I was a race official and have seen the results of many crashes where the rider wasn't wearing gloves. Most people put there hand down to break the fall. The skin on the palm would just roll up. Very painful. Many broken collar bones too but gloves won't help there!!

Bill

Gloves on commutes/longer rides....just get on bike for short errands.

Gloves really reduce hand hurt/fatigue/whatever for me.

And if you ever dump your bike they save a lot of skin :)

I used to wear gloves religiously, but gave it up about 10 years ago. I figured my hands are calloused enough to forgo wearing them in the summer. If I get anything stuck in my tire, I just wipe the tire with one of my feet, instead of my gloved hand, like some gloved folk are won to do. I don't miss the funny glove tan lines one bit.

Well, I take that back, I've a long rigid MTB ride planned. I'll probably dust off some form of glove for that trip. I think I'll take the black Schwinn gel ones with the champion rainbow on 'em. Century ride next weekend will be glove-free, for sure!

I wear them because they offer some padding and (more importantly) they give me something with which to wipe the sweat from my forehead BEFORE it runs into my eyes.

Always Wearem

Dont have any yet...but I plan on it very soon. Ive only had my bike for close to 2 months now, and the webbed part that connects your thumb and pointer is starting to form a small blister/callous once my hands start to get sweaty..and I have to keep adjusting my hands because they keep slipping.

I always wear gloves, it feels weird when i dont...

I use to only wear them for long rides, 40 miles +. I now wear them on my commute after having my hands slip from the grips, they where sweaty.:)

Yep I wear them too. Specialized fingerless with padded palms. Really nice glove.

I wear them to get a better grip, absorb and wipe sweat/nose, and provide padding. The grip is especially helpful in rain or with sweaty hands. I've had some bad problems with nerve irritation that made one hand almost useless for a couple of weeks, so I consider the padding essential.

I always do. Especially after a pair sacrificed themselves for me during a crash in Cumberland, MD, last year. I have scars where the gloves tore when I hit the pavement. I hate to imagine what my hands would look like without them.

I always wear gloves. I have the fingerless type with padding. I don't know the brand, as I bought them real cheap on ebay from Hong Kong. They work great, and I would not ride without them.

I often wear gloves, but usually not cycling specific gloves. Light weight material handling
or utility gloves from a hardware store fit my large hands better, are more comfortable, protect
from road rash, improve grip comfort and are less expensive than actual cycling gloves.

Gloves are definitely worth getting. Better grip when sweating, vibration/impact absorption from padding and protection on a fall. Spend the $20-$40 and get a pair. You won't regret it. Also, I have the Pearl Izumi Attack gloves and the padding is already compressed after a few rides. I wouldn't recommend these gloves (but they are still far better than having no gloves).

I wear them to wipe glass/debris from the tires. I ride in Anaheim everyweekend. Hot but I'm not a sweaty kind of guy so I could do without them. I think I get more comfort out of the bartape. I've found Deda to feel the best. Plus a good bike setup helps. No numb fingers or hands while using very thin gloves.:D

I have a couple of pairs depending on what/when/where I am riding. My latest set is a pair of Giro Monaco's that are great for hot days. They seem very light weight, but offer great protection too. I found out when I went down and landed on my hands. I could feel the rocks on the road through the gloves but they did not rip. They are a little expensive, at $40, but worth the cost to me. The other pair is an older set from Specialized that have extra padding. I use them in colder weather or when I trail ride my cross bike. Either way, I always wear a pair of gloves.

no: commuting and errands.
sometimes: rec rides on the commuter 12-30mi.
yes: rec rides 20-36mi on the road bike yes. even though the bike has padded wraps, there is some discomfort without gloves. like someone else said they are good for sweat as well. winter hell yes.

Ive got bike gloves and thin cold weather gloves. I wear my half finger gloves during all but cold weather, as they have nice padding and are comfortable. I wear the winter gloves under the bike gloves in the cold weather so i get both warmth and comfort

After a few run-ins with automobiles in the 1980s, I always wear gloves when I ride on the street or sidewalk. I used to not wear gloves when riding on trails, but now I always wear them when I ride.

If you go down, your hands can really get messed up slamming and sliding along pavement. Believe me when I tell you, that scraping and cutting up your hands can GREATLY increase how much time it takes to recover from even a "little fall".

I also prefer gloves with leather palms, because they are the most abrasion resistant. And I always wear a helmet (have busted a couple over the years...probably saved my life).

Take care, and have fun out there!

I have the Pearl Izumi Attack gloves and the padding is already compressed after a few rides. I wouldn't recommend these gloves (but they are still far better than having no gloves).I also have these gloves and like them. Bottom line, it's important to put the gloves on and grip some handlebars (in a variety of positions) and see if it's comfortable. Gloves tend to be built to relive pressure off certain nerves in your hand (in addition to some protection during a crash). Tingling and numbness can result (in the hands) + a lot of pain if your hands aren't protected. Multiple handlebar grips helps with this problem, I like to switch grips every few minutes.

I always wear gloves. I've crashed a couple of times and seen what it did to my gloves. Don't want that to happen to my hands. As for type, I wear crochet-backed, fingerless gloves when its hot, terrycloth-backed, fingerless gloves when its warm, full-finger gloves when its cool and insulated, full-fingered gloves when its cold.

I wear them for the most part. On rare occasion when it gets really hot I will take them off for short periods. I'm not partial to anyone brand, right now using gore wear and cannondales.

I got a pair of these (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10756475)
They work great. Nice and cheap and they make the ride a lot more comfortable. I hope I never have to ditch the bike but if I do I feel confident that these will take it well and if they get destroyed, so what they were 10 bucks.

I never expected such a good response to this thread. Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback. In order of importance I have:

Helmet
padded shorts/bib
gloves
jersey
cyclocomputer (going to use my phone for time being)

I can't get it all at once, so going with helmet first and foremost as I have to protect the brains from....myself.

Definitely. They add padding / comfort, and if (when?) you dump the bike for some reason, they will protect your palms from scraping on the road.

Crochet backed in the Spring, summer and ware fall, full finger in the chill, and Ski Gloves in the winter.

I have a pair of $9 work gloves from Home Depot that I cut the fingers off of - suede palms, a breathable back, and no padding. They work great.

I also have these gloves and like them. Bottom line, it's important to put the gloves on and grip some handlebars (in a variety of positions) and see if it's comfortable. Gloves tend to be built to relive pressure off certain nerves in your hand (in addition to some protection during a crash). Tingling and numbness can result (in the hands) + a lot of pain if your hands aren't protected. Multiple handlebar grips helps with this problem, I like to switch grips every few minutes.

I actually like the overall feel and fit of the Attack gloves - it is just frustrating that the padding is already so compressed. If the padding were better, I would be much more positive about them.

I always wear gloves. I find the ones with special padding to prevent numbness make my numbness worse. I use cheap fingerless ones with a leather palm. They do fine for me. You kind of have to try them to see which will work for you. I do consider them a safety item.