Hybrid Bicycles - Road bike gloves? Bike shop gloves or department store gloves?

Hey guys. I have a Giant Rapid 1 flat bar road bike. Excellent bike! Get one! Anyways I've been looking at gloves. I see that in bike shops they can range from $25 to $80. I've seen Bell brand gloves in walmart and other stores for $12. They feel comfortable. So what gives? Are the "Bell" gloves any good? They feel just like the $25 bike store gloves. Are the other gloves just fancy name brand gloves? Did I mention that Rapid's are great bikes? Thank you. Please respond.

I am in the market for some myself. I can not answer your question. Hopefully someone will answer and we will both know. I do my first century in 2 weeks I need them and a lot of other gear.

Sorry no first hand experience with the Bell glove, but I have over 800 miles comfortably with these:

http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-iZUMi-Select-Cycling-Glove/dp/B001G0NPWS/ref=sr_1_23?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1300237119&sr=1-23

IMHO the gel is above average, and I'm reasonably hard on my gear. I have minor fraying near two of the seams but nothing that makes them unusable. I wouldn't hesitate to buy these again - in fact my whole family of 4 uses this same solution.

Good luck - Andy

You are likely to get very different opinions on this, but fwiw ... I tend to buy/use cycle-specific clothing from 'name' brands (e.g. Sugoi, Pearl Izumi, whatever) to the extent I can afford it. Not posing; I only buy stuff that has neutral/bland colour and as few logos as possible (reverse posing??:D).
Reason: while often seemingly overpriced, it does (in my experience) actually work, and ... the better stuff tends to last very well.
Gloves: I like Specialized BG stuff; I've found they are very effective at protecting against hand problems. I use road mitts in warmer weather, full gloves in colder. Pearl Izumi is another brand that offers excellent cycling gloves (again ... good protection and 'feel', excellent durability).

agreed, i doubt they are equal in durability, but for 12 bux how can you loose? buy them and if they last two years, you win. if they last one year, it's a draw. less than that, then you'll know what to do for the next pair.

My husband bought a pair of inexpensive gloves. They fell apart, but it took 6 months and a lot of riding to do that. He bought an expensive pair next. They are holding up a lot better, but for your first pair, try the cheap ones. Just don't be surprised when the stitching starts coming out and the fingers fall apart. I actually think inexpensive gloves are best for a first bike glove because you don't know what you want yet. My husband realized he wanted the cloth thumb for wiping his nose, for example.

On the other hand, the Pearl Izumi that a previous poster showed are good gloves and reasonably priced. Get the ones without fingers. If it's cold, we just put a pair of those $2 knit one-size-fits-all gloves you get at Target under them. Generally, I want my hands cool, so prefer breathable ones. If you live in Maine, you may want warmer ones.

I have also bought cheap cycling clothing and it just isn't as good as the expensive stuff. I can wear my Sugoi shirt and it keeps me warm in the cold and cool in the heat. I have no idea how the fabric does that, but it does. You're right, though. The stuff is expensive, but it does last. It's the same old story- you get what you pay for.

I've read, and my short experience agrees, that you should spend the money on things where your body meets the bike. Save on jerseys, spend on bibs/shorts. That also means spend on getting the right shoes, and the right gloves.

Being expensive doesn't imply that it's right for you, but it should mean that it is quality and there's a better chance it'll work for you. And trying the cheap ones can give you a better idea of what you need/like for your next set. But the places where your body interfaces with the bike are some of the most important choices as far as gear and comfort: saddle, shorts, gloves, shoes. So don't skimp on those important areas, save your money in other places.

I have a pair of Bell fingerless gloves that I purchased from WM last spring. They have held up very well and are comfortable. I also wondered if I should get a "name brand" glove when I was looking. However, I'm satisfied with what I bought.

I may go for some walmart gloves for this year. Try them out and see.

I used the bell ones you're talking about (long fingered) last year. They worked quite well, lasted the whole year.

I am not a fan of padded gloves - fancy or cheap... my hands tend to go numb when I ride with padded gloves. I wear a pair of leather palm/lycra backed 'work' gloves to protect me from blisters, and from injury should I crash, but they have no padding.

Gloves keep you warm, protect your hands from vibration and most importantly, prevent injury to your hands in a crash. Even a minor spill can result in shredding your skin and hands heal very slowly.
My normal winter gloves are fleece with a leather or synthetic pad for palm and fingers, but no padding. I have used woollen gloves but these can wear out too quickly.
In summer I use cycling mitts but the cheap ones from Aldi. I never ride without hand protection.

I have the Bell "Gel-Pro" gloves which were something like $10 and they've survived a couple thousand miles and multiple washings.

Gloves: I like Specialized BG stuff;

Someone told me to always consider Specialized for anything that is going to come in contact with your body (helmets, gloves, shoes, saddle, etc).

I have two pairs the Pearl-Izumi gloves---one w/o fingers and one pair with full fingers. I actually used to ride with glove made by Harbinger---exercise gloves, but I found these gloves that actually fit (I have rather large hands) and they work quite nicely. My LBS normally puts them on sale for 50% off during the winter months.

I used Bell bicycling gloves mixed in with a few other brands for a couple years. They work just fine and don`t fall apart under use. If they feel the same to you then there really isn`t any point in paying more for something else.

There are other brands that are designed differently and use different materials and technology. If and when you can tell the difference and decide you are willing to pay a premium for those differences - thats the time to buy them. In some cases you ARE just paying for a designer brand that has a smaller market share and that has to pass on higher set-up and distribution costs to the consumer.

Some other alternatives that are also more expensive but durable, well made and functional are specialty work gloves made for people that work with power tools. They have grip surfaces and vibration protection incorporated. They`re also full finger designs so are most suitable for spring and fall driving unless you decide to cut off the fingers.

I use a pair of giro fingerless gloves I picked up from dicks. But when the winter months roll around, I go straight up red neck and wear those mechanic brand gloves from the auto part store. Hey! If I break down atleast I don't have to take my gloves off.

The kind of glove depends on what your needs are.

I've had problems with my hands going numb from the road buzz coming back to my hands so I tried a pair of Pearl Izumis that one of my sons was using and they didn't help. By loosening my grip and moving my hands around on the bars , I found that gel padded (with thin gel pads) gloves works for me.

Most of the gel padded gloves that all of our LBS's sell didn't seem to have the padding in the right places for my hands so I eventually found a pair of leather palm, thin gel padded work gloves (for use with jackhammers) that work like a charm for me. They're ok for trigger and twist grip shifters and at $34 they worked like a charm.

I use them on both of my bikes when it's cold but I'll be going to a pair of fingerless gel padded gloves for my road bike when the weather gets warmer because full fingered gloves are clumsy when riding in the drops with brifters.