acorn54

this might sound silly but i am just getting into wrenching on bikes
to you guys that are already in it as far as nitrile gloves to wear what is the best thickness and source to buy from
sorry if this post is redundant as i am not that computer savay to use the search function on this forum
thanks in advance.

deex

I believe everyone has different preferences when it comes to gloves. If you have an auto body supply shop you can go there and ask what type of gloves they carry. Try a few different brands and thicknesses. I don't think you will need heavy duty ones as you will now be working with any really toxic liquids

Good luck!

coupster

I wear 5mm nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight. They are thin so I don't lose my sense of touch, but they also rip easily. I buy from HF because they carry them in medium that fit my smaller hands and they are cheap with the always available 20% off coupon and you get something free with any purchase.

wschruba

I prefer 9 mil (commonly seen as black nitrile). The thinner ones tear too easily, and the ones that don't (latex) melt in the presence of petrochemicals.

Buy a few boxes of a few different thicknesses, they're not terribly expensive, and you'll be able to decide what you like best. Ideally, you'll want gloves that are slightly small, but the guys at the auto store can help you specifically.

JohnDThompson 

+1 this. The 9mil gloves are pretty durable and can last several uses if you're a cheapskate like me. Note that vinyl gloves will also dissolve common solvents like mineral spirits, so nitrile is the way to go.

acorn54

thanks a bunch. 9 mil it is. glad i checked with you guys as i was tempted to buy 3.9 mil

Moe Zhoost

Another vote for the HF gloves. They have them on sale frequently.

Metaluna

Another option that is much more durable and breathable are gloves made of knit polyester with nitrile overcoating. The downside is that they're not completely sealed, as only the palms and fingertips are coated. They're usually more than good enough for bicycle work, but I wouldn't do an oil change on my car with them. As long as they fit snugly, I find the feel to be good for all but the most delicate operations (e.g. threading shift cable on some brifters).

I usually see them sold by the pair so they're a bit pricey, but still way cheaper than the Mechanix type stuff. Sometimes you can find bulk deals on Amazon or Ebay.

Retro Grouch 

Gloves for working on a bike?

frankenmike 

I only wear gloves for new chains, as that lubricant is super sticky.

Andrew R Stewart 

+1. Andy.

Bill Kapaun

And easily washed off with soap & water.

It might make sense for a used, dirty chain.

fietsbob

when they were doing the repaint and re inspection of the bridge, on the southern end,

Black gloves were a part of the debris on the street , below, downwind.

Further North, the gloves went in the river .. gagging Fish, I expect.

Wildrat

I rarely wear gloves working on anything. I did not wear gloves working on aircraft, building engines, or now working on my bikes. It's just grease and dirt all of which won't hurt you except for possibly some of the synthetics might have cancer causing properties, all of which I could care less about. Another trick I found is that after working on stuff without gloves is to wash your hands. I t washes all the dirt off. If your a woman I could see wearing gloves to protect the hands.
When I do wear nitrile gloves I just get them from HF, Lowes, or Home Depot, wherever is cheaper and nearby.
I will say this when I did work on aircraft and the synthetic engine oils would get on my hands they would ache like heck the next day, but it could have been arthritis too since I was likely changing a generator or assisting another specialty.

Eric S.

I use the 5mil gloves from HF and do also have a box of 9mil, but haven't gotten into them yet. Note that the box of 5mil is 100 and the 9mil is only 50.

CORRECTION: I have a box of 7mil waiting to be used. Forgot what I had on the shelf.

I also have a pair of these Atlas 370 gloves that I bought years ago. Not good for tiny stuff but usable for most bike repair and washable. I keep them in my pack when commuting for flats or other dirty stuff.

Shimagnolo

I use the cheap disposable vinyl gloves from the local grocery;
Cheaper than nitrile, and they get the job done.

Metaluna

It's not just about not wanting to get your hands dirty, it's keeping everything else you might have to touch clean. My "workshop" is usually my basement, which also contains, in close quarters, a laundry room, miscellaneous electronics, several computers, one of which I often use to bring up instructions (or just play some music) while working on the bikes. There are a lot of non-bike things I might want to handle while I'm down there, and it's much easier to pull off the gloves than to have to scrub up every time, or get black stains all over everything.

woodcraft

I use this type a lot, & buy them by the dozen from Grainger or Amazon. Great to reduce splinters & small cuts. Double up for heavier/dirtier work.

Also good as a liner for cool/wet rides- wear under 1/2 or full finger gloves,

remove & pocket when things warm up.

rccardr 

At an advanced age, your skin changes. Thinner in places, and easier to cut or scrape. Any kind of thin glove, whether latex, vinyl or nitrile, means less scrubbing off the heavy black stuff with a brush, and my hands feel less stressed. I also get fewer splits in the end of my fingers, something that us older folks tend to be cursed with.

JohnDThompson 

A lot of solvents can penetrate your skin and enter your blood, with unknown results.

For me, another reason to wear gloves is that my day job is in a hospital where I'm expected to have very clean hands. Sometimes those grease stains can be very difficult to completely remove.

dweenk

I use HF nitrile gloves when i am working with solvents, but when I am using grease I usually work bare handed. I have found that grease is also a cleaning agent hen your hands are grimy. First clean them with grease, then wash with soap and water.

frankenmike 

For me it is easier to throw on a pair of gloves, install the chain, remove the gloves, and keep working. I only wash my hands with soap and water after the wrenching is done, or for lunchtime. Used, dirty grease wipes off with a rag easily enough, I've found. Not so with new chain grease.

Jamminatrix

Everytime I've tried to wear gloves I have just made things messier around me. Grease doesn't wash easily off nitrile, vinyl, or latex gloves, so as soon as I grab a clean component, clean part of the bike, tool, door handle, etc, I just transfer the grease and grime to whatever I touched.

I have a wash sink that I use to wash my hands whenever they start getting dirty or right after a specific messy job. Washing hands multiple times throughout wrenching keeps things tidier than gloves. The only reason I've found for gloves is if you insist on keeping your hands clean.

ltxi

Well, that was about to be my question, also.

Earl Grey

+1, I'd rather not worry about the implications of having this stuff in contact with skin for hours on end.

That and I may be called away to wrangle a small child at a moment's notice, and they're slippery enough without grease.