The Thin Man 

As I visit different shops I notice that each person has their own style of working on bicycles. I am one who likes to wear gloves but it seems as though most don't. Which do you prefer/why?

Also, I am using Harbor Freight Nitrile gloves however I know that Park makes them too. I am getting tired of the Harbor Freight gloves falling apart fairly quickly. Can anyone back up the Park gloves or give other (better?) suggestions?

sloar 

I wear rubber gloves that I get from work. We get cases of them for medical runs. I forget what they are. They are pretty expensive thick black medical gloves

AZORCH

I buy latex medical gloves in boxes of 100 from Walgreens. I just got two boxes - I think they were two for one special at around six or seven bucks. I only use them if I'm going to get my hands really grimy. And sometimes, gloves are a bigger pain than otherwise, but if the job calls for grease (de-grease!) or cleaning, etc., I find them generally helpful to wear.

The Thin Man 

Agreed. If I am changing tubes/tires, the gloves come off or they tear like tissue paper!

noglider 

I don't, but I should.

PJCB

I work for a medical kit assembling company, so blue nonlatex gloves are an easy come-by around here. The ones we seem to get are pretty tough, the assemblers have to wear them all day so I just grab a few pairs of those, they tend to last. My problem is how sweaty my hands get inside the gloves...

AZORCH

Totally! I tried changing tires with gloves - once! Never again, though.

himespau 

I keep a pair in my saddle bag for any mid-ride chain issues (have had to put a chain back on without them before and everything was pretty messy by the time I got home included my hoods which caused my hands to get greasy the next couple times I rode until I cleaned them). I try to remember to wear them when at home for the greasy stuff but often forget.

puchfinnland

its like the one finger models- cant stand using them and you cant feel anything!

It depends on the job- if i have to clean and redo a drivetrain and put ona new chain-yes nitrile gloves are great.

I am again building a bike and did not need gloves today- now nelli wants a 24" MTB which is almost done- thank god they are free bikes!

Bianchigirll 

I have a box of harbor freight latex free gloves but I usually forget to use them unless I am doing something a BB, HS. or chain

randyjawa 

I was a professional Industrial Mechanic for many years, rarely wearing gloves. I didn't care if I got my knuckles scuffed up, from time to time, nor did I give a second thought to protecting my hands from harsh solvents.

I was wrong!

Protect your hands from chemicals and injury, if at all possible.

wrk101

Harbor Freight sells at least three grades of the nitrile gloves. The light duty ones are just that, very flimsy. The medium grade are much better. I am too cheap to buy the heavy grade.

Basically, I use them when I am handling any chemicals: grease, WD40, OA, cleaning materials, etc. Otherwise, I work without gloves.

Oldpeddaller

+1 every time !!!

auchencrow

I would wear gloves more often, but even the extra large size are hard to get on and off my paws.

brockd15 

Ditto. Especially in summer in TX, it gets pretty bad when I'm in my garage (no air conditioning), but I still use them if I'm working on something really dirty/greasy or using any sort of chemicals, solvents, etc. They do tend to tear pretty easily when working on cassettes, freewheels, and other pointy metal objects.

Sixty Fiver

Depends on how dirty the job is but preventing contact with solvents and chemicals will save you a lot of grief in the long run... I also carry a pair of nitrile gloves in my bike's tool kit and several pairs in my car's tool and first aid kits.

Avoid latex as too many people have allergies to this and a latex allergy can manifest itself from out of nowhere... if you are gloving up because of a first aid emergency the person you may be treating may be more at risk from the latex glove than their injuries. This happened to me once where a contractor had an accident and had I touched him with latex instead of nitrile gloves we would have been dealing with a small head injury and anaphylactic shock. Conversely... gloves may protect you from any diseases the victim may be carrying with them.

My wife carries an epi pen due to her reaction to latex which developed after too much time spent in hospitals dealing with cancer when she was younger... this type of exposure and allergy / reaction is very common among those who have spent long periods in hospitals and who have been exposed to latex before nitrile became the standard for most medical providers.

lostarchitect 

I have gloves, and every time I bark my knuckles on a chainring or something, I swear I'm gonna start wearing them.

Michael Angelo 

Nitrile Gloves everythime.

thinktubes 

I used to work in electronics at a place that had a clean room. Employees were required to wear finger-cots while working on the circuits.

One day while I was walking out, a recent hire mentioned that "there sure seems to be a lot of action going on at this place". The parking lot was littered with these

Savagewolf

I should wear something, but I don't. I usually end up with some very dirty looking hands that is very tough to wash off every few days.

cycleheimer

I've never worn gloves (even as a shop mechanic when I was a "yoot"), but I've also done repairs in the past while wearing a suit and tie. I would not recommend anybody else doing it, especially when working with acids (for cleaning) and other chemicals. I usually just start puttering on things, and forget about everythings else. It's a hobby for me.

SteveSGP

I always wear gloves, the Harbor Freight non-latex are what I use. Even though they do tend to be fragile they're cheap.

I've developed a sensitivity to petroleum products from many, many years of wrenching on cars, bikes, motorcycles, snowmobiles and I get a rash from it now. No fun.

anixi

I always use nitrile when dealing with greasing parts or cleaning with kerosene. I've also developed an allergy, itchy rash, really lousy...

gomango

These work great!

Best deal around.

redxj

I dont trust any bike mechanic that wears gloves.