Gel Gloves
 

Hi Folks,
I am 66 and a lifelong cyclist. Both hands become numb while cycling and I am trying to find suggestions for a thick gel and very comfortable fingerless cycling glove. My older cotton and gel gloves are just OK and trying to find a newer version of the old discontinued Spenco type gloves. I have not had luck with gloves purchased recently-sent them back because they had so little gel padding in the palm Can anyone make any suggestions as to where I can purchase some really comfortable gel cycling gloves ? Thanks in advance for any and all help !!

I use both gel padded gloves, gloves with no padding and just a leather palm and no gloves at all. None really make a difference for rides of anything more than 45 minutes. Longer than that, and the numbness will be there anyway because the real issue is how you hold your hands and wrists. If your wrists are bent, then that's an issue from the very start. Also other factors of your fit to the bike might have you putting too much weight on your wrists or the angles of your arms might cause your hands and shoulders to bear too much of the road forces of bumps and sway.

I’ve had good results using Pearl Izumi “Select” men’s cycling gloves.

They’re comfortable, have a decent amount of gel padding (which mostly stopped the occasional hand numbness I was getting), a durable faux leather palm and come in several colors.

They’re available from Amazon or Pearl Izumi’s web site.

Double wrap the bars? Becomes a bit thick, :o, but a spongy thick!

edit: When I did the 100 mile, 2 day gravel ride in Montana = I 'double gloved' for the 2 days and it seemed to work. Vintage bike ride (Cino, in / around Kalispell) with cloth handlebar wrap on a 1980 English Holdsworth. Outer set of gloves were older and had stretched some without being worn out; the inners were a new pair of lightweight summer gloves with gel pads.

The numbness may not be from pressure on any one part of your hands and wrist. In my particular case its the angle (extension) of the wrist on the bars that causes the numbness. So I need to keep my hands almost most straight.

I now use thick high density foam bar tape on my bars (BV EVA Road Bike Handlebar Tapes). I switched to Bull Horn bars cause I really don't get into the drops anymore. Also with the Bull bars I can use Bar-End brakes and they have an easy strong grab.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e3117b0a6.jpeg
https://belgiumcycles.com/hand-numbness-tingling/

I used to ride with a Physical Therapist. He made a CMC to Wrist support that he wore under his padded gloves. He was a young guy who had done allot of Mountain Biking as a kid and suffered wrist pain and finger numbness when ridding. They looked similar to this...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...07b35a937.jpeg
off net

Those Spenco gloves were unmatched - the gel was supposed to mimic a layer of fat, and they were really thick. Eventually the gel all kind of squished to the areas where it didn't help anymore.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f866430e06.jpg

I always start by re-wrapping the handlebars of a new bike. I take thin foam material and wrap the straight sections to increase their diameter before adding standard bar tape. The thicker the bar the greater the contact area for my hands. I also shift my hands to various places on the bar and do not keep them in one spot for long periods of time. I even sit up on the saddle at times to take all of my weight off my hands.

If there are bike shops or a REI store near where you live I suggest taking the time to drive to them and try on their gloves.

In addition to 2nd-ing [MENTION=194771]Sand[/MENTION]oval and [MENTION=466379]Iride01[/MENTION] - about hand/wrist angle onto the bars and weight on hands from handlebar/lever position - I would also add that changing hand positions regularly while riding is kinda necessary. I have been known to slow down, ride 'no hands', while shaking out stiff wrists on some days. Heck, just a short stop every 30minutes or so to relax everything, when you hit 70+ years, is warranted.

If the problem is dramatic, consult a Dr. or cycling knowledgeable PT.

Also in agreement with [MENTION=68015]DiabloScott[/MENTION] that the older style, thicker gel'd gloves quickly squished to the wrong places.

Gel pads in cycling shorts have given way to foam pads, in multiple locations, of varying densities to aleve problems and issues. Maybe for many = gloves are as individual a decision as saddle and shorts.

.....but the vast majority of my rides are under 40miles and on fairly decent roads without chipseal .....so, what do I know? ....except, more than 30minutes of pushing a gas powered lawnmower makes my hands tingle for some time.

I have bikes I can't bare to build up the bars with gel/foam and especially on my Newbaum's wrapped classics so I use anti-vibration gloves, like for jack hammer operators. My hand arthritis has found I like them a lot, not sexy but they work much better than any cycling glove I have used.

You do unweight your hands and butt when you go over bumps you encounter along the way, don't you? I've always naturally done that but suspect that many don't think to do that.

I started doing that at a very young age and it's probably what let me endure the obscenely high tire pressures I use to run in my tires when younger. I think that and other things go a long way to helping hands and wrist and in this case you butt too.

Someone on this forum recommended Superior padded goatskin cycling gloves from Amazon a couple of years ago. They take a while to break in, but I really like them.

pre-wrapping with 3M rubber splice tape will take some of the vibration out without increasing the bar diameter too much. You can find it at any Home Depot / Lowes type store.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4ffb92f8bd.png

I wrapped my handlebars with 3.75mm thick tape (an expensive one from Silca). I go out for long rides even without my gloves and it dampens vibrations by quite a bit. I use my gel padded gloves now, mostly to prolong the life of the expensive tape. :)
I thing that gel inserts placed under the tape where you hold the bar would be enough.

I have a Trek FX 7.3 that came with Bontrager Satellite IsoZone Plus, but I still have hand numbness and have tried a variety of gloves. Would adding vertical bar end grips help?

Someone suggested this to me on this site, maybe you, and it has worked out well on one of my now favorite rides. On my bull bars I used bar end shifters and these cheapo brakes which while not overly reassuring they have worked well enough and I am searching for a robust but similarly configuration brake set. I use gel under tape and gel in anti-vibration gloves for hand arthritis.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4pwAA...ki/s-l1600.jpg

I don't think the vibration is what OP is looking to decrease. If your hands get numb, it's probably poor weight distribution into a small area - so the bigger surface area that you can spread the pressure around, the better the result will be... whether that's gel in gloves, thicker tape, ergonomic bars/extensions, or riding position.

+1 I have to make a conscious effort to engage my core and bend my elbows to take the pressure off my shoulders/hands.
I also stretch and flex-relax my shoulders to increase circulation and this seems to help.

I really like my Specialized gel gloves. Bought them through their web site. Specialized

You may want to try a set of weightlifting gloves. Padded palms, fingerless, with a strap that helps support your wrist. Just don't get the wrist strap so tight your fingers turn blue!

Amazon.com : ihuan Ventilated Weight Lifting Gym Workout Gloves Full Finger with Wrist Wrap Support for Men & Women, Full Palm Protection, for Weightlifting, Training, Fitness, Hanging, Pull ups : Sports & Outdoors

These two seem to have the most padding............
https://www.walmart.com/ip/INBIKE-Cy...erId=101221104
'
https://www.competitivecyclist.com/l...tra-glove-mens

Spencos were great for a very short time until the gel squished out and it was back to square one. I have large bony hands so padding matters to me. I just got a pair of these Aerotech crochet back gloves and took a short ride with them, they seem to be pretty good: https://aerotechdesigns.com/extra-pa...ing-glove.html

In a more modern style, I've been impressed by Castelli Rosso Corsa gloves. I bought a pair some years ago and thought there would not be enough padding as they were fairly thin but they worked really well. I misplaced one and also just received a pair of their Espresso model which may be discontinued as it's on 50% discount: https://www.castelli-cycling.com/US/...19026_010_52_L. I havent tried them yet.

After trying quite a few, I found these Specialized Body Geometry Gel gloves to fit my hands best. They are on sale now and for the price the offer quite much. They dampen the road rumbling a lot. I was about to change the tape on my handlebars to something thicker, but I tried a pair of these and I have been amazed of the comfort they offer.