My brother is a retired Industrial Engineer, specializing in Ergonomics. He said that padded gloves MAY exacerbate the problem they're supposed to alleviate, because since they're padded, you grip harder to feel the same degree of control.

Personally, I use unpadded gloves exclusively.

I used padded gloves exclusively until this year, when I finally bought a pair of minimalist gloves -- no padding. They're great. Until using them, I didn't realize that the padded gloves were likely causing more problems than they solved; in the extreme, I once finished a 150-mile gravel race with blisters on the heels of both hands. I assumed it was just from the mileage, but I think it was actually from the padding creating pressure points vis-a-vis the handlebar.

What is the specific problem?

It is far less about bike fitting and/or gloving up than it is about strengthening and stabilizing your wrist joints throughout their full range of motion. They are weak and not tracking properly if you are having nerve and pain problems.

My favorite gloves are by MAAP and use the Elastic Interface Technology Race palm. I’ve used many gloves, and it seems to me that the EIT palms are light years ahead of most, so while there are a few models of EIT palms and several brands using them, if you haven’t tried EIT palmed gloves, you just don’t know how good padded gloves can be.

https://www.elasticinterface.com/en/technologies/palm/

Need to know exactly where the pain is...

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f3477daf9c.png

"drop-down handlebar"?

I also get numbness in my left hand IF I keep my hand on the bar nest to the brifter (remember that word?). After posing this issue some time ago to the BF mind trust, it was suggested that rather than keeping my hand there, move it to the bar top (not the drinking type) by the stem and to not keep my hand/s in one place too long. That strategy has really worked. If I get lazy or forgetful and keep my hand next to the brifter, I get a reminder to move my hands to the tops. It was a real issue with constant numbness and or pain, and that pretty much resolved it. YMMV

Edit: I do wear minimally padded gloves from Specialized which help a bit with road vibration and in case I do take a fall, and don’t want to skin graft my palms.

Because the bars are too close for the arm length given the natural arm and body position. It's like the arms are trying to hold the body up higher than it naturally wants to be. I found this to be the case for me.

I had seen this discussion on gloves and didn’t really have anything to add. Until today, when a friend told me about a recent bicycle accident one of their kids had on their road bike. It was the result of NOT having gloves on. The kid, an experienced cyclist, had driven their bike in the car to another location for a ride. Got to the ride location and discovered they’d forgotten their gloves…but rode anyway. Mid-ride, sweaty hands caused them to slip off the handlebars. The attached x-ray of their elbow is a result of that crash. Recovery/rehab is ongoing.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dcf70da69.jpeg

Between the plate in my neck, the screws in both shoulders and the rheumatoid arthritis which is affecting my hands which also have had several surgeries, I have tried several pairs of gloves and will probably try several more before my riding days are over. A gentleman on the forum mentioned a pair of Sting Pads that are basically just a piece of silicone with a ring that fits over your thumb and the pad stays in your palm. It's used by baseball players for some palm padding under their gloves. I got them on Amazon for around $15.00 and they have helped while riding. I also ride in the Florida heat and although they can be hot, I guess I just deal with it. I have had a pro bike fit and we did do a lot of tweaking to get the bike to feel right for me. I still have a lot of pain and numbness at times but I feel the sting pads with gloves really helps. Not sure where in Florida you are but PM me if you want a good recommendation for a bike fit. Good luck, boomer.