always wear gloves don’t really know why always have as others have said feels weird without them now.

I prefer not to wear them as I generally don’t like having my hands and forearms covered – for comfort and it keeps me cooler
only wear them for fast technical riding where I might bash my knuckles on stuff, or if it’s really hot and I’m going to get sweaty palms or if it’s cold/ I need the snot-wipe
.
how often do you fall off to need to worry about a couple of scratches on your hand? you need to learn to roll out of a fall, not just stick your hands out.

Nae gloves is OK – depends a bit on whether you have hands like a bricklayer, or an IT contractor. If it’s the latter, expect some blisters first few rides (talking XC rides here, over a few hours).

Sweaty hands is the other potential hassle, as mentioned. Hot day and a hand slipping off the grip on a descent could be a disaster.

Total non-starter if it’s cold. I can go hiking in the winter without gloves, even if very cold. Always surprises me how your hands warm up once you’re on the go. Cycling though is a different story – wind chill over your hands on the bars will have them burning with the cold.

GW – Member

troll?

most gloves thin enough to actually feel good riding in rip ridiculously easily, skin is tougher and heals fairly quickly

Yes, (to the trolly bit) but only 4/10.

I use tld air and ace gloves, (the 2 thinnest/least burly) and not managed to rip them so far. And needless to say I am a crap rider and fall off quite enough thangyewverymuch. I like my hands as they are and although having open grazes and cuts on them isn’t such an issue for me in my current place of work, I am a huge wuss and would finish my ride much more enjoyably with intact hands and trashed gloves. If or when I do rip them, I would like to think my skin will either be spared or ripped a bit less as the layer over them rips a bit first. Perhaps I am not crashing hard enough or falling ‘better’.

What with this morning and his thread about cheap/tesco xc helmets, GW seems to be the opposite of ‘astroturfing’ this week. ie: ‘stop spending so much money on stuff you could get way cheaper or don’t really need’. The optimist in me sees this as a form of public service for the less informed rider in these financially tough times. 😀

I’m used to gloves now, although I accept that ultimately they probably make very little real difference to my comfort or grip, but I wear them for pretty much all of my riding…

I’m not actually sure if there is a “fashion” for gloveless riding, more a case of a few riders deciding what suits them best, there have always been dirt jumpers and BMXers and the odd MTBer who didn’t wear gloves…

I think people are reading far too much into a pretty straight forward personal choice…

Used to ride dh without gloves in the winter months. Wet gloves on already muddy grips werem’t a great combo

Depends on the ground conditions with me, but my preference is gloveless.

If it’s a stoney, gravelley place which is fast which i’m trying to ride fast, i put on gloves.

If the ground is just soil, no stones or gravel, i much prefer gloveless. It’s my BMX ways. I like thin soft grips and having lots of feel.

I think it most probably comes down to what kind of rider you are for preference. If you’re the sit in the saddle, passenger type of XC/trail rider, you’re not really looking for ultimate feel and control. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re a freeride/attack what ever is put in front of them, really nailing it, type of person, I would think the extra feel and control would be welcome.

Your hands are your first input/last feedback from/to the bike, people are going to have they’re preferences if they’re after a lot of control.

Though of course as with everything when it comes to bikes, it’s 100% personal preference. There’s no right or wrong. i think too many people get too hung up on doing the “right” thing rather than what is actually what they prefer.

Wow. Didn’t expect this many responses.
Seems like a personal preference thing I guess. I might try going bare-knuckle next time the conditions are right though. 🙂

Gloves keep my hands lovely and clean/uninjured (ish)

Nothing clever or cool about getting a skinned/bloodied hand. But if you want to get one go right ahead…. But each to their own.

To be honest, it is a personal choice. I wear gloves virtually always on bikes as I get blisters from long cycles (Road and MTB) Gloves ease that and as an added bonus will rip before my skin does.

However, have sometimes cycled without gloves. No big deal. Lets move on…..

Not so much for holding on hard, or protection from the ‘bars, because a looser grip is much better anyway.

But, if you’re riding for an extended time and it gets to be a sweaty business then gloves are definitely a good idea to avoid the ‘bars slipping out of your hands.

Plus of course they might repay you one day if you have a spill – I’ve done enough picking bits of gravel out of my hands when I was a kid.

So Julian, being honest = trolling? 🙄

FWIW I have 3 pairs of TLD XCs in various stages of falling apart (holes/riped seams), 2 pairs of Aces ripped/split seams and another 2 not ripped but one has a small hole in it, considering I only really wear gloves if it’s really wet or at a DH race 6 w/e each year.. they rip/fall apart really easily.

But yes, I’l admit I’m a pikey.. I’ve never really bought all the shit most mtb enthusiasts “think” they *need* to ride a bike in the woods.

I the summer no but if it’s wet and cold then yes

I much prefer not wearing gloves off and on road, it just feel better, but hands aren’t tough enough to ride for much more than two hours off road without gloves plus it’s a lot less painful if you fall wearing gloves.

Riding without gloves is very fashionable on the DH scene at the moment.

Heres my hand after clipping the landing of a double and going over the bars with Troy Lee XC gloves on:

They didn’t really help…..or could it have been a lot worse?

quite often don’t bother with gloves in the summer if its dry, I’ll have them with me and put them on for rocky descents

Here’s a spin off question for you lot then…

wearing Mitts Anyone?

And if so When and Why?

Personally I haven’t owned a pair since the early 90s, pretty much completely due to following fashions if I’m honest…
I even ride my road bike in Light-weight XC Full finger gloves…

Some of the grippier grips I’ve used can cut your palms to ribbons and I personally, like gloves with protection for the ulnar nerve etc..as a long and taxing ride can cause me pain.

That’s why I wear gloves, the Spesh gloves I wear also match one of my tops and bike as they have the same black and red colour scheme and looking good is very important. 😛

Don’t even own any summer gloves (have warm ones for winter) – something which race organisors seemingly found hard to believe when cycling gloves were on the kit list – I suggested it was rather pointless as I’d have to spend money on something just to carry it round in my pack. Had some for riding off-road at one point, as it seemed like a good idea, but just found them uncomfortable.

Question for those who do wear summer gloves – what do you do at those intermediate temperatures where you start off with winter gloves and take them off when you warm up? Do you carry summer gloves and have to stop to put them on?

Question for those who do wear summer gloves – what do you do at those intermediate temperatures where you start off with winter gloves and take them off when you warm up? Do you carry summer gloves and have to stop to put them on?

Either that or tough it out in the thinner gloves for a bit…

GW – Member

So Julian, being honest contrary = trolling?

FIFY 😀

Pikey?, naah. In my head, you avoid words like ‘razz’, ‘gnar’ and ‘stoke’, ride an old-ish bike with shabby looking but reliable 05/06 marzochhi, jeans and a lumberjack shirt. And a cheap helmet and holey hands. 😀 You’d need all the above minus any form of helmet plus massive wheelie whilst rolling cigarette to be pikey, surely?

Never wear them. Even on winter night rides. My hands sweat too much.

naah. In my head..

Worrying place 😉

yeesh now i know why im not a nurse…that picture is orrid ! 😆

I won’t even ride to the shops without gloves on, feels wrong.