?

I prefer not to, unless its cold or very wet. I got used to riding not wearing gloves, wearing them feels strange!

Theres one reason.

Because they feel crap, simple as that.

I find gloves when racing tends to cut off the circulation to my hands and makes them numb, hindering me changing gear and braking. I just prefer the feel of not having gloves anyway, all day rides I will to stop the blisters but short, hour long rides or down the BMX track I won’t bother.

I hate gloves.

But then I don’t sweat, have asbestos hands and don’t hit the ground when I fall off. 😉

If I was going to the cashpoint – the only time I don’t wear a helmet.
But I could still die from massive rectal head injuries/lose the skin from my fingers in that short distance.

I wanted to wear mine at the CRC ride last weekend but dropped one in to the portaloo and it landed on a steaming pile of shite. It kinda put me off after that so i did without

I wouldn’t always wear them, until I hear of the joys of de-gloving injuries (it doesn’t mean taking off your glove). Now I wear them all the time.

i don’t wear them when riding up as my hands get too hot. i’ll wear them when descending, again because my hands are hot and sweaty and i have a better grip on the bar.

More important than a helmet IMO.

I was watching that awesome new mt biking DVD the other day (from the inside out) and was amazed at how many riders were not wearing gloves… I don’t get it… Maybe it’s my motorcycle riding background.

DJ

Maybe it’s my motorcycle riding background.

^^This.

Just cannot get on without gloves, feels weird. Suppose it is the same being the other way around (if you have never worn gloves)

But they provide good protection, surely with all the range of choice these days there must be a pair out there for everyone?

until I hear of the joys of de-gloving injuries (it doesn’t mean taking off your glove). Now I wear them all the time.

Flat mate did this, just what it sounds like except he wasn’t wearing gloves to begin with. I say he did it. Someone in Leeds rush hour traffic did it for him, but you get the idea…

Rarely bother with gloves, unless it’s very wet or cold, and then only for the added grip. I don’t spend much time on my hands when I’m out on a bike.

I prefer the single glove look:

Some people like picking scabs 😀

I don’t spend much time on my hands when I’m out on a bike.

I’d like to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you’re being sarcastic here but here goes…

Do you not wear a helmet because you don’t spend much time on your head? Safety equipment is for the “just in case” scenario is it not? 😉

Do you not wear a helmet because you don’t spend much time on your head?

Essentially, yes.

I’m not a great believer in the magical powers of polystyrene hats, and nor am I a follower of the mountain bikers uniform code of clowns shorts and ‘just going away for the weekend’ Camelback…

He he.. Crikey, well put.

😀

Essentially, yes.

Well all I can say is I admire your honesty, and each to their own, its your head at the end of the day. 😯

Well… all this safety nonsense gets on my wick, can’t ride without a helmet, can’t ride without gloves, can’t ride without ten tons of crap in a rucksack, can’t ride without a mobile phone, can’t have a mobile phone without an ICE number in, must tell someone where you’re going. It’s riding a bicycle, in one of the most populated areas in the world for a few hours, not fighting bloody dragons.

Anyone who thinks they can’t ride a bloody bike without gloves or they’ll end up with bloody stumps at the end of their arms needs to have a bloody word with themselves.

its your head at the end of the day

Yes it is.

Given that I’ve been riding and racing across Northern Europe for the last 20 odd years, and have worked in critical care as a nurse for even longer, I reckon I’m pretty well qualified to decide whether or not to wear gloves or a helmet when I go out.

Tuck and roll….. no need for gloves. Apparently.

Just…wow. So racers and nurses don’t ever have accidents then? You’re qualified to make your own decision, as is everyone else to make theirs. Its your life.

And as for all the other ‘safety’ stuff, I think thats just called self preservation.

Chill crikey, its a friday, have a beer 8)

I don’t often wear gloves. I prefer to be able to feel the bars and levers, rather than not know how wet/sweaty my hands are. Lots of cyclocross racers go bare handed unless it’s properly snowy, for the same reasons.

Yes, there’s a danger of scuffing your palms, but I try not to fall off. I don’t wear knee pads either. Get me and my danger ways 🙂

You could argue that climbers should be wearing gloves because they might scuff their hands too. I think it’s an each to their own thing. If I’m off being rad (ie not very…) then I’ll wear gloves though.

Why would you not wear gloves to ride on a mountainbike?

Anyone who thinks they can’t ride a bloody bike without gloves or they’ll end up with bloody stumps at the end of their arms needs to have a bloody word with themselves.

Agreed, though I do wear helmets as I’ve seen too many minor accidents turn nasty and only with folk with no helmet! 🙂 But that’s my choice.

Agreed, though I do wear helmets as I’ve seen too many minor accidents turn nasty and only with folk with no helmet!

That’s the difference between gloves and helmets – in the worst case a helmet can save your life whereas gloves will only prevent a few cuts and grazes.

Anyway I agree with crikey – a lot of safety stuff is over the top. I don’t always wear a helmet because I know there are times when the risks are almost non-existent.

Here’s a thought: Racing drivers always wear helmets but do you when you drive to the shops, despite knowing that people die everyday in car accidents? It wouldn’t be much hassle, just keep it in the car. It could save your life but the chances are so small there are millions of other things you should be concerned with first.

There seems to be an opinion that not utilising all available safety equipment will automatically lead to injury, and in the case of mountain biking that simply is not the case.

This thread is a beautiful example, where not wearing a pair of gloves leads to a de-gloving injury. I’ve seen a lot more degloving injuries than anyone here, and the main cause in my experience has been people wearing wedding rings. Do any of you think to take them off before any kind of activity?

The helmet debate doesn’t need yet another run out, but again, in 20 years I’ve seen many more head injuries associated with alcohol, with domestic accidents and with motor vehicle accidents than from bicycles, but no one thinks to use a helmet when drinking, or walking downstairs, or when driving.

As TJ pointed out a number of months ago, most of what passes for mountain biking is pony trekking by bike, it’s not dangerous, it’s not life threatening, it’s safer than driving to the trail, or safer than cutting a slice of bread for your sandwich.

I like having tanned hands

I race bicylces and I am a nurse, and I fall off too.

Being the wrong flavour of nurse though, I haven’t seen quite as many de-gloving injuries as crikey fo’shure, but I do indeed remove my rings if I am going out for more than a pootle to the shops or to work. That is as much to do with the difficulty in removing a ring from a broken finger, mind. Whilst the wedding ring is rather slender and probably a piece of cake with a ring cutter or even just some 99p nippers you cut zip ties off with, the other one is rather chunky titanium, and I wouldn’t like to have to get that off in a hurry. I think there was a thread about ‘chunky man rings’ (ahem!) on hear a yearor two ago.

the damage I used to willingly do to to my hands climbing off width cracks far out weighs the namby pamby hand owies you get falling of a bike. If it’s cold and wet I’ll think about it (sometimes) Also hate the daft tan lines you get wearing gloves in the summer

have to agree with crikey on the whole.

I choose to wear gloves but only because a mix of habit, it keeps the nettles off the back of hands, and most of the year i find it not warm enough to go barehanded.

As for helmets, again habit, I am not stupid enough to think that they will make much difference in most of the situations people claim they need to wear one.

I don’t wear them. I have quite lanky hands (to go with the rest of me!) and have so far yet to find a pair that fit properly. But i prefer the feel of not wearing them anyways!

I used to wear some neoprene ones for the winter commute though. Brrrr.

Wearing gloves and helmets will likely reduce the severity of any injury that might be sustained during an “off” incident no?

Good enough reason to wear them I’d say, anyone that chooses not to…… well I hope I’m there to chuckle away at your sillyness when they’re loading your freshly planted face and gravel ripped paws into the air-ambulance. 😆

Good enough reason to wear them I’d say, anyone that chooses not to…… well I hope I’m there to chuckle away at your sillyness when they’re loading your freshly planted face and gravel ripped paws into the air-ambulance.

Nice.

gravel ripped paws

Hah, that’s nowt

if a wee lass can do this to her hands quite cheerfully when climbing without complaint, then you rufty tufty trail mincers who are scared of a bit of gravel rash really need to re-assess how hardcore you think you are 😆

Act in haste, repent at leisure …… or A&E?

Wearing protection might not save you and potentially wearing it might make matters worse in certain circumstances. At the end of the day it’s a free country and there’s no law insiting one way or t’other so you makes you choice and live with the consequences.

I’ve seen a few incidents where a helmet has more than likely saved someone from much more serious injury. An incident at Fort Bill a few weeks back springs to mind.
I have a few “scratches” on my gloves, that I’m glad aren’t on my hands.
Its sensible to wear protection on your most vulnerable fally-offy bits.

Gloves feel rubbish, makes it more likely that i’ll fall of. Lack of feedback.

Same goes for shoes. Thick soles, i don’t have a clue what’s going on, thinner the sole, the better.

Same agin for thick grips, thinner the better.

12+ years of bmx where you don’t wear a helmet most of the time, thin soled shoes and no gloves. Nothing better in the height of summer than riding trails (DJs) topless, in shorts, no protection, chilling with mates and drinking beers. (come on summer)

People who get sweaty hands and slip on the grips are using the wrong grips or not rubbing their hands in dust.

Another reminder of summer, finding a good dust puddle to wipe my sweaty hands in.

coz GW can troll about it and get his “fix”?

because my hands are hot, because my grips are a bit fat, because they have worn out, because they dont match my outfit, because i dont want to, because i do….. i could go on