No Gloves

What makes some of you think that gloves will protect your hands' mobility? They're not armour, a well placed calous would seem better protection than what is essentially clothing.

It's not about mobility. I guess you've never picked rocks out of your palms, or tore off flaps of skin and had to wait for them to heal before you ride your bike again. Clothing does help protect, which is why I also have sleeves on my shirts. Here's a good story you may have missed…

I crashed this summer without gloves going not that fast (had taken them off to adjust my helmet strap, then the group took off, I stuffed them into my pocket and tried to catch up, had an idiot brain fart and just didn't make a corner…). Drove a small rock deep into my palm and aside from the general scrapeage pulled a flap of skin/muscle back. Required 6 "meat stitches" below the surface, 9 surface stitches. Couldn't hold a handlebar for 6 weeks, let alone actually ride anything beyond a gravel path. I couldn't type with that hand for 2 weeks, which in my job is a bit of a problem.. It's now, what, 6 months later and the area is still sensitive. And of course the doctor made it very clear to me that it was a freakin' miracle I didn't cut a tendon or nerve bundle, and my pulverized palm was pretty much the best possible outcome…

Take away your ability to use your hands and you're pretty much useless for anything. So yeah, I wear my gloves. :|

I'd say riding style and chance are the bigger factors.

Hahahahaha. Reminds me of the kid who just finished asking why all us old guys wear knee pads, and if we're too girly to take a skinned knee. 2 minutes later he had a shattered knee cap with bits and pieces spilling out all over the place. Gloves are a very unrestricting item of gear. Even though they might not protect you from a broken finger, I know 100% for sure over the last 15 years of riding that they have saved me from a lot of pain, cuts and scabs on a part of my body I least want them.

No glove no love.

I know 100% for sure over the last 15 years of riding that they have saved me from a lot of pain, cuts and scabs on a part of my body I least want them.

word. some of the reasons people use to justify it to themselves are really funny! don't wear em, fine, but I never want to hear a whiny peep after you rip your hand to shreds.

I crashed at SilverStar two summers ago on some small, jagged rocks and peeled the palm of my glove off completely. Luckily I was left with only minor scratches that didn't slow me down one bit. No gloves, and my season would have been over following a trip to the emergency room.

If gloves keep me riding (and they do), then they will be (and are) used every ride.

horror stories! i'm going to continue to wear gloves.

I can't not wear gloves, my hands sweat too much and causes slippage on the grips, not matter the type of grip, so gloves for me, loved my 661 Raji's when I was hooked up with 661 but no one round here sells them in store, been rocking the TLD XC for years, thin but not too thin….

I'm stuck in 2002-03

Fullface hoody, shorts, and skate shoes.

i've gone from gloves to gloveless and back to gloves.

gloveless was pretty much better all around for riding except in the wet and cold (lol north shore)…

i found when i crashed though i'd try to go down without using my hands… it made for some pretty gnarly crashes and i figured it would be safer for the rest of my body if i wore the gloves

When I was 10 or 11 I crashed, no gloves, and tore my hand open for 8 stitches. It ruined a few weeks of that summer as I couldn't do much. I am early 30s now and that scar is still clearly visible, always a good reminder to wear gloves.

Sure, most of the time you can get away without them, but it only takes one slip to go down. And as with most things, a crash can easily come on something easy when you aren't expecting it or paying full attention.

I would suggest that the guys who find gloves uncomfortable or restrictive have shitty ill fitting gloves. Winter gloves are a necessity when it's frigid but tend to be kind of wooden and stiff, but lighter gloves mean cold hands. Summer gloves though never ever bother me. I used to wear road gloves until I crashed and broke a finger. I seriously doubt that a full finger glove would have prevented the broken finger. But a full fingered glove would likely have prevented the finger nail from being stripped off nearly completely from the inside left hanging by a mm of fleshy stuff from the tip. Know how we have a great sense of touch? Lots of nerves in finger tips. Tear off a nail from the backside. Fucking kills. I also lost a couple thumbnails crashing too but those weren't nearly as dramatic. More like impact injuries than a tear out.

I never ever ride without gloves. The smallest tip over can scuff your palm badly enough to affect the use of your hand. When you fall your hands instinctively go out to brace the fall so you don't smack your face.

personally i dont like to use condom.

Yah, I crashed last year and tore open my palm pretty badly. It should be stated that there are a lot of nerves running through the hand and you feel the pain much more intensely, especially during the stitching and shortly afterward! Ouch! Now I look for gloves with a thicker palm for the protection.

I think many people misunderstand gloves and the padding. They are for crash protection not comfort on the bar. Grips are for comfort (and grip) gloves are for keeping the hand protected when you fall.

Tell that to the glove manufacturers! It can be hard to find gloves with palm protection.