If you ever tried taking a longer bike trip without using any sort of hand protection, then you most likely know what hand soreness and hand numbness caused by bike riding are all about. Although while on your bike you don’t actually “use” your hands that much (at least when compared to your feet) just the sheer fact that you have to grab tight of the handle can have some nasty effects. This is where cycling gloves, or mitts as they are often called, start being useful.
In mountain biking, where the use of your hands is even bigger, cycling gloves are even more effective. Besides protecting you from the actual long-time friction with the handle, modern cycling gloves also use a special shock absorbing system that will reduce the effect that bumpy roads have on your hands. And of course, they will also come in handy in the unfortunate even that you fall off your bike, since out of instinct it’s very likely that your palms will take the hit hard. And anyone who suffered such an injury knows how annoying and painful they are, especially for a biker.
Cycling gloves are usually divided into two categories: summer and winter mitts. Summer models have short fingers and they are “breathable”, thus allowing sweat to dissipate and not gather up in your hands. Most of them also offer a solid ventilation system that will keep your hands cool during hot days where wearing a glove would otherwise be unbearable to say the least.
In contrast, winter cycling gloves have long finger and are usually made out of thicker and warmer materials as long as this material can still stop sweat from forming up. Some bikers like to wear summer, short-finger cycling gloves even during winter since they feel that they are more flexible and offer better control of your bike (especially mountain bikers feel this way). And the truth is, that if you’re not that bugged about cold to your fingers, short finger cycling gloves are more comfortable.
Depending on your riding style, the structure of your bike and your riding position, your hands will get a different degree of pressure against the handle. If these factors put a lot of weight on your hands, it can get pretty uncomfortable in the long run. That’s why some cycling gloves offer gel paddings which don’t compress against the handle and are way more comfortable in situations like this. Another extra feature that some cycling gloves have is a piece of extremely absorbant material (Terry toweling fabrics for example) that allows you to wipe off sweat from your forehead with the back of the hands, without this sweat ruining the main fabric of the glove.
Of course, besides these features, price and brand also come into play when choosing a pair of cycling gloves. Fortunately, they come in prices fit for all pockets, ranging from just a few dollars to around $100 for some of the most expensive brands. REI’s prices for different cycling glove models are somewhere between $20 and $35 which is a good quality/price ratio. You can find cheaper models from Daxx for example, whose cycling gloves are between $10 and $20. Usually prices are directly proportional to the company’s popularity and inversely proportional with the age of the model, however there are a few exceptions from the rule. Trek or Louis Garneau are highly established cycling equipment companies, however their prices are quite affordable, going into the $40’s. And of course, companies like Nike or Adidas, companies that have a long and successful past in producing general sportswear, also hold the top of the line when it comes to cycling gloves. Newer Nike and Adidas models can go up to roughly under $100, however as soon as a new models hits the store, its predecessor’s price is severely cut down; a policy that most of the popular brands chose to follow.
Related:
