Reason #1
Points-of-contact, these are three areas of scrutiny and argument for Velominati; saddles, chamois creme, shoes, socks, handlebar tape so why not gloves?
Picking grit out of your palms is bad.
Yes, it is very bad. The fear of this might be the number one reason people get into the habit of wearing gloves, and it does become a habit, like donning a helmet. And just like picking gravel out of your scalp, which is also very bad, avoiding that activity is worth it. Points of contact on the bike are one thing; points of contact once off the bike are another. So do we wear gloves only to protect our hands if we crash? Or do we wear them to stay more comfortable on the bike?
I’m regretting typing this as I type it but I don’t crash often, once every few years, and usually for stupid self-inflicted reasons. The last two times I have crashed and they were stupid and self-inflicted, both times I came away with nothing more than some light abrasions and a sore hip. I was wearing gloves. But I can’t even say if my hands got involved in either crash; all one understands is sliding across the road in a tangle of limbs, bike and embarrassment. Still, gloves are not uncomfortable to wear. There is no big downside to donning gloves as one kits up.
Racing produces crashing. One would think racing Paris-Roubaix would produce the most crashes yet the number of people racing sans gloves is remarkable. There is Boonen and most of his Quick-Step badass teammates battling over the stones without gloves. They want to feel the bike more than protect their hands. They are tough.
Riding naked feels great.
That would look very bad but it might feel very good. Riding without gloves feels a little like something is naked and it does feel great. If you always ride with gloves, try it. It makes for a very different ride. Handling the brake hoods or handlebars without gloves is so much more tactile. Recently forgot my gloves and re-remembered why I’ve spent around a third of my time bike riding without them. It just feels right. There are no Rules about glove wearing nor should there be. Does one look or feel more Pro without gloves? I do. If one feels like they have to wear gloves to protect their hands on the bike then it might be worth investigating how one’s weight is distributed on the bike. Hands should not be doing much weight bearing.
If we subscribe to the argument that we should dress for the crash not the ride we wouldn’t be wearing little more than lycra. Riding is a balancing act in many ways. If you ride you have to accept injury and accidents as parts of the deal but unless you are racing criteriums on a weekly basis, the pleasure of riding naked might outweigh the fear of crashing naked.
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@Puffy
During post ride shower, I wash my removed gloves with shampoo. Helmet with shampoo in a bucket.
@wiscot
Finally giving this article the time it deserves at work. Not enough time at home on the weekends to read it well.
Agreed wiscot. I will try this once it warms up as well. I've ridden with gloves every since I started riding. Need to try this out.
@Gianni
My number one, two and three reason for wearing gloves (outside of the fact that it has never really crossed my mind not to) is to wipe the left over snot off my face with the chamois-portion of the back of the thumb area after blowing the contents of each nostril all over the road (and usually my lower face and shoulder) while riding.
The most important factor in buying gloves for me, (after aethestics) is the soft, chamois portion on the back of the gloves. Same with Nordic ski gloves. THAT factor I'll miss if I start riding regularly sans gloves.
@universo
First off, BRILLIANT photo of Le Professeur that needs no justification for sharing but I am curious as to where you are going with this? Because he won sans gloves? Just curious. LOVE the photo!
@Oli
Agreed. Who was it that was so good at figuring out men's legs and asses from women's around here? Was it Ron? Minion? I have forgotten after being gone for so long? Anyways, we need them to weigh in and tell us!
I don't NEED to wear gloves to ride my bike, i.e., for padding (love my Lizard Skins bar tape). But I do wear gloves because I've crashed before when I wasn't wearing gloves (thinking it was all pro cool) and the result was not fun or pretty ... unless, of course, you like blood on white bar tape.
As a microbiologist by education and training, I'm having actual laughs over the sudden interest in bacteria. We aren't talking about flesh eating bacteria or the ones that cause gas gangrene here. They're the same on your gloves as on your hands and face, right now. Wash the gloves after riding, have a dose of Rule 5, and/or stop worrying about it.
Oh, and @Frank: How you keep your Fizik tape sparkling clean is beyond me. One ride in and mine looks like I store the bike in mud.
@Buck Rogers
Good god, I hope one of my formerly used skills was not THAT skill. Please let it be minion, please let it be minion, please!!
Bar tape. As much as I love Leader's Tape, I decided I needed one bike that was purely for riding and not worrying about. Just put some of the glossy fizik tape on there, in black. Goes well with the glossy carbon finish. Can't have white tape on every bike, at least for me.
Also, unless someone else is cleaning your bike, I cannot believe anyone puts white tape on a cross bike. You're just asking for trouble. Cross bikes are not the pristine, cherished tools we ride on the road. Ride em, crash em, beat them up, spray off with a hose at home, back on the peg. Cross bikes see too much abuse for me to keep it as clean as my road machines.
@Owen
Can't speak for Frank (or fi'zi:k tape), but when I had white Shimano PRO bar tape on my Hollands I cleaned it with Simple Green and then toothpaste to make it nice and white (the latter is a trick I learned for white golf shoes).