Riding with Gloves or without Gloves?
To glove, or not to glove. That is the question. Our Instagram poll had you split down the middle, revealing a surprising preference of ‘no gloves’ by a measly 5%.
We have a sneaking suspicion that our poll results would change if the question was about riding in winter. Let’s be honest, unless you’re a pyscho wearing gloves in winter, is an absolute no brainer (full fingered gloves all day, erry day). In addition to making your winter rides more pleasant, keeping your hands warm is vital as they control everything from your brakes, to gears, to direction. Numb fingers in the control centre is the last thing you want or need. So you get it, winter is a huge reason to wear gloves but when we’re not freezing our asses off, what are some other reasons to wear gloves.
Comfort in your hands
Your hands are valuable assets when cycling. Most cycling gloves have built in cushioning to promote comfort, allowing you to ride further for longer, pain free. Some ride without gloves, preferring the cushioning of a thicker bar tape. It may take some trial and error, with or without gloves or finding the right bar tape to get your perfect setup.
Comfort on your bike
Making sure your hands are comfortable can have a flow on effect to the rest of your body. Cushioning in the right areas can relieve pressure on your hands and arms, leading to better posture on the bike. If you continue to experience soreness or even numbness in any part of your body, we’d suggest getting a bike fit. Consider it an investment in your body. You only have one.
Grip
Yes we’ve spoken about this before, sweat is another reason some choose to wear gloves. Nobody wants to slip off the handle bars due to sweat. Gloves can help with this and you can also try our Squadra tape for that very gripy/ tacky feel. Gloves can also absorb some of your sweat, in turn prolonging the life of your bar tape.
Protection in a bike crash
Your hands are fragile and so very valuable to us. It just makes sense to protect your hands. If you’ve ever been in a arm cast or broken a finger, you’ll know what we mean. Did you know NALAC has a crash replacement policy, check out the policy on our website.
Sun protection
Your hands are always out in the sun, and often forgotten in your sunscreen routine (if you have one). If you don’t want to see those (potentially life threatening) sunspots in 30 years time, slap on a pair of gloves to protect yourself against those nasty UV rays.
We asked some local riders
Jordan Kerby – 2017 Individual pursuit World Champion.
General rule of thumb is no gloves in training unless it’s cold, and generally race in gloves.
Ryan Thomas – Drapac-Cannondale Cycling Team
Race in gloves train without.
Calan McIntosh – Founder of NALAC
Depends what’s happening on the day? How long I’ll be riding, how cold it is or how fast/risky the ride will be. So In saying that it’s 50/50 with and without.
In the end it comes down to personal preference. Whether you ride with, or without gloves our NALAC tape range has been developed to maximize your ride enjoyment. By using mix of material compounds to deliver a result that is comfortable in all conditions, we have what you need. Try our NALAC bar tape today.