gloves....

Hi, I'm really new on here, and haven't posted anything yet....:)
I have a question...about cycling gloves.
I just bought a bike to cycle long-distance with.
I want to use the bike instead of a car(I don't have a license) to travel to visit out-of-state friends, and I want to see more of this country and world than just the expected....and I think a bike would be a wonderful way to do that!
I have no, I repeat, no cycling clothing or gear. :eek:
I need advice on basically everything ;) but right now am just asking for some tips on biking gloves.
I have no clue.......:eek:

Oh, I have a Trek 7.5. It has straight handle bars instead of drop bars. IDK if that affects what type of glove works best...

BTW, this site has been a BIG help to me. I have learned a lot reading various posts on here. Thank you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bikegurl

Hi, I'm really new on here, and haven't posted anything yet....:)
I have a question...about cycling gloves.
I just bought a bike to cycle long-distance with.
I want to use the bike instead of a car(I don't have a license) to travel to visit out-of-state friends, and I want to see more of this country and world than just the expected....and I think a bike would be a wonderful way to do that!
I have no, I repeat, no cycling clothing or gear. :eek:
I need advice on basically everything ;) but right now am just asking for some tips on biking gloves.
I have no clue.......:eek:

Oh, I have a Trek 7.5. It has straight handle bars instead of drop bars. IDK if that affects what type of glove works best...

BTW, this site has been a BIG help to me. I have learned a lot reading various posts on here. Thank you!

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My favorites are Specialized gel. Very nice.

I find that less padding is better. Other than that, I just make sure they're not too tight.

I like Specialized too. They sometimes stretch a little, but they're sort of a consumable - new set every year.

Short gloves? I started out with one, then two pairs of nice Pearl Izumi ones. Now I just have a bunch of really cheapo ones (plus the original "nice" ones), and rotate, wash them often. I'm not fussy about gloves I guess, as long as they're not too tight and don't go to pieces immediately. Longfinger gloves are a different matter, very fussy about those.

I still love the gloves I wrote about here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...=gloves+review

Except that now, they are exactly the size and shape of my hands and they've been through the washer a couple times.

Thank you!
It seems like it is different for everyone...
I guess I will try to find some that I can try - that are kinda cheap.:rolleyes:
Maybe will try some specialized.....
Thanks for the input!

I've worn Trek, Specialized, Pearl Izumi and Louis Garneau. For every pair I like, there are others by the same manufacturer that I don't like. Best to try on some different pairs, ideally try grasping some handlebars before you buy (or remove the tags), and see what feels good. Have fun shopping!

I really like the Pearl Izumi gel vent gloves. I have a pair of PI Cyclone (?) gloves for winter, and while I'm not as enamored of them, they're okay.

We are heading into New York winter now. You are going to need to worry more about warm gloves rather than gel or fancy cycling gloves for a while. See my glove post in the other (Gore Windstopper) glove thread right now.

On a bike in winter, your hands and feet get cold way faster than when you are walking or jogging, etc.
They are fully exposed to the wind, positioned on cold pedals or handlebars, and you can't wriggle them much to get them warm. Plus, you are actually creating additional wind on your hands and feet as you ride your bike.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

We are heading into New York winter now. You are going to need to worry more about warm gloves rather than gel or fancy cycling gloves for a while. See my glove post in the other (Gore Windstopper) glove thread right now.

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Thank you!
I wasn't even considering winter gloves because I was planning on waiting until spring to start any long-distance riding. Now that you mention it....I guess it is something worth thinking about.:D I don't have the money to buy lots of fancy (or even non-fancy) gear, so I was thinking that regular biking gloves with those stretchy thin gloves you can get easily, and some light, loose, thin-fabricked mittens would do a pretty good job of keeping my hands warm. I'm not sure......
but that is what I have (minus the biking gloves :p) There won't be issues of dexterity, because of the thin-ness of the mittens and how my shifters and brake levers are oriented.
What do you think???

I think that if you continue to do shorter rides as it gets colder now, you will quickly discover what works and what doesn't for cold weather biking.

In the spring, summer and fall, you usually wear gloves to protect your palms and wrists when you fall on asphalt....when you fly off your bike at 20mph you can literally go skidding on your hands and you need leather gloves to avoid nerve damage and skin loss. Helmet and gloves are the highest priority safety wear.

In the winter, cold numb hands may prevent you from biking altogether.
As long as you are not doing 30+ mile rides, your plan of those 3 layered gloves/mittens sounds worth trying. One suggestion- rather than buying those cheap $5 think stretchy polyester gloves you mention though- add a few more dollars to get real wool gloves to wear under your mittens and/or under your fingerless bike gloves. The real wool will keep your fingers way warmer and will make a much better liner under your thin mittens. Real 100% wool ladies gloves can be found for $10 or 15 dollars in many stores.

Tip: start hunting in thrift stores for great bargains on real wool and other fabulous finds. :)

[QUOTE=BleeckerSt Girl Tip: start hunting in thrift stores for great bargains on real wool and other fabulous finds. :)[/QUOTE]

That thought had briefly crossed my mind, but now I will remember to look for wool at thrift stores.:D Thank you for your help!!:)

I have some wind blocking mittens--a shell really--that I wear happily over other gloves. They work great for me. The brand is Outdoor Research. Make sure they fit easily over whatever else you want to wear.