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My gloves' foam inserts have died and I am in need of new gloves. The fat part of my hand right below my thumbs needs more cushion than they have been getting. I am interested in your opinion in what kind of gloves you like and don't like.
Thanks!
Karen
Are you looking for gloves to wear on a road biking or a mtb? Do you want full-finger gloves, or fingerless?
Fingerless road
Um... I shop by expedience and cost, not by brand...I look for the cheapest one in my size and get that - we tend to pick them up by the 'handful' in sales...
I only have one pair of winter gloves, but have/have had a few pairs of fingerless (including the three pairs, only one of which has been worn, that we picked up in my size in an end of line internet sale for almost $NZ3 each...)
My PI gloves are getting a bit thin as well, but still seem to have plenty left in the fatty area below the thumbs... I guess I don't tend to use that part much.
Anyway, since we both need gloves...we should go shopping! Nothing lifts my spirits than a trip to a bike shop with a friend! :D
I swear by P.I.'s. Great fit, you can wash them & they wear quite well. The padding is good - not big & thick but definitely enough to cushion your hands.
Another thought - you can try wrapping your handlebars with cushioned tape. That helps too. Just don't get the real fat tape unless you have big hands.
On the road bike I use some Nike fingerless gloves which sell for $25 at the LBS. They're all black, thin and stretchy on top with a velcro closure and well padded on the bottom.
I started using Pearl Izumi Gel Lites for road rides but I felt like I needed something more cushy. (The full finger version of the Gel Lites is still my top choice for mountain biking.) They're kind of expensive, but I always got them on sale from R.E.I. or on eBay.
Have any of you tried PI's Carbon Pittards gloves? They look nice and cushy...
I have the PI Carbon Pittards, which I use indoors for riding on the trainer. I like them very much for that because they are so cushy on the palm. I do not like using them for riding outdoors because there is no leather or padding extending around the side of the forefinger. I need that to keep from getting blisters from rubbing up against the hoods. Also, the palm is very thick & has no ventilation, so my hands get really sweaty.
Nanci recently talked about another PI glove, which I just got based on her recommendation. It is the PI Gel Vent Pro, and it's terrific. I need lots of padding on the palm, and this one delivers. Looks to me like the padding is of varying thicknesses, with the thickest part directly on the palm. It felt strange initially, in fact, I thought of sending it back when I first put it on. The palm padding is separated, & I thought that might be a problem leaving the center unprotected. It's not because when you have your hand bent, the gel pads move closer together. I was also worried because there was no velcro tab. I've had trouble with gloves that were pull-on before as they were kind of loose & would move around. No problem with the new PI's, they grip very securely. My initial ride with them today was very positive. Nanci - a big thank-you for that one!
I ordered up 2 other pair as well. I already know & like the Descente Women's Air Gel. The '06 version is better than the previous year's. The gel sections are better placed anatomically & separated, which helps over time because gel hardens. The old ones had large sections of gel that got really hard & stiff. These are nicely padded & feel really soft.
The other pair I ordered is the Louis Garneau Women's Air Stream. I liked them right away when I put them on, they are very light-weight. The palm has mesh to breathe, and the padding seems very nice, supportive without being hard. I can't wait to try them, but I will have to wait until the rains & the thunderstorms move on.
I'm glad you like the PI Gel Vent Pros. I was suspicious about the lack of velcro fasteners at first, too, but now I love that!! No more gloves attacking other things in the laundry!! No weird tan spots on the back of the hands. I love how they are so stylish and feminine. Mine are holding up well in the wash, and the gel is perfectly unmarked after a _bad_ full-force on the palm of my hand crash landing/skid on asphalt.
I interpreted that slot down the center with no gel as pressure relief for the ulnar nerves. Whatever it was designed for- it's different than the norm, and not a problem.
I don't seem to get sweaty smelly palms in these gloves- the breathable gel must work!
Nanci
After reading Nanci's post on gloves I also got a pair of the Gel Vent Pro. At first I wasnt convinced they were for me so I got a pair of the LG Air Stream gloves as a back up.
Well it ends up that I really like the Gel Vent Pro but the LG Air Stream ones just annoy me and make my hands sweaty. I will be using those only for super short rides.
Actually I prefer less padding than many PI gloves have. Hands go numb. My favorites are Louis Garneau Ergo.
I have some LG Ergo Air, but I like gel so much more than foam. I've never had any other PI gloves, but the Gel Vents don't have what I would call thick or heavy padding. They are very different from any of the other PIs.
Nanci
I read Nanci's post about the PI Gel Vents right when my Cannondale gloves wore out. I went on a mission to find them and was quite pleased with the way they felt in the shop. After one month I am still loving my Gel Vents. The dry hands were a welcome change, but it took some getting used to. I agree the padding does not feel nearly as thick/bulky as other PI gloves.
The lack of velcro gives my tiny wrists a better fit. I find the I have to pull velcro too tight to accomadate my wrists and then there is extra of the rough part flapping around. The other bonus is the cut a little lower on the top of the palm and my tan line has moved a bit. I still have ghostly white hands, but not as much!
My LG Ergo gloves didn't seem to last as long as I would have expected. The foam just got flatter and flatter, while my callouses got bigger and bigger. :rolleyes:
My Specialized gloves have got a big old hole at the cuff, and I've only had them about three months! I need to take them back to the shop I guess, but I won't still have the receipt. :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by tlkiwi
tikiwi, is the hole in the fabric itself, or has the binding along the edge separated because the stitching failed? I heard a bit of a pop when removing one of mine the other day, and noticed that they've used a straight stitch there -- stitching can break pretty easily on a stretchy thing if it's a straight seam! I'll be stitching mine back together one of these days, when the spirit moves me, or its more obvious that the thread is broken and it drives me nuts. Otherwise, I do like my Specialized gloves!
An aside -- Earl got some PI gloves, and the stitching is coming apart at the finger holes already. He's only had them about three weeks. Suggested he take them back to REI (I don't want to try to mend that) and get 'em replaced. Then I looked at my gloves at the finger holes, and was delighted to see that they used a continuous thread in that seam!
Karen in Boise
I'm not sure if the gloves i have are the same one's nanci's referring but i have a pair of PI Air vents.
They're great in the summer as they're so breathable & don't end up with a funny tan line on my fingers. I haven't had a problem with them in the winter yet!
c
Kano - both! The neoprene-y stuff on the inside of the cuff ripped and the fabric covering it kind of laddered like tights do, which has made the stitching start to come undone too! I'd understand if they'd caught on something, but this has to be just from pulling them on and off. Hope they'll replace them for me because I do like them and I can't really afford new ones.
When I was shopping for gloves, I read on road bike review or MTBR or something about PI being known for not wearing well- coming unstitched or something, but that was a couple years ago, and the new ones are supposedly improved. Mine, the Gel Vent Pros, aren't that same type, anyway. But I was a little leery of buying PI gloves because of the multiple reviews I read like that. Anyway, I've had these gloves since March and they have hundreds of miles on them and have been washed after practically every ride, and are holding up great.
Nanci
I just got these and so far I'm in love with them. I really like the venty material in the palm. I haven't taken them on a longer ride yet, so I don't know if the material will bother me, but the fit is improved in the wrists from my other pair of LG's and the padding is gel.