When I went over the handle bars on the NCR trail in Maryland. I was rolling about 17 mph on a gravel trail. Something got caught between my front wheel and my brake. My bike stopped and I went flying. Graceful me, I stuck my left arm out when I hit the ground. I must have landed on the palm of my hand (the glove was covered with dust and tiny pieces of rock) then slid on my elbow. There was blood running down my arm from a nasty wound around the elbow. It hurt like crazy.

I ended up in the emergency room in York, Pa. My elbow had a decent size stone under the skin, which they dug out and I wound up with medial epicondalitis (golfer's elbow). I was off the bike for the rest of the summer, in pt, with 2 cortisone shots to calm it down. I still have a nasty scar on my arm from the crash.

So, yes, I can say gloves saved my from some nasty road rash on my hands.