Quote Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama View Post
I am supposed to have specific ones?! Actually I plan to buy some soon, I just use some PI road gloves I didn't like for road. They are working but my husband thinks I should try full finger.

That is what I did at first. Used my road gloves that were starting to get some wear, and bought new road gloves. The road gloves do provide some protection for your hands, versus no gloves. But, not in all the ways I would like them too now that I have been doing more mtb, as before--very little.

I have my hands positioned differently with the mtb bar vs the road bars. My knuckles for one thing are bloody from how I hold my mtb bar. Part of this is just my technique I guess. My palms lay on the bar grips and part of my fingers are perched over the brakes/shifters, and the other behind it to grip the bar. The "behind" knuckles get a beating on the component metals. I just think there is so much more quick shifting and braking on the trail versus the road. Full fingers would help the skin rip off factor.

The other reason IME I want full fingers is for branch and briars on the trails I ride. It seems like where the briars are the thickest is where I need to swivel my bars, and partially bare hands with half finger gloves, the most to make it through. This equals more things bleeding. As I was pulling briars out of my bleeding hands and forearms last ride with a die hard mtb guy pal I asked, "so, am I getting closer to being an offical mtb now?... looky here, blood!" He gave me an eye rolling "no"... drama crash scars make it official in his circle I understand.

The last thing about road versus mtb gloves IMO is fabric. My road gloves have lycra on the tops. The branches/briars just tear and snag it. The most lovely (and *gulp* expensive) pair of shorts I own for mtb is sold here on TE last I looked. Sugoi Gusta short... made with "ripstock" fabric. I would assume a "true" mtb glove is made out of some similiar type of fabric or "something" that does not get destroyed like road lycra (yet still breath). That's my hope in the glove search anyway.