yes, gloves are a must! after about the first week or so of biking (last summer) i went, this is nuts! my hands were killing me. so i bought some gloves. it's not as bad as it was, but they still hurt. i'd assume that any discomfort in my upper body and sore hands would be gone by now, so yeah, i guess i'll have to assume it's a fit issue. i'll haul ol' bessie into the shop and see what they say. thanks, emily!