For many of us, gloves are gloves. If they fit fairly comfortably and prevent blisters or keep our hands warm in cold weather, we’re pretty much good with whatever we happen to have at hand—pun intended.
But, where power sports are concerned, selecting the right gloves can make a big difference in our enjoyment, comfort and safety.
Sizing seems pretty basic, but it makes the difference between day-long comfort and “can’t wait to take ‘em off” discomfort. Checking out the size of your favorite current gloves is a pretty good guide and manufacturers have handy sizing charts, as well for buying online.
One trick I’ve learned for riding in a climate that can be finger-numbing cold in the morning and toasty in the afternoon is to double glove. Wear a light, snug-fitting riding motorcycle glove with thin leather palm and mesh or stretch fabric back inside a heavier leather and/or insulated glove. As the temps rise, take off the outer glove leaving the lighter, cooler glove to provide protection without being too warm. Some snowmobile gloves feature a removable glove liner, but that may not be designed to act as a lightweight glove in itself.
I’ve found that tactic is particularly good for off-road ATV and motorcycle riding and for snowmobile riding, improving protection when trailside branches whack your hands. The thin gloves are also very good for handling tools in sub-zero cold when exposing bare skin can cause frost-bite in a matter of minutes and handling steel tools can literally cause them to freeze to the skin. It can be very difficult to use tools with the bulkier insulated gloves or mitts on. Getting the outer glove in a size or two larger than usual makes this work pretty well.
Depending on your sport and season, you may want motorcycle gloves that keep your hands warm, dry and protected, or cool, dry and protected.
A variety of approaches exist to meet both goals. Perhaps the most dizzying aspect of glove design these days is the variety of materials used in glove construction. Even basic leather gloves have variations: goat skin, lamb skin, buck skin, pigskin, full-grain cowhide, suede and combinations of more than one type. Solid, perforated, fingerless, non-lined, lined, insulated, non-insulated, gel-pad palms, you name it.
Leather has a natural beauty to it, tends to be supple and provides reasonably good weather and abrasion protection. Add some treatment to the surface and you have a waterproof, tough, comfortable basic glove that easily mashes down to fit into your pockets. These types of gloves tend to be reasonably priced, too, generally ranging from as little as about $20 for your basic styles to the $60-$70 range depending on the options.
But the real revolution in glove design is in the use of synthetic materials. Stretch mesh for the back and sides of the gloves allow near-total ventilation, which may be augmented by finger vents, while providing abrasion protection and second-skin fit. High-tack silicone rubber and similar materials added to palm and fingers prevents slippage on the hand-grips and levers, supple finger materials allow maximum “touch” for fine control, pre-curved fingers and palms virtually eliminate “break-in” for the grip. Add Kevlar® fiber in back, wrist and gauntlet with hard knuckle and finger armor and you’ve got a competition-grade protection package.
Speaking of competition, if you intend to use the gloves for racing, check the rules for the sanctioning body; some types of racing won’t allow some types of gloves. For example, in land speed racing no synthetic materials are allowed—leather only, a minimum three inch gauntlet is required and wrist closures are mandatory. European (CE) standards exist for professional motorcycle gloves: EN 13594:2002. No equivalent U.S. standards exist. Fully appointed racing gloves can range from $50 to about $200, depending on the required equipment.
Adjustable wrist closures with Velcro® or snaps assure the gloves will stay on when you need their protection most. They are a good feature to have for leisure riding gloves and are essential for competition. Elastic bands are ok for some applications, but to be effective in some situations, they’d generally have to be so snug, they may be uncomfortable.
Other features like battery-operated heaters, finger-mounted face shield wipers, reflective piping or panels, gel padding in the fingers or palms, or key pockets are all items to consider, depending on your riding plans.
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