A video made me buy a bike

ehb102 · June 2007

Hello, all.

I've gone and bought a bike. I blame it all on watching the CycleHero video (www.cyclehero.com - and my other half has a really horrible video of me taking my first bike ride in ten years to enter into the competition!) .

Anyway, I live next door to some very keen cyclists who have been very kind in helping me put my bike together, tightening spokes and so on, although they have been rather dismissive of the quality of bike I've bought. However one of their recommendations rather took me by surprise. They said that I should buy some cycling gloves in case of falls.

Now, I'm not looking to fall off, but I accept that unforeseen things do happen. But do people usually go around wearing gloves when they cycle to the supermarket?

spasypaddy · June 2007

i always wear gloves! ALWAYS, skin will hurt and take a time to regrow but gloves can be replaced easily! They aren't expensive but are incredibly worthwhile and important.

http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bikeim9.jpg

Unknown · June 2007

i wear gloves every time i cycle. cos i fell off once and had a large stone embed itself in the palm of my hand ouch.

palinurus · June 2007

Well I don't. Not to the supermarket anyway. I don't wear anything special for that.

When doing longer rides, and my normal commute, on my road bike I wear mitts when it's warm enough, for comfort rather than protection, and I wear gloves when it's cold.

gaterz1981 · June 2007

i wear gloves to mop up the snot from my nose.

I work hard because millions on benefits depend on me
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http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p67/ ... rFrame.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p67/ ... rFrame.jpg

DavidTQ · June 2007

Wear gloves all the time on my bike, gel padded ones that are nice and comfortable, and will take the worst of the grazing if the unfortunate should happen.

giant_man · June 2007

Gloves. Rain shine and snow. All the time.

SIZE IS EVERYTHING! or at least that's what my LBS tells me.

Unknown · June 2007

Wear gloves every time. No-one wants to fall off. But the probability is that it is going to happen and its usually one of your hands that hit the ground first.

george

_________________________________
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Unknown · June 2007

Damn, that video (cinema version) is hard to slow mo.!![:p]

Work
Play

cougie · June 2007

Mitts in the summer and gloves in the winter.

That said - I have been a bit lax lately.

jay_clock · June 2007

well done with getting a bike. Gloves are necessary for warmth for 6 mths of the year - in the summer they help with comfort for longer rides and of course do protect if you fall. But for a short trip, I do not bother. Also for triathlons I leave them off to save time

my trip round Corsica: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/corsica

clarinetist · June 2007

I wear gell mits to help dampen road shock.Ive got a brown face ,brown legs,brown arms,but white hands with wwhat looks like a bruise on both hands![:I]

snorri · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ehb102

although they have been rather dismissive of the quality of bike I've bought.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Don't worry about that, at least you have a bike[:)] The experience you gain with the first bike will help you to make a considered choice for your next one.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> But do people usually go around wearing gloves when they cycle to the supermarket?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
No, only people who think of themselves as real cyclists.[;)][:D]

BeaconRuth · June 2007

I've never understood the argument that you should wear gloves in case you fall off. You don't wear knee and elbow pads, or arm or leg protection in case you fall off do you? It's not just your hands that are at risk is it?

Ehb102 - just in case it's not clear, if they don't need gloves for protection against the cold, cyclists often wear track-mitts - that is fingerless gloves - not full-fingered gloves.

I never ride without them - just because that's what I've always done - it would feel odd to ride without them. The padding on the palm does help cushion your hand a bit from constantly holding the bars/brake hoods.

marinated · June 2007

Gel Mitts but only for comfort, not because of possibly falling off.

.

Bobby Peru · June 2007

Shwing!

Mitts are good things. BeaconRuth, you may be adept at rolling/falling - but most folks, rightly ot wrongly, use their hands. The mitt's will save your hands - but you may well break your wrist and collar bone. Enjoy!

www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk

I've got a lot to say, it just doesn't come to me today..

Unknown · June 2007

I wear gloves for comfort and had not even considered wearing them for protection. My 3 under 10 children are far more likely than me to fall off and non of them wear gloves on there bikes and neither do I make them.

BeaconRuth · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bobby Peru
Mitts are good things. BeaconRuth, you may be adept at rolling/falling - but most folks, rightly ot wrongly, use their hands.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Why do I need to be "adept at rolling/falling", Bobby Peru? I can't recall ever falling off!

Eurostar · June 2007

The logic behind gloves is that you instinctively put your palms down when you fall, like a cat trying to land on its feet. If you graze your palms it then becomes very difficult to hold your bars. So it's more serious than grazing your knee or elbow.

Of course, none of this matters much if you plan to recuperate on the sofa. Like many bits of cycling logic it starts with being a necessity for racers then filters its way down to everybody else. But the only people who wear gloves are the ones who take cycling seriously enough to buy special shorts and go to a cycling forum. I bet none of those millions of Dutch cyclists who ride granny bikes in everyday clothes wear gloves.

Uncle Phil · June 2007

Hi Ebb - congrats on your new bike, and for joining this forum. You're in the right place!

I've been riding a bike for thirty years. Other than to keep my hands warm in winter, I've probably only worn mitts two or three times, and that was for off-road riding on a non-suspension bike where your hands take a beating without falling off.

I rarely fall off, because I ride carefully, I seem to be fairly good at it, I rarely go flat-out, and I don't ride on club runs or mass-start races with the accompanying risk of bumping and jostling. I've probably come off four or five times in all those years, and most of them were when riding off the road.

So unless you feel you're going to fall off regularly, I don't think there's any need for gloves. Especially for pootling down to the supermarket.

Whatever you read on this forum, bear in mind that most folk on here aren't just people who happen to have bikes - they're passionate about cycling as a sport, a hobby, a political statement or even a way of life. Of course, as with any other passion, they tend to take things to extremes, and own all the latest kit to demonstrate their passion and commitment. If someone cares enough to post here, that tells you something about their attitude to the subject (and of course, mine).

That means that if, for you, cycling is just a means of getting about, you needen't take everything everyone says here as gospel, and so it's nice to see some dissenting opinions on this subjet - you'll get them on every other you ask about too, and Vive la difference say I.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot
Nothing is going to get better. It's not"
- Dr Seuss

Give Baby Elephants Room!

electricdave · June 2007

Congratulations on your new bike!
Main reason I wear my gloves is to stop my hands smelling of rubber bar grips when I get off the bike, lol! They also make me feel a bit more like a 'proper' cyclist, as they're the only bit of specially-made bike kit I wear!
The one time in 6 years I did fall off, I had my gloves on, and although they may have prevented some palm rash when I landed, they didn't stop the impact breaking my elbow! [:D]

ehb102 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Uncle Phil

So unless you feel you're going to fall off regularly, I don't think there's any need for gloves. Especially for pootling down to the supermarket.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks, everyone!

I think I will be wearing gloves for the first couple of weeks, then if I get confident I will probably go bare-handed in the warm weather at least on the nice safe routes around home.

For the interested party I got the bike from http://www.sterlinghouse.co.uk. I figured that if I could get 50 miles out of it I would consider it money well spent.

Bagonabike · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Eurostar

But the only people who wear gloves are the ones who take cycling seriously enough to buy special shorts and go to a cycling forum. I bet none of those millions of Dutch cyclists who ride granny bikes in everyday clothes wear gloves.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ironically enough, my worst unjury to date has been when I fell off a Dutch roadster at slow speed and stuck my hand out to save myself.

Grit embedded deep in the heel of your hand is not very nice.

edited to say - enjoy your bike ejb!

A video made me buy a bike

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