Does anyone actually bother with gloves?

[numbnuts]

Not in the summer

 

[sidevalve]

If you stick your hands out when you fall you'll get something broken. Never stick your hands out when falling.

How many people can fall and not try to protect themselves ? Also better a broken finger than a smashed face

 

[subaqua]

just round the corner trips - no

anything more than 800yds gloves.

 

[Cuchilo]

Have you ever tried sticking your bar tape in the washing machine . I'll stick with gloves .

 

[ScotiaLass]

I use fingerless except in the depths of the Scottish winter!
If I'm on the hybrid and popping to the shops (short trips) I sometimes don't bother, but I know how painful taking skin off your hands (or anywhere!) can be...

 

[Drago]

I never ride without mitts, or gloves in colder weather. Even in a low speed off the uncontrollable instinct is to pup ones hands out to break ones call and surgery and skin grafts are no fun at all.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

How many people can fall and not try to protect themselves ? Also better a broken finger than a smashed face

It's how you protect yourself. Years of falling off MX bikes taught me to tuck arms in so when I had my motorbike accident on the road I broke a bone in my hand (one between little finger knuckle and wrist) because I had my hands tucked in to my body automatically when I landed. No idea if I'd have broken anything with limbs waving round like a ragdoll, but I can't say I chose how I landed. It always makes me wince when you see motorbike racers crash and their arms and legs are flapping about all over the place as they roll.

Having said that, I always wear gloves and it's mostly for protection against skin damage in an off I'm hoping never to have.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

If I ride without gloves my left hand goes numb pretty quickly.

 

[ScotiaLass]

If I ride without gloves my left hand goes numb pretty quickly.

I can't ride without gloves on the MTB for the same reason (and a shoulder injury which makes my arm/hand go numb).
On the hybrid I can, but only for short trips

 

[Rooster1]

Sometimes no. Mostly yes.

 

[Milkfloat]

Anything over 'pop to the shops' is gloves, purely down to cyclist palsy

 

[G3CWI]

Gloves always - safety. Fingerless in summer.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

Always, beacuse the first thing you do if you fall off is put your hands out. Long fingered in autumn/winter, fingerless mitts when it gets warmer. Not wishing to start a debate, I'd put gloves before a helmet when it comes to safety.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Always, beacuse the first thing you do if you fall off is put your hands out. Long fingered in autumn/winter, fingerless mitts when it gets warmer. Not wishing to start a debate, I'd put gloves before a helmet when it comes to safety.

When I was riding in Amsterdam last month it was baseball cap, glasses and gloves. I'll always wear glasses and gloves to the point that I'd feel out of sorts without them.

 

[fossyant]

How many people can fall and not try to protect themselves ? Also better a broken finger than a smashed face

Actually you are best not putting your hands out. If you do, high chance of a broken collarbone.