Gloves
Gloves
Full-finger gloves give grip on the bars when your hands sweat or it rains, and save your palms and knuckles when you fall. Thin enough to feel the brakes, tough enough to slide.
Also known as: MTB gloves, bike gloves, cycling gloves
Key facts
- Protection
- Light
Why full fingers
When you fall, your hands go down first. Full-finger gloves protect the palms and fingertips, keep your grip in the wet and stop blisters on long descents.
What to look for
- A thin, single-layer palm for feel on the grips and brake levers.
- Silicone on the fingertips for braking fingers that do not slip.
- Touchscreen-friendly fingertips, so you can use your phone on the trail.
- Light padding over the knuckles for rocky terrain and the bike park.
Fit
Snug with no loose material in the palm — spare fabric folds under your hand and blisters it. Fingertips should just touch the ends of the glove when you grip the bar.
Related articles
- Trail riding — The most common way to ride a mountain bike: loops that climb under your own power and descend the good stuff, on one bike that does a bit of everything.
- Mountain bike helmet — An open-face helmet made for trails: deeper at the back and sides than a road helmet, with a visor and plenty of vents. The one piece of gear no ride goes without.
- Knee pads — Pads that take the hit when you fall on a knee — the most common crash injury on a mountain bike. Modern pads are soft enough to pedal in all day and harden only on impact.
- Braking — Braking well is braking in the right place: hard and early on good ground, then off the brakes where the trail is rough or turning. The front brake does most of the work.