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Cycling Gloves

Do Your Hands a Favor

Cycling gloves meet a variety of riders’ needs. If you’ve ever shopped for cycling gloves, you may have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. There are short finger, long finger, road and mountain; gloves for protection, comfort, or warmth; gloves designed to fit all hand shapes, sizes, and personal styles. We’ve broken down the types of riding and offered advice for choosing the right pair of gloves to meet your needs.

Cycling Glove Fit

Cycling gloves should fit snugly without being uncomfortable—a slim-fitting glove with minimal excess material is helpful for retaining the dexterity needed to operate brake and shift levers. Visit our store and try on several pairs to find the perfect fit, or measure your hands and reference sizing charts when shopping online.

Commuter Cycling Gloves

Commuters riding in warmer months commonly find a thinner road-style glove to be suitable. Look for gloves with a water barrier if you live in a rainy climate. If winter commuting is in your forecast, there’s a large variety of gloves available for guarding against the cold. Although similar in appearance to standard winter gloves, they’re designed with shapes and textures that make it easier to brake and shift. Offering maximum warmth, “Lobster”-style gloves feature a split finger design with two warmth-sharing compartments that provide some of the benefits of mitts while retaining the ability to operate the controls.

Mountain Bike Gloves

Mountain bike gloves—by-and-large long-finger style—are designed to protect your hands in the event of a crash while maintaining dexterity for operating brake and shift levers. Many include features such as shock-absorbing pads for rough trails, added protection on the backside to guard against brushes with trail-adjacent obstacles, as well as built-in breathability, slip-resistant grippers, and touch-screen fingertips.

Recreational Road Gloves

Road cycling gloves fall into two primary categories of padded and non-padded, with short and long finger options of both. Gloves with pads or gel inserts are designed to provide a little extra cushion between the soft spots of your palm and your handlebars. If tingling, numbness, or pain in your hands is initiating your glove search, be aware that other causes (such as a poor-fitting bike) may be the root cause of the issue. Be sure and mention this the next time you’re in our store if you’re experiencing any of these issues.

Performance Road Gloves

Non-padded gloves are geared more towards performance and racing and are intended to reduce injury in the event of a crash. Many experienced cyclists find that riding bare-handed is most comfortable, but if you’re planning aggressive riding on varied surfaces or riding in a pack, even a thin glove can go a long way in protecting your hands should an unfortunate crash occur.

Start Your Cycling Glove Search

Find the Right Fit

Cycling gloves should fit snugly without being uncomfortable—a slim-fitting glove with minimal excess material is helpful for retaining the dexterity needed to operate brake and shift levers. Visit our store and try on several pairs to find the perfect fit, or measure your hands and reference sizing charts when shopping online.