Gloves

"Tom Anderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Any thoughts on bar ends, riding positions, and other aids to the hands
are also welcome. Although don't tell me to get a drop bar; i'm not going
to do that. Or a unicycle.

I recently purchased some Specialized Comfort II grips. They have made a
significant difference to my hand comfort. They are more of an oval shaped
grip, with dual-density rubber on the nerve points. More area for the palm
to rest on.

I like 'em a lot. I got mine from wiggle. I can't link to their image, so
here is one from somewhere else:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/images/products/large/3812.jpg

Note the grips are maybe an inch longer than my old grips, requiring levers
to be moved a bit.

Jc.

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

Evening all,

Hope you are all well etc.

I have decided i want a new pair of cycling gloves. What i have at the
moment is a battered old pair of these:

http://www.lasersailing.com/shop/uks/product/2314

Which, yes, are sailing gloves. However, to a large extent, gloves is
gloves, and they do the job most of the time.

When they don't do the job is if i'm riding >50 miles or so, at which
point my hands start to go numb. I have a flat bar, so i'm considering
getting some barends, so i can vary my riding position, but i thought a
pair of good padded or gel-filled gloves would also be a good idea.

So, any recommendations?

Get the bar ends. Good cycling mits can help (though my experience is that
gel in the pads doesn't add anything), but riding 50 miles with your hands
in /any/ single fixed position is going to hurt.

Quoted message said:

Any thoughts on bar ends, riding positions, and other aids to the hands
are also welcome. Although don't tell me to get a drop bar; i'm not going
to do that.

Your loss, not mine. You would[1] be more comfortable on drops, but if you
have your mind made up there's not a lot of point telling you that.

[1] Yes, I'm certain.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

' ' <------- this blank intentionally spaced left

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

' ' <------- this blank intentionally spaced left

Surely it's spaced right?

Jc.

Simon Brooke said:

Get the bar ends. Good cycling mits can help (though my experience is that
gel in the pads doesn't add anything), but riding 50 miles with your hands
in /any/ single fixed position is going to hurt.

On an upwrong.

If you don't carry any of your body-weight on your arms, but distribute it
over the whole area of your buttocks and back, your hands don't hurt and
you don't /have/ to wear gloves.

They're handy for keeping your hands clean though.

Mike

Quoted message said:

When they don't do the job is if i'm riding >50 miles or so, at which
point my hands start to go numb. I have a flat bar, so i'm considering
getting some barends, so i can vary my riding position, but i thought a
pair of good padded or gel-filled gloves would also be a good idea.

So, any recommendations?

A couple of things help. Changing hand position regularly is a Good Thing,
so bar ends will make a big difference to you.

Also, pads in some gloves can help. You have to look for fairly firm pads.
Specialized make some track mitts which they claim are scientifically
designed - having prodded a pair they did seem like they'd be significantly
better than any other I'd seen.

Alternatively some kind of ?butterfly bar? (like a figure of 8 on its side)
will provide lots and lots of different ways to hold the bars.

I like drop bars not for the drop, but because I can use the hoods or the
top (same position as a flat bar). The drops only get used in headwinds,
or if I'm trying to catch/keep up with some fast bugger. Some nifty brake
levers that enable you to brake from the tops would make them pretty much
perfect. The narrower width can take a little getting used to thobut.

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark
Thompson ('pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com'😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When they don't do the job is if i'm riding >50 miles or so, at which
point my hands start to go numb. I have a flat bar, so i'm considering
getting some barends, so i can vary my riding position, but i thought a
pair of good padded or gel-filled gloves would also be a good idea.

So, any recommendations?

A couple of things help. Changing hand position regularly is a Good
Thing, so bar ends will make a big difference to you.

Also, pads in some gloves can help. You have to look for fairly firm
pads. Specialized make some track mitts which they claim are
scientifically designed - having prodded a pair they did seem like they'd
be significantly better than any other I'd seen.

I have a pair, and they are my least favourite - least comfortable - track
mitts. That doesn't mean they won't work for everyone, of course; other
people may find them very comfortable. My favourite track mitts are a pair
of Rapha ones, which are just gorgeous to wear (but, of course, hideously
expensive).

Quoted message said:

I like drop bars not for the drop, but because I can use the hoods or the
top (same position as a flat bar). The drops only get used in headwinds,
or if I'm trying to catch/keep up with some fast bugger. Some nifty
brake levers that enable you to brake from the tops would make them
pretty much
perfect.

Like these, you mean:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5360007434

Can be fitted to any drop handlebar bike (except fancy integrated bars).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Life would be much easier if I had the source code.

Tom

I had the problem with numb hands after 30 minutes to an hour of riding
(flat bar, mainly road), bought many pairs of gloves, but cured the
problem with a pair of Ergon grips, they support my wrists when I'm
tired (when my wrists drop they restrict the blood flow to my hands &
leads to numbness).

I now user plain un-padded gloves for warmth and to prevent gravel rash
in the event of a fall

They come with & without bar ends - all I can say is they worked for
me.

They seem expensive at £30+ but if they solve your problem it's cheap
solution.

Mark

Tom Anderson said:

Evening all,

Hope you are all well etc.

I have decided i want a new pair of cycling gloves. What i have at the
moment is a battered old pair of these:

http://www.lasersailing.com/shop/uks/product/2314

Which, yes, are sailing gloves. However, to a large extent, gloves is
gloves, and they do the job most of the time.

When they don't do the job is if i'm riding >50 miles or so, at which
point my hands start to go numb. I have a flat bar, so i'm considering
getting some barends, so i can vary my riding position, but i thought a
pair of good padded or gel-filled gloves would also be a good idea.

So, any recommendations?

One of the things i really like about my sailing gloves is that they're
full-fingered on the three outer fingers, but cut back to the first
knuckle on the thumb and index finger, which gives me 90% of the dexterity
of short gloves with 60% of the protection of long gloves. Are there any
bike gloves made like this? If not, i will probably get some full-fingered
ones and make some adjustments. Or look for gel-padded sailing gloves, but
i think that's less likely.

Any thoughts on bar ends, riding positions, and other aids to the hands
are also welcome. Although don't tell me to get a drop bar; i'm not going
to do that. Or a unicycle.

Cheers and have a good weekend,
tom

--
But in natural sciences whose conclusions are true and necessary and
have nothing to do with human will, one must take care not to place
oneself in the defence of error; for here a thousand Demostheneses and
a thousand Aristotles would be left in the lurch by every mediocre wit
who happened to hit upon the truth for himself. -- Galileo

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

So, any recommendations?

Get the bar ends. Good cycling mits can help (though my experience is
that gel in the pads doesn't add anything), but riding 50 miles with
your hands in /any/ single fixed position is going to hurt.

Okay. I feel a christmas present hint coming on!

Any recommendations for bar-ends, then? Are there different types for
different uses? A quick look at Wiggle suggests there are at least
'normal', 'stubby' and 'longer'; i'd guess that the longer they are, the
more positions they give me, so something like this:

http://wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Main=ProductDetail.aspx&W=0&Manufacturer=&UberCatName=&Cat=cycle&CategoryName=Bar%20Ends&ProdID=4000000921&UberCat=0

Would be good.

I've just come across a couple of references to bar-ends not being popular
with riser bars. Why is that? Just fashion, or is there a good reason?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Any thoughts on bar ends, riding positions, and other aids to the hands
are also welcome. Although don't tell me to get a drop bar; i'm not
going to do that.

Your loss, not mine. You would[1] be more comfortable on drops, but if
you have your mind made up there's not a lot of point telling you that.

[1] Yes, I'm certain.

I rode drops for a year. Hated them. They might make my hands hurt
marginally less, but everything else about them i found unutterably awful.
You, and many others, may love them, but don't make the error of elevating
your personal preference to a universal truth.

tom

--
But for [Flavor Flav's] "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BOYYYYYYYYYY"s alone he should
be given Rap Legend status. -- Nate Patrin, ILX

Mark Taylor said:

I had the problem with numb hands after 30 minutes to an hour of riding
(flat bar, mainly road), bought many pairs of gloves, but cured the
problem with a pair of Ergon grips, they support my wrists when I'm
tired (when my wrists drop they restrict the blood flow to my hands &
leads to numbness).

I have to say, these look really good - when you think about it, it's a
really obvious idea! And you can even get them with bar-ends in. Hmm. I'll
have to scout round for more opinions, but everything i've read so far is
positive. Cheers for the suggestion.

tom

--
But for [Flavor Flav's] "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BOYYYYYYYYYY"s alone he should
be given Rap Legend status. -- Nate Patrin, ILX

In article <[email hidden]>

Tom Anderson said:

Any recommendations for bar-ends, then? Are there different types for
different uses? A quick look at Wiggle suggests there are at least
'normal', 'stubby' and 'longer'; i'd guess that the longer they are, the
more positions they give me, so something like this:

http://wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Main=ProductDetail.aspx&W=0&Manufacturer=&UberCatName=&Cat=cycle&CategoryName=Bar%20Ends&ProdID=4000000921&UberCat=0

Would be good.

I have some like that mounted inside the brake levers, which seems a
better option for road and trail use than mounting them at the end of
the bars (which results in a wide stance that catches too much wind).

Quoted message said:

I've just come across a couple of references to bar-ends not being popular
with riser bars. Why is that? Just fashion, or is there a good reason?

Fashion. Riser bars are supposed to be used for downhill and trials,
and downhill/trials riders don't use bar ends because they're a cross-
country sort of thing.

Quoted message said:

I rode drops for a year. Hated them. They might make my hands hurt
marginally less, but everything else about them i found unutterably awful.
You, and many others, may love them, but don't make the error of elevating
your personal preference to a universal truth.

That you found them "unutterably awful" suggests a major problem with
your bike setup.

Mark Thompson said:

Alternatively some kind of ?butterfly bar? (like a figure of 8 on its
side) will provide lots and lots of different ways to hold the bars.

These do look interesting. A friend of mine has some crazed custom
handlebar setup with about a million positions, plus some of those things
to rest your forearms on. I think i might start with some new grips before
moving on to that!

tom

--
But for [Flavor Flav's] "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH BOYYYYYYYYYY"s alone he should
be given Rap Legend status. -- Nate Patrin, ILX

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

So, any recommendations?

Get the bar ends. Good cycling mits can help (though my experience is
that gel in the pads doesn't add anything), but riding 50 miles with
your hands in /any/ single fixed position is going to hurt.

Okay. I feel a christmas present hint coming on!

Any recommendations for bar-ends, then?

Yes, definitely, these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5220000162

I have them on both my mountain bikes and they're very comfortable.
However, no bar-ends are going to be as comfortable as drop bars.

Quoted message said:

I rode drops for a year. Hated them. They might make my hands hurt
marginally less, but everything else about them i found unutterably
awful.

Then the bike didn't fit you.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Age equals angst multiplied by the speed of fright squared.
;; the Worlock

In article <[email hidden]>

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tom

Anderson (') said:

Any recommendations for bar-ends, then?

Yes, definitely, these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?ProdID=5220000162

"aluminium and resin exoskeleton with a firm rubber covering" - er, if
it's covered it's not an exoskeleton ... bloody marketing people.

On Fri, 3 Nov 2006 17:22:40 +0000, Tom Anderson <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

So, any recommendations?

Yes!! The unlined, grey leather, German Lufvaffe gloves. I bought a
pair from an Army & Navy store about 20 years ago, and they are still
going strong. They had a bin full of about 50 pairs, and I was able
to sift though them till I found the pair that fit perfectly!
Wonderful gloves, and excellent for cycling.

Jim D

Quoted message said:

"aluminium and resin exoskeleton with a firm rubber covering" - er, if
it's covered it's not an exoskeleton ... bloody marketing people.

<excuse> Perhaps if the covering is not attached to the exoskeleton, or is
removeable, then the skeleton remains 'exo'. An ant in a raincoat would be
a (poor) example. </excuse>