Reusing crashed gloves

[avimistry]

Hi guys,

I have a pair of Astars gloves that I crashed in a while back. The gloves did their job 100%, and the only visible damage is to the PU knuckle protector. No seams seem to have opened, and the leather seems fine too. The asphalt has taken a decent grind off the top layer of the knuckle protector (especially the index finger), and my concern is it might not survive another crash and will get eaten through. Do you think it safe to continue using 'em, or should I rather be safe (than sorry) and just replace 'em?

Thanks, and Cheers..

[george formby]

A lot of riders use gloves with nothing more than a bit of padding, no armour as such. I would not be sweating it much unless I was racing. Then again, I have seen some racers gear... They don't buy new leathers when they get scuffed.

Maybe let go of the bike a bit earlier next time, just in case. ;)

[Mike.Gayner]

Seems like one of those questions that could be answered with common sense and reasonable judgement. Also seems like the person in possession of the gloves is in a better position to answer than random internet people.

[pritch]

I "road tested" a pair of Held Motard gloves, I don't use them all the time but in summer they do get the odd use.

Since you raised the question though they probably don't offer quite the same protection they used to because of the damage, but they still offer more than some untested summer gloves i have here. The latter were used on the moped and I'd use them on the pushbike. You'd need to be a bit ummm brave(?) to wear them on a big bike.

[skippa1]

They wont be as good as new ones but wont be as bad as none. You choose

[avimistry]

A lot of riders use gloves with nothing more than a bit of padding, no armour as such. I would not be sweating it much unless I was racing. Then again, I have seen some racers gear... They don't buy new leathers when they get scuffed.

Maybe let go of the bike a bit earlier next time, just in case. ;)

Hahaha, hopefully there isn't a next time. The damage happened during the slide (was a lowside). Even looking at the smallest scuff, I wouldn't want that on my bare hand.

[avimistry]

Seems like one of those questions that could be answered with common sense and reasonable judgement. Also seems like the person in possession of the gloves is in a better position to answer than random internet people.

Completely agree. Looking at the gloves, they've served their purpose, and the sustained damage is enough to warrant a replacement. Just want to get views on similar experiences.

[avimistry]

I "road tested" a pair of Held Motard gloves, I don't use them all the time but in summer they do get the odd use.

Since you raised the question though they probably don't offer quite the same protection they used to because of the damage, but they still offer more than some untested summer gloves i have here. The latter were used on the moped and I'd use them on the pushbike. You'd need to be a bit ummm brave(?) to wear them on a big bike.

Those summer, textile, short-cuff gloves are a joke for motorcycle riding imo. I'm talking about the ones that seem to be very popular with american sportbike riders. I understand it gets hot out there , but I'd take sweaty over road-rash any day. Pushbike is all they'd see it if were mine.

[avimistry]

They wont be as good as new ones but wont be as bad as none.

Nice one! Lets not get started on RWOG.. Riding Without Gear. Gloves (at the least) should join helmets as compulsory. If not for saving your skin then for preventing loss of control... stone hits bare hand.. rider feels pain.. rider yanks hand.. motorcycle swerves.. KABOOM!!!

[Kickaha]

Completely agree. Looking at the gloves, they've served their purpose, and the sustained damage is enough to warrant a replacement. Just want to get views on similar experiences.

One pair of gloves I had a few crashes ( 3-4 ) while racing, in the end they got replaced because they were several years old and I wore them out

[ellipsis]

...I make sure my hands are in my pockets before I hit the tarmac...try it next time...you may be surprised by the results...

[AllanB]

On the bright side God gifted you two hands - so if one gets fucked up you have a spare.

[pritch]

Those summer, textile, short-cuff gloves are a joke for motorcycle riding imo.

Never owned those. The ones I have aren't total crap, they are Spidi, they are perforated leather and are long enough to cover my watch. There is padding in the usual places but it's minimalist in nature. Fine for a moped but not the Triumph. I used to wear MotoX gloves on the moped too but I wouldn't wear them on the bike either.

To the OP, you will know if the gloves are OK. It's not like a helmet, replacement is not mandatory.

[skippa1]

On the bright side God gifted you two hands - so if one gets fucked up you have a spare.
Same as legs lol

[EJK]

Same as legs lol

And a kidney to buy a Ducati Panigale 1199 Superleggera. Thanks God!

[Banditbandit]

Some of my gloves have gone down the road several times .. and the only reason I changed them is they got really old .. no damage at all ...

I find the ones I buy now don't last anywhere near as long as some I used to be able to buy .. I think I had one set for 10 years. Now I'm lucky to get more than a year out of a set - and they haven't hit the road .. and they went down the road three times ...

[Autech]

Depends on the crash really.

I had some cheap blue gloves which performed gorgeously in 2 crashes, only swapped them out as I got a sweet deal on some Orana Kangaroo jobbies which I thought might do better. Had a brain fart a few months back and binned it, first crash on them and they wore straight through almost instantly and then went about munting my pinkie up... Basically comes down to how you fall, my leg was pinned under the bike so I think I may have had that hand stablising me as I gracefully worked my way to the infield. Others have crashed perfectly fine in these gloves as they are quick popular amongst the racers. After that crash went back to my old faithfulls which I think might have another crash left in em.
Got some sweet looking Oxford gloves lined up for when I have $200 spare next with the webbed pinkie protection.

It all comes down to how safe you feel riding in em, plan for the worst, hope for the best. Also depends on what kind of riding you do and how often you plan on crashing :wait:

[avimistry]

Depends on the crash really.

I had some cheap blue gloves which performed gorgeously in 2 crashes, only swapped them out as I got a sweet deal on some Orana Kangaroo jobbies which I thought might do better. Had a brain fart a few months back and binned it, first crash on them and they wore straight through almost instantly and then went about munting my pinkie up... Basically comes down to how you fall, my leg was pinned under the bike so I think I may have had that hand stablising me as I gracefully worked my way to the infield. Others have crashed perfectly fine in these gloves as they are quick popular amongst the racers. After that crash went back to my old faithfulls which I think might have another crash left in em.
Got some sweet looking Oxford gloves lined up for when I have $200 spare next with the webbed pinkie protection.

It all comes down to how safe you feel riding in em, plan for the worst, hope for the best. Also depends on what kind of riding you do and how often you plan on crashing :wait:

Hahaha.. Yeah, the crash wore through the PU knuckle protector quite a bit to the point that a second crash would eat through completely almost instantly. It's an Astars pair but it's a WP touring glove so its focus is more on comfort than protection. Had it been my GP Plus pair, the damage would've been far less. Since you mention the pinky bridge, I've been looking at gloves lately and noticed that almost the entire Astars line has the bridge, whereas a lot of other brands don't utilize this, not even on their top spec racing gloves. So I began to wonder how much of an added benefit they actually do provide, but irrespective, I'd have more peace of mind with the bridge.

[nzspokes]

Hahaha.. Yeah, the crash wore through the PU knuckle protector quite a bit to the point that a second crash would eat through completely almost instantly. It's an Astars pair but it's a WP touring glove so its focus is more on comfort than protection. Had it been my GP Plus pair, the damage would've been far less. Since you mention the pinky bridge, I've been looking at gloves lately and noticed that almost the entire Astars line has the bridge, whereas a lot of other brands don't utilize this, not even on their top spec racing gloves. So I began to wonder how much of an added benefit they actually do provide, but irrespective, I'd have more peace of mind with the bridge.

Makes it hard to wave.

[Autech]

As I'm currently seeing a hand physio for my pinkie (hard to play guitar when it only half closes) I'd say the pinkie bridge is well worth it! :D


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[avimistry]

As I'm currently seeing a hand physio for my pinkie (hard to play guitar when it only half closes) I'd say the pinkie bridge is well worth it! :D


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Damn, hope it heals up. In my view the bridge is actually a vital feature, so I can't see that brands like Dainese and Spidi are intentionally excluding it on their gloves. It may be that they use a different approach to protecting the pinky, extra reinforcement in that area perhaps..

[avimistry]

What about protecting the wrists from twisting and breaking? Are the gauntlets (on full gloves) meant for this? I don't think the standard gauntlet would help much as it sits below the wrist. Maybe a more heavy duty type, like on the Alpinestars GP Pro, might prevent excessive twisting..

[Kickaha]

What about protecting the wrists from twisting and breaking? Are the gauntlets (on full gloves) meant for this? I don't think the standard gauntlet would help much as it sits below the wrist. Maybe a more heavy duty type, like on the Alpinestars GP Pro, might prevent excessive twisting..

In my experience it isn't twisiting that breaks stuff, it's impact, some gloves now have sliders so when when you hit the deck your hands slide which is meant to lessen the chances of a schapoid break and also ulna protection for when you're tumbling

[avimistry]

In my experience it isn't twisiting that breaks stuff, it's impact, some gloves now have sliders so when when you hit the deck your hands slide which is meant to lessen the chances of a schapoid break and also ulna protection for when you're tumbling

Yeah that makes sense, the force of the impact causes the trauma, so dissipating this energy could lesson/avoid trauma. Normally the mid to top tier "race" gloves have sliders, but I think sliders should be on touring gloves as well. I understand that more PU parts would increase the cost, but we're not asking for titanium or magnesium, and it's just a small amount of PU. And I can't see sliders sacrificing comfort much, if at all.

[Kornholio]

Your hands are the least of your worry when you crash, Helmet, Jacket and Pants are a good start

[avimistry]

Your hands are the least of your worry when you crash, Helmet, Jacket and Pants are a good start

I gotta disagree here. Too many riders skimp on hand and lower leg protection, and these are the easiest to damage as they are smaller and therefore take less trauma to injure. That being said, no one body part is more important than another and all should be protected equally. I mean it doesn't help having top spec gloves and boots while wearing a mesh jacket/pant or open-face helmet. And you don't have to go out and buy the most expensive stuff on the market, just use your discretion on the type of riding you do.

[Drew]

As I'm currently seeing a hand physio for my pinkie (hard to play guitar when it only half closes) I'd say the pinkie bridge is well worth it! :D


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Sod that. I've chopped every one of those on gloves I've had. Restrictions on finger movement can't help riding. Mind, the ol' RF needs four fingers on the brake to stop the big bitch.

Your hands are the least of your worry when you crash, Helmet, Jacket and Pants are a good start
Nah man. Good gloves are a must.

[swbarnett]

Nah man. Good gloves are a must.
Agreed. My wife has the use of her hand today because of her glove. Got run over by a truck. It looked pretty bad as it was (fully healed a couple of weeks later). I don't want to imagine what it would've been like if her hand had been bare.

[avimistry]

Sod that. I've chopped every one of those on gloves I've had. Restrictions on finger movement can't help riding. Mind, the ol' RF needs four fingers on the brake to stop the big bitch.

I've never had any issues with finger restrictions with the bridge. Your ring finger and pinky tend to move together (naturally), so whether you use 2 fingers or 4 fingers they will move/stay together. That's just in my experience.

[avimistry]

Agreed. My wife has the use of her hand today because of her glove. Got run over by a truck. It looked pretty bad as it was (fully healed a couple of weeks later). I don't want to imagine what it would've been like if her hand had been bare.

Damn that sounds painful. Good to hear that she was wearing gloves (proper ones) and that she recovered well. When I had my off I had on all the gear, except I was in normal jeans. Too many riders make the mistake of riding in normal pants without protection. Would have saved me the lil pain, inconvenience of limping around, and not to mention weeks of recovery, had I worn proper riding pants.

[george formby]

Damn that sounds painful. Good to hear that she was wearing gloves (proper ones) and that she recovered well. When I had my off I had on all the gear, except I was in normal jeans. Too many riders make the mistake of riding in normal pants without protection. Would have saved me the lil pain, inconvenience of limping around, and not to mention weeks of recovery, had I worn proper riding pants.

A bloke who lost control of a stonking wheelie an old CBR thou, (which wrote my bike off parked at the side of the road, completely flipped it), ended up in the gutter with one leg of his jeans split to the belt. What a mess. an encyclopedia of lacerations.
Never forgotten it and never really compromised my gear since.

Having said that if you wear your gear for years it does lose integrity. I've had body armour break up in my leather jacket. It must have been useless for a long time before it disintegrated. Thinking about it, apart from helmet, gloves and boots, the rest of my gear is so old it would be like toilet paper if I binned.

Sorry, just a random thought.

[avimistry]

A bloke who lost control of a stonking wheelie an old CBR thou, (which wrote my bike off parked at the side of the road, completely flipped it), ended up in the gutter with one leg of his jeans split to the belt. What a mess. an encyclopedia of lacerations.
Never forgotten it and never really compromised my gear since.

Having said that if you wear your gear for years it does lose integrity. I've had body armour break up in my leather jacket. It must have been useless for a long time before it disintegrated. Thinking about it, apart from helmet, gloves and boots, the rest of my gear is so old it would be like toilet paper if I binned.

Sorry, just a random thought.

Random thought most welcome. Yes, plastic, foam, and even leather does lose integrity over time. Temperature and other external elements, sweat and just using an item, will cause it to wear down. We all know that helmets have a life of 5-7 years, but I'm not sure about other gear. I mean, it goes without saying that if seams are breaking or bits coming off then it should be replaced, but what bout natural disintegration...

As for the CBR wheelieing bloke, it's a hard (and painful) lesson learned for him, but sometimes it's such images that hit the message home. Experience may be the best teacher, but in the case of riding where you'd rather avoid the practical lesson, then learning from others mistakes/experiences is the next best thing..

[swbarnett]

Damn that sounds painful. Good to hear that she was wearing gloves (proper ones) and that she recovered well.
Indeed. She tells of being in absolute agony when the paramedic's touser cuff just brushed the hand. There wasn't one square mm that wasn't bruised or grazed on the hand that got run over. Because of the glove, apart from being bloody painful, there was no damage beyond that - all bones, nerves and skin still very much intact.


When I had my off I had on all the gear, except I was in normal jeans.
That's the interesting thing. Her legs were only covered by jeans during her off and the legs suffered vertually no damage at all. Just a small bit of very minor grazing.

[avimistry]

Indeed. She tells of being in absolute agony when the paramedic's touser cuff just brushed the hand. There wasn't one square mm that wasn't bruised or grazed on the hand that got run over. Because of the glove, apart from being bloody painful, there was no damage beyond that - all bones, nerves and skin still very much intact.


That's the interesting thing. Her legs were only covered by jeans during her off and the legs suffered vertually no damage at all. Just a small bit of very minor grazing.

There's a reason companies put soo much R&D in what may seem like simple riding gloves. And your wife just goes to show it.

Grazing, or road rash, can be really painful but it is also an utter nuisance. Dressings, water/dirt exposure, clothing rubbing against it :angry2: . Not to mention, it can take months to heal completely. I hope she has given up the jeans for riding pants. The options for pants these days are way more than you would need. Even kevlar leggings/thermals.

[Drew]

I've never had any issues with finger restrictions with the bridge. Your ring finger and pinky tend to move together (naturally), so whether you use 2 fingers or 4 fingers they will move/stay together. That's just in my experience.
I know that, but I hate the feeling all the same.

[nzspokes]

I know that, but I hate the feeling all the same.

Agree 100%.

[avimistry]

Agree 100%.

I know the Astars bridge consists on 3 webs, so perhaps if you cut just the top most one you'd have better comfort with some protection.

[swbarnett]

Grazing, or road rash, can be really painful but it is also an utter nuisance. Dressings, water/dirt exposure, clothing rubbing against it :angry2: . Not to mention, it can take months to heal completely. I hope she has given up the jeans for riding pants. The options for pants these days are way more than you would need. Even kevlar leggings/thermals.
I agree with the sentiment but there are two caveats that mean I'm quite comfortable with her riding in jeans. She's been riding as primary transport for over 30 years now and had a few minor drops and a couple of major ones. The jeans have never been an issue. Secondly, riding pants aren't made in her size.

[avimistry]

I agree with the sentiment but there are two caveats that mean I'm quite comfortable with her riding in jeans. She's been riding as primary transport for over 30 years now and had a few minor drops and a couple of major ones. The jeans have never been an issue. Secondly, riding pants aren't made in her size.

Yeah size is an issue for me as well. I'm a smaller guy and even some big brands don't go as small as I need. Dainese and Rev'it cater for smaller riders, and even though local retailers have started stocking the smaller sizes the prices are quite inflated. At least try some knee guards. I recently got the Draggin ones, which go under pants. Quite low profile, easy to get on, stays in place, and as comfy as they come: https://www.dragginjeans.net/armour/knee-guard-detail.html

[swbarnett]

Yeah size is an issue for me as well. I'm a smaller guy and even some big brands don't go as small as I need. Dainese and Rev'it cater for smaller riders, and even though local retailers have started stocking the smaller sizes the prices are quite inflated. At least try some knee guards. I recently got the Draggin ones, which go under pants. Quite low profile, easy to get on, stays in place, and as comfy as they come: https://www.dragginjeans.net/armour/knee-guard-detail.html
My wife has the opposite problem with sizing.

To be honest we've always treated over-trousers as an optional extra (I mostly wear mine for warmth and rain protection and don't always wear them in summer). Probably a generational thing. Each successive generation seems to up the ante when it comes to "minimum" gear. My father rode in a pudding basin helmet and an army great coat. When I started in the '80s I had a full-face helmet but only a PVC jacket, minimal gloves and whatever shoes I was wearing at the time. In summer I would replace the PVC with denim. Nowadays there are riders that regard a back and chest protector as "necessary" equipment.

It may also depend on how often someone rides. If one only rides on the weekends then they're perhaps less likely to regard donning a complete suit of armour as too much of a hassle than those of us that ride every day.