Riding without gloves

[Skyryder]

While at work the other day waiting for the lights, this guy pulls up along side on a sports bike. Big mother all the leathers and flashy gear but I look again and no gloves. If it's one piece of gear, other than helmut, that I make sure I ride with it is gloves.

Any one habitually rides without gloves?

Skyryder

[FROSTY:Me]

Nope Never --mind you --these new gloves I got from Lynda Blair-they feel ilke im not wearing gloves.

[That Guy]

Yeah I've seen that before - dude on a 998 with the Dianese gear - but no gloves! What? I reckoned at the time he must have lost them but perhaps it some sort of new 'get sensual with the grips' trend thing...

[vifferman]

Nope Never --mind you --these new gloves I got from Lynda Blair-they feel ilke im not wearing gloves.

Yeah, they're very like the Pro-1s I've got, which is why I didn't buy them. Great, aren't they?
I very occasionally ride without glubs, but it's only when I'm riding up to the end of the street or summat.
Interestingly (or prehaps, 'fortuitously'), in all the bazillions of bins I've had, I've only noticed my hands have touched down or been hurt twice. The last time (a few weeks ago), the palm of my right glove got a rip in it* (crappy Orina waterproofs), where I must've put my hand out as the bike hit the ground. The time before that, I don't think my hand hit the road, as there were no marks on the glove, but it hurt a little afterwards. Both times the pain was gone in a matter of hours, and I was VERY grateful for good gear.

*Excellent! A good excuse to buy some new gloves....

[vifferman]

Yeah I've seen that before - dude on a 998 with the Dianese gear - but no gloves! What? I reckoned at the time he must have lost them but perhaps it some sort of new 'get sensual with the grips' trend thing...

That ranks with the guy I saw a couple of years ago, when Kerry at Motohaus was fitting new tryes on my VFR. He'd brought his Ducati (851, if I recall) in for a new rear tyre, and the front tyre had virtually no tread on it! Kerry tried to convince him to get a new front as well, even offering him time-payment, but he wouldn't get one. I was speechless....
Oh well - it hardly never rains in D'Auckland, so I guess he was OK.

[NC]

I rode for 3 years without gloves, now my hands are screwed, I can't feel cold things.

And being caught in a hail storm doing 100kms kinda gave me a wake up call.


But I have a nice flash set now

[vifferman]

And being caught in a hail storm doing 100kms kinda gave me a wake up call.

Heh - been there, done that, except I was only doing about 60, so I stopped and put my hands under my armpits. Phark that hurts, don't it?

[Zed]

While at work the other day waiting for the lights, this guy pulls up along side on a sports bike. Big mother all the leathers and flashy gear but I look again and no gloves...

Yeah I've seen several riders this year without them - on the motorway! Foolish if you ask me. Then again, it took me a number of years to realise that I needed to wear 'full' protection at all times, I even thought full leather suits were a bit *extreme* on the road ...I've come a long way! I guess some people are unaware or just plain ignorant like I was?

[NC]

Heh - been there, done that, except I was only doing about 60, so I stopped and put my hands under my armpits. Phark that hurts, don't it?

Yes, yes it does.

Little bruises all over your hands are not a good look

[dhunt]

Yeah I've seen several riders this year without them - on the motorway! Foolish if you ask me. Then again, it took me a number of years to realise that I needed to wear 'full' protection at all times, I even thought full leather suits were a bit *extreme* on the road ...I've come a long way! I guess some people are unaware or just plain ignorant like I was?

I think it is a lot of the time ignorance or just "I never bin it" attitude. After binning my old bike wearing full gear, I got thinking what would have happened if I hadn't been. Normally when I was commutting I just wore normal pants but that day I happened to be wearing my leather pants. That has made me much more safety conscious and now if I ride round town will wear draggin jeans and don't wear shoes any more, always boots.

Gloves have never been a problem for me as I wear them to keep my hands warm as well as to keep the skin on them.

David

[vifferman]

I think it is a lot of the time ignorance or just "I never bin it" attitude.

Sometimes. But for some it's a calculated risk, weighed up against other factors. Like the times I've ridden without gloves (apart from in my youth, where I wore them only when it was really cold), I've weighed up the risk vs. nuisance factors, and just ridden VERY carefully (no wheelies or stoppies )

I picked up a scooterist near work (Ponsonby), after he'd been bowled by a car. His scooter was a kewl, black Italian thing, brand new, with lotsa chrome, very styley, so he was wearing black jeans and jean jacket (not done up), a T-shirt, jandals, a 'shorty' helmet, and shades. His jandals got ripped off when he hit the deck, as did about a dinner plate sized piece of skin on his back. I felt positively overdressed, standing there in full gear.
Saw him a couple of weeks ago on his scoot. I didn't notice what he had on his feet, but at a cursory glance, he hadn't amended his dress code at all. Too important to look the part, and everyone knows scooters never crash.

[toads]

I'm constantly having to remind/nag my son to wear gloves and his leather jacket. he figures if he's not going very far on his bike he doesn't need protective gear, a few weeks ago he had a little scare with a pot hole, he didn't come off his bike but he wore gloves for a whole week afterwards lol, You can talk to some people till you are blue in the face and they just "know best".

[Krayy]

I don't know why it is, but as long as I can remember, I get nervous when riding without gloves on. Even on my pedal-pushers! It just doesn't feel "right".

[Holy Roller]

Always worn gloves except when on the mighty AG100 chasing cows. Gloves have saved my skin a few times, sure they got damaged but rather them than my fingers. As a lad I came off my bicycle and the gravel rash on my hands was sooooo painful I don't want to experience that after binnin on the highway. I normally spend around $100-$150 on gloves, I like the gauntlet type that stop the wind from going up your arms.

[aff-man]

when i had 2 of my offs the gloves got wasted. If i hadn't had them i'd hate to think what my hands would look like (and they were low speed) Also how cold would your hands get. Bad for circulation