Proper fitting motorcycle gloves are crucial because,as the saying goes in the motorcycle community ”It’s not if you go down but when you go down”.If you are involved in a motorcycle accident the last thing you want is for a piece of protective gear to fail because of negligence on your part.There are studies that say when a motorcyclist is involved in a crash one of the very first instincts is to put your hands out to help brace for impact or a slide on the pavement.
Injuries to fingers,wrist,knuckles and skin are common in crashes,and without protective gloves these injuries can be severe.
Protective Gloves That Are To Large!!
If your motorcycle gloves are to big they will be useless in crashes. When your hands make contact with the pavement they will slide off your hands. which will cause road rash. Road rash can require graft surgery if severe enough.
Large gloves can cause dexterity issues. Leading to you causing an accident.or it can cause slow reaction time in emergency situation.
This con not only a safety issue but also a comfort one.Oversized motorcycle gloves leaves to much extra space inside the glove.Riding motorcycles during winter allows cold air to creep in. When that happens your hands get cold.This causes slow reaction time.
Riding Gloves That Are To Small!!
Small Motorcycle riding gloves can restrict blood flow to the hands.Restricted blood flow can cause severe pain.difficulty moving fingers and hand swelling. coldness,numbness and tingling as well.
Tight fitting motorcycle riding gloves limit flexibility.Limited flexibility prevents riders from properly operating important components. such as brake and clutch levers.
Small gloves can cause numbness.Numbness can cause a biker to apply to much pressure to brakes/clutch or not enough.The loss of feeling in fingers can cause a rider to crash.
Types of Protective Gloves Material
Ok first let’s talk about glove material this is important because each type has a huge benefits and case uses. These gloves material have varying protection and comfort levels.there atleast 5 different types of glove material commonly used in the industry.
These Include:
Cowhide Leather
Goatskin Leather
Deerskin Leather
Mesh
Textile
Leather Pros And Cons
Cowhide Gloves-Cowhide offers the best protection because of strength and abrasion resistance.Cowhide is a top choice for amateurs and required professional racers.However these require more maintenance and less weather resistant.Once broken in the gloves become more comfortables.
Goatskin Gloves-Goatskin gloves offer similar abrasion protection as cowhide gloves.There are some differences which can make rider choose goatskin instead of cowhide.Goatskin is lighter than cowhide it also provides better flexibility and cost less than cowhide.
Deerskin Gloves-Are known for providing superior dexterity over other leather gloves.These offer great strength and durability.Another benefit is more weather resistance.
Textile And Mesh Pros And Cons
Mesh Gloves– a great option for people riding in hot climates.mesh gloves offer lots of breathability.These gloves are comfortable while allowing good dexterity fingers.A drawback is mesh gloves offer the least amount of protection crash.
Textile Gloves-Are my favorite to wear. These offer versatility.Textile cost less than leather the protection is less but very adequate.These offer better protection than mesh gloves.Many textile gloves use strong fabric such as kevlar. Maintenance is easier they are machine washable.
Conclusion
Now armed with the necessary information to make a good decision.Go to a store try multiple gloves.see what fits best for your riding style.
