Cycling has never been short of questionable trends. Sock height has become a subject of international diplomacy. Handlebars have narrowed until some race bikes look as though they were assembled using parts from a child’s scooter. Riders have spent impressive sums removing a few grams from their bikes, only to carry two phones, four gels and a café pastry in their pockets.
The latest fashion in pro racing is riding without gloves. Bare hands can look clean, modern and cool. Some professionals say they prefer the direct connection with the handlebar. Others may be trying to improve cooling in hot conditions, avoid bunching or pressure from poorly fitted gloves, or take advantage of the increased cushioning and grip offered by modern bar tape.
Rob from Pedal Pasion says: Put those damn gloves on, you won't regret it! I have battle-scars to prove it. Please... skip this trend
For pro teams, those preferences exist within a highly controlled environment. Their bikes are meticulously prepared, their positions are professionally refined, their equipment is replaced frequently and a support vehicle is usually somewhere behind them carrying mechanics, spare wheels, food, clothing and medical assistance.
For everyday road, gravel, mountain-bike and commuting use, cycling gloves remain one of the least expensive and most useful pieces of protective equipment a rider can own. They will not prevent every hand injury, stop a fracture or transform an unsuitable bike fit into ergonomic perfection. What they can do is prevent painful and slow-healing gravel rash, improve grip, manage perspiration, reduce rubbing.
That is a considerable return from something small enough to disappear permanently inside the washing machine.
The Bare-Handed Trend
Riding without gloves is not entirely new. Professional riders including Tom Boonen, Mathieu van der Poel and others have occasionally raced barehanded, while numerous elite athletes have trained that way for years. What was the motivation? Better bar feel, reduced bulk, cooler hands, personal preference and, inevitably, fashion.
The discussion became more prominent during the 2026 racing season as spectators noticed more professional riders appearing without gloves. GCN Tech subsequently explored possible explanations including heat management, changing aesthetic preferences and improvements in modern handlebar tape. We say that's a rabbit hole not worth getting into.
Some riders simply dislike gloves. They may find seams irritating, padding excessive or cuffs restrictive. A thin, perfectly fitted glove can feel almost invisible, but a badly chosen one may bunch under the palm, trap heat or create pressure exactly where it is supposed to relieve it.
That is a legitimate reason to choose a better glove. It is not necessarily a good reason to choose no glove.
Professionals also make equipment decisions according to a very different risk equation. For an elite racer, tiny reductions in heat retention, distraction or unwanted material between hand and handlebar may matter. Teams can supply multiple glove models and sizes, and riders can test them during training before selecting what works best.
The average cyclist’s priorities are different. Most of us are not deciding whether a seam costs half a watt during the final kilometre of a WorldTour race. We are trying to finish a Sunday ride without dropping a bottle, missing a pothole or arriving home with palms that resemble grated parmesan.
Your Hands Are More Important Than They Look
Hands do an extraordinary amount of work on a bicycle. They steer, brake, shift, signal, absorb vibration, stabilise the upper body, operate a cycling computer and reach for food. They are also expected to unzip a jersey, retrieve a phone, open a stubborn gel and use all kinds hand gestures at a car which has already ignored us.
During a fall, the natural reaction is often to extend the arms and attempt to break the impact with the hands. Medicos (medical professionals) call this mechanism a fall on an outstretched hand, commonly abbreviated to FOOSH. It can produce wrist sprains, ligament damage, distal radius fractures, scaphoid fractures and injuries to the fingers, palms or nerves. Gloves cannot absorb the full force of such an impact or prevent a fracture, but they can place a layer of material between the skin and the road which can be critical.
What does science say?
A systematic review and meta-analysis published by BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine on 18 July 2025 examined 44 studies across competitive cycling disciplines. Upper-limb injuries represented 48.32% of reported road-cycling injuries, while skin lacerations, abrasions and lesions were the most common injury types across the disciplines studied. Bone fractures were the second most common.
A separate prospective study published on 14 January 2025 followed 47 professional cyclists throughout the 2024 season. It recorded 55 injury events and found that injury incidence was considerably higher during racing than training. The combined injury rate was 4.14 per 1,000 hours of racing exposure compared with 1.23 per 1,000 training hours.
To be fair, the gloves we wear are not kevlar-reinforced (like the ones used for motorbikes) so a glove should therefore be understood as an additional protective layer, not as armour and certainly not as permission to test whether the next corner has become less slippery since last week.
The Problem With Gravel Rash on Your Palms
Road rash is frequently dismissed as a minor cycling injury. Technically, many abrasions are minor compared with fractures, concussion or internal injuries. Practically, removing skin from the palm is one of those experiences that can make every ordinary task unexpectedly educational.
Try washing your hair with an injured palm. Buttoning a shirt becomes advanced engineering. Typing, cooking, driving, opening a jar, gripping a steering wheel and even getting back onto a bicycle may become painful or impossible.
A glove is not guaranteed to remain intact in a high-speed crash. Lightweight summer material can tear, stitching can fail and severe abrasion can penetrate the palm. Nevertheless, sacrificial material is preferable to sacrificial skin.
If the glove destroys itself while helping reduce direct contact between palm and road, it has not failed. It died with honour on the battlefield
Grip and Control
Protection during a crash is only one reason to wear gloves. The more immediate benefit on many rides is grip.
In Australia, for example, we ride in warm or humid conditions. Brisbane summers can turn a relaxed endurance ride into a mobile sauna. Sweat travels down the arms, moisture accumulates at the hands and bare skin becomes less predictable against bar tape or rubber grips.
Cycling gloves commonly use synthetic leather, textured fabric or silicone printing across the palm and fingers. These materials can give the hand a more consistent interface with the handlebar when conditions are hot, wet or dusty. The improvement is not about clinging desperately to the bars.
Another consideration from Rob's personal experience: Shift-brake lever covers can last a season without becoming loose, but in my case, they last 3 months (it's a riding style, frequently shifting positions, getting up from the saddle, etc.)
Loose covers plus bare hands is a recipe for disaster. Proper grip using gloves can give you that extra confidence in handling.
What do manufacturers say?
Glove manufacturer Ziener similarly differentiates between evenly padded comfort palms and targeted combinations of foam, gel and silicone grip material. The aim is not simply to add more cushioning, but to place appropriate materials where they can manage pressure without creating new hotspots.
More padding is therefore not automatically better. A glove that resembles a small upholstered lounge suite may feel luxurious in the shop but obstruct bar feel, bunch during riding or concentrate pressure around the edges of the pads.
The best padding is usually the least amount that solves the rider’s actual problem.
Here is a personal example:
Rob's take:
The photo does not show the half-dozen gloves which ended in the bin. Sorry brands, I have to name a few:
- Giro gloves - two pairs in bin.
- Rapha gloves (after Walton takeover, so batch from around 2020) - bin.
- Assos (did not test all, but too much padding and stretched after a seson) - which is personally dissapointing, as I am a loyal Assos bibs fan.
- The Castelli gloves in the photo - Perfection. Those are 10 years old, padding is thin but in all the right spots, did not stretch beyond usability and seams hold well.
I know Castelli as a brand can be dismissed by cool kids these days, but that makes me sad.
For long-term ownership, it is my go-to brand for jerseys and gloves (while Assos is still the only brand touching my bum)
Comfort, Vibration and Numb Hands
Appropriate gloves can help distribute pressure and take the edge off vibration, especially during long road rides or on corrugated gravel. They are not, however, a treatment for every case of numbness.
Persistent symptoms may indicate problems with bicycle fit, handlebar reach, saddle position, wrist angle, grip tension, tyre pressure or the amount of body weight being supported by the hands. Switching hand positions regularly, improving core support, checking the cockpit setup and using appropriate tyres and pressures may matter more than increasing glove padding.
How Gloves Can Reduce Recovery Disruption
The real cost of an injured palm is not limited to wound dressings. It is the interruption caused by the injury.
A cyclist may feel physically ready to ride after a relatively modest fall, yet remain unable to grip the bars, maintain braking pressure or tolerate vibration. That can delay the return to outdoor riding even when the legs are uninjured.
Choosing the Right Gloves for Your Riding
The best cycling glove is not necessarily the most expensive. It is the one that fits properly, suits the riding conditions and remains comfortable after several hours.
Road Cycling
For warm-weather road riding, a lightweight short-finger glove or cycling mitt is usually the most practical option. Look for:
- A close fit with no loose material across the palm
- Breathable backing fabric
- A durable synthetic-leather or microsuede palm
- Minimal or strategically placed padding
- Secure wrist closure or a well-designed pull-on cuff
- Easy removal tabs
- A soft thumb panel for wiping sweat
Racers who dislike bulky gloves should try thin, low-profile models with little or no padding. This preserves bar feel while still adding grip and abrasion protection.
Long-distance riders may prefer carefully positioned foam or gel, but the glove should be tested on the bicycle rather than judged by squeezing the palm in a shop. Hand position changes when the rider rests on the hoods, drops or tops.
Gravel and Adventure Riding
Gravel places greater emphasis on vibration management and security over rough surfaces. A suitable glove may include:
- More abrasion-resistant palm material
- Moderate, anatomically positioned padding
- Strong stitching around high-load areas
- Highly breathable upper fabric
- Reliable wet and dry grip
- Full-finger coverage for rougher routes
- A cuff that keeps dust and debris out
MTB
Full-finger gloves are usually preferable for trail riding because they provide more complete coverage against vegetation, branches, trail debris and minor impacts.
Priorities include:
- Full-finger abrasion protection
- A grippy palm with good brake-lever feel
- Reinforced thumb and finger areas
- Secure wrist fit
- Breathability
- Touchscreen-compatible fingertips if required
- Optional knuckle protection for technical riding
Excessive padding can reduce control on an off-road bike, particularly where precise braking matters. Many mountain bikers prefer a thin palm with durable material and direct grip.
Commuting
Commuters need reliability in variable weather. A useful glove should be visible, washable and easy to put on quickly. Reflective details can improve visibility when indicating, though they should complement rather than replace good lights and road positioning.
For cooler or wet conditions, consider wind-resistant or water-resistant full-finger gloves. Complete waterproofing often reduces breathability, so choose according to ride length and temperature rather than assuming “more waterproof” always means “more comfortable”.
Winter and Cold-Weather Riding
Cold hands can lose touch and feel, making braking and shifting more difficult. Winter gloves should provide insulation and wind protection without becoming so bulky that operating controls feels like defusing a bomb while wearing oven mitts.
Layered glove systems can work well. A thin liner beneath a windproof outer glove gives flexibility across changing temperatures. Split-finger or lobster-style gloves retain warmth effectively but may feel unfamiliar on certain controls.
Fit Matters More Than the Logo
Measure the hand according to the manufacturer’s instructions because sizing differs significantly between brands. A medium in one model may fit like a small in another, or like something designed for a human lobster.
A correctly fitted glove should:
- Sit flat across the palm
- Allow full finger movement
- Avoid pressure between the thumb and index finger
- Remain secure when the hand closes around the bar
- Avoid restricting circulation at the wrist
- Keep padding aligned with the intended pressure zones
- Produce no folded seams beneath the palm
If the glove feels tight while standing in a cool shop, it may become uncomfortable when the hands swell during a hot, long ride. Conversely, a loose glove can wrinkle, rub and move against the handlebar.
Budget, Performance and Longevity
Entry-level gloves can provide valuable grip and palm coverage, but price differences often appear in material quality, seam placement, breathability, padding design and durability.
A sensible budget glove should have a securely stitched palm, appropriate grip material and minimal internal irritation. Spending more may provide better anatomical shaping, lighter fabrics, refined padding and improved longevity, but price alone is not proof of comfort.
Trend Worth Skipping? Yep
Professional racing influences purchasing decisions, but not everything used by elite riders transfers sensibly to recreational cycling.
Imitating a professional’s equipment choice without sharing the same physique, support structure, riding conditions or risk tolerance is not performance optimisation.
The same caution applies to several modern cycling trends:
- Excessively narrow handlebars may not suit a rider’s anatomy or handling needs.
- Fashionably low front ends can compromise comfort and control.
- Ultra-light components can trade durability for marginal weight savings.
- Very thin bar tape may increase hand discomfort on long rides.
- And finally, bare hands remove a useful layer of abrasion protection for no clearly verified everyday performance gain.
Good cycling equipment should solve a problem. If a trend creates three new problems and looks excellent in photos, it may be more appropriate for social media than Sunday morning.