Road cycling gloves

Drifting off topic here, but
Drifting off topic here, but in response to Cam I found this simple comment from a Bikeability instructor quite revealing:

“Apparently signalling with thumb at the top of the hand rather than at the bottom appears more assertive and is therefore recommended.”

This suggests to me that there are simple and sometimes very subtle differences in our behaviour that are sensed by others. When I indicate right I stick my arm locked straight out rather than let it hang at an angle.

More insights at http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-cycle-training-session.html

As for textile technology to make cyclists more visible, I’m tempted to think this could be another step along the road to cladding us all in 100% hi-viz clothing all of the time, which I think is totally the wrong approach. Yes we should certainly be visible but it can go too far, where the responsibility lies solely with the cyclist (and therefore if we fail to look like a fluoro lemon on wheels we are at fault). As above, I’m happy to have some reflective patches; some manufacturers offer coloured gloves but I have no idea if these are popular compared to the usual black/grey.

I would ensure the next pair of full finger gloves I buy will have some reflective patches or piping, as I think that works well.

One issue I have with gloves: the ends of my fingers are either too cold or have very little dexterity (my Pearl Izumi Amfib are warm but lack feedback from brakes and shifters). At the same time the cuffs are more than warm enough.

However, I don’t have an issue with finger length in the brands I’ve tried. I would suggest worthydolt shop around, surely some brands are cut with longer fingers than others?

Somewhere I may still have
Somewhere I may still have those gloves with the integraged LEDs they are from about 10 years ago. There were at least two versions of the glove – the first which is the one I had was more complicated, the idea was to use your glove as an indicator with a row of LED’s either across the knuckles or along the index fingers, powered by little cell batteries and with an on/off switch in the index finger operated by pinching between your finger and thumb – so you had to do this to indicated. So successful indicating required both succesful operation of the button AND remembering to press it in the first place – neither a given. Or more simply you just left them on.

The next version were simpler and in many respects more effective – LED technolgy was moving fast and they simply relied on a row of velcro’d lights across the knuckle that were designed to be on for the duration of your ride. From there as I remember the guy who developed them moved to simply producing small wearable LEDs that could be attached to bags, or clothing. If I was going to attach a light or any sort of actively illuminated garment I think I would opt for trousers or an ankle band on the basis that the movement your legs make is the one that, according to research, is most likely to attract driver attention.

The other drawback of the gloves was that they simply weren’t that good as cycling gloves. Not very waterproof, windproof, fairly breathable but also fairly hot too. The demands placed on a cycling glove mean that it is very difficult to produce an all year round glove because givien the variation in temperatures (magnified by windchill) your hands are either going to get too hot or too cold if you wear the same glove through every season. Here’s my list of must have details on a good glove: Padding around the ulnar nerve and across the base of your fingers, not too much though and it wants to be fairly grippy too, extra grip on the ends of your fingers particularly those that you might use for changing gear, somewhere to wipe your nose, an easy to use wrist closure that is both high enough and snug enough to stop draughts getting in where your glove and jacket sleeve meet, waterproof/ or at least showerproof and breathable. A winter glove I just want to be warm.