Bicycle gloves in summer? Initially sounds quite nonsensical. Here you will learn why you should wear gloves on the bike even in summer and how to find the right ones.
The absolutely most important reason for wearing summer gloves right away: We wish it on no one... but if a fall occurs, (even in summer!) bicycle gloves are worth their weight in gold!
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If you fall off the bike, you instinctively break the fall with your hands. A pair of good summer gloves protects your hands from abrasions. |
Has that already convinced you? Wonderful! But there are further arguments. So let's continue with reason number 2:
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Bike gloves help you complete your bike training safely, because in the best case they ensure that a fall doesn't happen in the first place. They prevent your wet hands from slipping off the handlebars. |
Safety is good, but the comfort is also important! And here bike gloves are crucial! They are padded and prevent calluses, blisters, or tension.
Who needs gloves on the bike in summer?
Anyone who rides their bike for a longer period in summer does better with gloves. Two groups of people benefit particularly, even on shorter rides.
- Mountain bikers are particularly prone to falls, gloves are simply part of the protective equipment.
- Many cyclists who are already struggling with problems such as numb or tingling hands, aching wrists, shoulders, or neck, or conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, can also benefit from bicycle gloves in summer to alleviate their symptoms .
With the quick decision-making aid to the right summer glove
There are different models, if you don't want to read on, you can quickly decide here what you need:
- Gloves with long fingers or short gloves?
- Summer gloves without padding, with gel padding, or with foam padding?
- Do you need an absorbent surface or an area that cleans the glasses?
- Do you need touchscreen-compatible gloves? If so, which finger?
- What glove size do you need? The size chart is further down.
Bicycle gloves (here for women) make your bike summer safer. Image © Roeckl
And now in detail: Why are bicycle gloves important in summer?
In winter, fingers on the bicycle handlebars get cold particularly quickly, so it's really not a question – gloves are a must! But even on warm summer days, there are good reasons for it:
- Sweaty hands are the enemy of controlled steering movement – light cycling gloves improve grip significantly and ensure that the grips stay firmly in hand. This becomes a safety issue – a well-controlled path can prevent accidents!
- A little summer rain in between is not so bad during sweat-inducing cycling – however, the wetness makes your grips slippery! Cycling gloves also improve grip on the handlebars here.
- When your hands are sweaty, you have to grip harder. Over time, this makes your arms tire faster. Cycling gloves therefore also provide more riding comfort in the summer and deliver relaxed biking fun.
- Even though good bicycle grips and handlebar tape are supposed to prevent this, the sweat film can cause you to get painful calluses and blisters on your hands. With good cycling gloves, you can ride carefree through the summer.
- Last but not least, your hands on the handlebars are exposed to the sun all the time, so there is an acute risk of sunburn! Sunscreen would be helpful, but in times of intensive hand washing with lots of soap, the cream is rinsed away in no time. Light cycling gloves for the summer cover the sensitive skin on the back of the hand and protect it from nasty UV radiation.
These features make cycling gloves particularly practical in summer
While the palm of a cycling glove must be abrasion-resistant above all, the top should be particularly elastic , which used to result in the exciting combination of leather + spandex.
The summer cycling glove is abrasion-resistant and elastic
Today, a variety of synthetic materials are often used, which adapt the properties of cycling gloves to the summer and heat, leather is being sewn less and less. Incidentally, the gloves are also vegan. Gloves for mountain bikers are also made from a very tear-resistant material. Many manufacturers today rely on recycled materials when choosing synthetic fibers, as this greatly improves the sustainability of cycling gloves. The outer fabric is usually breathable and elastic, allowing the hand to move well. Inside, a layer that absorbs sweat ensures a pleasantly dry climate.
As little glove as necessary – for summer, cycling gloves consist of as little breathable material as possible. Image © 100%.
Long live the silicone!
To improve grip on the handlebars, many cycling gloves have silicone elements glued on the inside. Additionally, there are such silicone pads on the fingers that operate the brakes, ensuring perfect contact and preventing slipping. These adhesive spots are especially helpful during summer rain. In some models, the entire inner hand is sewn from a fabric with good grip, foregoing additional pads. If dust and lint reduce the adhesive strength, you can simply wipe or rinse the siliconized areas.
Short cycling gloves with silicone coating for perfect grip. Image © Endura.
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If you know you'll be out in the rain, you should look for special gloves that offer particularly good grip when wet. You can recognize them by labels like All-Weather-Grip or Allweather-Grip. |
Wipe & Go – Cycling Gloves for Clarity
- An absorbent terry surface: In winter, a runny nose bothers you, in summer, a sweaty forehead annoys you. Here, an insert made of a fabric that can absorb moisture well provides relief. You can wipe away sweat before it runs into your eyes and blinds you.
- A piece of "window leather": Whether mountain bike, racing bike, or trekking bike, even those who sit on a bike in summer need clear vision! Therefore, some cycling gloves have a microfiber insert that cleans your lens. You can quickly and easily wipe your sunglasses or goggles, making a glasses-cleaning stop unnecessary.
The thumb of this summer cycling glove is made of terry; it wipes forehead, nose, or glasses. Image © Roeckl.
Additional Features
- Touchscreen compatible: In long-finger cycling gloves, one or more fingers are usually equipped with a surface that can operate a touchscreen. This coating is generally integrated into both the left and right glove, so left-handed and right-handed people do not need to look for special models. However, they are available on the thumb or the index finger! A touchscreen-compatible glove is particularly important if you want to operate a bicycle computer or the onboard computer of your e-bike via touchscreen while wearing long cycling gloves!
- Reflective elements: If you plan particularly long tours that extend into the evening, your cycling gloves should have reflective surfaces. This way, your hand signals won't be overlooked when turning.
- Knuckle protection: For downhill or enduro (and other) mountain bikers, there are gloves with knuckle protection. Neoprene pads or plastic elements turn your summer gloves into real protectors.
Also essential in summer: Mountain bike gloves with knuckle protection: Image © Fox Racing.
Soft or direct – the padding affects the steering feel
In principle, summer cycling gloves are really just there to fix a soft layer inside the palm.
There are also cycling gloves with and without padding for summer, because some bikers prefer a direct riding feel, while others like to ride with a bit more padding. What you prefer is best found out through practical testing.
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The fact is: Soft pads distribute pressure and reduce friction, so you don't get calluses or blisters. Padding also dampens vibrations and shocks, relieving hands and arms. You can find the soft pads not only in the palm area but also at the thumb bend, where you can treat yourself to a cushion that prevents blisters. |
You can find these pads in summer cycling gloves
Foam pads: Shape-stable EVA foam can minimize impacts and better distribute pressure over the entire inside surface of the cycling glove. This relieves particularly stressed areas of the hand. The downside: The foam loses elasticity over time, becoming simply "flat." Then it's time for new gloves. But don't worry, "good" cycling gloves last a long time, often even several summers.
Gel pads: Gel pads are soft and offer particularly good shock absorption. They adapt flexibly to your hand and the shape of the grips, evenly distributing pressure across the palm. Since the material is not compressed, the problem of decreasing elasticity is eliminated here. Gel pads have another decisive advantage over foam pads: The gel does not absorb moisture, while rain or sweat can get trapped in foam pads, causing them to dry more slowly.
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When choosing padding, you should also think about your grips, as there are softly padded bike grips. Soft grips plus soft gloves are occasionally too much of a good thing, and the hands lose grip. Your hands shouldn't "float" on too much padding. |
It is rather rare, but with some summer gloves, you can even see the gel pad. Image © Roeckl.
When are long-finger cycling gloves better in summer?
At first, it seems logical to opt for short-finger cycling gloves in summer. However, this is not always the best choice.
- On the MTB long-finger gloves are highly recommended as they protect the whole hand from branches and in falls.
- On cooler days or early in the morning, at high speeds (downhill or on the e-bike), the wind chill should not be underestimated! Here, long cycling gloves made of thin fabric can prevent cold fingers.
- If you are riding in the rain, long-finger cycling gloves are the better choice even in summer, you should ensure that the fabric is breathable and still waterproof .
- Waterproof, long gloves are also suitable for the transitional period until you need to switch to warm winter cycling gloves.
- For gravel tours, road bike training, or trekking bikers, short gloves are usually sufficient in summer.
The right size for cycling gloves
The right fit is important for the gloves to sit optimally. Cycling gloves should fit snugly. If they are too loose, your hand will slip around inside, and you won't have the handlebars securely under control. The necessary comfort is provided by the material that stretches in all directions. Simply measure your hand to find the right glove size.
How to measure glove size:
Use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hand at the widest point. The widest point for many people is just below the fingers, at the level of the knuckles. Note, the thumb is not measured! Do not pull the measuring tape too tight; it should lie loosely around the hand.
Size chart for women's cycling gloves
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Hand circumference |
Glove size |
US size |
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15cm |
4 |
XXS |
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16cm |
5 |
XS |
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17cm |
6 |
S |
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18cm |
6.5 |
M |
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19cm |
7 |
M |
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20.5cm |
7.5 |
L |
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22cm |
8 |
L |
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23cm |
8.5 |
XL |
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24cm |
9 |
XL |
Size chart for men's cycling gloves
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Hand circumference |
Glove size |
US size |
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18cm |
6.5 |
XS |
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19cm |
7 |
S |
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20.5cm |
7.5 |
S |
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22cm |
8 |
M |
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23cm |
8.5 |
M |
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24cm |
9 |
L |
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26cm |
9.5 |
XL |
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27cm |
10.5 |
XL |
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29cm |
11 |
XXL |
And some notes on glove sizes for women and men:
- Glove sizes are not standardized, so there may be slight variations depending on the manufacturer.
- Most cycling gloves for women are slightly narrower than those for men.
- Of course, there are also women with rather large, broad hands and men with very narrow hands. For them, there are also suitable gloves, which may have been tailored for the opposite gender.
- Many summer cycling gloves are unisex models. Since the material is elastic, they fit many hands.
- Especially manufacturers from the USA often divide their cycling gloves into sizes like S, M, L, XL, and XXL . If you want a more precise indication here, you sometimes find a table directly with the corresponding article that compares the sizes with centimeter specifications. If not, visiting the manufacturer's homepage often helps.
Do the new gloves fit?
No matter if you ordered your new summer cycling gloves online or bought them in a store, they must fit.
- Put on the gloves, they should not press or cut in, even when you make a fist or try to grip the handlebar.
- In the palm of the hand, there should be no creases forming. Creases would increase friction and promote blisters.
- Too loose they should not be either, your hands should not "swim" because then you would have to counteract with hand strength again to have a good grip.
- If you lay your hand flat on the table and slightly pull your fingers up, small creases may form at the knuckles, but the elastic material usually prevents this.
By the way, just like your feet, your hands can retain water. You should choose cycling gloves that still fit even when the fingers are a bit thicker!
How to wash your summer cycling gloves
The palms sweat quickly, so cycling gloves often end up in the wash, especially in summer. Like most other functional clothing items, you can usually wash cycling gloves at low temperatures in the washing machine. But you should definitely follow the manufacturer's instructions ! Especially if leather is processed, your gloves may need special treatment. Like all small items, they are best washed in a laundry bag well taken care of. Let them dry flat after washing.
Washing the gloves on the go in summer can become problematic.
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Too much moisture can increase friction inside the glove, which can lead to blisters and calluses! |
If you know that your hands sweat a lot, you should pack an extra pair of cycling gloves!
Into the washing machine! (But please only wash cycling gloves according to the instructions.)
To prevent the gloves from "smelling", they should be aired out or washed as soon as possible after training. If they do develop an unpleasant odor after a while, it can help to freeze them for 24 hours.
Have a good ride with the right cycling gloves!
So, grab a tape measure and find the right size for a pair of summer cycling gloves or – if you ride a mountain bike – a pair of good MTB protective gloves. With these, you'll have a great grip on your handlebars, and we wish you lots of fun on your summer biking adventures!
