My recent return to mountain biking at the Mont 24hr in Canberra required me to overhaul and add to my kit to ensure I was capable of taking on and surviving the 24 hour race.
In regards to my road cycling, I traditionally prefer to not wear gloves; in order to get a more tactile feel of the brake levers and shifter hoods. I know with long distance mountain biking, however, it’s simply not possible to carry on without gloves. The blisters and calluses can be extremely painful, and hinder the handling and control of the bike.
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Silicone grip. Padded gel palm[/caption]
Silicone grip. Padded gel palm[/caption]After trying on multiple styles before purchasing, I finally settled on a set of full-fingered Fox Racing Ranger Gel Gloves to take to the race. When choosing these gloves, the main appeal over other models was the padded gel palm. This proved to be a great decision as it was massively helpful in absorbing the shock through the handlebars and helped to minimise my hand fatigue on the long ride. The way the gel inserts are purposely positioned at the bottom and top of the palm allows the rider to still have a tight grip over the top of the handlebar and not feel disconnected.
The second feature, which I was significantly grateful for, was the silicone fingertips. These provide touchscreen compatibility; something my Garmin Edge 1000 requires to scroll through the data screens. The silicone also helped give a tacky grip on the brake levers and thumb shifter whilst riding.
After the 24 hours of racing, these gloves held up well and became an absolute necessity. After my positive experience using these gloves, I plan to try the short finger version for road riding and will continue using the full fingered for any mountain bike or cyclocross outings.
By Nelson Andrado - Pushys sponsored athlete