Quantcast

Gloveless You Say? kidwoo's Guide To Bltchin' Grips

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,190
media blackout
i don't ride gloveless except for bmx. the 661 raji's are about the thinnest gloves i've been able to find. last time i bought them i got 3 pairs.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,540
5,471
UK
Wow! Wasn't expecting that..Just goes to show, We're all different, eh?
I ride pretty much every day.. a mixture of Roadbike, MTB XC, DJ, DH and BMX and absolutely hate gloves on any bike even in sub zero conditions, in the last few years I've only worn gloves (thin troy lee's) for DH races where there was a safety rule forcing me to (and ironically, causing me not to be able to ride safely). but I've gotta say I hate mushroom grips even moar than I hate gloves! even hated those in the 80s on BMX.. I find that ribbed movement thing they do ****ing horrible!

on all my MTBs I just use Ruffian lock-on's, Don't like a brand new set much at all but the more you ride them gloveless the more your sweat destroys them, making them nice and thin quickly, and all that sweat gives them a nice tacky feel eventually too.
If I can I try to scrounge part worn S/H ruffians so you don't have to go through too much of a breaking in period to have them feel right.. (thinner, firmer and more worn the better for me)
 

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,189
1,431
Central Florida
I ****ing hate gloves, so I have tried many grips trying to find something decent. Trials foam grips are the best grip for gloveless. Good friction no matter how slippery your hands get and my calluses don't grow nearly as fast. I have them on all my bikes now. They don't last long, but they don't cost much either. GT is making some now, the bmx places should have them.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,540
5,471
UK
foam grips? yeeew!! no thanks!

once you have them, Calluses are good!
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
I ride glove less and my all time favorite grip is the Sunline Thin Grips, too bad they stopped making them :( When I heard they were going out of business I bought the last two sets that QBP had, I think I still have a pair floating around somewhere.



I do want to give the Sensus grips a try though.
 
Last edited:

amishmatt

Turbo Monkey
Sep 21, 2005
1,263
396
Lancaster, PA
I can't ride gloveless - humid area and I sweat a lot regardless. But, the Deity Enoki's are awesome without gloves. Just wish I could ride them that way.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,884
448
Usually kidwoo knows wtf he's talking about, but I disagree with the whole shroom grip thing. The squirminess is awful, with or without gloves, and being a gloveless rider most of my life, I hate that exaggerated throttle grip sensation once they are wet. Ruffians are my go to for no gloves. That or the specialized whatevertheyares.
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
...I disagree with the whole shroom grip thing. The squirminess is awful, with or without gloves...
samesies. i hate gloves as well and so far the best grip i've found for gloveless is the ODI TLD. that said, the best glove i've found for people who hate gloves is the jonKranked approved 661 raji, although the dakine concept is supposed to be great for those who hate.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Hm. I also hate shroom grips for the squirminess, and basically tend to see gloves as the lesser of two evils as compared to getting normal grips all sweaty and nasty feeling. I've been running ODI Rogues forever (XL-XXL glove, I need something big) but maybe it's time to try the TLDs?
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
I hate people who ride gloveless.

Gloves why would you ever need those? It's like like you get branches and outcropping scrapping your hands all the time! And of course you NEVER fall and scrap your hands, no way, never. Totally not worth wearing gloves.

That's one of the 2 biggest reason I like MX
1. I never hear anyone mention riding without gloves
2. I never hear anyone complain about scratches on their bike
 
Last edited:

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I hate mushroom grips too. That's why they're not in that list. :)

The ones that are don't feel like those weird ass funny shape bulging things from the past. I hate those too.


I honestly have no idea how anyone rides for any length of time gloveless with ruffians though.
 

dilzy

Monkey
Sep 7, 2008
567
1
Somebody's never had a cup full of gravel scrubbed out of the palm of their hand.

Seriously, no gloves, must be inbred.
 

boylagz

Monkey
Jul 12, 2011
558
61
SF bay area
I've been running ODI Rogues forever (XL-XXL glove, I need something big) but maybe it's time to try the TLDs?
The tld SE and/or the SE Pro are my favorites so far. Less bulky than the Moto or GP models, feels comfortable and fits really good. Might wanna give em a go.
 

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,167
73
Israel
I ride without gloves all the time. DH and long AM rides too.
I use foam sram grips on my bikes.
it is really hot here in the summer and our winter looks like the european summer... so, I prefer riding without gloves.
@eaterofdog . what grips are you using?

thanks
 

Bedlam

Monkey
Feb 13, 2010
240
0
Under ground
To put it in the words of the lovely ladies on the corner, "No glove, no love."

TLD Air all the way.

Actually, out of sincere interest, what is it that you guys don't like about riding with gloves?
 

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,167
73
Israel
what I hate about gloves...
it's hot
not too comfortable
it's a pain to take them off after every run and then to put them back on

you are probably live in a colder place than I.
so you dont have this problem.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,190
media blackout
samesies. i hate gloves as well and so far the best grip i've found for gloveless is the ODI TLD. that said, the best glove i've found for people who hate gloves is the jonKranked approved 661 raji, although the dakine concept is supposed to be great for those who hate.
Used to use the Raji's too. Then I found these:

http://ca.dakine.com/p/gloves/bike/2013-mens/concept-glove?clr=000

Way the hell thinner than the Raji's.
i'm always on the lookout for new, better gloves, i'll have to check out those dk concepts. i've had gloves of theirs in the past and liked them. how does the silicon mesh palm feel?
 

Tomasz

Monkey
Jul 18, 2012
339
0
Whistla
The palm is slightly tacky on the bar/lever. Fits like a good latex glove - can hardly tell its there. Obscenely thin, super well ventilated. Can see daylight through the palm, but I still feel like it provides decent abrasion protection (haven't put that to the test yet).

A couple of reviews I found around, that I agree with:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/clothing/gloves/product/review-dakine-concept-glove-46767

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/clothing/gloves/product/review-dakine-concept-glove-46767

I wore the Rajis all last summer, and these Concepts are dramatically thinner, more comfy, more ventilated. It's not even close.
 
Last edited:

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,189
1,431
Central Florida
I ride without gloves all the time. DH and long AM rides too.
I use foam sram grips on my bikes.
it is really hot here in the summer and our winter looks like the european summer... so, I prefer riding without gloves.
@eaterofdog . what grips are you using?

thanks
Neon trials grips. I imported a bunch and only cost like $3 a pair.

ESI Racers Edge are also decent. They are silicone foam, not EVA. They do last longer though.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,540
5,471
UK
I honestly have no idea how anyone rides for any length of time gloveless with ruffians though.
Not being a pussy probably helps.. awful lot of that in this thread..

I hate people who ride gloveless.

Gloves why would you ever need those? It's like like you get branches and outcropping scrapping your hands all the time! And of course you NEVER fall and scrap your hands, no way, never. Totally not worth wearing gloves.
I take more cuts/scratches to my forearms than my hands and way more when riding XC than DH..

skin grows back, thin gloves offer no real protection for this anyway

That's one of the 2 biggest reason I like MX
1. I never hear anyone mention riding without gloves
2. I never hear anyone complain about scratches on their bike
an engine and a Moto lid rowns out all sorts of bull****, eh?
Can't imagine l'il branches or thorns play a very big role in the grand scheme of MX injuries
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
with that logic why would you need gloves on a motorcycle either?
brrr :D

Gary said:
Not being a pussy probably helps.. awful lot of that in this thread..
Bitch I got calluses thicker than your skull. :D

I was talking about surface area contact. There's a lot more sweat going on and those things wear incredibly smooth. I've done it a zillion times because that's what used to be on all my bikes. I just meant if I had the choice I think there are better grips for it.
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
Used to use the Raji's too. Then I found these:

http://ca.dakine.com/p/gloves/bike/2013-mens/concept-glove?clr=000

Way the hell thinner than the Raji's.
how's the fit/sizing on the concepts compared to the raji's? the only reason i haven't ordered a pair is nobody in town carries them and the sizing chart for dakine is a bit off from every other brand i've worn. i wear a L in both 661 and fox which puts me right at an XL in the dakine, but it seems odd that that would be the largest size they make.

i've asked two online retailers about the sizing and one said get the L and the other said get the XL.
 

Tomasz

Monkey
Jul 18, 2012
339
0
Whistla
My Raji's don't have their size sticker anymore, but I'm pretty sure they are the same size as my Concepts - medium. I'm also a size medium for Fox gloves, but the Fox medium is just slightly loose on me.
 
Last edited:

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,190
media blackout
how's the fit/sizing on the concepts compared to the raji's? the only reason i haven't ordered a pair is nobody in town carries them and the sizing chart for dakine is a bit off from every other brand i've worn. i wear a L in both 661 and fox which puts me right at an XL in the dakine, but it seems odd that that would be the largest size they make.

i've asked two online retailers about the sizing and one said get the L and the other said get the XL.
i seem to recall i was borderline M / L for the raji's, and i sized up to the large. have been happy with that decision.

i've got both L and XL sizes of dakine gloves before, both fit me, i guess it depends on the cut of the particular model
 

saruti

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,167
73
Israel
thanks @eaterofdog
I'll try them
I've tryied the ESI. they slip when the hand sweat.
I prefer foam.

thanks
 

thad

Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
388
21

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/2prose_mice_men_charrev4.shtml

This is what I think of when I meet a man with soft hands.

I used to be a Ruffian, non lock on. I eventually made the lock-on switch, even though they are less comfortable, wear out faster, heavier, and more expensive, solely because grips are something I want to walk into the shop and buy, not special order.

I gotta say, Danny Hart's prefenence for non-lock on ruffians has made me think about going back to them. They are better in every way other than ease of installation, as long as you are not a goon that drops your bars in the mud.

Deity grips are too short, in length, not diameter. For baby hands.

I am running those Sensus grips. Prolly my favorite lock on. Feel very similar to ODI longnecks or Animal Edwins.

Chromag grips are terrible, made my hands cramp like whoa.

TLD lock ons are decent.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
thanks @eaterofdog
I'll try them
I've tryied the ESI. they slip when the hand sweat.
I prefer foam.
thanks
I don't even consider gloveless where I live. Today it is 93 degress with the humidity through the roof. That said, I had a pair of those ESI grips on my trailbike one time, and I accidently left my gloves at home on a trail ride. That is the only time in my life where I have turned around on a ride and went back to the car out of fear. Ha, I could not even keep my hands on the bar at all. Total fail with those things.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,540
5,471
UK
brrr :D



Bitch I got calluses thicker than your skull. :D
:D

I was talking about surface area contact. There's a lot more sweat going on and those things wear incredibly smooth. I've done it a zillion times because that's what used to be on all my bikes. I just meant if I had the choice I think there are better grips for it.
Maybe for you but not so sure I'd agree personally.. I'm not massively fussed about the file patern being there at all though.. my main bike's Ruffians completely wore through to the plastic about 8 months back and I still prefer the bare plastic to braking in a new set, I hold my bars with the outer portion of my palms overhanging the alloy lock on collar anyway so plastic is a luxury ;)..
Dunno if anyone else has noticed but another bonus of riding gloveless is that I sweat tons less without them and even less without a helmet (but we won't get into that today ;) )
Basically sweat is never a problem for bar grip for me, rain has been (very occasionally)

those of you searching for the thinest gloves, it's not as simple as that.. you can't even get close to the feel you have with bare skin no matter how thin the material is ;)
designing a glove not to Bunch at all under the palm/fingers is a bigger problem.
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,157
359
Roanoke, VA
I don't wear gloves because my fingers are weird lengths and no matter what I do, I can't find a glove that has the right middle-finger length.

I find lock on grips to be pretty dangerous, I've sliced my hands open on the collars a few times.
The medium and soft durometer renthal grips are just the bestest-ever things. So thing, such good feel.
I swear the softest ones do an extra rad job damping vibrations.

I'll admit- I hate gluing and safety wiring my grips on.

On an impulse(or maybe I was high on grip glue) I ordered a pair of the Sensus lock-ons.
The extra rubber at the end of the grip covers a bit more of the lock on clamp and scares me less. I haven't cut myself on them yet(wood, knocked)
I totally dig 'em, thin, etc. They break in well too, but i do miss the vibration damping of a standard grip.
I'm going to order up another set of the lock-ons and a set of the slide-ons soon.
They're certainly good enough and I really like the idea of helping gnarly pro bike riders make a living- something to consider. Every time you buy a pair of Sensus grips, someone in the Zink household can buy a burrito.

Think about...

Grips I covet:
The stock lock-on grips on Rocky Mountain bicycles.
They have a single inboard clamp and have a Ruffian-like bastard file pattern.
I've looked high and low to find them somewhere via domestic distributors.
If I had a credit card I'd figure out who make's em and order a minimum order quantity from Taiwan and sell 'em on my website.