COMMENTARY: Hands Suffer When Bike Goes Down

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — It doesn’t take a major search of the gray matter to see why wearing a bicycle helmet is a good idea.

The outcome should be better if you’re bounced off your bike and your noggin becomes one with the trail or concrete. Hard-headed or not, wearing a helmet is a good idea.

Some nonriders snicker at bike shorts. What they don’t know is bike shorts have a padded rear. Another good idea.

But what about gloves?

You know, the fingerless gloves with padded palms that lots of bike riders wear.

Why those?

I found out first-hand last week how wearing gloves can save your palms from spilling blood in the event of a crash.

The self-made breeze felt divine during a spin after work along the Hidden Diversity Multi-use Trail out at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. A nice one-hour ride around the Bashore Loop was an elixir after a long day.

The first leg of the loop heads gradually downhill and riders can zip along at a good clip.

I leaned into a curve with a slight turn of the handlebars. There was loose gravel. When the wheel turned, the bike didn’t. Off the trail and over the crossbar I went, hands-first into the dirt and rocks on the forest fl oor.

Anyone who has taken a spill on their bike knows the first reaction is to land palms-first to cushion the fall. No telling what grade of hamburger my hands may have looked like without bike gloves.

A big bruise welled up where the sun doesn’t shine, but my hands escaped carnage.

Protecting your palms during a fall is only one function of gloves for bicycling on the road or trail, said Nick Little, who manages the bicycle shop at Lewis and Clark Outfitters in Rogers.

“They’re your first line of defense,” Little said Wednesday. “If you’re going to go down, you’re going to fall hands-first.”

Wrist and hand injuries are common results of a bike crash. Wear bike gloves and you won’t leave a generous portion of skin on the trail or pavement during a spill.

Gloves serve a purpose when a rider stays upright, too.

The palm padding absorbs vibrations from the handlebars, be it on a road bike or mountain bike. They make riding more comfortable.

Bike gloves are lightweight and breathe easy, Little said. There are fingerless and full-fingered models. The latter offer the most protection.

There can be one downside, Little noted. Glovesthat don’t fit right can make your hands numb.

If a rider’s hands have areas where constant contact causes numbness, poor-fitting bike gloves can make matters worse.

Bikers should buy gloves they can return if they’re not comfortable.

Like bikes themselves, gloves vary wildly in price. Plan to fork over $20 to $50 for a pair, Little said.

A helmet is a good investment for your head. Gloves are a good idea for your hands.

FLIP PUTTHOFF IS OUTDOORS EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.

FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER AT TWITTER.COM/NWAFLIP.