Which cycling gloves are right for you?
Whether as a piece of sports equipment or as an environmentally friendly means of transport in everyday life, it's hard to imagine life without the bicycle. The cycling glove is an indispensable accessory: it offers a reliable grip and enables sensitive and precise operation of handlebars, gears and brakes. Comfort, fit and a secure grip are the decisive criteria that distinguish a good cycling glove. And of course, different areas of use, preferences and needs must be taken into account.
The glove specialists at Roeckl Sports offer suitable cycling gloves for every area of use. But how do you find the right glove for your needs in the large range? We can help you with our cycling glove buying guide.
Short finger or long finger?
In summer, the first question is: Do you want a short-finger or long-finger cycling glove?
Short-finger gloves are airier and offer a natural fingertip feeling due to the free fingertips - in return, long-finger cycling gloves offer grip down to the fingertips even in sweaty situations and the safe operation of gears and brakes, even when the terrain gets rougher. Therefore, long-finger summer cycling gloves are usually (but not exclusively) used for mountain and gravel biking.
What padding?
Our hands really do a great job when cycling. We use them to steer, brake and shift gears. And depending on the shape of the handlebars, they bear a larger or smaller part of our body weight. In the process, they are exposed to a strong punctual pressure load. For this reason, cycling gloves are usually equipped with anatomically arranged pads on the palm. The cushioning increases the wearing comfort enormously and noticeably reduces the fatigue of the hands.
You can choose from different damping technologies for different areas of use: depending on whether you only sit on the bike occasionally or complete long training routes on rough ground. The second step is to choose the right palm padding for your needs.
BI-FUSION
Whether ambitious athlete, commuter or pleasure cyclist - the high-end BI-FUSION damping ensures longer driving pleasure on all tours. Thanks to a sophisticated two-component damping made of special gel and foam, it adapts to the hand like a liquid, but still remains dimensionally stable and light. This distributes pressure evenly, minimizes hand fatigue and maximizes comfort. Excellent grip and handlebar control.
TECHNOGEL
If you travel a lot on long, demanding routes, Technogel is the right choice. The particularly high-quality elastomer gel has excellent damping properties. It ensures maximum hand comfort and noticeably reduces hand fatigue. Good grip on the handlebar despite high volume.
Discover gloves with BI-FUSION and TECHNOGEL
BIOCORE
Ambitious road cyclists, gravel and mountain bikers, cyclists who ride long distances, are on rough ground, or cyclists with sensitive hands who pay attention to their ecological footprint, rely on the environmentally friendly, high-performance padding BIOcore. This has a vegetable material content of 45% and provides very high comfort and performance. Very light, thin, breathable and durable, it reduces shock and noticeably reduces hand fatigue. Maximum grip and excellent handlebar control.
XRD® TECHNOLOGY
Ambitious road cyclists, gravel and mountain bikers, cyclists who ride long distances, are on rough surfaces such as cobblestones or blocked trails and root carpets, or cyclists with sensitive hands best reach for the particularly powerful and at the same time very light and thin XRD® Technology padding. The breathable cushioning material offers very high comfort and maximum performance. It makes every movement with and quickly absorbs high-frequency energy. Maximum grip and excellent handlebar control.
Discover gloves with BIOCORE and XRD® TECHNOLOGY
GEL
Whether on the daily way through the city or in leisure, on the road, or on gravel - gloves with GEL padding are the perfect all-rounder for every purpose. The soft GEL inserts on the palm have good homogeneous damping properties for less fatigue and more comfort. Good grip on the handlebar.
FLEX-FOAM
A palm with FLEX-FOAM foam is ideal for you if you ride rather shorter distances, or only occasionally sit on the bike and are usually on good roads. The foam inserts provide comfort during your rides. The memory function allows the foam to return to its original shape. Punctual pressure is reduced. Good grip on the handlebars.
Discover gloves with GEL and FLEX-FOAM
Materials
After the question of whether short- or long-finger cycling glove, and the question of palm padding is clarified, it goes to the topic of materials.
Those who exert themselves on sweaty routes appreciate airy constructions. That's why short-finger cycling gloves are usually made of lightweight, supple and elastic materials like Lycra . They offer an ideal fit and high breathability. Micro mesh inserts provide even better ventilation. And for particularly warm temperatures and sweaty missions, maximum airy and tanning suntan™ mesh is the ultimate.
On technically demanding trails, on the other hand, firm, robust materials make sense. They provide a good grip in the glove, confidently withstand the forces on the handlebars and thus offer stability and control. They should sit snugly and yet comfortably. Another plus: The durable materials remain completely unimpressed by branches and brushwood on overgrown trails.
As soon as it gets cooler in the fall, wind, cold and weather protection become increasingly important. Windproof constructions are particularly relevant when cycling, as the hands are strongly exposed to the wind. In addition, windproof gloves are usually also water-repellent and withstand light drizzle or a short rain shower. However, they are not waterproof! If you continue to use your bike diligently in really nasty rainy weather, you need a waterproof model. Both windproof and waterproof cycling gloves are available with different thicknesses of insulation, so that every cyclist can find a model that suits his cold sensation.
Extra features
Grip on the handlebar
When cycling, it is important that you have a good grip and hold on the handlebars in every situation. Breathability and good ventilation are essential for this. Materials like ROECK-GRIP or MICRO AIR support this. Other materials, such as the durable DURADERO or the soft DRASENSE are equipped with silicone coatings such as SILICONE-GRIP or ALL-WEATHER GRIP and thus allow a precise grip on handlebars, gears and brakes even in wet conditions.
PULL OFF System Removal aid
Short-fingered gloves are often difficult to remove, especially when the glove is still slightly sweaty. Roeckl Sports therefore equips its cycling gloves with the exclusive PULL OFF SYSTEM removal aid. Thanks to small loops at the bottom of the ring and middle finger, the gloves can be removed easily and uncomplicatedly.
Wiping thumb
Pleasantly soft inserts on the thumb act as a practical wipe - when you want to wipe sweat from your brow or splashes from your glasses on strenuous passages.
Touchscreen compatibility
When it comes to long-fingered gloves, you should pay attention to touchscreen compatibility if you want to operate your GPS while riding and your cell phone during breaks without having to take off your gloves.
Sustainable cycling gloves
With its PFC-free ECO.SERIES, ROECKL SPORTS focuses on ecologically oriented materials and the highest possible recycling rate. In the ECO.SERIES gloves, not only individual components, but the entire glove is designed to be as resource-friendly as possible. With the promise that functionality, performance and quality of the outdoor gloves are not compromised.
Proper glove care
So that you can enjoy your ROECKL SPORTS cycling gloves for a long time, we recommend regular machine washing at 30 °C to remove dirt and sweat.
Tip: Close the Velcro fasteners well and put the gloves in a laundry bag so that the Velcro fasteners do not get caught in soft and fine fabrics and pull threads.
Important: do not use fabric softener and do not put in the dryer!