Triathletes: do you wear cycling gloves?

[shorewife]

I have a road bike without aero bars, and my hands/handlebars get sweaty and slippery on the bike leg of a tri but if I put them on in T1 I feel like it takes too much time. Today I tried putting them on while riding and that was a big fail. I have been doing sprint and Olympic distance races.

What do most people do?

[joenali]

Most of the time yes. In my last race I forgot to put them on and I was fine without them. For me at this point I would like to wear them to be as comfortable as possible during my long rides.

[sadlebred]

You could also put them on after you got on the bike.

[gumi]

no. i never have considered wearing them in a race.
are you handle bars taped? i never notice mine getting slippery...i only wear gloves in group situations because if I don't everyone is like, "omg! where are your gloves? what if you fall, what will protect your hands???"

i live on the wild side.

[gumi]

also, if you put them on, you need to take them off for you run.

in a sprint triathlon especially, this is way too time consuming!

[katinthehat]

I don't wear them for races - I've only done sprints but won't wear them for my oly in September either. I do wear them when I ride.

[Deleted]

I do. I am more comfortable with them because my hands sweat a ridiculous amount, and I am not going to worry about the 10 seconds they cost me. I won't be winning any races in my career!

[trigal]

Yes. I need something to wipe my nose on! (well, when the snot rocket fails)

I don't wear them for sprints or Olympics, just the longer races.

[kams]

I don't wear them. I'm a heavy sweater but I don't slip.

[katandkevin]

I wear them on longer bike rides but have never worn them for a race. I probably won't wear them for ironman either.

[reginaphalange72]

I never wear them. I feel like my hands get hot with them on. To each his/her own!

[Susie]

I have had the same experience.  For a HIM, I did put them on.  56 miles is a long time to not be comfortable on the bike.

For the rest of the year, I have sprint & Oly races.  For the sprint I definitely will not.  The time cost of the on/off is just too high.  For the Oly races, I am less sure, but likely to come down on the side of skipping them.  I can't do the on/off while on the bike either.

[keweenawlove]

I've never worn them but I also haven't done anything longer than an Olympic.

[shorewife]

My handlebars are currently taped with a kind of squishy rubber tape. Is there a more 'grippy' kind out there that might work better when wet?

[Susie]

Is it actually the bar tape that your hands are slipping on? Or is it the rubber hoods?



I don't really slip on my bar tape (so when I'm riding in the drops I am ok), but on the hoods I do slip.  That's training rides and longer tri bike legs (HIM).

Would changing your hand position help avoid the slipping without the time concession of gloves for shorter races?

[shorewife]

Hmmmm that's a good point.... I think its a little of both but now I'm going to have to pay closer attention!