Wet Weather Glove problems 2.0

 

Most riders have glove problems in wet weather. Leather becomes soaked and then stays wet for a long time after the rain ends. Gloves with waterproof inner membranes can still get sweaty. This type also doesn’t solve the problem of saturated outer leather remaining wet for a long time. Waterproof liners are also fragile. They can tear in the course of ordinary wear, usually long before the glove has worn out.


Rubber over-glove covers keep leather dry but interfere with good control feel. During long rain periods, gloves underneath eventually become damp because these rain covers are not breathable. Neoprene foam gloves are uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. They cause muscle fatigue because of their springy pre-formed shapes, lessen control feel and don’t breathe or provide abrasion resistance in a crash.


Try different approaches for different wet weather circumstances. For most riding I like our Elkskin Ropers with a touch of Heavy Duty Scotchgard sprayed across the knuckles, fingers and backsides of the glove. proofing spray provides some wetting resistance. Even if not, I sometimes continue riding anyway, allowing the gloves to gradually become wet, knowing they will have time to dry later. If it looks like a long day of wet riding is ahead, I put on Aerostich Triple Digit Rain Covers before starting out. On days when it looks like it may rain intermittently, I will carry the left raincover in a left side Darien pocket and the right one in the other side. On a smooth, straight road without much traffic, and when I’m not going too fast, I'll sometimes put on the rain covers over my regular gloves as I ride. After seeing bad sky conditions ahead, it takes about a mile to get them on. Do not try this. It is easy to wobble off the road and crash. Normally my rain gloves live in the tank bag and I pull over to put them on.

For commuting on wet days I like synthetic motocross gloves because they dry so quickly. Unfortunately, these types have limited abrasion resistance and are not suitable for riding at higher speeds.

Mr. Subjective