How to choose motorcycle gloves that won't let you down

Here is a reflex you cannot turn off. When you fall, your hands shoot out to catch you. It is automatic. Which means your hands are the most likely part of you to hit the road, and the least likely to be properly protected.

Cheap fingerless gloves will not save your palms. Let's get you into something that will.

Why gloves are non-negotiable

Skin on your palms is thin and full of nerves and tendons. Grind it off on pavement and you are looking at a long, painful recovery, sometimes surgery, and months off the bike. A good pair of gloves is the cheapest insurance against the most common injury in motorcycling.

Your hands instinctively brace for impact. Protect them like you mean it, because they are going down first.

What to look for

Not all gloves are equal. Here is what separates real protection from a fashion accessory:

• Knuckle protection. A hard or reinforced knuckle guard takes the first impact.
• Palm sliders. Hard or reinforced patches let your hand slide instead of catch and twist, which is what breaks wrists.
• Abrasion-resistant material. Leather or quality textile across the whole glove, not just the back.
• A secure wrist closure. A glove that flies off on impact protects nothing. You want a strap that locks it to your wrist.
• A CE rating where available, which tells you it passed real abrasion and impact testing.

Match the glove to the season

Canada gives you every kind of weather, so one pair rarely does it all:

• Summer: ventilated short or mid-cuff gloves with good airflow
• Spring and fall: insulated, often with a water-resistant layer
• Cold and wet: waterproof, insulated gauntlet gloves that seal over the jacket cuff
• Track and sport: full gauntlet with maximum armour and a wrist tether

Getting the fit right

A glove should be snug with no loose fingertip space, because loose material bunches and tears. You want to make a fist comfortably and feel the controls clearly. If it pinches across the knuckles when you grip the bar, size up or try another cut.

Try a few pairs and work the levers in them before you decide. Browse our glove selection or get sized at the shop. Your hands do not grow back. Cover them properly.