Are You Wearing The Wrong Riding Gloves?

Here's a bonus video for you guys! I see it all the time in my clinics. People wearing loose fitting gloves. This leads to lots of problems, and it makes it hard to learn new techniques and skills on the bike!
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[@NewBrunswickOutdoorLife]

You called me out this summer at your class in Sussex, NB for wearing gloves that were too bulky and I changed to a thin glove after tat day and it made a huge difference for clutch control. Thank you! Now that old riding is here I am wearing bulky winter gloves and clutch control is in the toilet now.

[@chawnslopoke2619]

Thank you! brand new to your channel and got my first dirt bike last week

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Good for you. Welcome to the serenity of riding. Asa guy who has ridden/raced since 1974 starting at the age of 10, (did take some time off here and there), I can tell you with a high level of confidence, this gal may be the best source on line for riding technique for off road riding, and equipment evaluation. But I also know, she needs to pull the handlebars back. She also fell into the trap of high/rotated forward bars which trend started in freestyle over 20 years ago. Tall riders could have there bars rotated so the grips are level, but no higher. The rest of us (I am 5'9" tall), should have the ends of the grip pointing down (the natural angle of your hands), and we would enjoy much more front end control with much more ease keeping our elbows up.

[@rvltrstudio1484]

Great video, but the music is way too loud and distracting. You could lose it and not miss any of the value. It makes it hard to hear Meg's voice. It's like trying to hear your friend at a really loud bar.

[@Jacob-de-Veroveraar]

For me, for instance, it's hard to hear her voice. I stopped after 20 sec.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

That is what happens when we mix art with function. Just like the stupid arrow tips at the end of fenders and other pointy plastic. I did some surgery on my plastic, (and went with an older front fender), to get rid of that meaningless abstract art on my functional dirt bike. Looks sooo goooooooooooood. :)

[@davelariviere682]

Just turn it down and it will fit like a Glove 😆

[@EarthSurferUSA]

She said she was at a Starbucks when editing this vid. So I can see where the temporary dysfunction came from. :) Those people can't figure much out.

[@elvispusley3515]

Thank you Meg

[@timothydrake1030]

For cold weather check out S3 Alaska gloves, in their Trials Glove Line

[@Bluegastank]

Oh my god that is so funny I went from my perfectly thin tight gloves that are for Dirtbike riding and thought I'd use some work gloves from Harbor freight tool because they were warmer and more bulky for the winter and it definitely affected my riding I am going back to my old gloves in the morning lol thanks for the tip now I know what's going on!🎉

[@r0ckworthy]

Great advice Mrs. Braap. Those thin style gloves are amazing. I used to wear mechanix gloves but eventually decided they're still a bit too thick. Those thin Klim gloves look perfect for most riding, with those thicker gray Klim gloves better for cool/wet weather. Proper glove type and fitment is really important.

[@RidingOnEggshells]

Such a useful video, as always. Thanks!

[@willeypoboy5607]

Looks Chilly where you are. Still pretty warm in east Tennessee! Can't wait to see more videshows ! Thanks

[@yoboo6167]

I think the important thing is to try gloves on in person. You can shop for those deals later online but buy your first good set from a local vendor.

[@impalaSS65]

Exactly. Same goes for any personal equipment. Buy locally.

[@yoboo6167]

@@impalaSS65 Exactly. Support your local shop and they'll be there for you when you need them.

[@fredted1611]

In colder wet races I wear jet ski gloves waterproof and have a better grip.

[@umutdegismen]

Hey Meg! Thanks for the video! Could you make a video about clutch using technics or how to improve clutch using techniques? Thanks u rock!

[@suzuki06g]

Use to ride with a pair of Fox Thermal Paws gloves. Really liked how warm they were but 3 times I crashed because they liked to bunch up in my palm, to the point where the throttle would sometimes not return, the size was right they just liked to bunch up...

[@carlsonclassics]

Thank you!

[@impalaSS65]

Also perfect fit for men - is a psychological issue! I hear this all the time from retail personel of protective gear. Men tend buy the larger glove (badly fitting). When you get the proper fit with the proper model of work gloves for your line of work, you increase grip strength to chimpanzee level. That means less arm stress (carpal tunnel syndrome, arm pump etc). I carried oily steel sheets and steel profiles that didn't offer any grip. 20-30 USD for a good pair of work gloves beat the cheap and badly fitting in effeciency: amount of work per hour and dollar was much higher with the proper gloves. Warmth, if you are in a cold climate, is best achieved by the insulated "bags" that fits around your bark busters.

[@chuckv1z1]

Agreed, most men buy their gear too big/loose. And after trying many many pairs of gloves, I've never found anything as warm and functional as bar muffs/mitts.

[@rotorhead5000]

If you have oddly shaped hands it's easier said than done. I'm not a very big dude, but my hands are abnormally beefy, so if I get a glove that fits snug, but comfortable on my hand, I've pretty much always got 3/4 of an inch dangling off each finger. I have lucked out and found a model of fox gloves that fit well, just fingers crossed they keep making that model for a while, because I dread the trial and error of finding another one that fits right.

[@r0ckworthy]

Don't you wish sometimes, that there were still tradesmen called glovers? We have cobblers still for handmade leather shoes, even hatters, but I've never seen a glover anywhere. Too bad. I'd pay quite a bit of money for gloves that fit perfectly, and made from the leather of my choosing.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

You can have a seamstress shorten the fingers material, (or do it yourself). As a machinist, I was quick to learn that you can always take more material off. Adding it back on is a problem.

[@anthonygrijalva8821]

Hey meg's, good video...totally agree on glove fitment.... question, what handlebar bag are you running on that bike? You still have EC300, have not seen any more videos with it.

[@WhatTimeIsIt369]

I've had a lot of gloves and by far the best is an old pair that I got a hold of that was from about 1975 ish. They were so much better than literally anything you can buy today that I considered having them made to sell. What people don't get about gloves made today is that they are a scam. Meant to wear quickly so you have to buy more. This old pair I am talking about lasted about the same as 20 pairs of modern day gloves. To top that even is that they had way better back hand protection. The days of quality has been traded in for the days of quantity. Sell sell sellllllll..........

[@ianferrier235]

Good advice Meg

[@brianbennett6978]

Like the video. Thanks. But the real question is. Who makes adv gloves in 5-7x. I have 3x and when I take them off I can see where every seam is.

[@enduromotorradtouren]

Good advice! I never put much thought into those details, because with my standard sized hands most gloves do fit. But I will have a second look. The combination of a KTM Freeride 350 F (a frind lent it to me) and one set of Enduro gloves gave me blisters. Gloves or the tricky nature of KTM's engine? We'll see. Thanks, Günter, Nürnberg/Germany

[@islipfdchief]

I have 10.8 size hand that is wide in the palm. Just a little to big for some and to small for others. Tight gloves make the palm of my hand cramp. Get one size bigger and the fingers are flopping in the wind. Over the years gloves are the one thing I will try every year to find ones that fit. Now that it is cooler I do like the EVS Wrister gloves. On the warm side and some wrist protection. What is your opinion of Palm Protectors ?

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Hey Meggs! Is that an after market low gas tank on that white bike behind you at the beginning of the vid? If so, who made it? I would love to have a low tank like that on my YZ250 2-stroke. Thank you, from Doug in Michigan.

[@megs_braap]

Hey Doug! Nope, it’s just the stock fuel tank.

[@alec3972]

Meg = great, music = not so good. Your riding and tips are fab, thanks for the great videos

[@brendtoconnell6119]

Good vid. Only thing I'd add is wear a pair of 'palm protectors' inside your gloves. Their cheap and saves your palms from blisters.

[@NewBrunswickOutdoorLife]

Dont grip the bars so tight.

[@brendtoconnell6119]

@@NewBrunswickOutdoorLife Na, think I'll keep to my riding routine. Thanks

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@brendtoconnell6119 He is right. The more you can relax, the better. The only thing I grip a bike hard with is my knees when standing over rough terrain.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I gave up on modern gloves that were on the local shop floor. I am fine with the less expensive lower level Mechanics gloves, (Actually created by a Motocross mechanic for working on factory bikes.), with thin palm padding. Normally, I would want more finger protection, but my modified full wrap Cycra hand guards do a better job anyway. I would like to sell the design, but I am finding no interest. So, I have the best full wrap hand guards in the world to my self.

[@combatmedic91-b76]

Well someone has Good ideas! My best gloves for dirt bike riding were leather that had strap at wrist to tighten & rubber strips on back of fingers & hands for protection from branches, dirt clods & rocks. Its nice ti see real women having fun on dirt bikes now if the 2 stroke problem could be solved that would be nice.😅😊

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I am not sure what the 2-stroke problem is that you see, because you did not explain and I have to guess what you are talking about. There is no problem with 2-strokes. If a EPA dictatorship swayed your thoughts on that,---you pay the price and be happy about it.

[@SPARKYMAN1979]

I’ve always worn the tightest glove I can cram my hand into without losing circulation. Extra material is no good!

[@barswapmedia]

I can't stand gloves that don't have wrist strap. I'm also really not a fan of any glove that has excessive amounts of rubber padding on the backs of the hands that cause finger movement to be more difficult. It's definitely worth the time to go into a shop and try on gloves.

[@gsxr1189]

Yeah thin material gloves are great until you're spending months in therapy learning to use a hand with shorter tendons because you've severed one. Then realize how delicate the somewhat complex system of tendons & bones in our hands are & how debilitating life would be without use of one.

[@impalaSS65]

Yeah I started riding in 1978 on an RM50 then XR75, KX80, CR125 El sinore. Then a long pause. In those days boots were heavy duty (much like my Sidis today - heavy) , pants were leather, gloves had proper padding at least on top. Got back into dirt riding in 2017, and the gloves and pants were a joke to me. I wear my sports bike summer gloves off road. I don't try the slow hard enduro/ trial stuff anyway. I go "fast" on rocks, roots and trees. Back in the 70s, trials masters didn't wear gloves at all - for the feel, I guess.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

You did not explain how you injured your hand. I want control so I don't crash as much, so thin gloves with hand guards are my choice. I don't care for boots where I can't feel the brake and shifter either, (most modern MX boots). Although they are more protective than the adventure boots I went to, (just as good as a MX boot of the 80's), I am pretty sure if I crash less, I won't injure other parts of my body.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I don't like today's riding gloves, new bike plastic, handlebars that are rotated forward or levers that are not pointed down at least 20 degrees. I just wear "Mechanix" gloves. By the way, a MX mechanic started making those gloves. I am making my own "bark buster" mounts also that are great for Pro-Taper bars, that do not mount on the taper portion of the bar. I think I will make a few sets. Would be happy to send you a pair. I am going to test it,---with a baseball bat first. I don't ever want a tree smacking my hand. They will be well machined from aluminum with less mounting clutter on the bars.

[@PBmxer]

i wear tight mittens

[@andymotovlogs546]

Music not required

[@EarthSurferUSA]

From one dirt biker to another,---how many guys have you beaten in arm wrestling? :) Don't marry anybody you can beat. lol

[@johnberry2877]

WOW … the music is Sooooo distracting !! Tone it down !! Do you actually listen to your own videos ?

[@megs_braap]

HOLY CRAP … I am sooooooooo sorry to have upset you!! I will be sure to make the music louder next time !! This is how you come across John. Just so you know. This was a bonus video (I already posted one this week). I did this one on the road and didn’t have my headphones. So when I was editing in the noisy Starbucks, I may have gotten my levels a bit off. I hope you can recover from the trauma this seemed to have caused you. 🙏

[@t.s.racing]

That reply was epic. Rumor has it, John hasn't come out of his basement since.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@megs_braap Starbucks? Did the brain dead employees lecture you about race relations? (Yes, the corporation had their employees do that.). If I did work in a dysfunctional hippy/commie environment like that, I would probably make mistakes too. If you don't mind, let me be a father figure here. Stay away from those freaks, and save your hard earned money. It is another corporation in bed with the communistic left, and they sure don't deserve a profit. :)