Summer cycling gloves and mitts

You weren’t thinking of ditching the gloves just because the weather’s warmed up, were you?

Warmer weather means you can finally do away with things like gloves when you’re on the bike, right? Well, you can pack your long-fingered, fleece-lined winter warmers away for a few months, but riding without hand protection is a bad idea.

First, your hands tend to get sweaty when you exercise in warm weather. This can lead to hands slipping from bars or fingers sliding off gears or brake levers.

Which leads us to the second reason you should always wear gloves: if you find yourself taking an unexpected tumble, your hands will be among the first things to hit the ground.

Whether you land on tarmac, gravel or a rough, muddy trail there’s a chance your palms will end up in bloody ribbons, and peppered with debris that you’ll need to pull out with tweezers and a lot of wincing.

As for the third reason, it’s obvious, isn’t it? They may not be the most expensive bit of cycling kit you ever treat yourself to, but – as this lot demonstrate – they can definitely add a dash of elan to your outfit.

Unfussy to look at, their lycra back keeps things cool, while the multi-density padding is just enough to stop some road buzz but not so much as to dull your dexterity.

Dotted with little silicone grippers, these provide additional traction, which is particularly useful if the weather turns nasty.

With no velcro closure to irritate, a subtle tab on the cuff and another between the central fingers allows them to be popped on or off easily.

Apart from these devices, a sweat-wipe on the thumb is about everything else you’ll get. The result is an unfussy design that’s likely to have mass-appeal. Coming in six sizes, they also tend to fit as you’d expect.