Cycling Gloves vs. Weight Lifting Gloves

Cycling gloves and weight lifting gloves are designed to improve performance and make both sports more comfortable 1. Many avid bikers and weight lifters recommend using them for a variety of reasons. The two types of gloves are similar and are available at sporting goods stores, allowing you to choose the product that works best for you.

Materials

Weight lifting and cycling gloves come in a variety of materials, making it easier to find one that matches your preferences when lifting weights or riding your bike 1. Weight lifting gloves are commonly made from neoprene or leather, but some manufacturers offer versions made from synthetic materials 1. Cycling cloves are often a combination of several types of fabric, including leather, synthetic leather and terry cloth. The fabrics used to create these types of gloves are chosen for specific aspects of cycling and weight lifting 1.

Purpose

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The main purpose of both cycling gloves and weight lifting gloves is to make you more comfortable and efficient as your perform your sport 1. Both types of gloves also offer protection from blisters and wick away sweat to prevent your hands from slipping off your bicycle handlebars or weight bars. Cycling and weight lifting gloves are also designed to improve your grip so that you are able to hold your bicycle or weights in proper form 1. Because cycling gloves are typically used outdoors, a wider variety of types of cycling gloves are created. Long finger, waterproof gloves are made to keep your hands warm while riding in cold weather, and some offer areas on the backs that are for wiping your nose or eyes while you ride in the winter. Weight lifting gloves do not need to be made for these purposes because they are used indoors 1.

Cut and Fit

Wearing a pair of gloves that are uncomfortable and bulky may interfere with your cycling or weight lifting performance 1. Most gloves for these sports are designed to fit snugly, making it important to try several versions on to get the best fit for your hands. Some weight lifting and cycling gloves are fingerless, which allows you more range of movement 1. Fingerless cycling gloves are a good choice in the summer because they help control sweat, but they won't make you too hot while you ride. Weight lifting gloves without fingers make it easier for some lifters to grip the weights 1. Neither type is better than the other, and your personal preferences will help you make the right choice.

Interchanging

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Weight lifting and cycling gloves are similar and in some cases may be interchanged without a problem 1. If you are experienced at one of the sports and new to another, you may want to try out the new sport with the old gloves to get a feel for what changes you'd make to the gloves. The way you grip your bicycle handlebars may differ from the way you hold weights, and your gloves may become conditioned to one or the other, making them uncomfortable for the other. Using the same gloves for weight lifting and biking isn't likely to cause any harm, but it may interfere with your performance 1.