Hand protection - specifically knuckles

[timmers]

Hello all - fantastic resource, my compliments to the website administrator. OK, so it wasn't a bicycle related injury, but the aftermath of an accident has me thinking about the consquences of coming off my bicycle and damaging my hand again. I was drilling a piece of material and the bit got caught, which spun the electric drill around and smacked my hand, exactly in the knuckle where my middle finger attachs to my hand. Not a lot of pain at all, but a swollen hand a day or so later meant I went to my local hospital's emergency ward for some comfort. An x-ray revealed a small fracture, which meant a cast for 4 weeks. I'm right-handed and the break was on my right. First time I've ever had a cast on my hand (I'm 64 yrs old) and I discovered how inconvenient it is to do all sorts of things, hampered by a dominant hand in a cast. It's just been removed and I'm now discovering how much the finger functions have been affected by 4 weeks of immobility - I think it'll mean another 4 weeks of physiotherapy before they're back to normal operation (just my guess), but holy moly is it every great to be able to wash my hands again (side note, this covid business mean washing hands is more important now than ever and I'm a fervent follower of the guidance). So after all that, what sort of riding gloves would provide the most protection for an old man's hands, beside the MMA fighting gloves - haha. I'm not asking for gloves to help with a healing process, just for the time when I may come off my bicycle in the future. Thanks in advance for any suggestions, especially from those who have experienced a similar experience.

 

[Gary]

Welcome to the forum.

Ive suffered many hand injuries over the years and TBH I'd actually recommend not wearing gloves at all to ride IN (temperatures permitting). But instead riding well within your limits until the injury is healed fully.
Gloves will only slow the process.
Unless there's something glaringly obvious I've missed that your knuckles need to be protected from.

GET WELL SOON

 

[urastus]

I've got a huge history on bikes and motorcycles. Most hand injuries seem to be palm related from putting your hand out to break a fall; that could also damage your wrist or break your collar bone or both. However, I do understand the anxiety of riding with an injury that is still healing and you don't want to aggravate. The back of my hands do cop it sometimes riding through bush - branches hitting them. That seems to scratch my arms more than anything else. I've only ever worn light fingerless gloves through the warmer months mainly for sun protection. Do you have tracks like that? Anyway, there are two options I'm aware of, both used in the motorcycle world but transferring more and more to mtb. There are some specific hand guards for mtb that also protect the levers in case of a fall. There are also motorcycle gloves that have knuckle guards built in - many different brands for different seasons.

One note: in the enduro motorcyle world where handguards are popular, there have been some stories of people, or a person, breaking their wrist/s in the guard when they went OTB. This story could have originated from one instance and then spread like a plague through the internet - nobody seems to know anyone that it has happened to. A break like that does seem possible though.

 

[Pdoz]

The hand guard break is real, but it's not wrist - it's the metacarpal bones getting caught under barkbusters ( metal handguards) - most of the ones I've seen were with the original ( huge) plastic covers , the big square ones that were popular in the 80's. I've never seen it with naked barkbusters or the ergo guards.

re riding without gloves - digging gravel out of hands is NOT fun, add an infection whilst a fracture is healing...spreading to the bone and needing months of antibiotics . Wear gloves

 

[Gary]

re riding without gloves - digging gravel out of hands is NOT fun

S'pose that just depends on what gives you a thrill
My point was FOUR WEEKS AFTER FRACTURE he shouldn't be riding in situations where a fall is likely.
at 64 I'd be taking it easy until fully healed.
Doesn't mean not cycling at all. But I certainly wouldn't recommend riding anywhere you feel you'd need a higher level of protective wear.

 

[Rosemount]

There is the odd occasion when you go down so fast you don`t even get to take your hands off the bars .
I have scars to prove it .
Also ; gloves can give a greater feeling of security when you are impersonating super man flying through the air .Before you land palms down in the gnar . lol .

If you really want to protect that knuckle I would look into moto gloves .

 

[Mteam]

The fox defend gloves have d3o padding over the knuckles, but I cant imagine it would actually do much to prevent a significant injury - might prevent cuts and bruises, and might help in a glancing blow across the knuckles?

I have a pair - bought not because of the knuckle protection, but because I ripped my previous pair of gloves at a bike park and the only pair the shop had in stock in my size was the defend, so I bought them. As gloves go, they work fine, they've held up to a year of abuse so far -havent tested the knuckle protection though.

Defend D3O® Glove | Fox Racing - UK

 

[GEO]

The hand guard break is real, but it's not wrist - it's the metacarpal bones getting caught under barkbusters ( metal handguards) - most of the ones I've seen were with the original ( huge) plastic covers , the big square ones that were popular in the 80's. I've never seen it with naked barkbusters or the ergo guards.

re riding without gloves - digging gravel out of hands is NOT fun, add an infection whilst a fracture is healing...spreading to the bone and needing months of antibiotics . Wear gloves

GEO here, please check out this video dispelling the “MYTH” of going OTB and breaking your wrist with handguards

 

[Sean1.0]

I mostly ride without but I have a pair of Leatt mx gloves that have good knuckle protection and they are windproof and warm without being bulky, very grippy too... Don't mind wearing them at all them when its cold.

 

[KennyB]

Giro Remedy X2. Bought these after peeling back the skin on the 2nd joint of my index finger - I could see the joint.