Your hands can get pretty sweaty when cycling on a warm day, and unless you’ve got really grippy bar tape, your hands can easily slip around the handlebars. Gloves soak up that sweat, keeping your hands dry and allow you to maintain a safe grip on the handlebars at all time.

Gloves can have padded palms, providing extra comfort by cushioning your hands from the vibrations passed through the bike and handlebar to the main contact points. The amount of padding varies hugely from one brand to another. Gel padding is popular. Some people prefer no padding, and there are many gloves with a simple, unpadded palm if that is your preference.

Gloves can provide a bit of extra protection in a crash. Of course, nobody starts a ride planning to crash, but accidents can happen, no matter how careful you are. There are a huge number of variables at play in a crash, but quite often it's a reflex reaction to stick your hands out in front of you to break your fall. Gloves can act as a useful first layer of defence, enough sometimes to prevent painful cuts and grazes.