What’s with all the driving gloves?

[ramonesfreak]

Seems like most petrolicious videos and a lot of the videos on BAT feature a driver wearing driving gloves

While I’ll admit this behavior really irritates me, it now has me curious and wondering if I’m missing out on something special. I understand driving shoes but I don’t get the glove thing while on the street.

I just can’t imagine pulling on leather gloves when it’s 90 degrees and humid. Do you use them? What am I missing? Is this essential for real authentic spirited driving?

[rusnak]

I like my perforated driving gloves when driving the 914-6 or the Cabriolet during the winter. The heaters on those cars are not so great. I don't need them in the Cayman, but wear them in the winter anyway. During the Summer months, they are put away in storage.

[berettafan]

You need a porn star mustache to do driving gloves beeeeehatch.

[strupgolf]

I'm old school. On long trips i wear them and they feel great. I guess I started using them when I did autocross way back in the 70's to help with the sweat. Hey, I'm one cool guy.

[rusnak]

Sometimes it's just cold outside and you want to open the windows.

[manbridge 74]

I will say my lap times dropped due to easier gripping of the wheel at the local karting track. A lot of steering force required in karting though. Used my motocross gloves.

[ckissick]

I use driving gloves. But only when driving the topless and windowless (and heaterless) Spyder in cold weather. So I think I'm excused.

[Superman]

I've never worn driving gloves on the street, and rarely on the track, but that's probably just because I haven't had much track experience. They definitely DO improve grip.

For street driving, they seem mostly poser BS to me.

[911boost]

I saw a guy wearing some fingerless driving gloves while piloting a late 70’s land barge the other day, it made me smile.

[svandamme]

It makes sense for normal driving if you have a wooden steering wheel or one with crappy plastic.
not so much if there's a leather steering wheel.

For track driving I use my track gloves for sweat and grip.. but no way for normal driving

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

.....wearing driving gloves......... 90 degrees and humid..........

Under the conditions you describe, yes that sounds a bit silly, unless of course the sun has super heated the steering wheel on your targa and your gloves were kept cool in the glove box.

My driving gloves are best when I get an early start on driving before the scenic roads fill up with bicyclists, the cool damp morning air whipping around and a cold steering wheel do make gloves a solution to a problem.

I also like to drive in the fall, again with the top off, hat on, a scarf around my neck and driving gloves.

Stereotypes exist for a reason.

[ramonesfreak]

I understand wearing any type of glove when it’s cold. What I have been seeing is not that.

I’ve got probably around a million miles of driving under my belt and I’ve never considered wearing gloves except when it’s winter, which here is very harsh and cold for 5 or 6 months

So you guys seem to be using them for obvious reasons, cold and better grip on the track which makes sense

I really only noticed this because my wife is usually sitting there while I watch these videos on the TV and she even commented “how come you don’t have fancy gloves?” Which got me thinking.......

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

“how come you don’t have fancy gloves?” .......

About 1/3 of the time I wear driving gloves they are a prop, a costume, something to put me in the mood, a certain mindset - an escape mechanism.

Some people put on their favorite driving song, some get a double espresso, what ever floats your boat man.

[KFC911]

If you float a funny azz boat around these parts....you ain't from around here are ya ?

Fred...outside of a m/c....I've only had gloves on while driving....well...VERY rarely, and I'd probably snort like Tim Conway's elephant if'n I see you wearing any too .

Whatever floats yer boat is true....but I'm gonna LOL at ya....'cause it's just funny

[rfuerst911sc]

Back when I was auto crossing almost every weekend I wore driving gloves , to me it felt like I had better grip on the wheel . To be honest I never thought to wear them on the street . But I can see where they would add comfort in fall/winter driving especially if a convertible with the top down .

[ramonesfreak]

Costume...whatever floats your boat...I get it.

I do have an old 1970s Kawasaki jacket....the satin silky comfy type from back then which I refer to as my “driving coat”. I do feel sorta special when I’m wearing it but I only where this when it’s in the 50s

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by KC911

Fred...outside of a m/c...

I'm still tryin' to figure out who the hell I'm talkin' too on this here thread....sorry

[kach22i]

I keep my driving hat in the car, keeps the sun off my head.

Poser?

I used to wear an open scalp golfing hat, white with black letters saying "ping" for when finals came and I had to be drawing all night long while in college.

At the time it was the only hat I owned and reminded me of the good times I had golfing with my friends. It was comforting in times of high stress.

Some people clean their vinyl albums before playing them, it's all about the ritual man.

The guy that sold me my Porsche showed me his ritual for closing the gas lid on the car, he didn't just push down on it with one hand or by using his fingers. He would place his flat hand on the lid and lightly hammer fist the back of the hand with his other hand, the lid sets off a snappy reassuring chip out of it when it closed.

I did that for years, a cool ritual.

[Jims5543]

I used to Autocross and do track days in a car with manual steering and 6 degrees of caster.

At AX events I was frequently setting top time if day, never wore gloves.

Like OP have tons of driving miles under my belt, including many trips to the tail of the dragon never wore gloves.

Kachi nailed it, it's a costume.

When I first got into track days my intention was to race in the scca. My friend / mechanic told me I better get a set of fireproof gloves and start wearing them. Reason being, it changes what you feel in the steering wheel. In a manual steering car like I had it was so well balanced, Incould actually feel it starting to under steer in the wheel and could open up the steering slightly and lift a tad.

Once I put on some Simpson style racing gloves it numbed the feeling of the wheel. I hated it and stopped wearing them for track days. I figured if I made the leap to SCCA licensure I would deal with it then. I would be learning a new car anyway.



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[Chocaholic]

Full nomex gloves for track. Perforated fingerless gloves only for attracting porn stars at stop lights. They say it really works!