Saturday, June 27, 2009

Introduction To Weightlifting Gloves

There are no visual concerns involved in the use of weightlifting gloves; the necessity of such body building apparel items is justified by the very practical nature of the products. Weightlifting can be definitely compromised by sweaty and slippery hands, not to mention the protection level the gloves provide against various joint and muscle injuries. The skin is exposed to a very intense pressure during body building training, thus sores and blisters are pretty common problems if the athlete does not use the right weightlifting gloves. Statistics even show that women are more exposed to skin injuries because of the increased sensitivity of their skin.

The material the weightlifting gloves are made of meets all the requirements necessary for sweat absorption, so that the quality of the grip may not suffer. Though there are plenty of sites to order such apparel items from, it is often a better idea to actually have the chance to try the
gloves on and check the level of comfort they provide directly. A rule thumb here says that comfort comes before style and good looks, therefore, make sure to complete your weightlifting gear with quality products. Choose training gloves designed by good brands, and even if you get to pay a higher price, at least you know it's worth every cent.

As for the perfect color choice of the weightlifting gloves, most athletes' preference definitely goes towards dark shades since stains are less visible on them. One other element you should be careful about when choosing the weightlifting gloves is the fabric; your hands need to breathe properly through the material. If this condition is not met, heat and sweat will accumulate inside the gloves and you will feel more than just uncomfortable. The perfect weightlifting gloves are padded so that the grip is improved and supported, while the risk of blisters and hand calluses formation is lowered to the minimum.

Most weightlifting gloves are made of neoprene,
leather and nylon but only neoprene and leather are truly reliable when it comes to allowing the hands to breath. Nylon is not necessarily the best choice, since there are varieties that are both slippery and smooth, thus hindering the easiness of the grip. Leather is pretty good for glove manufacturing, but it is not as light as neoprene and nylon. Most often, these other two materials are used for linings; yet, most athletes consider that neoprene is the best fabric for weightlifting gloves due to its lightness, breathable nature and high durability.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Leather Cycling Gloves

Though cycling involves the entire body in the physical activity, the hands are the ones to control direction and the feet to give power to the movement. Hence, for the body parts that receive most blows from weather and environment elements, the use of cycling gloves is almost compulsive; this means that no equipment is complete without appropriate hand protections. For those who don't see why cycling gloves are so important, we should mention the fact that the front part of the cycle is the one that absorbs most shocks. At the body level a bump is usually felt in both hands and the butt depending on the speed and the position assumed in riding.

Cycling gloves are gloves designed for cycling. They fulfill three functions: warmth, comfort and protection.

Warmth

Gloves are normally used to keep the hands warm, a function that is chiefly essential when cycling in cold weather. The design of most modern bicycles is such that the rider's hands remain on the handlebars while cycling, a position that leaves them bare to weather. The hands are also comparatively inactive, and do not have a great deal of muscle mass, which also put in to the possibility of chill. Gloves are therefore fundamental for insulating the hands from cold, wind, and evaporative cooling while riding a bicycle.

Comfort

Cycling places a good deal of stress on the hands, in the form of prolonged pressure against handlebars and transmission of unexpected road shocks through handlebars to the hands. The harshness of discomfort can be alleviated somewhat by riding position, but is essentially inherent in most designs of upright bicycle. However, choice of weight distribution between the saddle and handlebars is usually determined by other factors, such as aerodynamics, control and long-term comfort. Padded gloves or handlebar grips are therefore useful to increase comfort for a given geometry.

Protection

Putting a hand out to break a fall is a natural reaction. However, the hands are one of the more difficult parts of the body to repair. There is little or no spare skin, and immobilizing the hands sufficiently to promote healing involves significant inconvenience to the patient. So, many cyclists choose to wear gloves all year round to help avoid skin damage in a fall.

Qualities

An improved glove for cyclists is disclosed. The glove comprises a flexible shell including a palm side, an outside, glove fingers and a glove thumb. Resilient padding is permanently secured to the palm side of the glove shell, and extends substantially from the heel of the palm side of the shell toward the glove fingers and across the crotch area between the glove index finger and the glove thumb. The padding comprises an elastomeric layer, a layer of fibrous batting, and an external layer. Sweat from hands can make one's gloves become unpleasant quite quickly, so it is best to store them so that air can circulate inside if at all possible (for example on a radiator). After a wet or hard ride it may be best to turn them inside-out to dry. Leather gloves can be washed in cool water and are reportedly best dried out on the hands. Gloves should fit snugly but not be tight. Pay particular attention to the length of the fingers as the fingertips can become very cold if the glove's fingers are not long enough. Ideally the glove should be loose on the fingers and fit comfortably around the palm.

Types of gloves

Fingerless gloves

These gloves are half finger style with cotton knitted back (see through) and leather palm. Padding is very light. Velcro closure for snug fit. All black. Fingerless cycling gloves, also known as track mitts


Winter gloves

Winter gloves tend to be bulkier, perhaps being made in two parts, inner and outer, so that the inner can be washed. They will tend to have longer cuffs, to tuck into jackets and avoid the wrists being chilled,

Mittens

Mittens are good in extreme cold as they allow a single pocket of warm air to form around the fingers. They make use of brakes somewhat awkward

Lobster-claw

Lobster-claw gloves are a relatively recent innovation, halfway between glove and mitten. Two fingers are placed in each of two wide fingers, giving much of the advantage of mittens but making use of brake levers much easier

Weather shield

Weather shields (made by a company called Dry Bike) are small water- and windproof shields that attach to the handlebars and protect the hands from rain and wind. Though not gloves, they serve a similar purpose

Though the choice of weather to wear a pair of gloves or not is entirely yours, most cyclists do appreciate the need to wear some form of protection on their hands. Choosing a pair of gloves to answer your individual style or budget will never be a constraint,. What is important however, is that the pair of gloves you choose should be a quality produce and do its job extremely well in ordinary as well as tough conditions.

Motorcycling Leather Boots

A boot is a type of footwear that covers at least the foot and the ankle and sometimes extends up to the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber, modern boots are made from a variety of materials.

World’s one of most convenient and economic mode of transportation. Its marketed worldwide suiting varied tastes of different people. But riding a bike entails a lot of dangers to safety and keeping this in mind biking apparel is what one should never ignore out of sheer careless attitude.

Boots are probably one of the most important
biking apparels and a must have which a biker must keep in consideration. Good safety motorcycle boots gives much desired and higher security for feet. They have always been associated with motorcyclists and extend from above ankle to below knee. Completing our practical requirements of safety is the main purpose of motorcycle riding boots, and was never actually intended to make a rider actually a fashion symbol.

But when it’s understood and known that motorcycle boots are a must to have item amongst your riding apparels.

Boots are worn by motorcycle riders and passengers to prevent or reduce harm to their feet and ankles while riding and in the event of a crash. Tough, strong, moderately flexible boots with stiff soles provide the rider protection from a number of risks. Boots with oil-resistant, rubber-based composite soles give a grip on the pavement and help keep the rider's feet on the pegs. If the boots have heels, they should be low and wide to provide a stable base when standing with the bike. In a crash, boots may prevent or reduce foot and ankle injuries. As with jackets and trousers, boots should be designed specifically for motorcycling, using materials and seam construction that are impact, abrasion, cut, tear and burst resistant. Strong, tough, and flexible leather or synthetic fabrics have suitable properties. Boots should also have energy absorbers and load spreaders on the shin, inside and outside of each ankle. A stiff sole working laterally helps prevent or decrease crash injuries caused by crushing and shear strain.

Motorcycles boots are associated with motorcycle riders and range from above ankle to below knee boots They have an outside of a typical boot but a low heel to control the motorcycle. To improve motorcycle safety, motorcycle boots are generally made from a thick, heavy leather and may include energy absorbing and load spreading padding, metal, plastic and/or composite materials to protect the motorcycle rider's feet, ankles and legs in an accident. For use in wet weather, some boots have a waterproof membrane lining such as Gore-Tex or Sympatex.

Varieties of motorcycle boot designed specifically for riding a motorcycle on hard pavement (either the street or a race track) and are usually between 10 and 14 inches in height and made from a combination of leather, metal, plastic is usually greater than touring boots due to the increased potential for injury at the high speeds needed for racing.

Depending upon how form-fitting the boot is, to allow a rider to easily get the boot on or off, the shaft may be designed to open lengthwise. If so, Velcro is typically used on the inner sides of the opening to allow the rider to close the boot over the foot, ankle and leg. This allows for some flexibility for the rider to control the boot's tightness. Some manufacturers also include an internal quick-lacing system between a soft inner leg and the harder outer shell of the boot shaft to further ensure a tight, but comfortable fit. The heel of a racing boot is typically very low: not more than 1/2-inch, and sole of the heel and foot is typically rather smooth. A curved plastic or composite plate may be included to cover the shin of the boot to protect the rider's shin.

The most common color of racing boots is black, but other colors such as white, red, blue, yellow and green may be combined with black or each other in some fashion. Typical street riders may prefer all black, but racers may opt for a color combination that matches the rest of their motorcycle leathers, helmet and/or motorcycle

And/or man-made composite materials to create a form-fitting, but comfortable boot. The amount of armored protection provided by racing boots.