terms, you control a ritual, while a superstition is
belief in something that controls you. For example, if
someone gives you a golf ball and tells you it’s lucky,
you’ll be more likely to sink a putt. Seriously. That
comes from a study in Psychological Science from
researchers at the University of Cologne.
Likewise, if you have a superstition or ritual—a
lucky pair of socks, a certain number of dribbles
before a free throw—and you are denied it, your per-
formance will tank. Again, that’s from a published
study in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.
The authors offer a few theories for why rituals
work, including that they help athletes tune out
distractions and focus on the task at hand, and that
“routines create psychological and physiological
readiness.” That leads to measurably better per-
formances, even if, intellectually, you know it’s all
BS. It’s kind of like how you can make your body
believe you’ve got more calories to burn simply by
swishing a carbohydrate drink in your mouth and
then spitting it out. Your brain is stupid like that.
Is this all way too much to think about for some-
thing as minor as gloves? If we’re talking just about
gloves, then yes. They are so unimportant, in the
grand scheme, that even the hyper-judgmental world
of cycling doesn’t have a rule about them. But as an
example of something that can help you perform
at an objectively higher level by making you feel
subjectively better, they’re pretty freaking great.
And, really, aside from behavior that endangers
others, there isn’t a wrong way to ride a bike (except
in the old AG2R kit).1 Barely-there road: Giro
Zero CS |$3 0
The cuffs have gotten
shorter, thankfully. (I
used to cut them off.) The
Zeros are also a bit easier
to remove now. But those
enhancements have not
come at the expense of
everything I love about
these gloves—the snug fit,
barely there feel, breath-
ability, and durability.2 Padded short-finger
road: Castelli Rosso Corsa
Espresso |$ 60
If you need padding in the
palm but don’t want to
sacrifice bar feel, the Rosso
Corsa delivers. Bonus: The
awkward pull loops between
the fingers, for removing
the gloves, are gone in favor
of a stretchy upper and a
tab on the cuff.3 Long-finger road:
Specialized BG Grail |$4 0
Touchscreen compatibility:
Check. Breathable fabric for
hot days: Check. Padding
specifically designed to
counteract the biomechan-
ics of numbness and ting-
ling: Check. These gloves
are amazing.4 Cool weather: Rapha
Classic Gloves |$11 0
Harsh winters are another
stor y. But in the cool temps
of the shoulder season,
you shouldn’t have to trade
warmth for dexterity. The
leather-palmed Classic
delivers secure contact with
the bars, while the water-
resistant thermal top insu-
lates without suffocating.5 MTB: Troy Lee Designs
Ruckus Glove |$4 2
A lightweight, perforated
layer of neoprene protects
against scratches and
crashes, and well-placed
stitching ensures zero rub-
bing during even the bumpi-
est rides. Touchscreen
compatibility streamlines
trailside ’gramming.ISSUE 5 • BICYCLING.COM 41