First thing to hit the ground

Your hands go out first in almost every fall, so the glove is the one piece of gear that works in the first half-second. Street gloves are perforated leather with reinforced knuckle, finger and palm zones, an adjustable wrist closure and a touchscreen index finger.

Mesh gloves keep a reinforced palm and swap the back of the hand for open mesh windows for summer riding. Both run XS to 4XL; measure around the widest part of your hand before ordering. Buy the leather pair first; add the mesh pair when it gets hot.