Road cycling mitts are sometimes seen as a “nice to have” – the sort of item you’ll pick up on your way out if they happen to be right in front of you, but could just as easily leave nestled in a draw somewhere.

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However, mitts do serve multiple purposes, and they’re well worth remembering next time you go for a ride:

• Mitts provide a layer of padding to protect you from fatigue and numbness caused by road vibrations
• They provide a handy ‘sweat wipe’ when the going gets tough (and a snot wipe if you’re suffering from the dreaded hayfever).
• They also save your skin from handlebar incurred blisters and road rash if you happen to be unlucky enough to tumble – we know it’s rare but trying to go about life with skinned palms is surprisingly difficult, so worth consideration.

Here are some of our favourite pairs…