When one bikes on bumpy roads, gravel…well, actually, just about any time it is helpful to have gloves. They absorb shock, but also if you fall gloves protect your hands from getting torn up. I brought along regular biking gloves, as well as all-weather waterproof mittens. I’ve used them once so far on a rainy day — and they worked great. It was spectacular to get done biking for the day and not have waterlogged gloves and hands.
Wondering about the orange items here? They are newspaper bags back from the olden days when the kids were young and we had a family paper route. Thankfully I haven’t had to use these yet, but if it’s going to be a rainy or snowy day I can put my socked foot inside a newspaper bag and then my feet dont get wet even though my bike shoes get wet. Pretty slick hack, huh?