Quote:

"FWIW, I always have a pair or two of nitrile gloves when bike touring, and use them if I have to fix something/take something apart. Keeps the hands free of grease and grime in such circumstances."

Yup, we brought nitrile gloves on this trip too. But they're not something I want to wear for an extended period, and once you've worn them for a while, it's a PITA to get take them off and get them back on, and while it's true that the "touching the chain" parts of assembly/disassembly were limited, it seems that you just don't know when you're going to get grease on something. I found it easier --- or at least not a lot harder --- to bring a tube of degreaser and wash up multiple times during assembly/disassembly. Wearing the nitrile gloves, my hands are just sort of a "grease source" from the first time I touch the chain/sprocket.

Maybe I should have used the nitrile gloves more than I did, but I find them a mixed blessing for this use. I will still bring them on bike trips because they mass very little --- and who knows, maybe even useful for first aid or for keeping hands warm.