A palm and wrist protector for bicycling and other activities requiring hand and wrist protection. A pad of resilient material covers an area of the hand including the base of the thenar eminence, the saddle between the thumb and forefinger, the distal portion of the palm below the base of the fingers, the ulnar side of the palm, and the wrist crease. The pad includes a tubular section that encircles and protects a proximal portion of the wearer's forefinger. An elastic retaining strap holds the protective pad against the palm while allowing the lower edge of the pad to move freely across the wrist during the side to side movement of the hand. In one embodiment, the pad is a laminate construction that includes a pressure distribution plate sandwiched between two coextensive layers of resilient material that are mated together.