gloves

[MattMuney]

what are the absolute warmest gloves you can buy? I bought a pair of descente gloves that my lbs said were the warmest ones they sold. they were fine in the 40s but once I wore them while riding in temps in the 30s and below my fingers were getting numb. What gloves do you guys use in tempatures of 30 farenheit and below?

[Portis]

You have to get away from the GLOVE concept. Mittens are the best. Trouble is, mittens leave you with no dexterity. That's why i use these (http://www.glacierglove.com/online_store.htm) with a pair of lightweight fleece glove liners underneath. You can flip the mitten part and have full finger dexterity, and your fingers are still covered.

This is my 4th winter of using this type of glove and I NEVER have cold fingers.

https://secure9.nexternal.com/gloves/images/659.jpg

[DoB]

I have Burton mittens with an inner glove liner. If I actually need fingers for something (like turning on a light) I can pull out a gloved hand and get the job done without freezing up. Then I stuff the hand back into the mits. For the bulk of the ride the mittens provide plenty of dexterity to work my brifters (the CX bike) or grip shifters (the hybrid).

There is no such thing as a warm glove. Your fingers will always get cold in the greatest of Gore-Tex, Thinsulate wonderkind gloves. Embrace the mit.

[biffstephens]

Matt,

Do you know the style/model of glove you got?

[Machka]

Ski gloves ... thick, well-lined ski gloves, such as you would find in a Canadian Tire, Walmart, or Mark's Work Wearhouse.

One of the photos below has my cold weather gloves/mitts complete with handwarmers if it gets too cold for just the gloves/mitts alone.

The other photo has my cycling gloves with mini-gloves (less than $1 at Walmart) ... I wear that combination when the temp is around the freezing point.

[ViperZ]

Ski gloves work best :)

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9029/img3136mediumxd4.jpg

These are a composite of leather and nylon. They have a removable fleece liner. Some times I'll slip in my Gore Windstopper Fleece gloves to increase the range.

They have served me down to -35C biking. The Windstopper gloves are good to about -15C for me... Dependant on the length of time spent outside.

[vger285]

I use pogies,no more gloves for me,feel the shifters and brakes just like in the summer,no difference,why some people still use gloves is beyond me,i carry a pair of cloves in my pocket just in case i have to change a flat,thats the only reason.joe

[Wheels4]

I've just starting using my Alpinestars Motorcycle winter riding gloves on my commute.... the other night, it was close to 18 or 19 degrees and my fingers were nice and toastie. they come with another set of gloves(inner gloves) but i haven't used them on my commute yet. if i could find something as warm for my toes, i'd be a happy man....

[Hezz]

I have to recommend the ski glove over bicycle gloves. Most bicycle gloves are not warm enough below 40 F. Although I have seen a new pair by Pearl that really are more like ski gloves. The big problem with gloves is that you need to be able to take the liner out of the shell for drying. Cheap Wal-Mart style ski gloves with a nylon shell and fleece lining work very well. But the water proof membrane must be removed or they will not dry out without a glove drying machine.

The best solution for me has been a thick pair of fleece gloves inside a nylon shell. They need to be very breathable.

There are also some cheap fingerless gloves at Wal-Mart type stores in the hunting department with a neoprene palm and fleece back of hand. These are quite warm and if you get a large size can be worn over your existing cycling gloves. If you have some full finger cycling gloves. This combination is good into the low 30's or high 20's F. Depending on your hand's cold tolerance.

[jeff-o]

I use a pair of waterproof ski gloves. I bought a pair that have a good combination of weather resistance, warmth and dexterity. When it's really cold out, my fingers get numb, but only for the first 15 minutes or so. After that, everything warms up nicely.

[austinguy]

I have been using the PI Lobster Gloves for two weeks. I normally get very cold hands. The Lobster gloves are keeping me warm down to about 18 for up to 1 and a half our ride. Dexterity is still ok. Loss of some dexterity but I can ride through traffic.

[BikeInMN]

I use pogies,no more gloves for me,feel the shifters and brakes just like in the summer,no difference,why some people still use gloves is beyond me,i carry a pair of cloves in my pocket just in case i have to change a flat,thats the only reason.joe


+1 on using pogies (aka moose mitts)...
The easiest way to keep your hands warm when it gets really really cold and you don't have the bulk of thick gloves or mittens between you and the bars... oh, and warmer too.

I've ridden with mountaineering mittens and they're warm but you don't feel real connected to the bars as they have a ton of padding in the palm section of the mitt.

[ViperZ]

So how do Pogies work for a bike that sits outside 24/7?

The bars, levers and shifters would be at ambeint temperature, That would rob heat from my hands it seems unless I wore a glove inside them as well. Then my hands would be restricted to the location of the pogies on the bar, and I could not use my bar ends.

The Idea sounds good, albeit limiting and restrictive.

[vger285]

In the winter, my bike is inside,my wife sleeps out side! The pogies i made out of windblock cover my bar ends,with windblock( polartec) you can keep your hands outside if you like and still activate the brakes or shift,if they start to get cold, put them back in, best of both worlds!Sometimes i also can put a chemical pack inside the pogies for extra warmth.i guess you can tell, i like them.

[ViperZ]

In the winter, my bike is inside,my wife sleeps out side! The pogies i made out of windblock cover my bar ends,with windblock( polartec) you can keep your hands outside if you like and still activate the brakes or shift,if they start to get cold, put them back in, best of both worlds!Sometimes i also can put a chemical pack inside the pogies for extra warmth.i guess you can tell, i like them.

:lol: Well it's not an option for me as I commute with my bike, as such it is locked outside in a downtown compound while I'm at work. Temperatures can be below -30C

[Portis]

Pogies work, they've been used on ATV's for years. But I don't see the need for all the bulk and mess. Hands are pretty easy to keep warm here but it seldom gets much below 0 F.

[sunofsand]

In the winter I ride my bike in order to photograph the landscape so I need full use of my fingers to manipulate the camera and such
while still staying warm during the long stretches of hiking and standing still.
I use windstopper gloves by Manzella and 40 gram Thinsulate hunting mittens that flip over ..like the 1st picture. My hands are good for the entire day no matter how cold it gets.
That said
I'm visiting the mall tom. to get something better/more fashionable.

[TJHOO]

Ski gloves ... thick, well-lined ski gloves, such as you would find in a Canadian Tire, Walmart, or Mark's Work Wearhouse.

One of the photos below has my cold weather gloves/mitts complete with handwarmers if it gets too cold for just the gloves/mitts alone.

The other photo has my cycling gloves with mini-gloves (less than $1 at Walmart) ... I wear that combination when the temp is around the freezing point.

Where have folks found mitts? I'd like to get a winddproof pair that's thin as a shell to try.


These aren't shells, but has anyone tried Lake MX Fire Palms? If so, any warmer than PI Lobster Mitts?
http://www.lakecycling.com/custom.aspx?id=4

[2manybikes]

I have been using my heavy leather goose down lined mittens to ride my old mtb with rapidfire shifters for 12 years when it's below about 25F. And on motorcycles since about 1970. If I want to use my camera I just take them off.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/395/hpim0317croppedkv5.jpg

[jimblairo]

Assos. I've worn mine in -10C and they are great. Problem is they cost 70$.

[CrosseyedCrickt]

I use several methods.
I have pogies, lobster claws, and 3 fingered gloves.
The warmest would be lobster claws inside the pogies, but they'd be so unbareably hot youd turn around and go back hom in 10 minutes.
The 3 fingered gloves I got from Performance.com are good down to 15F
the lobster claws with a glove liner can take you to the single digits
the pogies with a glove liner have taken me down to negative degrees and been warm

your milage may vary

[TJHOO]

I have pogies, lobster claws, and 3 fingered gloves.
The warmest would be lobster claws inside the pogies

So Pogies are like booties for your hands that we'd attach by velcroing around the handlebars?
On a road bike around the hoods (including curved part of handlebars)?
Then you are physically attached to your bike? How safe is this, eg if you start to fall?

Where has anyone bought pogies? I found them at REI and Campmor
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=12295782&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1&color=BLACK&img=/media/688197Lrg.jpg&view=large
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39251732&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

[dekindy]

I use pogies,no more gloves for me,feel the shifters and brakes just like in the summer,no difference,why some people still use gloves is beyond me,i carry a pair of cloves in my pocket just in case i have to change a flat,thats the only reason.joe

Am I silly for wondering why they don't make these for feet, or are shoe covers just as effective? I would think that you could velcro them to the cranks.

[balto charlie]

check out these on ebay(not mine)
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_gloves_mitts.php
Price is right but can't attest to warmth. I really like the all leather gunner mitten w/ wool lining. Most have the trigger finger exposed so it might get cold. If the mitten is big enough you can always slide the trigger finger in with the other 3 for added warmth.

[balto charlie]

1 more thought. The warmest mittens/ gloves I have ever used were leather mitten shells and dachstein wool liners. Sometimes you won't need the shell as this type of wool is somewhat windproof. the are a little bulky BUT you will be warm. Very windproof. I must find another pair.

[Machka]

Where have folks found mitts? I'd like to get a winddproof pair that's thin as a shell to try.



Walmart
Canadian Tire
Superstore
Zellers


All the department stores carry them. They are usually in huge bins or covering entire walls at this time of the year ... and they range in price from <$10, like the ones in my photo, for a decent pair of mitts that have kept my hands warm down to some pretty bitterly cold temps ..... or perhaps a little bit more (like ~$20) for sheepskin lined leather mitts.

[Hezz]

Here is an interesting idea. These are called wrist huggers. You could wear something like this over a thinner fleece glove or cycling glove to maintain dexterity and then add a glove shell to block the wind.

This would keep your palm and wrist area very warm as they would have a thicker amount of insulation and would keep the pulse area very warm. But because the fingers would have fewer layers more dexterity is maintained. These can be used under heavy ski glove or mittens also.

http://www.boothuggers.com/WristHuggers.html

[vrkelley]

Am I silly for wondering why they don't make these for feet, or are shoe covers just as effective? I would think that you could velcro them to the cranks.

Boots...just boots will do in this sort of whether (and of course 1 or 2 pairs of wool socks)

[vrkelley]

Here is an interesting idea. These are called wrist huggers. You could were something like this over a thinner fleece glove or cycling glove to maintain dexterity and then add a glove shell to block the wind.

This would keep your palm and wrist area very warm as they would have a thicker amount of insulation and would keep the pulse area very warm. But because the fingers would have fewer layers more dexterity is maintained. These can be used under heavy ski glove or mittens also.

http://www.boothuggers.com/WristHuggers.html

What a great idea esp if your jacket's sleeves are just too short! Just cut the toe off a sport sock.

[Bikerbill98]

Several years ago I found a pair of snowmobile gloves at BJ's or Sam's that have a water resistant shell and removable fleece liner. The glove has a small zippered pocket on the top just above the knuckle area that contains a tethered swatch used to clean your glasses. The thumb is partially covered with soft material designed for dripping noses. Not only are their warm and functional; they only cost me $7.00. :)

[TJHOO]

Walmart
Canadian Tire
Superstore
Zellers


All the department stores carry them. They are usually in huge bins or covering entire walls at this time of the year ... and they range in price from <$10, like the ones in my photo, for a decent pair of mitts that have kept my hands warm down to some pretty bitterly cold temps ..... or perhaps a little bit more (like ~$20) for sheepskin lined leather mitts.

Anyone found mitt shells in the US?

[Machka]

Anyone found mitt shells in the US?

You have Walmart down there right?

What about K-Mart?

And isn't there a place called Target?

Any department store should have winter gear!

[TJHOO]

You have Walmart down there right?

What about K-Mart?

And isn't there a place called Target?

Any department store should have winter gear!

Thanks,

Ordered these. Will report back.

http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/25848/

[vger285]

You can lead a horse to water, but that dosen't keep his hoof's warm?

[MudSplattered]

I use pogies, down to negative temps with a light glove underneath. My pogies are made to be used with bar ends or not. Heavier gloves if necessary, but normally just a light insulated pair of gloves. You are not attached to the bike with pogies, your hands slip in and out easily. I just bought some for my kid, if I felt there was a chance he couldn't get out of them safely, I would not have gotten him any. We always carry the instant heat packs anyway, you never know when you may need to slip one down the front of your sock (to warm the feet) or whatever. They can be placed inside the pogie, as someone pointed out before. My pogies are wind/water proof and fleece lined. They aren't too bad either for spring/fall riding when it's raining, worn without any gloves, keep my hands drying and warmer than any glove I have every purchases. I have never really found a "waterproof" glove, even neoprene or whatever they are that claim to be waterproof (but even wet, my hands stayed warm with them - in cool autumn weather).

[vger285]

Right on-on the pogies,they are the only way to go for me!light glove liners thats it! heat packs if it gets real cold,they are amazing!

[rideon7]

Here are the gloves that work for me:
weather that's hot/warm: cycling half-gloves
cool: light fleece liner gloves
cooler (in the 30s): Outdoor Research Gripper Gloves (outside layer is great for gripping brakes & shifters)
even cooler (upper 20s to lower 30s): OR Gripper Gloves inside nylon shells
cold (mid-twenties & below): Pearl Izumi Inferno Glove (these are the three-finger version, between the AmFib and Lobster styles)*

*I wear a size Large for the Pearls, which leaves me some room. The wiggle room is good because on icy days it lets me wear a roller-blade type hard plastic wrist protectors inside each glove. I went down on ice three times last winter and that was enough. Instinct is to stick your arm out to catch/protect yourself. Last time that happened my hand was banged up for a month, so I started using those wrist guards and they work great! I've gone down once on ice this winter and the only that was injured was my pride.

[911TurboS]

[QUOTE=ViperZ]Ski gloves work best :)

/QUOTE]


...and you can't go wrong with The North Face!

[TJHOO]

Thanks,

Ordered these. Will report back.

http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/25848/

Fantastically warm. Nice and light too. Breathed well enough also.

[JeffS]

I have a nice pair of Burton mittens, but even with the knuckle zipper open my hands are too hot.

I'm currently in search of a mid-weight glove. What I've been using is an old pair of winter motorcycle gloves, but I made the mistake of washing them and now the liner is forever bunching around my fingers.

[chephy]

I have been using the PI Lobster Gloves for two weeks. I normally get very cold hands. The Lobster gloves are keeping me warm down to about 18 for up to 1 and a half our ride. Dexterity is still ok. Loss of some dexterity but I can ride through traffic. +1 for lobster gloves of some sort. The best of both worlds (warmth of mittens, dexterity of gloves... almost).

[Old Dirt Hill]

When it's really cold, I wear Nashbar polypro gloves (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=140&subcategory=1225&brand=&sku=11990&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Full%20Finger) as my base layer, followed by army surplus sniper gloves, followed by army surplus mittens. I'll try to find pictures of the army surplus stuff.

The mittens are incredibly bulky, but I use barend shifters on my commuter so I really don't need fingers for much of anything. Truth be told, if it's cold enough for me to wear the army surplus mittens, I probably won't be shifting much anyhow.

[edit: found a picture of the sniper gloves, still looking for the surplus mittens.]

http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/imgs/triggmitinsert.JPG

This is the closest picture I could find of the mittens I use. Mine are pretty different looking, but you get the idea.

http://www.omahas.com/catalog/images/products/CLG1654lg.jpg

[zippered]

Here is an interesting idea. These are called wrist huggers. You could wear something like this over a thinner fleece glove or cycling glove to maintain dexterity and then add a glove shell to block the wind.

This would keep your palm and wrist area very warm as they would have a thicker amount of insulation and would keep the pulse area very warm. But because the fingers would have fewer layers more dexterity is maintained. These can be used under heavy ski glove or mittens also.


personally i've never had trouble with cold wrists, it's the tips of my thumb and fingers that get cold!

however, i was recently given a pair of lobster gloves from MEC and they've kept my hands toasty to the point of sweating... :rolleyes:

for +0 c temps i'm still very happy with the skiing gloves i purchased at MEC a few years ago. they aren't padded, but have a nice leather palms and long wrists, made of light-weight wind-stopper material and cheaper too.

[flipped4bikes]

I got these 180s running gloves (http://www.180s.com/pages/productGL04.asp?prodID=368&lineID=479&catID=480) last year. I love them because they aren't bulky and work in a wide range of temps, from 0F to 45F. the protective overmitt can be tucked away. They are just the right amount of warmth for commuting and active sports. They changed the palm material for this year, so don't know how it affects grip and warmth. Worth checking out though, and can be found at Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority...

[jcwitte]

I have some new balance running gloves that are pretty thin and I've been using those inside some Trek Lobster Gloves. When it gets down below 25, however, my fingertips still get pretty numb. I'm guessing that the Trek Lobster gloves are garbage compared to some of the other lobster style gloves. I think that's how it probably goes for most of their clothing.

I ended up buying some Seirus All Weather Gloves but haven't tried them out on the bike yet.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00069H73S.01-ANU2EX1E7R1V0._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V34948772_.jpg

[ghettocruiser]

Again, this is one of these things where individual needs will be all over the map.

My hands stay pretty warm, and I can get away with just thin flleece gloves under a one-size-too-big pair of motoX gloves down to about -12C.

Colder and I go with MEC snowboard gloves, and my hands are always too warm in those.

[ViperZ]

^^^ Agreed!

-12C this morning, and I rode to work wearing my TNF Windstopper gloves, which are very thin by winter glove standards. No problems....

http://static.backcountry.com/images/items/large/TNF1220/PWGBK.jpg


In Autumn when we were road riding in -9C weather, I was still using my Fox full finger summer gloves for +3 hour, 100km rides.

Shown here during a summer rain commute to work.
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/8735/com1xl3.jpg

Maybe I'll pay the price when I'm old and have arthritis :(

[JeffRoss]

what are the absolute warmest gloves you can buy? I bought a pair of descente gloves that my lbs said were the warmest ones they sold. they were fine in the 40s but once I wore them while riding in temps in the 30s and below my fingers were getting numb. What gloves do you guys use in tempatures of 30 farenheit and below?

I use a pair of REI Ridgecrest mittens. Get them big because the last thing you want is a too tight mitten. At 10 above F my thumbs will get chilly but I can pull them into the mitten and warm them up in no time.

[Lurker1999]

I ended up buying some Seirus All Weather Gloves but haven't tried them out on the bike yet.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00069H73S.01-ANU2EX1E7R1V0._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V34948772_.jpg

I use a pair of those as my gloves for temps into the high 20s. If it gets colder than that or if it's pretty windy I slide those into a pair of OR Snowline (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48039113&parent_category_rn=4501423&vcat=REI_SSHP_MENS_CLOTHING_TOC) mittens using them as a "liner". A couple of other posters above have also referenced these. If you do decide to try these keep in mind they are huge. I'm putting my Seirus gloves into a small sized Snowline mitten. I find the Seirus gloves are warm enough to use by themselves unlike a true liner glove but preserve enough dexterity that you can fiddle with zippers, attach panniers, etc.

The one issue I find with the mittens is that they make handling your brakes more difficult. You can either grasp the handlebars or rest your hand on the brake but not both at the same time. In traffic I tend to just accept the slight bit of instability and ride with my hand on the front brake and the other hand grasping the handlebar firmly.

http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1d/gallery.rei.com/media/887369.jpg

[brokenrobot]

I use lobster claws down to 30 or so; I've worn the same plus military-surplus wool liners down to zero and been comfortable (except for my poor frozen toesies)