Commuting - Winter gloves

The NW rainy season is almost here, which means rainy commutes for the next 7 months or so. I've prepared myself with appropriate gear, so I can't give myself any excuse not to commute. The one thing I am not really happy with is my winter gloves, which I ordered from Nashbar recently. They are Manzella wind and waterproof gloves... Not that they seem to be bad gloves, but it turns out they are more ski gloves than for bicycles- Very bulky.

I haven't used them yet, so am planning on returning them for a better pair. Most important to me is waterproof, then size/fit/compactness, then insulation/warmth. Style is of least concern, and I decided I'd be willing to spend ~$40 for a good pair. Also, I will not wear gloves with any animal leather on them, as it would be a conflict of ethical interests.

I've seen some neoprene gloves advertised, and was wondering if those would be a good choice.... any other recommendations?

Well, maybe I should bump my maximum price up to $55...... These look nice:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/common/products/productdisplay2_v2.cfm?PRRFNBR=30260&CGRFNBR=415&CRPCGNBR=415&CI=1,259,415&TextMode=0
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/images/products/thumb/gioymdh03.jpg

If waterproof is truly your #1 concern, i'd stay away from those. Not only does it not claim to be waterproof, but they have way too many seams to keep water out even if the fabric were waterproof. You want waterproof fabric with few seams, and you'll want the seams it has to be taped. Check out OR's Lobster Claw Rain Mitts (www.orgear.com) and wear a fleece glove or a liner underneath when it gets colder. Just my 2 cents...

Being waterproof hasn't been a concern of mine when biking, they will get a little damp and will dry out by the time I'm ready to go home and vice versa. But staying warm is a major concern. What works for me is a pair of North Face Gore Windstoppers. It is a fleece shell that I'll wear another pair of fleece Eddie Bauer inside. The layering does a great job at keeping digits warm and toasty, fleece dries out quckly, it's inexpensive, so replacement isn't a hassle.

I did try a pair of mittens that were fingered, the type that the mitten comes off the fingers so it gives you range of motion for your fingers to do stuff like tie down, or open a pannier, without having to take the glove all the way off. They weren't bad, but they didn't stay dry.

I did try neoprine socks once, my feet get really cold. These were really lame. The material traps sweat, so my feet got real wet and of course we know what happens with wet feet, so I bailed on that idea. Still looking for a solution to the feet problem other than bulky Sorrel boots. They work but it isn't pretty.

Good luck on finding what works for you.

I have a pair of Wal-Mart neoprene gloves ($12) that work for me down to about 0 c, 32 F. They're not water proof, my hands get wet but stay warm. I have a pair of Auclair lobster claws for cold weather that work well to about -15 C

The only way I find to keep my hands warm in the dead of winter is to wear Burton snowboard mittens, they are wind and water proof, they work down to below zero, I never get wet, as far as them being bulky, I got used to it quickly, it took about 2 commutes to get the shifting to feel normal. Now I wouldn't ride without them when it's below 40 degrees F. The only drawback is the price, they cost around 150.00. But, they work for the whole trip, 18.5 miles at 5 degrees F with head wind, and back in the afternoon. Also, they showed no signs of deterioration after one season of use.

The OR lobster claw waterproof mitts are a great idea. I found a pair several years ago and thought id give them a try. They work great until they get little holes in them, then they fill with water. Keep them in good shap, waterproof them once in a while and they will last. Just got a new pair in the mail yesterday since my old ones are beyond used. Cant find them at many places. but try mountaingear.com (may be mgear.com) they were 10 bucks cheaper than the OR site.



The NW rainy season is almost here, which means rainy commutes for the next 7 months or so. I've prepared myself with appropriate gear, so I can't give myself any excuse not to commute. The one thing I am not really happy with is my winter gloves, which I ordered from Nashbar recently. They are Manzella wind and waterproof gloves... Not that they seem to be bad gloves, but it turns out they are more ski gloves than for bicycles- Very bulky.

I haven't used them yet, so am planning on returning them for a better pair. Most important to me is waterproof, then size/fit/compactness, then insulation/warmth. Style is of least concern, and I decided I'd be willing to spend ~$40 for a good pair. Also, I will not wear gloves with any animal leather on them, as it would be a conflict of ethical interests.

I've seen some neoprene gloves advertised, and was wondering if those would be a good choice.... any other recommendations?

In the past two winters I alternated between the Lake Cycling MX Firepalm and their CX Zero. They are both toasty warm and worked well in all conditions. See Lake's web site at:

http://www.lakecycling.com

Enjoy!

I use OR windproof gloves for cold days and when it is raining I use polypro liners. I have found that it is next to impossible to stay dry in this climate I dress to be warm if I get wet and polypro is the best I have found for that though coolmax works alright as long as its not to cold.

In the past two winters I alternated between the Lake Cycling MX Firepalm and their CX Zero. They are both toasty warm and worked well in all conditions. See Lake's web site at:

http://www.lakecycling.com

Enjoy!

Those look great, and for ~$40, not too expensive, either!

I'm interestedin the CX Zero. How bulky are these? Hard to tell from the website.

I've had good luck with a $3 pair of wool glove liners in most Portland foul-weather commuting conditions. If I'm going to be out for a long time in colder conditions, a pair of $15 neoprene fishing gloves on top of the liners will keep me as toasty as I need to be. Both can be found at army surplus stores, and if you won't be kicking yourself if you lose them, unlike the more expensive purpose-built cycling gloves. It's not a stylish solution though ;)

I can't do wool :( I have sensitive skin besides it smells funny when its wet. But good options if you don't have sensitive skin

Dumb me:

After reading Mrfix's solution of wearing snowboard mits, I pulled my DaKine mittens out toaday and gave them a try, and they worked great!

Should have thought that if they keep me warm and dry up in the snow in winter, and have enough dexterity to tighten my snowboard bindings, they would be just fine for the bike. Luckily, I also have barend shifters, so mitten style seems to work just fine.

when it's 20 below and windy as heck, i use a big fat pair of mittens. when the temp is closer to 5 farenheit or warmer, i ride hard and have to use a pair of light gloves to keep my hands from getting sweaty. when it's 40 degrees and rainy, i usually just let my hands get cold and use that as a way to dissipate the extra warmth the rest of my body has from hard riding