Winter Cycling - Winter vs. Summer Gloves

Hey everyone.

I was thinking about investing in a decent pair of cycling gloves. I really liked the feel of the Bell PRO-GEL (http://www.amazon.com/Bell-1002305-PRO-GEL-Cycling-Gloves/dp/B001FCDH70/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1259178911&sr=8-4) but then I was thinking...it gets pretty cold here in the winter and I don't want to freeze my fingers off!

Being a new cycler, I've never cycled in extremely cold/less than desirable conditions, so I don't have any experience in this department.

Does something like this prevent you from freezing to death in the winter or do you find you need something different/better? Do you find that typical winter gloves provide enough padding as compared to the fingerless cycling gloves? Do you wear winter gloves over cycling gloves? Trying to figure out whether I should invest in 2 sets of cycling gloves, 1 set of fingerless cycling gloves and some winter gloves, or whether most people's hands stay relatively warm!

Thanks!

Where's your winter?

Southern Ohio. I wouldn't be cycling in anything too extreme. We'll say 25+ degrees F to be safe ;)
Imagine it would be a different response for you guys in Toronto!

ok so 25 being about -4C I'll most likely be using a slightly heavier construction glove that I can get from the hardware store for 10-20$. when it gets cold I'll run snowboard gloves. Slightly below freezing temps can be tricky depending on length of ride time/wind speeds. I'll bet some others here will be able to provide some cycling specific glove choices, I just find 'em too expensive.

You should have a discount place that has cheap downhill ski gloves. Or insulated hunting gloves or construction gloves.

Your problem areas are going to be head, hands and feet. You will want something over your ears. Booties if you used clipless,
winter boots if you use pedals.

I ride year round here in central Ohio and when it gets below 35f or so I switch to the Mittens. Above that I just wear those cheap brown cotton work gloves you see in convience stores for about $1.59. But heavy duty snowboard mittens do the trick in cold weather. $40 and your good for several years.

http://www.onlygloves.com/winter-gloves/womens/loki3wayaccessmit.cfm

Depending on your shifting mechanism, you could get by with a mitt and windproof shell, but a dedicated glove -- particularly an insulated "lobster glove -- would be your best bet as they afford the most warmth and dexterity. See photo illustration at the VeloWeb Winter Cycling page

Tonight, I went out wearing deerskin gardening gloves. They seemed pretty good. Last winter, ski gloves got too hot, too fast.

Of course, it's not full winter here yet. It was only about 45ºF, though it is extremely windy here now, making it feel a bit colder.

Depending on your shifting mechanism, you could get by with a mitt and windproof shell, but a dedicated glove -- particularly an insulated "lobster glove -- would be your best bet as they afford the most warmth and dexterity. See photo illustration at the VeloWeb Winter Cycling page

For someone who's not biking below 25 degrees fahrenheit, unless they have severe circulation problems or chronic cold hand issues, lobster gloves are waaaaaaaaaaaaay overkill.

I personally ride with relatively thin windproof gloves in 25+, no problem. Actually, I have more insulated gloves and have tried riding with them at 30 degrees and any amount of insulation was waaaaaaaaaaaay to much - my hands were very very hot. That may not apply to you, though - personal preference and body extremity temperatures vary a *lot*. There are certainly plenty of people who prefer extra insulation at 30 degrees (though not lobster mit levels).

Here's a quick suggestion for a windproof glove -
http://www.gorebikewear.com/remote/Satellite/PROD_GMISTA?landingid=1208436857364A

I personally own some other windproof gloves I think were cheaper, but I don't recall exactly what they were called right now.

If you'll be riding in the rain, though, that's entirely different story, and your hand getting wet at 40 degrees is really, really cold...