Artkansas 

Last week, I took the bus from Little Rock to DC. The very first stop was a short one about 15 miles short of the Arkansas/Tennessee border. In the 15 minute stop, I enjoyed a soft taco and then went to the Pilot store for a seltzer. They had it, but more amazingly, out of the corner of my eye, I found leather gloves with a fleece lining. I have been looking for a pair for years. They keep my hands warm where bicycling-oriented gloves fail. So now I know where to find the gloves I need; at a truck stop.

eofelis 

I went to some yard sales a couple weeks ago (on the bike of course). I found a very nice heavy merino wool Icebreaker top. It was priced at $2. She knew what she was selling, I knew what I was buying. I insisted on giving her $3 for it.

I have leather skiing/snowmobiling gloves and mittens for winter riding. They really block the wind. I found them at yard sales for $1.

Roody

Yes, truckers need cold weather gear a lot. If they're hauling frozen foods, they might need gloves in July in Arkansas!

Hunting stores have good winter stuff also, and don't forget about snowmobilers. For us everyday cyclists, the bicycling gear just seems pretty fey and flimsy at times.

One thing I hate about the marketing of gloves is that most stores don't sell them until November. If I lost the gloves ai was using last winter, that's a long tome to have cold hands here in Michigan!

wahoonc

I am so over seasonal marketing! I wear wool socks year round. The one local store I had been buying them at went out of business. I had purchased some at the local WM. Went back the following year and they no longer stock them, I was able to get some late that fall at a WM in Pennsylvania. I finally found an online source for those same socks....and they wonder why stores keep going out of business. I don't expect a store to carry full seasonal stock year round, but they could make some available. There is an old fashioned general store in Iowa City called Paul's. They have winter stuff available in limited quantities all year round, summer stuff is available in the winter, you just have to ask for it. THAT is customer service!

Aaron

Artkansas 

Yeah, it's the timing. The local hunting stores seem to prefer the high-tech stuff; better profit margin I suppose. I looked around for these leather gloves for a long long while. Online the only ones I find were about 70-100 bucks. The ones I got at the truck stop were closer to $8. It's funny how I saw them strictly with peripheral vision, but recognized them immediately, though I had to back up and actually look at them to realize what I had found.

wahoonc

Need to keep an eye on the industrial supply houses. My company buys ours in bulk and we pay something around $6 a pair for them. You can order from the same company www.airgassafety.com won't get the pricing though

Aaron

Artkansas 

I can't count the number of times that I rode past the local Airgas store on my way to work while suffering freezing fingers. Who knew?

wahoonc

Maybe, maybe not. They are one large company but I don't know how much of the safety stuff trickles down to the Airgas welding stores. IIRC the local on the ground stores used to be somebody else before Airgas rolled them up, but I am sure they would be willing to order anything you want.

Aaron

Roody

While we're talking about gloves, another thing I use is those cotton work gloves that you can buy at hardware stores and some dollar stores. They usually cost about $10 for 6 pairs. I like them in wet weather when temps are in the 50s or 60s. They keep my havds warm and dry and the kind with the rubber dimples give me good gription in wet weather. I take several pairs with me, and just change 'em out when they get wet. I've never been able to find waterproof gloves that work in those temperatures that cost less than $50.

wahoonc

I am actually in charge of the "glove program" for our company and test a crap load of gloves. I call my supplier and she sends me about a dozen different pairs for testing. Then we pick and chose what we want. I have been wearing cut resistant Kevlar gloves for the wet weather mid temp riding. (BTW mid temps is ~45*-70*f) For cold wet weather I wear neoprene with wool liners or pure wool with a wind resistant back.

Aaron