Originally Posted by
GTALuigi
you are so right on that one.
i purchased soooooo many "waterproof" gloves and all of them leaks if you take it to wash
so most of them are like 90% waterproof
it'll be good against the elements rain/snow/etc, but still not waterproof enough to hold water inside or outside
you know... just thinking of the worse case scenario, and get stranded, no water, and need something to hold rain water to drink
All the waterproof stuff is merely laminated breathable membranes. Otherwise it doesn't breath at all. It's not waterproof like rubber, plastic or glass, it just repels water... up to a point. I've found that kind of gear great for skiing and hiking, but other than gloves and booties, I mostly stay away from "waterproof" cycling wear. Wool and fenders are my friends.
My main gloves are the Endura super-duper-winter-"waterproof" gloves. They last for about half an hour in a heavy rain before water starts seeping in. The real problem is that once they get wet, and your hands get wet, if you take your hands out it is absolutely impossible to put them back in. But half and hour is fine for my commute.
If I'm going to be riding particularly far in the rain I'll carry two extra pairs of gloves. The OR Prophets are amazing but too warm for riding above 35 F. That's still better than riding in the cold rain with no gloves at all. I'll generally also carry my long fingered non water repelling gloves as well, just in case.