chefisaac

Thinking about buying these for my commuter. For the folks who have them.... any draw backs?

phughes

Barr Mitts Vah.

Sorry, but I have nothing else to say. Any more info on what a Barr Mitt is? A link perhaps or is this a word game?

RaleighSport

It's a mitt that you put on your bar, you put your hand in it and can grip the bar and keep your hand warm. One on either side.

DiabloScott

What advantages would these have over gloves? Maybe quicker if you need to dial your phone or take a photo... otherwise, I don't get it.

Bud Bent

They're a lot warmer than gloves. I use ATV bar mitts on my commuter bike. They're even heavier than the ones intended for bicycles. I have Raynaud's syndrome and really have a tough time keeping my hands from getting numb in the cold.

Doohickie

I didn't think Mr. Romney hung around in bars, considering his Mormonism and all...

fietsbob

Pogies is another name.. there are double ones for Sea Kayaking ..
really warm ones for Alaskan IditaBike , and Snowmobiling.

Guess if you have to see the shifter display to know what gear you are in ,
those will not be visible any more..

chefisaac

here they are: https://barmitts.com/

Hence the "for those who have them".

dcrowell

I have the drop-bar version, but I had to re-cable my bar-end shifters to run the cables along the handlebar. I find them to be wonderful for a range of temperatures as they block the wind, but don't seal in moisture. I usually wear thin wool gloves even in cold temperatures.

I have pictures of my LHT outfitted with them. Just scroll down a bit if you don't want to read my ranting.

chefisaac

dcr: really? not waterproof?

RaleighSport

the pay it forward thread where you got yours are the only reason I know what they are.

fietsbob

Its Neoprene for like wetsuits, not Dry Suits or 'Gumby', aka ditch survival suit.
for when the Boat sinks.

dcrowell

I think they are waterproof, but the opening for your hands is, well, open. This allows venting of the humid air from sweating. They'll deflect rain just fine.

fietsbob

Bar end shifting.. Looks like you go to the outhouse to change your gear..

JiveTurkey

Got the flat-bar version for my wife's commuter this past Festivus. They look goofy but she likes them. They keep her hands warm while she uses relatively thin gloves that allow her to use the shifters/brakes normally. It doesn't get that cold here, but she gets cold hands and they keep her hands toasty. They're easy to get in and out of for signaling. The rain hasn't had any affect.

The big drawback we found is that they're not compatible with her handlebar mounted Mirrycle mirror. I cut the seam to allow the mirror to stick out. Also, there's a small strap inside that's supposed to go around the end of the handlebar grip (they're lock-on with a flat portion for the palm). The strap isn't very long and didn't fit around her grips. I slid her grips in the same width as the strap so that that it went around the bar. Come spring or so, I'll slide the grips back to the edge.

JiveTurkey

Also, about the opening: They seem big, but really aren't once you account for a jacket and other layers. My wife's arms aren't big by any means, and they fit her just fine. As mentioned above, you don't want complete closure for venting.

nashcommguy

None, except a lack of waterproofing. Bar-mitts for drop bars and Pogies for flat bars. A coat of Thompson's water sealant and you're good to go.

Easy Peasy

I use ski mitts which have a Gortex shell and Primaloft liner. Kept my hands toasty in my first winter commuting with coldest temps thus far in the teens. No trouble using my thumbs for shifting and fingers for braking.

Bent Bill

I used to have these on one of my motorcycles
they worked real well
I dont know if they will work on a bicycle tho

https://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/hippo-hands/

nkfrench 

I have Bar Mitts on my road bike. No bike modifications needed. They are MUCH warmer than other cycling hand gloves/mittens I paid a lot of money for. They take a minute to put on the bike or remove. They fold flat if you have a warm commute home (takes up less room in luggage than bulky gloves). Much easier to operate zippers or using brifters where manual dexterity is needed. No chemical warmers needed.

I had warm comfortable hands on a 3-hour drizzling ride 38F winds gusting to 40mph. I wear light gloves for padding, grip, nosewiping and those moments when my hands are not in the Mitts.

Drawbacks are that you are limited in your hand positions. You just ride on the hoods. Not in the drops or on the bar tops. If you have really big hands you may have a snug fit.

JimF22003

Lack of hand positions are my only issue. I wouldn't want to do a serious twisty downhill descent where I couldn't get down in the drops for braking leverage. Same thing for heading into the wind. I rarely ride on the tops of the bars unless I'm doing a long climb, but you can't do that either. But overall I think they work great.

mechBgon

For flat-bar, I like these cheap ones from Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Prote.../dp/B000OF91IS they're actually black, not camo.



They install and remove in just a few seconds. One drawback is that if you do a lot of hand signalling, you'll have to maneuver your hand back into them again, so keep that in mind. Anyway, when it's really cold and/or snowing/raining, these allow me to use lighter, highly breathable gloves instead of sweat-trapping waterproof gloves. Glad I got 'em for those occasions when they're needed.

BarracksSi

Every motorcycle-riding messenger or delivery man I saw in Seoul over my Christmas vacation had them. They can use lightweight gloves, if any at all, and they have the dexterity to use phones and do paperwork. And they're outside all day long.

So, yeah, they work.

pallen

I love the drop bar versions I have. I only break them out when its sub freezing, otherwise my hands get too hot with light gloves.

It doesnt get cold enough in TX to need them often, but I got them on sale at a local shop instead of buying heavy windproof gloves. I have one pair of gloves I wear throughout winter and just add the Bar Mitts when its too cold for my regular gloves.

The downsides are that you cant really move your hands around to different positions when you use them and your hands are a little restricted for shifting if you have STI type shifters.

ultramagnetic

There are also Moose Mitts. They have a drop bar version that covers the the flats, hoods and drops.