scottfsmith

The title says it all.. I have decided to get back to my old habit of commuting in rainy weather. I did a commute in the rain yesterday and forgot how much fun it is. I have good rain gear for top, bottom and feet but don't have anything for my hands. What I used to do in the past was to wear neoprene mitts I used for winter windsurfing, but they are pretty clunky on the bike. Or just wear gloves meant for colder weather which will get drenched but still keep hands sort of warm.

In looking around I see lots of "waterproof" gloves which in reading reviews get panned for actual rain use. The Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Knit Wool Gloves seem to be one exception, people find them pretty waterproof. There are also a few bike-specific neoprene gloves, like the water ones but made for bikes by Bontrager, Castelli, etc. I also see some neoprene gloves made for water but which look like they should work fine on a bike. The idea of neoprene is your hands get wet, but you are insulated by a layer of warm water. Assos makes some rain gloves they say are "better than neoprene", the RSR Thermo. I expect there are some BarMitts/Pogies that would do a good job but I don't want to be taking them on/off all the time and a rain ride is a once-or-twice-a-month thing for me. Maybe there is also some thin shell outer glove to put over regular gloves? I could not find any such thing though.

surak

I'm quite happy with my Dissent 133 gloves. My combo has OutDry but seems that they make the fully waterproof gloves with HDry, probably equivalent.

woodway

Another year-round bike commuter in the Seattle area here.

I own a pair of the Showers Pass Crosspoint gloves. Like all things Showers Pass, they are well made. But I only wear them when temps are around 50. For me, they are just not warm enough in the 40's and 30's. I have a pair of Showers Pass Cross Point Flip Mitts which I love to use in the rain. But alas, they don't seem to sell them anymore.

My 30-50 degress rain glove strategy has evolved to carrying multiple pairs of heavy gloves knowing that when a pair gets so wet they don't keep my hands warm, I can slip another pair on.

surak Thanks for posting the link to the Dissent gloves. I think I'll give them a try.

zandoval 

Bravo! - Now that's a real cyclist. I am very interested to see how you transition into the different temperatures and weather. The gear needed is always a big mix of what works and what does not. 40° wet weather is a bugger on a bike for sure.

Oddly getting on your cold wet weather gear on for a ride here in Central Texas is a big deal. Not only because of the temperature but because of the idiot drivers who barely know how to drive in dry weather much less wet and cold.

Long ago I got stationed in Denver Colorado. I had to learn about wind breakers, wool, ice gear, shoes, GLOVES and so many other things. I am not ashamed to admit that it took a long two months to learn how to drive in snow and ice... Ha

scottfsmith

Yes those Dissents look nice. They are an outer shell with no insulation, I looked for something like that but could not find it. Well, it turns out the Assos RSR Thermo I mentioned above are in fact a shell.. the full name is Assos RSR Thermo Rain Shell … doh! One of these waterproof shells seems like the way to go, they could be used from 30s to 60s in theory with the right layering. The Showers Pass I can see how would not cut it when it got colder.

Nyah

Any wool fingerless gloves that convert into mittens serve this purpose well. How is that not obvious?

rumrunn6

fwiw bar mitts are great coverup for wet weather

Attilio

You wouldn't believe it but I have a cheapo pair of amazon off brand Inbike gloves that have served me and continue to serve me well down to about 30' rain or shine. I wore them for my first ever century on a day that started in the mid 30's in the rain and went up to high 60's but after a certain temp took them off as I got warm needing to de-layer later in the day. That's what happens on really long rides you go through different weather and need to put on or peel off layers.

We live in a world and partake in a hobby where price is quality. It's not linear and you don't need the most expensive thing but shocked how something one or two rungs from the bottom of the price range works so well, feels so comfortable for centuries (plural), keeps me warm and feel OK even wet. For the record I purchased them the fall of 2019 so they are 3 years old and still in pretty good shape. I gave them away as gifts to many cyclists I know and they too are shocked, most of which wear a set summer clothing (bib and shirt) that cost more than a Walmart bike.

scottfsmith

I looked at these Inbike ones now, I found one pair that says "waterproof" on the finger but the Q&A says not actually waterproof.. the price certainly is right though.

scottfsmith

To follow up on this I got the Assos RSR Thermo Rain Shell gloves. I am somewhere between medium and large in gloves and the medium was a bit small, it was tight with the thick liner. So I got some larges. With the larges I can actually fit my coldest weather gloves completely inside - ! The shells are super thin so if rain is threatening I can just pop them in my jersey pocket, or when rain stops they can be pulled off. The Dissent 133 looks like you can only get liners into it, not the full gloves. Here is a picture of my medium and heavy gloves in the liners (one glove in one glove out of liner to compare):




I have not tried them yet but they are 100% waterproof so am sure they will keep the water out. The main downside of these is the cost, it is a bit absurd like all things Assos. I wonder if some XXL dish gloves could work similarly for 1/10th the price.

swoopyinc

I bought the Shower's pass Cross point (non marino) in yellow for hand signaling purposes to go with my poncho setup in Vancouver cold rainy weather. I wouldn't recommend them for the price. They're not that warm - if they get any moisture inside they dry very very slow.

Leisesturm

Other than my helmet and padded shorts, most things I wear on a bike are not bike specific. Not even the SPD shoes and the MagicShine bar lights. When it comes to gloves and hats, they are going to get lost, because they go everywhere, everyday, and eventually need to be replaced. So (for me) they can't be bankbreaking to replace. I've lost these gloves after two years, and they are even cheaper now than when I bought the first pair! With the coupon they're like $15 and they are seriously warm. Not -30 warm but they are up (down) to anything that will be experienced in the Pacific Northwest. A thin liner should get them down to any temperature it is safe to ride a bike in. They don't say it but they are quite water resistant. That's why I like them. It rains a lot in Portland, OR. Even after 30min in the most soaking rain you can imagine your hands only get a little damp and they will stay warm.

scottfsmith

Alternatively with bike-only gloves they can last a very long time. My first pair lasted over 20 years; a few years ago I got the two pairs above (lightweight and heavyweight) to replace my old middleweight pair. Sometimes those Amazon deals are deals, but sometimes over the long run they are a waste both of your money and literally in terms of filling up landfills.

.. I may get to try out the above shells in the rain today, the forecast is rain during my ride.

fooferdoggie 

getting gore-tex active gloves will take care of the rain problem. have one pair but they are only good to 45. I electric gloves do well they will get wet after hours but he=y they have built in driers
. I will be using them today and it's pouring.

Trakhak

Apparently my circulation has become more efficient at keeping my core warm over the decades, or my brain has judged my extremities more dispensable, or something. So, for anything below about 55 degrees F (or maybe 50 degrees if the day isn't particularly humid), I use deerskin mittens with wool mitten liners. I'm glad my winter/errands bike has GripShifters, so shifting is no problem.

For footwear, I have hightop Mavic winter shoes that I found on closeout. Still expensive, but their insulation is excellent, and they fit me the best of all my shoes, biking and otherwise.

The other winter shoes I used in the past were marketed as police bike shoes. One pair was Diadora and the other Sidi. Both were much wider than the racing shoes from the same companies.

[Edit: the Pro's Closet seems to have a number of Mavic shoes on closeout. Might be worth checking, whether you're looking for winter shoes or others.]

scottfsmith

Following up on the Castelli Assos rain shells pictured above, we had high 30's pouring rain all day yesterday and my hands stayed almost completely dry after an hour. The main issue is perspiration, you will be in trouble if you have too much glove on. That is why I like how I can vary what gloves I wear these shells over. The price is a total rip-off though, I would just get XXL dish gloves. There is in fact an online bikebpacking place selling XXL dish gloves just for this purpose which I ran into at some point.. five bucks a pair.

For colder temps I recently decided to get some heated lobster gloves. I ski in very cold weather so they will be mainly for that, but as an added bonus I will have toasty hands in about any biking weather. It is a little more difficult to do the inner shifters but I'm getting better at it. These are lobsters with the index finger all by itself, those seem better for shifting than the Vulcan-greeting ones since the middle finger is what operates the small shifter and it has movement separate from the index finger. The difficulty in shifting is from how thick and stiff the gloves are as you cannot feel exactly where you are on the shifter.. the lobster finger restriction per se is not an issue.

Attilio

I rode my first century with the first 40 miles in the rain and in the 30's this year in March wearing the Inbike gloves as well as long bib, the Arsuxeo amazon cycling jacket, and merino wool base layer as well as double merino wool socks. Also had a merino wool neck gaiter and the carhartt beanie with deployable mask. I used flat pedal shoes which are a little more insulated. I was fine and didn't feel the cold but I felt had it been any colder I would have been cold. Thankfully it warmed and dried up as the day progressed.