I know mittens are warmer than fingered gloves but I hate not having the dexterity...
I keep eyeballing those neat neoprene gloves that duckhunters use and I am tempted to give them a try. Anyone know how well they work?

I'm not quite answering your question, but have you tried wearing (relatively thin) gloves within mittens? That's how I'm making it through this New Hampshire winter. I can stay warm, and still have the dexterity when I need it.

I have not looked into that, but finally did get the glove thing figured out this winter. I bought some Pearl Izumi Inferno gloves(not cheap, but worth it IMO) and they work great. Then on really cold days(single digit temps and below - MN) I slip some real thin glove liners that I bought at REI into the Inferno's. I'm good down to 0 degrees F or so.

The nice thing about the Inferno's is that they have a pocket for the 4th and pinky fingers, but the middle, index and thumb have their own so finger use for shifting is fine.

I have a pair of WalMart neoprenes, they're only good to around freezing , then they're not warm enough. They are a little on the tight side, too which doesn't help.
Lobster mitts give almost the same dexterity as gloves. I have a pair that I've found to be very warm so far. I also use some "3 finger" mitts (actually 1 thumb, 1 index finger, then the other 3 in their own pocket) and find these to be quite warm. You can gather everyone into the "same room" when the pinkies start to get cold, then they warm each other up.
If you're dead set on wearing gloves, a previous post mentioned the new battery powered heated gloves.

I have no qualms whatsoever in recomending Kombi Waterguard gloves.

These are polyethylene or polypropylene (I can't read the tag because of wear) lined, leather palmed, waterproof, windproof (no stitching / stitch holes on the glove goes all the way through from inside to outside effectively negating windchill factors) five fingered "hot boxes" with velcro cuff closures. Care is required when removing the gloves to avoid inverting the liners.

Being a former smoker (25 years) my circulation isn't the greatest and riding year round in Michigan (coldest ride this winter -3 F) I can tell you these things rock. Not cheap by any means, but compared to treating frostbite the cost is reasonable

I just got a set of the PI Lobster Gloves for Christmas, and I love them so much I wear them off the bike as well. I have a set of glove liners that have some kind of metallic thread in them (Sis bought them for us before skiing one time), and they are warmer with them in, but a little bulky for my tastes.

Greetings......just thought that I would put in my 2 cents worth. The best gloves that I have found are lobster gloves, available at most bike stores, or I got mine through Bike Nashbar (https://www.nashbar.com/index.cfm).

I rode yesterday, the coldest day yet ( - 4F at 7a.m. with a windchill of -22F). It was a tad nippy, but layering and keep all exposed flesh covered, it wasn't too bad. The tough part was keep cool and not sweating. I wore goggle with vents to keep the glasses clear and fog free.

I agree that layering is the best way to keep warm. Gortex and thermals are the best, breathable, yet able to wick moisture away. Not so many that you'll over heat, but enough to stay warm.

One last point, wear the windbreaker, or windproof jacket under some type of illuminating outer wear. I got an Illuminite Microweave pullover for Christmas. It's great. It's warm (good with just one or two layers when it's over 15 F) and traffic can see you like a candle!! It's a lifesaver.

Enjoy the winter riding. This is my first winter of riding and I'm loving it. No traffic to deal with, no rude drivers, just odd stares from the blokes who are stuck behind the wheel and don't know what they're missing!!

Be safe and enjoy!!

One more tip....it might sound strange...but the medical booties over the shoes do wonders to keep the tooties warm. I tryed it the other day and it worked like a charm. You can get them at any medical supply store or even any discount store such as Wal-Greens or Target.

Keep warm!!

I second the motion for lobster gloves.
They are definitely unconventional looking but winter biking is no fashion show to say the least.
I've tried many glove and mitten setups and combinations and have found these gloves to be the warmest and the best for dexterity. They do take about a week to get used to.
Good luck - Ron

just got around to checking all these posts...appreciate all the input. I have a pair of lobster mitts myself but unfortunately they are just the shell type with no insulation whatsoever. Maybe I will try a layer or two of polypro under these and see what happens. Meanwhile I just tell myself that this -10 F crap won't last long and we can get back to our usual 30 degree range. Hope my @#$!@$$ eyebrows won't freeze off before then!

bpherson said:
What do you wear on your face?

and said:
I have glasses (no goggles) and they fog up if I'm not carefull. What goggles do you like? Do they fit over standard frames?

I'm curious about the goggle thing too...if I don't keep enough cooler air circulating over/around my lenses I end up with a layer of frozen fog inside, but if I let too much cold air in then I end up with frozen cheekbones and eyelids.

As for goggles, I have been using a pair of Smith ski goggles over my perscription glasses and have not had any trouble with fogging. The goggles have clear lens and a foam spacer that goes against your face that breaths and alows fresh air in.

Do you use a bike helmet? Does it fit well with the helmet?

I have a set of Louis Garneau that I bought at Bushtukah.. great gloves, individual fingers and it has some non-slip surface on the palm so you can stay on the bars... Keeping warm is easy once you get going.. it's just that first few minutes!

Joe

I use an old pair of ski googles also. They're a little rough around the edges ( litterally....I can't even read the name brand on them any more) They're vented to let out hot and let air flow.

They work great. I do get a little fog when I am really huffing up a hill....but they clear pretty quickly.

The lobster gloves are halfway between mittens and gloves, and dont they look so amazingly cute?

I have a few pairs of Kombi gloves, which are my main gloves during ski season, and some other stuff. I ws really impressed with some REI gore-tex gloves I used last season. They made it through a downpur without soaking through. The Kombi's are usually only good for a couple of hours if I ski in a hard rain. I also used some Outdoor research shells on one rainy day, and I should have had an insulating layer under them. One really good way to improve a glove is to use a polypropelene glove liner. I only use mittens on really cold or really rainy days, and they work well for either. I see no reason to mess with lobster gloves.

Some other brands that I have had good luck with include gordini and reusch, and I know a lot of other guys who use Swany.