Cycling Gloves.

[PDQ Mobile]

I like a glove for cycling with some decent reflective bits on.
I think they help me stay a bit safer at night and they help other road users know what I intend.

[Raph]

The latest - I went to my LBS, asked for the warmest they've got. The guy sold me some Altura Thermostretch neoprene gloves, said they're the very warmest, he uses them on a motorbike as well, blablabla... they're nice and thin, very grippy, fleece lining is integral so doesn't come out when you take them off. XXL is still very tight on my average hands.

Punchline - they're rubbish! Fingers froze on the 5-mile ride home in c.1 or 2ºC, I swapped for my usual old Sealskinz* for the last mile as it was getting really painful.

I've now got some Castelli Estremo to try - not cheap!!! I haven't been out on a ride with them yet but they seem promising, though I can already tell the lining is going to crumple up a bit when I take them off. NB no reflective stuff on them whatsoever.

*Sealskinz KJ981 - best ever so far, I can't find them to buy again, and I don't know what the current equivalent is. I'm looking for replacements cos they won't last forever plus my son has his eye on them.

[Bmblbzzz]

Buffalo mitts are the warmest gloves I've used. And if you have flat bars, pogies are warmer than any gloves.

[Raph]

Those buffalo mitts look good. I have a couple of pairs of mittens I use for trekking. Not great for biking e.g. holding tops of brake levers, or braking generally, but workable. Not so bad on flat bars but even there, on rough ground the usual firm grip on the bar with one or two fingers on the levers isn't possible - you're either gripping the bar or covering the levers, dodgy on a gravelly downhill when you need to do both.

Meanwhile though - Castelli Estremo - massive thumbs-up!! Just been out a couple of hours in snow and ice, just the sort of ride where you don't really work up decent body heat cos most of it is going careful on packed ice so you can't give it the beans...

Toasty fingers! I swapped with the missus at half-time, got back my old Sealskinz, and immediately not quite as toasty though still not bad.

And the inners don't pull out when you take them off. Really good.

The only thumbs down is the price - cheapest I could find was £95.

And no reflective stuff on them - I'm gonna glue some bits of retro-reflective tape on them.

And XL is about right for my medium hands, XXL might be more comfy.

Got some Galibier gloves coming in the post - £40. No idea what they'll be like.

[warey4life]

I wear Seal Skinz Harling waterproof all weather gloves. I was out cycling on the Blackdown Hills yesterday morning, it was -1c and my hand never felt cold even with wind chill. My feet went numb though .

https://www.sealskinz.com/products/wate ... ther-glove

[peterh11]

Like in a previous post, I have very poor circulation in my fingers. Others with this same condition might find the following useful:

When it gets down into single figures C, I wear heated gloves, as this is the only way I can avoid chilblains. I have the cycling and skiing gloves from Vulcan sports https://vulcansportswear.com/. They are light enough to be OK with STI levers and very warm, but too bulky for Bar Mitts (Pogies for drop bars). I also have some of their slimline heated gloves which are not wind/water proof but work well under Bar Mitts when even the other gloves are not enough. I like them, and they are lasting OK too. No leather - Sealskinz do similar gloves which club mates are happy with, though the have leather palms. Yes, expensive, but worth it as it means I can keep cycling all year round. One tip - buy spare batteries as you’ll need them on longer rides and I’m swapping every day as I wear the gloves every time I go out in this chilly weather.

For a lower budget, I’ve used winter gloves from Altura, Madison and Gore and all are pretty good for cool but not very cold weather. I find Proviz too sweaty though. Better quality ski gloves are also good but they are more expensive - you pay for the warmth and wind proofing without bulk - I have a pair of Raeusch gloves I bought in Austria for skiing but have ridden many miles in them and they are maybe my most comfortable cool weather gloves but they are wearing out.

PeterH

[Randon]

Air activated hand warmers inside a normal winter glove work for me and soon mould to the shape of my palm. They only last a day but I consider them good value at 80p a pair as it's not often that I need them.

[Jules59]

Im impressed with my german Chiba gloves

https://www.chiba.de/kategorien/fahrrad ... ad-winter/

(been in business since 1853)

[mjr]

I like a glove for cycling with some decent reflective bits on.
I think they help me stay a bit safer at night and they help other road users know what I intend.

Put a reflective band or strap on your sleeve wrist. Right more important than left. I think it's difficult enough finding good warm gloves or mittens without adding extra constraints.

[mjr]

Air activated hand warmers inside a normal winter glove work for me and soon mould to the shape of my palm. They only last a day but I consider them good value at 80p a pair as it's not often that I need them.

The outdoor shops often have reusable hand warmers. Massage to activate for 15-20 minutes heat. Boil up for 10 minutes to recharge.

[kenp]

Hi ,I to am suffer with poor circulation. During the cold months I use Gore winter mitts,after two winters they still work well and are a lot warmer than others I have tried.As a back up I use them with Hot Hands hand warmers. At least 2 rides of 30-50 miles a week so they have had a lot of use.

[plancashire]

Im impressed with my german Chiba gloves

https://www.chiba.de/kategorien/fahrrad ... ad-winter/

(been in business since 1853)

I had some of their fingerless mitts for ages. They were good. I replaced them with another make - not nearly as good.

[Jon in Sweden]

I maybe mentioned it before, but I'd strongly recommend ski mittens.

I have an old set (I have no idea where they came from) that are large and roomy, which is remarkable given the size of my hands. The lining really isn't that thick and the outer material is pretty windproof.

It seems that with plenty of air space inside the glove, that my hands stay quite ridiculously warm (to the point of being sweaty). I've tested them down to minus 18c, and I wouldn't wear anything with individual fingers below minus 5-7c.

The only issue is shifting if you're on Shimano (ie, two levers on one side). It's one of the reasons I switched my bikes to SRAM.

[PDQ Mobile]

One reason I don't particularly like mitts is that lack of dexterity.

The other is that it's impossible to give a bad driver the finger.
( I know it's not wise but then I'm not wise!!)

[Cowsham]

One reason I don't particularly like mitts is that lack of dexterity.

The other is that it's impossible to give a bad driver the finger.
( I know it's not wise but then I'm not wise!!)

Draw 2 fingers on the back of the mit fluorescent yellow for the dark evenings.