Cycling UK Forum

+1 for Buffalo products (I use their mitts now instead of waterproof gloves)
Also would suggest Icebreaker merino socks - surprisingly pleasant to put on when wet.

hufty wrote:+1 for Buffalo products (I use their mitts now instead of waterproof gloves)
Also would suggest Icebreaker merino socks - surprisingly pleasant to put on when wet.

I don't know what sort of bike you ride but will these mitts work for drop bars? I once made the mistake of putting some ski gloves on to keep my hands warm on a train, jumped on the bike at the station and then discovered that I couldn't reach the brakes (downhill onto a main road at 15mph!).

Sorry didn't see your question. Yes I have drop handlebars and the mitts don't make it difficult to brake.

Building on the 'hot water in a platypus' suggestion earlier, on my recent LeJoG I met up with two seasoned motor-cycle campers who said they were known to have rummaged in recycle bins for plastic bottles to fill up with hot water from the washroom - not such an outrageous idea at all.

On the same LeJoG we were offered the campsite boiler room for kit drying, and the lady in one of the Travelodges, offered to help and whizzed our stuff through the 'corporate' tumble drier (for which she got a well-deserved box of chocs). At other places we dried gloves on toasting racks in front of pub fires, and has been said, hot air hand driers where ever you can find them.

The best tip I ever heard with regard to towels is to use a flannel to dry yourself off with first (squeezing the water out as you go). Once you are as dry as you can get using this method, use your towel to finish it off. Your towel is then not so wet to begin with, so it is easier to dry.

Will

How do you dry the flannel? I've never taken one because I thought they'd get so wet they'd be really difficult to dry.

I do use the side of my hand to kind of squeegee as much water off myself as I can before I use the towel though.

alicej wrote:How do you dry the flannel? I've never taken one because I thought they'd get so wet they'd be really difficult to dry.

I do use the side of my hand to kind of squeegee as much water off myself as I can before I use the towel though.

The flannel doesn't need to dry! It can be useful for a few other things as well like drying the inside of your tent or removing the dew from the outside before you pack away...not that I doubt you haven't already got that sorted, Alice!