Winter Gloves - Which ones?

Specialised Subzero. Basically it's two pairs of gloves, one inside the other. The outer is a thermal waterproof and the inner is a waterproof breathable liner. It is not a 'robust' outer glove. It's only meant for commuting, and it has to be seriously cold for me to use them as the combination is a bit bulky.

If I know it is going to be way cold and wet off road I take the liner from the Subzeros and wear that inside some Specialised Fortress which is an armoured glove, but not waterproof. The only problem with the arrangement is if water gets inside the liner, it can't get out, but if that happens I'm generally already swimming so not a real problem.

Here is one glove that is waterproof, windproof and thermal:

chainreactioncycles.comModels.aspxOpen ↗

I have just purchased a pair of those a couple of weeks ago and so far they have been great. They have been warm enough in 2-3 degrees C; so far it has not been raining hard enough to say anything about the waterproofness.

Sealskinz have also many other types of gloves for cycling: see www.sealskinz.com for more info.

FWIW. From ~25ºF-and-higher, I think you just need a pair of knit gloves (with "gripping" palms -- "leather" or "rubber"😉 over your cycling gloves ...

That is, I think the gloves you choose depends on how cold the temps are that you are going to be encountering.

BTW. I wear a medium weight BALACLAVA (more to keep the cold air off my neck ... and, to pretend that I'm keeping my ears/face a little warmer than they would be if uncovered) + GOGGLES (any kind -- I wear cheap SHOP goggles [soft vinyl shell with easily scratched lens]).

Don't forget NEOPRENE booties ...

Other than the Neoprene booties, I think you want to wear "stuff" that you could/would wear when cross country skiing -- that is, you want "breathable" clothing. The exception is OVER-MITTS which could make braking/shifting problematic!

Splicehead said:

Hello,

If anyone can help me - I have no idea what gloves i need to buy for the winter time - I wil be mainly riding on road and a little off. There seems to be thermal, windproof and waterproof - is there not one with all three if not could someone recomend me some or put me in the right direction please?

Thanks for your help.

Waterproof will be windproof. Thermal means there is some added insulation. The trade-off for very warm is less dexterity because of the bulk (Try using STI shifters with mittens).

What you need may be quite different from someone else. There was a post here a couple of weeks ago by some guy who said he wears old style mesh back fingerless cycling gloves down to freezing. Not me. I am in full-fingered gloves below 45 F or so.

I just got a pair of these Pearl Izumi Cyclone from Performance this week and they seem quite good. Not cheap, but a decent balance between warmth, dexterity, and reasonably waterproof.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=22941&srccode=2047&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Datafeed-_-null-_-null

Another idea is a pair of brown army polypropylene thermals that are light and great to wear next to your skin $15/apair ,maybe on ebay.

John M said:

Waterproof will be windproof. Thermal means there is some added insulation. The trade-off for very warm is less dexterity because of the bulk (Try using STI shifters with mittens).

What you need may be quite different from someone else. There was a post here a couple of weeks ago by some guy who said he wears old style mesh back fingerless cycling gloves down to freezing. Not me. I am in full-fingered gloves below 45 F or so.

I just got a pair of these Pearl Izumi Cyclone from Performance this week and they seem quite good. Not cheap, but a decent balance between warmth, dexterity, and reasonably waterproof.

performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

John M., thanks for the info on the Pearl Izumi Cyclones. They seem like a great pair of gloves. Though they are pricey, I'll be checking them out.

I think the discussion on winter clothing for the extremities - feet & hands primarily since the heart makes sure the head is warm - breaks down when you ride for any length of time below 30 degrees F. I've been out at 10 degrees F for about 2 hours wearing expensive well insulated gloves and good socks and booties and I'll tell ya I'm hurtin !!

The guys who tell ya their extremities are toasty after 2 hours at 10F must have turbo boosters shooting the blood from their hearts !!!

litespeedguy said:

The guys who tell ya their extremities are toasty after 2 hours at 10F must have turbo boosters shooting the blood from their hearts !!!

10F is a little extreme for me, 20 and a bit less if its sunny with no wind. I layer quite a bit. Air-E-Ators from DeFeet with medium weight Smartwool hiking socks, windproof shoe covers with neoprene toe covers. Full finger cycling gloves inside Goretex & Thinsulate overmitts. On cold days cycling, my hands never get cold, ever. My feet don't stay toasty but still fairly comfortable.

litespeedguy said:

I think the discussion on winter clothing for the extremities - feet & hands primarily since the heart makes sure the head is warm - breaks down when you ride for any length of time below 30 degrees F. I've been out at 10 degrees F for about 2 hours wearing expensive well insulated gloves and good socks and booties and I'll tell ya I'm hurtin !!

The guys who tell ya their extremities are toasty after 2 hours at 10F must have turbo boosters shooting the blood from their hearts !!!

Not to state the obvious or to use hyperbole, but there is probably a quantum difference between riding when the temps are around FREEZING, give or take 5ºF, and riding/walking/skiing/snowshoing/just-being at 10ºF!

I'll bet you (litespeedguy) weren't wearing goggles. Goggles go a LONG way toward comfort in cold weather -- so, here's a new equation to go along with the warm head, warm feet axiom:

[center]cold eyes == cold(er) body[/center]

I can't say you would have been toasty at 10ºF if you had been wearing goggles, but you probably wouldn't have been suffering quite as much.

BTW. Regardless, with regard to slightly WARMER (!) weather riding, the PERFORMANCE knit gloves appear to be similar (in spec) to the Pearl Izumi knit gloves that I have/use OVER my regular riding gloves for riding in temps around Freezing.

Splicehead said:

Hello,
If anyone can help me - I have no idea what gloves i need to buy for the winter time - I wil be mainly riding on road and a little off. There seems to be thermal, windproof and waterproof - is there not one with all three if not could someone recomend me some or put me in the right direction please?
Thanks for your help.

Consider Ski gloves, they're cheaper

Many bikers wear gloves suited for other kinds of winter sports. But bike gloves have their own specific features which are not taken into consideration in other activities. Ski gloves are good for temperatures below freezing.

Winter bicycle gloves with insulant and windshield can cost over $50

Selection of winter bike gloves

I use ski gloves intended for skate skiers. They aren't bulky like regular, downhill ski gloves and the shifting and braking is easy.

I got these Addidas ones when they were on sale for $25 bucks. They seem to wotk very well.

performancebike.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗

Good luck,
Buck

I use Pearlizumi lobster gloves for commuting, and they are really warm!

I rode in at 5 degrees F this morning and my hands were warm.

Another vote for the sealsinz

The KJ541 cycling glove is new this year and its design is updated to really take into account cyclists' needs

Did any of you guys have a problem with gloves soaking through? Besides mitts (which only work on c/b cruisers which are a good snow bike) the only time I have had warm hands is when I put on some rubber kitchen gloves first, followed by ski gloves. Which gloves alleviated the condition?

The goggles are a top notch suggestion but I reserve mine for when the wind really hits your face.

I also tried a breath warmer balaclava from Psolar. Worked too well, actually, even in 10 degree F weather; you have to breathe about half through it and half through your nose. Almost no restriction; keeps your lungs from getting frosted tops.