We got thorougly soaked and quite cold yesterday on a 100km ride. Mrs Beener suffered with very cold hands. I remember someone recommending some thick neoprene gloves….

Can anyone help me with recommendations?

My Polaris neoprene ones are decent for chilly weather but for real winter gloves I have some Sealskins which I was grateful for out on the roadie today.

I have the Endura FS260s, good for 4-5deg but not less or sleety conditions etc. They’re about 2.5mm neoprene.

Look up 3-finger diver’s mitts if you want guaranteed warm hands for long rides in winter, 4mm neoprene for most is enough. I have some 5mm Body Glove gloves and I think I could go to -10 deg in those. Utterly cosy at just below freezing, maybe ott generally but as insurance back-up gloves they seem reliable. Better feel/dexterity than most very thick fabric gloves and no change when wet as they won’t ‘wet out’.

Mrs B has Di2 and hydraulics so i will look at surf gloves and see if she can get on with them.

I have the Polaris ones but they are a PITA to get off and on during a ride and don’t take long to start smelling, even with a decent wash. Warm though but I wouldn’t buy them except in a sale.

Glacier perfect curves are the ones to go for.

Stitched then welded so totally waterproof and flock lined.

Yes, you do need to turn them inside after wearing to stop them smelling. The best way of doing this is to inflate them inside out by rolling then squeezing the trapped air.

Have look on Window cleaning supplies sites for the best price.

Shimano Gloves are far better than neoprene. They still allow you to feel and operate everything normally, and they have nice soft warm insulation. They also have a plastic layer which stops wind and water dead.
Neoprene gets cold in the wind as the moisture evaporates – it’s designed for use underwater where this doesn’t happen. I’m sure people with expensive neoprene gloves will tell you that’s not the case but these Shimano ones are definitely warmer than any of my other gloves.

I read somewhere these are pretty good, and are pre-shaped for gripping…
http://www.windowcleancentre.co.uk/cleaning-products/Gloves/Glacier-Perfect-Curve-Gloves.aspx

I think they also produced a range of cycling specific gloves at twice the price.

Neoprene gets cold in the wind as the moisture evaporates – it’s designed for use underwater where this doesn’t happen

That happens to any wet fabric though and the more it absorbs the worse it is, then the windchill gets to you fast.

Neorene’s not just meant for underwater, I used to use it for windsurfing where it was just the falling off that got me wet, then it was back to windchill. It simply insulates differently to fabric pile, wet or dry.

While I think neoprene vs fabric gloves is ’50-50, it depends’ stuff, the one major failing of a fabric glove ime is when the waterproofing gets overwhelmed (you’re gripping a bar, that pressure is more than most waterproof+breathable fabrics are tested to to be called waterproof – solid plastic should be different though) or they wet out from the cuff area the drop in insulation is pretty quick and nothing you can do from that point on will keep your hands warm. It’s caught me out hours from home a few times using a number of different layered bike gloves. Neoprene is more consistant between wet and dry and stays warmer when it’s really wet, ime.

The plastic layer really is the bit that makes the difference on the Shimano ones. I’ve been out in all sorts of weather and never had cold hands in them, or anything even close. Socks are the opposite though, the waterproof ones have an unfortunate habbit of filling from the top on very wet rides 😥

If those Shimanos have a non-porous non-breathable plastic layer, that could be a good thing. Not sure why more brands don’t do that, at least for the palm/grip areas.

lustyd – Member

Shimano Gloves are far better than neoprene

Except for keeping you warm- I’ve had those exact gloves, they’re nothing like as good in cold weather as the perfect curves. And

lustyd – Member

I’m sure people with expensive neoprene gloves will tell you that’s not the case

They’re cheaper than the Shimanos too, only £22.

I love these. Best gloves I’ve ever used. Mine have plenty of room for a liner glove underneath too although I cannot imagine needing one personally.

I rode with a mate who gave a glowing review of his neoprene gloves at the beginning of the ride, but found half way round that in pouring rain they were very slippy and made it extremely difficult to hold the bars. Forget what brand they were though.

You could try a few different kinds from here for about the same price as cycling gloves.

We got thorougly soaked and quite cold yesterday on a 100km ride. Mrs Beener suffered with very cold hands.

It sounds like she suffered with very cold hands partly because her gloves were not as good as they could have been, but also because the rest of her and your clothing was not warm/waterproof enough. If her core is cold, she is probably still likely to suffer with cold hands even with the best gloves available. It sounds like you also need to think again about the rest of your clothing.

Get yourself to a sailing shop…

Rachel

I struggle with this. Even after years of playing with different glove combos.

Neoprene is ok if not too cold but as people mentioned above the windchill is a killer.

Thicker traditional gloves are ok. I keep re proofing mine so that water doesn’t soak in. Once this happens they suffer the same problems as neoprene. Best solution has always been spare dry gloves. Through last year I also started carrying black marrigold/rubber gloves. When it is really wet I don’t care about breathability and these take up no space and I can put them on over normal gloves. Great when the weather is unpredictable too.

molgrips – Member

I rode with a mate who gave a glowing review of his neoprene gloves at the beginning of the ride, but found half way round that in pouring rain they were very slippy and made it extremely difficult to hold the bars.

I think this is pretty grip dependent too, I’ve had some problems with my perfect curves, my ESI grips (which are a pretty similiar feeling foamy rubber), and thin mud- they’re OK with water, mostly, but as soon as there’s dirt in there too it gets very slippery. But chucking on an old set of ODI Rogues fixed that.

Following this with interest as was thinking of going the neoprene route.
Has anyone any experience of https://www.nookie.co.uk/head-hands-feet/xtreme-neoprene-kevlar-gloves?cPath=60&zenid=fc3pint11ctie5ps8fpjitqm65 ?