Absolutely nothing.
I can not find conditions where these gloves are better than rubbish. They are made from what must be the most absorbent material on the planet. The merest hint of moisture in the air and they are wet through and you spend the rest of your ride with soaking wet hands which in my experience leads to:
- Coldness from wind chill,
- Lack of sensation in the fingers which can not be recovered from
- A struggle to hold the bars to make it home
- An excruciatingly painful shower afterwards as the blood returns
Every time I have used these gloves I have regretted it. And yet every "what gloves" thread is awash with recommendations for them. I can only assume this is some kind of conspiracy or cover up. I don't think it's possible to wear gloves incorrectly so how do people possibly recommend these.
War?
I've never owned a pair, mainly because they seem to be the Marmite of bike gloves, as many people hating them as loving them
Following as just bought some but not tested yet, off to Scotland riding on Friday so will see how they get on.
most cycling clothing products are fashion led rubbish with a price tag to prove it.
outdoor walking/hiking clothing is usually cheaper and IMHO better quality and better to use.
not used briskers but have usd polaris, endura, gore, 661 and sealskins over the years. all proved rubbish.
I've said repeatedly that I don't consider them a winter glove for the winters that I experience. 3 season at best.
Having said that, I have no issues with the materials or construction.
There is also a Brisker Hydromatic for added weatherproofing but it's no warmer(when dry) and you need to size up.
Had a couple of hours riding in them with the temperature at -1 on Friday. They were just what I needed.
If you want waterproof gloves then there is a different version for that.
Each to their own but they're my go-to winter gloves. Great when needed but rarely cold enough (or I'm rarely brave enough to head out when they're needed). My hands run warm as long as I keep moving and I'm often out around freezing in the same gloves I wear in the summer.
So wet or dry, temp -12c -> 5c could see me looking at them. They've seen me through a couple of the properly cold 'Puffers.
Good warm gloves, not too thick/clunky. Lots good as far as I'm concerned.
I rode in them for this mornings 30 mile backroad ride and they were great. 8C and 30 mph winds, but dry.
My favourite 3 season gloves but I agree, not so good for long, wet and cold days but what is? Anything thick enough is too thick for proper riding.
I like them, although they are not a proper winter glove; 2-5 degrees is fine for me and even when they get wet, my hands warm up in them, I was pondering that happy fact just last week. 🙂
Contrary to an above post, I find the hydromatics toasty into the minus figures. My hands are cold at first, but once I get a wiggle on they become nice and warm!
I have no issues with the materials or construction.
True, they are well made I'll give them that.
I find that they get wet through in basically any (autumn/winter) conditions though, not just rain. e.g. set off for an early ride and it's a bit foggy, gloves will be wet and cold
seems like user error to me!
I'm considering that maybe I have Raynaud's or something like that especially after reading the posts above. It was not _that_ cold out today, gloves got wet and I was in agony.
Ha, I thought it was just me! Even the Hydromatics seemed terrible, couldn't understand how my hands ended up so cold compared to various other waterproof/windproof gloves.
They were a very nice glove otherwise in terms of fit and the nice palm material/cut etc. so perhaps that's why they're popular.
Perfect on cold, dry, windy days. I've used them on uplift days with nitrile gloves underneath in the rain.
They are my go to gloves. Just wished I have discover them and how they work earlier.
What I found is they require your hands to produce warmth in the first place to work. If your hands are cold to start, they absolutely do not work for me and I would have a miserable ride with numb hands.
Even for very cold rides, I find I put on my proper winter gloves for the climb and keep them in my bag. Once my hands are fully warm with the winter gloves, I change to them for the descent, but they would keep me warm for the rest of the ride. No more vague lever feel from thick winter gloves.
No problem if I ride from the door either as my hands would start warm anyway.
I'm considering that maybe I have Raynaud's or something like that especially after reading the posts above. It was not _that_ cold out today, gloves got wet and I was in agony
My exact experience with the Hydromatics, I started to wonder if it was condensation inside the gloves that was causing my fingers to freeze, even briefly considered finishing the ride without gloves on the off chance it would be less uncomfortable 🙄
I agree with the OP. I bought some coz everyone said how brilliant they are and I found them to be shite in virtually all conditions. The exception being mild dry days when no gloves at all would have been OK.
Even for very cold rides, I find I put on my proper winter gloves for the climb and keep them in my bag. Once my hands are fully warm with the winter gloves, I change to them for the descent, but they would keep me warm for the rest of the ride. No more vague lever feel from thick winter gloves.
+1 on this.
There are plenty of days of the year when its between 8 and 15 degrees when i commute in them. Been commuting for so long now that my glove wardobe is stocked with everything from fingerless to internally heated gloves and I’d say with our climate in the south, with my can’t-stand-too-cold-anymore hands, Briskers definitely have their place.
They’re not deep winter gloves at all and they’re not waterproof but they seem to do a good job in quite common southern UK winter conditions.
I wear these when the weather is worse - I can’t get over how good they are for the money!
https://www.safetygloves.co.uk/ejendals-tegera-517-insulated-waterproof-precision-work-gloves.html
As an aside, I've owned dozens of pairs of "waterproof" gloves designed for hill walking, motorcycling, and mountain biking. Mostly Goretex, but also loads of other proprietary membranes and treatments from loads of manufacturers.
Some have been very expensive, supposedly "high end" waterproof gloves. Every single pair has let water in, sooner or later. More often sooner. I've never had a pair survive more than 3 or 4 really wet days without getting drenched inside.
I think of all garments, gloves are the hardest to make waterproof. I don't know if it's the number of seams required, the fact we use our hands to do "stuff" so are always compressing the layers or what. It just seems making a truly waterproof pair of gloves is impossible. In my experience of course, YMMV 🙂
Cool Spring and Autumn dryish rides. Perfect.
Love mine, but I run cold so they're pretty much an autumn/spring glove. Not good in the wet at all. But that still leaves a huge range of useful riding.
Briskers have a very short cuff, so irrespective of whether they are "waterproof", rain is gonna run down your sleeves into the gloves on a rainy ride...
I find them useful on two types of ride:
Cold and dry or
Warm-ish and wet (when it won't really matter if your hands are wet)
Some valid replies here. Cold and dry probably will be a good use case for some people. I actually dont like my hands to be too warm so would wear my fox flexairs in those type of situations. (edit... unless it's really really cold and then tbh I'm not sure if I have a glove to suit.. maybe it's the brisker)
I think my issue with them then is that they make absolutely no attempt whatsoever to dry once they are wet. The material is like a super absorbent sponge. I imagine you'd have a similar experience if you went cycling in those gloves the crowd wave about in gladiators. Today for instance. I went out in these gloves. It rained more than I expected (shit), I knew I was screwed at that point and started to plan an early return. On the way back, the sun came out, my coat was dry. my bibs were dry, my socks even were dry. the briskers completely soaked through. They will not give up their precious water to the sun.
I guess they are just not the gloves for me.
They aren’t winter gloves but good three season gloves in my opinion. Last well with good fit for me.
the hydromatic briskers are pretty poor though. And for winter they are useless but not sure they’re designed for very wet or very cold
What's a good alternative then? I was set to buy some Briskers this week as I really need a winter glove, but don't like or want a vague bar/lever feel with too much padding around the palm and underside of fingers. Something that doesn't soak up water, or at least something that retains some heat when wet would be nice. I have Raynaud's as well and once that chill/freeze sets in to my hands and feet they stay that way for a long time and it's pretty painful. I have some ski gloves that get used a lot on the road bike but they're not usable for MTB.
The alternative for me is Galibier Barrier Deep Winter gloves down to around 0 to -1 °C; Pogies below that. Both work best when dry, though I've had the Pogies soaked though and they've still been effective.
I've said repeatedly that I don't consider them a winter glove for the winters that I experience. 3 season at best.
Having said that, I have no issues with the materials or construction.
There is also a Brisker Hydromatic for added weatherproofing but it's no warmer(when dry) and you need to size up.
This.
It was slashing it down on saturday- not a day for briskers.
Wore them today 7C with one cold shower. Absolutely fine.
I've worn a pair to and from work late October to now. 4-20 miles depending on time. They are awesome from about 10C to 5C and a bit of rain. Heavy rain or colder and I'm in thicker more waterproof gloves. I bought
Hand them on at the bike park. Wet and 12C- soggy but good. There was a lot of squeezing the water out of them. After this I've bought some of the water proof ones. They are ok, but not the 3 season of the originals
What's on my Christmas list- another pair to replace the wrong pair form 3 Christmases ago.
Used my Briskers at the Golfie on Friday, -7'C at 9am in the Inners CP warming up to a balmy 4'C by mid afternoon. My fingers were fine, though 3,500' of pedalled ascent up the Golfie must have helped keep me warm.
Briskers - aka gremlin gloves.... Don't get them wet.
Have both types of briskars, the normal ones are good in cold, dry conditions. The hydro ones i used a few weeks ago (biblical rain) and they were soaking by lunchtime, dont rate them at all (they might be good in light showers, but didnt buy them for this). Ended up having to swap gloves by the afternoon. Will continue to use the normal ones but will not trust the hydros again. Both are only good in the dry.
As I've got older I've had more issues with cold extremities. For the last three years I've been using Chiba gloves. These for shoulder season:
https://www.merlincycles.com/chiba-thermofleece-touch-all-round-gloves-97110.html
And these (I think) when it gets colder:
https://www.merlincycles.com/chiba-classic-ii-windstopper-gloves-241466.html
The latter were enough during the recent cold weather, but any colder and it's pogie time. Can't comment on sizing because, as with shoes, I just get the biggest size available and make it work. As always, it's important to keep them warm if you take them off - stuff them inside clothing immediately. If they get cold after getting damp during use it's game over.
I'll use Briskers from this time of year till spring-ish when it warms up. My tip is handguards... my hands stay warmer for all the ride when I use them versus when I don't, I think the handguards do enough to block the windchill on fast sections that the glove can keep the hands warm.
I dont really ride in biblical rain, but if out for a few hours in rain, I'd prob take two pairs of Briskers, over the years I gathered a few sets.
I have to say I like them - use them in the dry anywhere between -3(ish) to +10 degrees and never had any issues. Work exactly as intended for me. I don't ride much in the rain as I don't enjoy it much.
I'm buying a new pair for the MTB for winter as the old Briskers are now my commuting gloves. They do struggle a bit sub zero when commuting as hands are pretty static compared to MTBing but they're better than my TLD XC/Air and haven't fallen apart like the overly padded Endura winter things I had. I do only commute in the mostly dry though.
How about the Fox Ranger Fire or Water versions?
As above- I don’t really view them as winter gloves, more ‘warm general purpose’. That said I’m always surprised how much of the winter I end up wearing them as they’re pretty low compromise on feel for the extra warmth they give. Absolutely not for rain though but don’t think this is uncommon- I had some Gore winter gloves that were phenomenal if it was cold and dry (warm but breathable) but purgatory if it got wet. The equivalent waterproof glove was bulkier and sweatier.
I just have dry weather and wet weather options. I think Chipps recommended them in here a few years back- I find Macwet make a good glove to counterpoint the brisker. Again, they’re not really winter gloves but they block the wind pretty well, seem to take ages to wet out, stay grippy if they do and are alright at drying. Add some liners and you can extend the temp range.