I was struggling this morning with cold hands on my 35 minute commute. I'm currently using a pair of Endura Strike gloves but they just don't seem to cut the mustard.
Any recommendations for gloves that will keep me warm but still allow me to control my bike ? Anyone use the Sealskinz Handlebar Mitten lobster style gloves ? If so, are they any good ?
Aldi Winter gloves, they have none on sale at the moment but search for Crane Winter cycling gloves on ebay.
Kept my fingers warm through the coldest days last year
i wore merino liners with snowboarding mitts this morning. i was pretty warm.
Been using Fox Antifreeze gloves for a couple of years now. If your hands get too warm, pull out the liners.
I quite like my Pearl Izumi Select Shoftshell gloves that I've been given. Kept my hands warm down to a few degrees below. Also, your normal gloves plus a set of these (or a version knocked up from old socks) can be surprisingly warm.
ive had my spesh bg deflect gloves a year now - they are bloody mint! i wore them with a thin merino wool liner glove last night in -4..hands were absolutly toasty - soon as i got to the car and took them off i was freezing cold, so they did a great job!
no rain mind - so i guess if it was belting it down then something a bit more waterproof/thicker might be needed
Something realtively loose with a silk liner glover underneath. You need to keep your arms and wrists warm as well so try and find some with a good long cuff and a jersey/baselater that is nice and long.
Liners came rom decathlon and my gloves are either some sealkin things or altura nightvision.
If you can manage with lobster gloves then i can recommend the Craft Thermal Lobsters. Very toasty with a removable thermal liner, so quite versatile too.
I found Fox Antifreeze not upto the job at all. They are lovely looking gloves, and very nice to wear/good grip and feel, but they dont keep your fingers warm below 5 deg (my hands anyway). They also wear quickly, mine developed holes in teh palm after 1 winter.
I've recently got some [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=52516 ]Neoprene Answer Strike gloves[/url]
These held up nicely over the weekend in LongMynd were it was very cold and wet. My Fox's certainly would not have. They did eventually leak cold water, but that probably seeped down my arm and into the glove. I'm really impressed with these.
For a commute I would wear silk liners with them
Anything is better than the Endura Strike gloves in my experience. Without a doubt the most useless "winter" gloves I've ever owned. Currently, I'm quite liking my Glacier Gloves.
i got given these by my work colleagues a few years ago as a leaving present
they're quite bulky and you don't get the same amount of feel as a regular glove but they sure keep your hands warm and dry...
[url= http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/clothing/gloves/WMB90.gear.g_sealskin-399-75.jp g" target="_blank">http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/clothing/gloves/WMB90.gear.g_sealskin-399-75.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
i've also got a pair of endura strike waterproof gloves which feel better on the bike but endura's claim they are waterproof is a bit ambitious IMO...water resistant at the most but still a good glove
[url= http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/legacy/bikeradar/categories/clothing/cycling-clothing/gloves/images/endurastrikegloveswhitebkgrd-399-75.jp g" target="_blank">http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/legacy/bikeradar/categories/clothing/cycling-clothing/gloves/images/endurastrikegloveswhitebkgrd-399-75.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
I have a pair of the seal skin triple layered cycle gloves. Generally keep my hands warm and dry.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a look around at the gloves mentioned.
Pedalhead, I definitely agree with your 'appraisal' of the Strikes !
I've got some Gore something-or-others, fingers were a little cold to start this morning but after 5 minutes or so they were fine. If/when it gets much colder I'll probably add some thin liners.
Remember to pack a spare pair because you will have trouble getting most 'waterproof' gloves back on after riding an hour.
Most turn iside out when removed or are just too wet to refit.
I dry mine in the airing cupboard with a kitchen roll card centre inserted to remove the water/sweat.
PaulD
Counter intuitive but one of the best ways to keep your hands and feet warm is to get your core right. If your core is not cold your body will stop holding blood flow around the vital organs, more goes to the extremities and viola - warm hands!
I got some silk liners from The Mountain Warehouse for a tenner. Could probably get something even cheaper on line. Work a treat under my regular gloves.
Not counter intuitive to me, makes perfect sense. Everything originates from the core. That is one of the fundamentals of Tai Chi right there!Counter intuitive but one of the best ways to keep your hands and feet warm is to get your core right. If your core is not cold your body will stop holding blood flow around the vital organs, more goes to the extremities and viola - warm hands!
last 2 posts are arse gravy, can't be arsed to write a long boring essay on why, but its just wrong. I suppose all those mountaineers lost fingers and toes due to frostbite cos their cores weren't warm enough...
Just got some Craft Lobster gloves and they seem very good. Not really any padding on the palms but so far warm
Sugoi Firewall Z Waterproof Thermal Split Finger Gloves. Best i've found and i have rubbish circulation. Rode in this morning....as warm as toast! When it gets like -10c then i have a really good liner glove inside......so get them big enough to accomadate them.
Recently got some 661 Storm winter gloves. Can't say I'm particularly liking them.
Not quite sure I'd go as far as arse gravy, but I would question the core thing too. My core was toasty this morning, as were most parts, but my toes were numb.
I think the key is to be warm in general anyway (esp core) and to encourage blood flow by movement - pretty much everything was moving around this morning to some degree so blood flow was good. Toes being toes and probably not wiggled enough got less blood/warmth so went numb.
Note - after locking my bike away I walk ~300m to my office building in flip flops, by the time I got there my toes were OK yet my core would have cooled a little.
I went out wearing a pair of Mavic infernos lastnight - they were very warm
Haven't received them yet but I just ordered a set of Perfect Curve Glaciers, which are supposed to be waterproof and toasty. I've got slightly ropey circulation so it's hard to keep the ends warm, been getting good results from Fox Antifreeze but still not perfect
(the nice thing about the Antifreezes is that they're well shaped and don't have stupid pads or overthick palms- for some reason loads of winter gloves are covered in gel things. These are just like normal gloves, a wee bit bulkier and stiffer but not so as to be a thing)
Trent Steel - Memberlast 2 posts are arse gravy, can't be arsed to write a long boring essay on why, but its just wrong. I suppose all those mountaineers lost fingers and toes due to frostbite cos their cores weren't warm enough...
Don't think anyone's saying "Keep your core warm and your extremities will always be fine". But if your core's freezing, then the best gloves in thr world won't keep your hands toasty. It's a joint effort. Hot boiler for hot radiators.
I wear Oxford Chill-out gloves and they're brilliant... They're techincally motorbike 'inners' but work as a loose fitting and un-restrictive MTB glove really well.
Rewski - haha! not sure what a hamsters cage smells like but i'll take your word for it...but actually you're right they get get a bit sweaty...
pedalhead - actually you're right...the endura strikes are a bit shit...i dont even use them on the bike any more 😆
I use the same as Gonzy & Rewski. My hands are really quite bad at getting cold, so these work well.
last 2 posts are arse gravy, can't be arsed to write a long boring essay on why, but its just wrong. [b]I suppose all those mountaineers lost fingers and toes due to frostbite cos their cores weren't warm enough... [/b]
Well, my mountaineering texts are all at home so I'll make do with a wiki quote for now :-
Causes - Inadequate blood circulation when the ambient temperature is below freezing leads to frostbite. This can be [b]because the body is constricting circulation to extremities on its own to preserve core temperature[/b] and fight hypothermia.
So yes, that's exactly what I'm stating - low core temperature is often a substantial reason for frostbitten fingers! 🙄
As Northwind states above - not trying to say that you could prance about all day with bare hands in sub zero riding a bike with lots of wind chill just because you've got a toasty gillet on but keeping your core warm is a key aspect to maintaining warm hands.
Who's got the arse gravy dribbling out the corner of their mouth now 😉
Got some Endura gloves at home that got reviews.... rubbish! Bought some Aldi gloves and they are the best ones I've ever used.
+1 for a warm core.
And warm arms/legs. I can wear my waterproof winter boots on a wet summers day if I'm wearing shorts as long as it's not too hot. Conversely if I wear long socks and roubaix longs keeping my legs warm then they're toasty right down to -10.
All to do with getting the blood nice and hot in your core, then insulating it on the way down your arms/legs to your fingers/toes. Letting your forearms or claves get cold means the bood vessels constrict and stop the warm blood from reaching your extremities. If you're wearing shorts (or short sleves) in winter your far more likley to end up with cold toes 9or hands) regardless of how good your socks/boots are.
Another tip is keeping your hadns bone dry, I've been out in -10 with summer gloves on, they were fine for an hour untill i mpped some sweat off my brow, they then froze and took 20min to warm up again!
Not bike gloves but should do the job and cheap. Ski gloves, £4.99 on Sunday
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_28016.htm
Received a pair of Gore Countdown gloves this morning, on afters today so will be cycling home at midnight. Will let you know.
It's true - best way to warm your extremities is to wear a hat
I have ended up with inner liners and either Montane Extreme gloves or an old pair of pile lined (double on back of hands) winter mountaineering mitts (like Tough Bags). That works down to about -10 for me.
Oh and I wholeheartedly agree with this:
Anything is better than the Endura Strike gloves in my experience. Without a doubt the most useless "winter" gloves I've ever owned.
I even called Endura an pointed out some issues with them - they agreed with the issues.
Specialized Sub Zero.
TK Maxx have some some Drop snowboard gloves in at the moment. Neoprene outer, grippy rubber plan and fingers, bendable and waterproof. 12 quid and they're ace.
I use Mammut work gloves. Good for sub zero, more of a mountainering glove.
These are really good - especially for the price. I've had warm hands on my sub zero 14 mile commute but they aren't too sweaty
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CLPXWINGL/planet_x_wind_block_gloves
Haha matt i did that too - even better were my deluge gloves that fitted fine..... Fell apart , took 3 months for warrenty and came back marked up as the same size but my hand was going no where near getting inside them.
Also suggested stealth shorts - might phone up and ask for my royalties now its been 3 years and they seem to have a form of stealth short 🙂
Another vote for Aldi ones
. Cheap but fantastic in the cold
Also as i keep replying to these threads - www.hotpog.co.uk
Im riding with barmits fleece lined neoprene pogies on my commuter - hardly even have to wear gloves , tis quick a shock to the hands to take them out to wipe your nose or something.
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-cold-hands-try-these-gloves ]my thread on gloves[/url]
I have some Strikes. Terrible in winter unless you add a pair of merino liners - then they're good for proper bastard cold temperatures.

