Has anyone tried lobster style gloves?

For mtbing in winter? What do you think of them?

I suffer from freezing fingers for longer than my friends no matter how many clothing layers I wear. For walking/hiking I went full mitten gloves a couple of years ago and they’ve been a total game changer.

How do you manage when used to 1 finger braking. Any product recommendations?

Cheers

I bought some cheap ones from Aldi yonks ago, they’re warm but basically terrible for riding most types of bike, you’d probably be surprised at how much your index finger tends to do while it’s neighbour stays wrapped around the bar.

They live in the boot of the car with the ice scraper.

Most lobster gloves I’m aware of will mandate 2 finger braking. I think that’s bad for mtb unless one is pottering.

you’d probably be surprised at how much your index finger tends to do while it’s neighbour stays wrapped around the bar.

There are also options where the index finger is free and the other three fingers are together. I’ve used that style for diving rather than mtb and was surprised at how much dexterity I retained.

Eg

Nordic 2 Windproof Deep Winter Lobster Gloves

Best ones I had were some Specialized ones that allowed single finger braking, they were ace and was gutted when I ruined them in a crash. Discontinued now 🙁

Lobsters are good on a road bike…..not sure on a mtb for the above reason though. Don’t rate the 3/1 lobster concept – it just means you have one very cold finger.

Have you considered poggies? Use them on my fat bike when it’s properly cold – just a cheap neoprene pair. And they are that good I often ride without gloves at all or a very modest pair of running gloves right down in to the minus double digits. You are a split second slower to putting your hand out in a crash so I’d maybe not use them for anything too rad but otherwise a total winner. I use the same concept paddling and can paddle on the sea or river white water right through the Highland winter.

I get very cold hands and feet (hands can be cold even when in a 21 degree room!) and I find lobster gloves great. Actually too warm after an hours riding. I don’t have to brake or change gear though (I use a fixed gear most of time and all the time in winter) so don’t know they would be in that scenario.

I like mine, although I don’t do any technical riding. However, I bought Seal Skinz which size up a bit small and the tips of my fingers touch the end of the glove. The advice seems to be to buy a size that leaves a small gap between the finger tips and end of the glove to form a nice pocket of warm air. If I bought again I’d go bigger.

“There are also options where the index finger is free and the other three fingers are together.”

Polaris have some that are reduced to £15 https://www.polaris-bikewear.com/polaris-bikewear-waterproof-trigger-glove.html.

I ordered this week but they haven’t arrived yet. They were on the PSA thread about a month ago so perhaps someone else has them and can report back.

I had some excellent ones way back in the day. A wind proof fleece outside with a clarino- like palm material. Can’t recall the brand. LLAP-style finger and thumb arrangement. They were great! Long since fallen apart and have been using a pair of Ground Effect windproof gloves for years since. A few repairs here and there and they’ve been good. Not as warm as lobster gloves, but much easier for ‘modern’ mtb braking and controls.

I’ve got some ancient (20yr+) Pearl Izumi Amfib lobsters. Fingers are in pairs. Only used for below zero commuting or for short mtb rides in the snow. They work ok, but I usually one finger brake and it is a bit odd

What works for me are Trigger finger type gloves where the 3 finger part is a mitten so does NOT have individual compartments. Another requirement is the ability to move your index finger in with the 3 fingers and the mitten part needs to be big enough so you can still single finger brake in an emergency.

My Giro 100 gloves have been great after a prolonged period of wearing in involving regular machinewashing ( they are quite stiff when new). They remained waterproof for 1-2 years. There is enough space to use handwarmer sachets if needed.

The Polaris ones unfortunately have individual finger compartents.

If you are handy with needle and thread you can convert cheap ordinary gloves into trigger finger ones.

https://www.giro.com/p/100-proof-winter-cycling-gloves/350020000300000011.html

I’ve used some PX ones for commuting and they’re great, but wouldn’t want to use them for MTB because of single finger braking.

For MTB I used a thinnish pair of fleece gloves with a larger than usual pair of normal riding gloves over the top. I also carry spares in case they get wet, so I can switch half way through a ride.

Claw ones I got from SportPursuit a while ago have index and middle finger separate. They’d work for MTBing. I’ll probably try them this winter. Were bought for commuting, but my hands just get so cold these days, got some Castelli Estremo for Xmas and they are the warmest I’ve tried.

Used a pair of PlanetX reflective ones on super chilly days when commuting, great.

These xc ski gloves from Decathlon were very good for fatbiking in Finland and reasonably priced (much warmer than the planet x / Carnac / Aldi etc).

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/adult-warm-cross-country-ski-glove-500/_/R-p-334110

Sure, I have 3 pairs at the moment. They are compromise for cold weather where being barely able to use brakes and being warm enough to ride are equally important.

Cheaper versions without any membranes work better in below freezing conditions as they breathe better. Lobsters worked better with old school long brake levers, 1-finger braking is bit funny with them.

My Dad has Dupreytens Contarcture and uses Trigger Mitts, when riding. Seem to work OK for him on the trails.

I think he used Ex German surplus gloves.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=german+trigger+mitts&ia=web

and they come with fur linings 🙂

Yes. Absolute gamechanger in warmth levels, they were a cheap (£20 odd) pair from eBay. Had nearly 8 years or something and still like new. Used on the coldest of days only – can also add a liner glove underneath if necessary.

I’ve got some Oakley ones, for snowboarding. Actually my son stole them off me before I’d even used them so I’ve certainly never used them for cycling. Index finger seperate though so could work. Usually pick them up for under £50.

https://www.tradeinn.com/snowinn/en/oakley-factory-winter-trigger-2-mittens/139742692/p?

I bought the Polaris ones and they are good for me but I don’t suffer from cold hands.  They are not especially padded so they warm but not too warm.  They have the index finger free and that works ok.  I haven’t tried them in the wet yet.  For the price they are excellent.

P20+1 Mine only really come out if it is proper cold and then they are almost too warm.  Potential faff, but you could always swap to some 100% Brisker’s for more spicy sections of trail before returning to full lobster.

Thanks for all the great replies. I’ve impulse bought the Polaris ones, to add to the other ‘winter’ (my arse) gloves I’ve impulse bought in the last 3 weeks and will see how I get on.

The decathlons sound good but I’d already pulled the trigger on the Polaris before I read your post.

I’ve been looking for some decent lobster gloves for years. Got a pair of Giro 100 Proofs last year but returned them. Really odd sizing. I’ve got big hands and could almost fit two hands in side by side. So wide it made drop bar shifting with the 3 finger section impossible. Numb fingers due to thin insulation with cold air noticeably pouring in through the stitching. Should have been screen compatible but weren’t.

Guess I will try GripGrab or Pearl Izumi next

I bought a pair of 45nrth Sturmfist while riding in -20 deg C Minnesota and they were plenty warm. I actually find them too hot for mountain biking in the UK but good and warm for road where there’s more wind chill.

I really rated lobster gloves when I was commuting. I had some excellent, cheap ones but they eventually died and the replacements had a very thin inner gloves that covered all fingers, they were much worse. If you get some, make sure they don’t have the liners. You need your fingers to touch each other. I thought about trigger gloves but I was commuting on a gravel bike so two finger braking on the hoods was fine

The best option are pogies. They look awful but I put them on for a ride in the cold this week and my hands were lovely and warm with 100% briskers on (I have borderline raynauds). Pogies are the only option I’ve found to genuinely keep my hands warm when its cold.

Another option, I put neoprene covers on my brake levers, just to stop them sapping the cold from my fingers. They worked pretty well actually

I couldn’t get on with them. As above I didn’t like not having free fingers to brake and shift. They were good commuting on a flat bar singlespeed but not for the mtb and drop bar bikes.

My solution is buy bigger gloves and wear silk liners. I’ll often carry a second pair as they can get damp (rain/sweat) and you stop generating heat it is hard to get wet gloves warm again.

When I’ve been really cold places walking I’ve used those disposable glove warmers. I will carry a set on very cold days for emergencies. Not very environmentally friendly but loosing the ability to use your hands is problematic some times.

I find the two-fingers together version unbearably painful on a mountain bike.  Gave me weird crampy pains and a strain that got in the way of typing! Also, quite hard to hold on properly with just two fingers on the grips. Trigger finger ones better for mtb I think, as others have said.

Same as many above. Great for commuting in the coldest days. Fine on road bike. On a mountain bike a bit of a pain but if it’s cold enough for them then worth the clumsiness. I have Dupreytens and they’re easier to get in than my normal winter gloves where my bloody pinky catches the lining. I also have a pair or specialized ones with the index finger free – they’re good but the index finger does get cold if it’s properly chilly. As above, better to get them a bit too big rather than too small as if your finger presses on the end you don’t stay nearly as warm.

I’ve a pair of neoprene/leather Specialized lobsters, which Im currently wearing. Using them with waterproof(or tbh water resistant, but windproof anyway) Chiba lobster over mitts. The spesh are just a knitted cuff, but the chiba are more gauntlet style with a drawstring, so they can cover the sleeves of the jacket and keep all the draughts out.

I think I must have had them 20 years, but as they only come out in a worst of the winter, they’ve lasted well.

Their only downside i would change is they’re 2+2, rather than 3+1, which would be better for gripping the bar, but when they came out, single finger brakes werent a thing.

I see the OP picked some gloves. I suffer from the opposite problem, my hands actually get very warm-to a point.
The 2014 (I think) Mega, I struggled with cold hands  (which is rare for me) in the snowy bits. I picked up some Luis Gaurneau gloves. They were normal warm gloves with pull out finger covers from the backs of the hands,

Brilliant things for fine tuning finger temperature.

it’s obviously a while back, a quick google comes up with the Super Prestige 3 Road glove.

Pair of 20 year old Hein Gericke Pathans are still my favourite winter commuting gloves ever. But there’s no way I’d wear them for mountain biking. Trigger finger ones look pretty doable as long as that’s the finger you brake with.

+1 for Pogies but I can’t get my head around them for faster more technical riding, I think it’s largely psychological tbh as I’m happy with them on the fatbike even riding scary stuff but on anything else it always bothers me.

Other’n that I like my Perfect Curve Glacier Gloves but I always say the same thing, they are kind of terrible- they’re made of neoprene so they’re fat and squidgy and have no feel, and can slide around on some grips, and they’re completely unbreathable so if it’s not super cold then your fingers sweat and it’s orrible, and they’re hard to clean and dry out so after a while they smell like something died in them. But, they keep me warm when no other glove does and so I forgive them. Being 100% waterproof is occasionally a bonus too.