Winter gloves

moscowflyer

Yes, I've done a search but a lot of glove recommendations don't seem to be suitable for sub freezing temperatures. What do you all use for commuting when it gets this cold? -3 today, I had three pairs of gloves but still got frozen fingers. I need to go and get something before Monday's commute.

gixer5

Specialized sub zeros. I have used them in temperatures down to -9 so far and they have been lovely and warm :-)

moscowflyer

Cheers, I've been told about those elsewhere so will see if I can get a pair today.

getprg

This was a topic of conversation on yesterday's club ride in the (chilly) Yorkshire Dales.

It perhaps goes without saying that some people have better circulation/ natural insulation than others. In fact some can suffer from Raynaud's syndrome - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud's_phenomenon - basically when finger ends turn white. On the other hand my mother could walk round the North East of England in the snow in open toed sandals and stay as warm as toast!

In other words glove construction and thermal qualities are not the whole story. Suffice to say that the same glove will work for some people but not for others.

The conclusion from the club conversation was that if the best gloves still don't work (when you are riding consistently in HR Zone 3+) then probably you need a supplementary source of heat on the few days when temperatures plummet below the comfort threshhold.

This means either heated gloves (I have seen the following recomended on another forum - cheap but effective)

http://www.maplin.co.uk/self-heating-electric-gloves-47714 or

Heated glove liners (expensive)

http://www.adventure-spec.com/default/powerlet-rapidfire-heated-glove-liner.html%20or%20some%20of%20the (apologies - I don't know why this link works when accessed via search but not directly) or

Disposable glove warmer inserts like these (cheap as chips but the costs mount up the more you use):

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350502166194?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla&crdt=0

You just have to experiment. I have a pair of this season' s Aldi winter gloves (about £6 I think) and they are OK down to -2 or -3C if I sustain a reasonable pace - they are the best Aldi winter gloves I've tried (my 2nd pair after 4 seasons). I've tried my (expensive) ski gloves - they are no better.

If it is cold and wet I use a pair of industrial light rubber gloves over merino inners. Works down to about freezing - cycling or skiing.

Hope that helps.

corshamjim

I use a pair of fleece-lined goretex mittens (designed for walking) over a pair of ordinary fleecy gloves. That works fine on my simple bike with flat bars and 3-speed shifter, but would be too bulky to use on my road bike.

anti_podean

I took delivery of an inexpensive pair of Outeredge Aerotex hi-viz winter gloves from eBay yesterday and gave them a try in this morning's -6*C chill. I didn't notice much cold protection for the first mile, but from that point forward they were worth their weight in gold.

moscowflyer

Cheers all, will have a look at all the suggestions.

jockywilson

corshamjim wrote:

I use a pair of fleece-lined goretex mittens (designed for walking) over a pair of ordinary fleecy gloves. That works fine on my simple bike with flat bars and 3-speed shifter, but would be too bulky to use on my road bike.

+1 for mittens and liner gloves. Works well riding fixed/SS, ok for MTB, useless on the road bike.

redvee

I bought some Planet-X winter gloves this time last year and the only issue with them is being too warm as the gloves get get a bit damp and need turning inside out when left to dry.

Bordersroadie

One of the keys (like keeping your feet warm) is that you have some wriggle-room, so, not too tight.

I use an Aldi glove a size too big with thin polartech fleece gloves as liners. Good for down to minus 5 or so.

exlaser

i also use mittens with a pair of gloves in side.

the other thing to think about is, if you let your core temp drop, it does not matter what gloves you wear. your hands will go cold.

kevin57

I use silk gloves inside winter climbing over-mitts,[ trespass has an offer on these at the moment, 10 quid for the over-mitts ]

qualz

just about to by a pair of Specialized sub zeros after reading good reports! cheers

moscowflyer

After this morning's ride I went and bought some sub zeros, not cheap (£50!) but they certainly feel as though they could well do the trick. I'll report back after tomorrow's commute.

mtbcommuter

I use my skiing gloves, I figure they're designed for much the same thing and are toasty warm 8)

Iamnot Wiggins

It may pay to think outside of the box here. Apart from the obvious cold wind & air, your fingers and toes get cold because your core isn't warm enough. Blood is taken away from the extremities to keep the vital organs warm and safe.

Maybe look at a new, warmer base layer to go with your gloves? Or a new jacket or gilet?