Remedy for cold fingers

crescent
crescent Posts: 1,201
edited February 2015 in Road buying advice
After another bitterly cold ride resulting in cold fingers, I am thinking about trying these.

http://www.breezeblockers.com/gallery-aero.php

I have tried all sorts of things, gloves (obviously), glove liners, hats and gilets to keep my head and core warm, extra layers etc but I still end up with painfully cold fingers. Has anyone tried them or heard anything good or bad about them?

Thanks
Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"

Comments

  • Have you tried alternating with keeping one hand in your pocket?

    Otherwise Assos S7 are pretty good.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • My fingers are the same and it's taken me a few years to sort it out.

    The best thing Ive found is to have at least 3 layers. Cotton liner, then a thin glove, then a ski glove on top. Don't go expensive and Ive found cycling specific cold weather gloves to be useless. Aldi ski gloves and then a pair of thin thinsulate gloves from the market. With the liners will come to about £10.

    If its raining or on a long ride I take a spare pair of gloves and liners with me. Also make sure you are riding on proper puncture proof tyres like Marathons or Randoneurs. Puncture with cold frozen fingers you'll be begging for a taxi (if you can find one).

    The irony is that I can ride all winter without any over shoes and never get trouble with my feet.
  • I have the same issue, i currently use sealskinz lobster gloves with their glove liners which still only allows me to ride 30 to 40 min in -2 which isn't long enough in current conditions. Are neoprene gloves really warmer than what I am using at the moment.
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    I've tried various combinations of gloves and liners but I think it is down to wind chill rather than just the ambient temperature, even though some of my gloves claim to be wind resistant, hence the reason for the dedicated wind deflector idea. I've gone ahead and bought a pair for a tenner off eBay, worth it if they work and, if not, then no major expense. The photos don't show them to be particularly bulky. Good or bad, I'll report back either way.

    Cheers
    Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"
  • Neoprene imo does not go well with sweat and is therefore useless for cycling, which the expensive gloves claim to be the all dancing cold weather glove. They end up holding moisture that then gets cold. Great for wetsuits useless for cycling.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Warmest gloves I've found were some Aldi Golf Mittens. You might struggle to change gear - but they were great on a gripshift MTB when the snow was down.

    Lobster mitts will be better than gloves. Its the surface area/volume ratio innit ?
  • I've been using this http://goo.gl/aruFPs under regular full-finger gloves and they are brilliant keeping your hands warm and allowing you to brake and change gears.
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/extremit ... lsrc=aw.ds

    These over the top of good insulated winter gloves. Expensive, but they block off all the wind, and it is unbelievable how effective they are.
  • A pair of Pearl Izumi lobster gloves have proved to be the difference between me cycling or not cycling at this time of year. No problems changing gear on an mtb or road bike (Sram).
  • crikey
    crikey Posts: 362
    Wearing a gilet will not help much.
    The temperature of the blood that gets to your hands depends on how much it gets cooled on the way there. You need to keep your arms and wrists warm before worrying about gloves because the blood vessels are very close to the skin especially at the wrists.

    Cold hands? Put more clothes on....

    (Raynaud's disease is a bit different, but the rule still applies.)
  • gozzy
    gozzy Posts: 640
    I suffer the cold finger badly usually, but was out on Monday in 0ish degrees with warm fingers for all but the last mile of a 25 mile ride, when the wind decided to cut in hard and chilled me all over. 3 layers, Aldi winter cycling gloves on top, some liner gloves, then underneath a pair of socks with the toes cut off and thumb hole cut in - goes half way up the wrist and bridges the gap between sleeves and gloves nicely. Toasty.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,116
    I thought keeping your core warm meant the body didn't withdraw blood from the extremities so that is the logic behind wearing a gilet and keeping your hands warm.

    Anyway - the main answer is to wear warmer gloves or more layers of gloves - there are gloves that will keep your hands warm when cycling even if they might be a bit bulky if you are susceptible to the cold. If people can go to the North Pole without losing their fingers then you can find gloves that will do the job for cycling in the UK though I admit most gloves sold as winter cycling gloves aren't up to the job worn on their own for me either.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • crikey
    crikey Posts: 362
    I thought keeping your core warm meant the body didn't withdraw blood from the extremities so that is the logic behind wearing a gilet and keeping your hands warm.

    If you don't keep your arms warm your hands will get cold. I can't make it any simpler, sorry.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    My hands are bitterly cold initially, white and painful, then as the ride goes on and my circulation gets going they become red and painful as the blood returns, then they are usually fine thereafter.

    I put my gloves on the radiator or kettle before I start out, that helps.
  • Aldi golf mittens when it's minus 2 or colder. Like cougie said, they aren't the best for gear changes but do work.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,116
    crikey wrote:
    I thought keeping your core warm meant the body didn't withdraw blood from the extremities so that is the logic behind wearing a gilet and keeping your hands warm.



    If you don't keep your arms warm your hands will get cold. I can't make it any simpler, sorry.

    With respect I wonder if you have missed the point. It is an oft repeated argument (which you may disagree with or know to be false but you haven't said so) that if the core is cold then the body will draw blood away from the extremities by constricting their blood vessels in order to keep the core body temperature up.

    Wearing a gilet will help keep the core body temperature up and so will contribute to keeping your hands warm in that way.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    I was diagnosed with raynauds about 2 years ago (after several years of complaining to the dr). Both hands and feet are severely affected by the cold. They get cold rapidly, go white & cause a great deal of pain & numbness. I was finding that after just a few minutes of riding in low temperatures that I couldn't even change gear due to my hands being completely numb.
    I tried every type of glove & socks etc but nothing seemed to help. However, by fluke last winter I had left my gloves (lobsters & liner gloves) on the radiator,so when I put them on they were already lovely and warm. That ride was a revelation! IIRC it was just below freezing & I managed over 2 hours on the bike with my hands staying warm throughout. I now make sure my gloves & socks are warm before I put them on before I start my ride.

    Although must admit, it doesn't work if riding in the wet :(
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    My BreezeBlockers arrived yesterday so I've used them twice now. In short, I'm glad I didn't pay the full RRP of £29.99 but for the tenner they cost me they seem ok. On the plus side, they do exactly as they claim and create a small sheltered area to place your hands which definitely helps avoid wind chill - it doesn't eliminate it altogether but certainly helps. On the down side, they only seem to be designed to fit on the tops of the bars despite the instructions on the packaging claiming they can be used on tops, hoods and drops. I rarely ride with my hands on the top of the bars but found that it was adequate just to place my hands here when I felt the first pangs of cold fingers and they definitely recovered after a few minutes and then I could return to the hoods. Aesthetically, they don't add anything to the bike but nor do they detract too much either. I like my bike to look uncluttered but accept that some sacrifices have to be made for my winter bike and they do not offend too much - they are no more unsightly than mudguards or lights, for instance. I would rather have found the solution in a good pair of gloves but so far I've not managed to find a pair that do it for me so i'll persevere with these for a while.
    Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,648
    I've recently started heating my hands under hot water for a bit before I head it in the morning. My theory being that they're going to cool down so might as well start hot
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • crikey wrote:
    I thought keeping your core warm meant the body didn't withdraw blood from the extremities so that is the logic behind wearing a gilet and keeping your hands warm.



    If you don't keep your arms warm your hands will get cold. I can't make it any simpler, sorry.

    With respect I wonder if you have missed the point. It is an oft repeated argument (which you may disagree with or know to be false but you haven't said so) that if the core is cold then the body will draw blood away from the extremities by constricting their blood vessels in order to keep the core body temperature up.

    Wearing a gilet will help keep the core body temperature up and so will contribute to keeping your hands warm in that way.

    This is the falicy that if you have cold hands and feet then put a hat on? Its rubbish. Cold hands and feet have nothing to do with the core its about blood flow or lack of. To increase blood flow either get somewhere warm or ride harder.