How to Choose Cycling Gloves? - Winter Cycling Tips

Deep dive into winter cycling gloves from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to freezing!

[samuelimus]

One good trick: put a layer or Nitrile gloves like nurses, doctors etc. then put your base layer on.
A lot of the time, I don’t even use my bigger gloves.
I live in Eastern Washington (Spokane)
I log 7-9 thousand miles annually
My hands rarely get cold

[barrybogart]

I was s Randonneur for 30 years in Vancouver and I concur with everything you say. Water gets through almost anything. Certainly all the cycling gloves I have tried and also the ones I use for X-C skiing and kayaking fail before long. Some downhill ski gloves might work but make it hard to use the brakes, shift, etc. because of their bulk. Pogies do work and are good because windchill is a major factor - not just the wet. But they are inconvenient. I have seen Randos use rubber kitchen gloves over liners, but only after visiting a corner store in desperation half way through a rainy 400km ride!

Hands are important but just as much as feet. Most shoe covers let rain in the bottom so I really like Gore-Tex socks over wool. They really do work. In fact in the cold rains on Haida Gwaii i used them with SPD sandals!

Finally, the best gloves for everyday (not all-day) use are from Dollarama. They have these florescent orange jobs with plastic leather outside and polyester fleece inside. They also have a reflective stripe and best of all cost $4. They are as good as some $40 gloves I have tried. I do not know how waterproof they are because I just ride in rain when caught in it but the seams seem tight. You should defintely get a pair or three. Good for turn signals too.

Barry

[Libraraga]

I love Bar Mitts. I used them in -20°C temps and they helped keep my hands and fingers toasty with a liner glove underneath.

[po]

Diving gloves for wet season, best choice

[whirving]

For winter fat biking here in interior Alaska we use "pogies" that are insulated covers for your handlebars. They cover your brakes and shifters and you can ride with thin or no gloves in most temperatures with the right ones. They are like sleeping bags for your hands...AND you can keep food in there to keep it from freezing. Way better than keeping it in your bike shorts. Oh, people ride regularly at -20f with these things with no problems. 45NRTH makes 3 different versions for example.

[MrXammos]

Silk liners are a great layering addition. Super light but add a lot of insulating warmth.

[longhaulblue]

I have used the same pair of Dakine ski mitts for the past 10 Chicago winters. They are good down to about 15-20F. Below that I supplement with chemical hand-warmers. A pair of warmers lasts about 10 hours. They stop generating heat without air so after my commute, I put them in a ziploc bag and squeeze out the air. This makes the pair last a whole work week. I buy a box of 40 pairs for about $20+ every 3-4 years.

[TomLukanen]

I've used the Pearl Izumi Lobster Gloves during the past two years of Minnesota winter commuting (20 miles round trip). I've been impressed with their ability to keep the hands comfortable on the 45 minute snow commute in temps down to 0º F (-18º C). What I can't speak to is a multi-hour winter randonnuering event - I'd likely elect for pogies at that point.

[stuminnis]

I’ve used those Borealis gloves for two winters now and been very pleased with them.

[frederickmulder]

I delivered for Caviar for a year in Seattle. My #1 gloves were rag wool fingerless gloves from Wigwam. Found they were warm enough and I could still operate my touch screen and write with a pen.

[RyanStanis]

Top randonneuring trick I've learned: Nitrile gloves work as a great waterproof base layer! Especially under wool gloves that stay warm even when wet. Acts as a vapor barrier liner, and hugs pretty tight so it's hard for water to get in at the cuff. I carry two pairs in my rando bag in case I bust one somewhere along the way on a soggy 200k. Even work well as a light windproof layer if you forget to pack your lightweight transition season gloves (learned this the hard way).

[danielquinn]

Pogies are, as Russ suggested when recommending thinner gloves in conjunction with them, pretty amazing. I found, even after switching to thinner gloves, that you’ll end up unzipping the Pogies to for air flow on certain days well before you’re ready to take them off the bike. I was super pleased with that feature of the Bar Mitts. I live in Minnesota, BTW.

[Foxr]

When it pours here is Canada I use neoprene kayak gloves.

[chrisblinzinger]

I wear Mountain Smith Hardware snowboard gloves for winter commuting. They are easy on and off and reach up to my forearm. Winter temps are teens to low 20's for a 30 minute ride and they do fine. I have worn them on a tour on New Years Eve and I could have used Bar Mitts on that trip to be more comfortable.

[johnhickie]

For long rides in bad weather I always carry a pair of light neoprene paddling gloves with grippy palms and built in grip contour. Great grip, totally waterproof and warm enough to maintain hand function. For long days with rain I even carry a thin pair of neoprene shorts to wear over my bike shorts. With my legs bare, I keep my ass dry, my core warm and dump enough heat to prevent overheating while wearing a rain shell and the neoprene shorts. NRS in Moscow, Idaho (relatively close to Missoula) has great stuff. As a white water paddler I had the stuff sitting around already, and wow, it works for cycling too.

[bobqzzi]

Great video. For many years I commuted to work everyday no matter the weather. I have a giant bin of gloves of various types Coldest was about -10. Snowmobile mittens, with inner wool gloves and chemical handwarmers just about staved off frostbite on my 40 minute commute.

[imreplica]

I have Bar Mitts on my road bike and I love them.

[benpm]

I have a pair of gloves that I really like, it's a glove by outdoor research that has a thin layer and a wind/rain layer to them. The wind/rain layer can be put away inside the thin layer in a dedicated zipper so that they don't get lost. I found them to be good until about 1 or 2 degrees Celsius when combined and they stay waterproof for roughly 30 minutes before wetting out so good for short commutes.

[ericostling-pianistcompose]

Thank you for the first truth, which I also discovered for myself. And also at about the exact same temperature as your calculation - !

[anthonyricci]

I've recently tried DexShell gloves. And they do a great job with being waterproof. Different models for varied warmth. I like them because they're multipurpose and very suitable for cycling. No seams in the palm and comfortable. Just wanted to share. Happy cycling.