Gloves?

[cyclingfool]

@hozn 99696 wrote:

(While I realize you were joking,) I also see little sense in applying rule #5 to suffering in the cold.

Of course. Just to be totally clear, I was totally joking. People should wear whatever gloves they need to be comfortable. Anything that allows more people to keep riding longer into the cold weather season is good in my book.

[wheelswings]

Just to chime in on the frostbite, it hurts like hell… especially when you’re thawing. Worth avoiding. :+)

[Geoff]

I just got a set of these:
http://barmitts.com/new/road-mitt_lg.jpg

They are made of the same material as a wetsuit. They are well made, look good, go on the handlebars easily, and are probably quite warm. I may never use them.
The problem is that they pretty much require you to stay on the hoods, and I just don’t feel I can brake forcefully enough that way when going down the bumpy Custis hills. I think you can take your hands outside the mitts and squeeze the brakes from drops, but I’m not comfortable squeezing handlebar and brake levers through all that neoprene.

[hozn]

@Geoff 99708 wrote:

The problem is that they pretty much require you to stay on the hoods, and I just don’t feel I can brake forcefully enough that way when going down the bumpy Custis hills. I think you can take your hands outside the mitts and squeeze the brakes from drops, but I’m not comfortable squeezing handlebar and brake levers through all that neoprene.

Yeah, this is my issue with these (I have the same model). Only supporting hands in the hoods limits them for on-road use for me. Also can’t shield my light from approaching cyclists/peds (or at least it becomes awkward). And if you have/want-to-use interrupter levers, that’s a consideration too. I don’t think squeezing the brakes from outside the neoprene would work / is a good idea.

[jabberwocky]

I use the drop bar moose mitts, and they work on the flats, hoods and drops. More open in the back than some, which I suppose could make them less warm, but I’ve used them down into the single digits coupled with normal full finger carpenter gloves and been ok.

[Geoff]

@jabberwocky 99714 wrote:

I use the drop bar moose mitts, and they work on the flats, hoods and drops. More open in the back than some, which I suppose could make them less warm, but I’ve used them down into the single digits coupled with normal full finger carpenter gloves and been ok.

Is this what you use?
http://www.trails-edge.com/product/trails-edge-moose-mitts-drop-bar-1142.htm

[vvill]

I never realized people valued braking from the drops so much!

(My moose mitts are drop bar style too – those ones Geoff linked.)

[hozn]

Yeah, on really rocky/technical dowhill, I switch to being in the drops on my cx bike. I’ve had the jackhammering make me lose my grips on the brakes a couple times when on the hoods. That can be scary. In practice, not a big deal; I simply don’t keep my barmitts on full-time — and I don’t *need* to go riding in Lake Fairfax every time temps drop into the teens

[ShawnoftheDread]

I never brake from the drops. It feels a bit awkward.

[americancyclo]

@Geoff 99718 wrote:

Is this what you use?
http://www.trails-edge.com/product/trails-edge-moose-mitts-drop-bar-1142.htm

Those are the ones I have too. You’re welcome to borrow them for a test run if you like.

[bsnbsn9]

i will buy at amazon

[KLizotte]

I am loving my new Pearl Izumi women’s elite softshell gloves. Very, very warm even without my moose mitts. They cover up the wrists as well. Best riding gloves I have found so far. I got mine at HTO in Pentagon City. Pearl Izumi makes a waterproof version too but those cost twice as much.

http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=133&product_id=2247729&outlet=&color_code=021

[PotomacCyclist]

Even with Bar Mitts (on my mountain bike), I found that the metal handlebar still transmits the cold inside the Bar Mitts (or sucks the heat out). I bought a cheap floating keychain a couple years ago at HTO. The price is only $6 or $7. It’s made out of neoprene and plastic.

The soft black plastic ring is easy to cut with a pair of regular scissors. Then I used the red neoprene sections to cover the brake levers. This adds an extra layer of protection between my gloves and the cold metal.

I think it was the Chums floating keychain:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7238[/ATTACH]

I leave the neoprene on in the summer, even though the color clashes with the handlebars. It would be a big hassle to remove the neoprene, plus it provides a cushioned surface on the brake levers. Sort of like insulated bar tape for brake levers.

[Arlingtonrider]

@KLizotte 102715 wrote:

I am loving my new Pearl Izumi women’s elite softshell gloves. Very, very warm (though for twice as much you can get the waterproof version) even without my moose mitts. They cover up the wrists as well. Best riding gloves I have found so far. I got mine at HTO in Pentagon City.

http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=133&product_id=2247729&outlet=&color_code=021

Thanks for the review. I bought a pair of those a couple of months ago and haven’t used them yet. Good to know!

[Arlingtonrider]

@bsnbsn9 101160 wrote:

i will buy at amazon

One more thing – I don’t think you can get Moose Mitts on Amazon. Bar Mitts are easily available on Amazon and are about $30 less expensive. Moose Mitts are best ordered during the summer. They’re handmade by a small independent bike shop (awesome people there!), but there’s often a 2 or 3 month waiting list in the Fall/Winter.

[Author]

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