THE RiDE PRODUCT TEST
THE PRODUCT TEST
Keep the cold at bay – and your fingers warm
FOR MANY, WINTER is a time to put the bike away and adopt a warmer, drier transport regime.
For others, it is simply another season – in fact plenty of riders actively look forward to winter. The key to enjoying your riding throughout the year - and particularly in winter - is the right gear; gloves are a key part of that.
If you do a lot of miles, you probably already have a textile suit with thermal liners. But the hands are in the firing line – and unless you keep them warm, you could be in real trouble.
Cold hands are an inconvenience at best, but downright dangerous at worst. You can easily become distracted by the unpleasant sensation of cold hands and begin to lose feeling, which can adversely affect your ability to control the bike. So, if you are going to ride throughout winter, you need decent winter gloves.
Some riders choose to use thinner three-season gloves with heated grips, for the feel the gloves give and the grips providing the warmth. But other riders may find it isn’t the inside of their hands that suffers; rather, it’s the back of their hands or their fingers. In this case, thicker winter gloves are what are needed.
However, insulating your hands can also mean insulating them from feel for the bike. But modern materials and construction techniques can make this less of an issue than it used to be.
So, we have assembled eight pairs of gloves from the big players in the market to see how they perform in the various requirements: keeping your hands warm and dry, and allowing you to feel the bike’s controls.
Off to the freezer we go…
How we tested them
We asked each manufacturer to supply a pair of sub-£100 winter gloves in Medium size. We tested them the same way did we did in 2022, with a road test and a series of empirical measurements.
Fit We assessed the fit of each pair; the relationship between finger length and thumb, the degree of bagginess of each digit and how easy each was to get on and off. We looked at the fastening methods and the ease of getting over and under jacket cuffs.
Comfort We considered how the lining felt against the skin and any tight points or intruding seams, for example. We also looked at how they articulated to allow for movement on the bike.
Feel Through their insulation, winter gloves introduce a degree of disconnect with the bike’s controls. So,
