Choosing The Right Winter Cycling Gloves

Therefore getting the right cycling gloves can help improve your winter cycling experience

Your hands are often pretty exposed while reached out in front of you and don't really do a lot to generate additional heat (with the small exceptions of braking and shifting gears). Your hands therefore feel the brunt of the elements, whether it be cold, wind or rain.

The right winter cycling gloves can keep you comfortable on winter rides.

Do you feel the cold?

Some people naturally feel the cold more than others and therefore will have preference on a much warmer glove. Some people are exceptionally lucky and don't really feel the cold at all. As not all winter gloves are created equal- If you really feel the cold through your hands you need to put warmth as your priority when choosing your gloves.

How bad does the weather get where you ride?

Does where you live experience harsh winters with sub zero temperatures on a regular basis? Do you experience lots of rainy winter days? Weather can change dramatically from region to region and country to country so your glove choice must reflect your local riding area and the conditions you expect to experience.

Not every winter day is freezing cold and therefore you may be best suited by a lighter weight cycling glove that gives your hand some additional warmth while being breathable. These are a great glove to have for cool days in the saddle while also having multiple other uses including being great for driving. Lightweight full finger cycling gloves can often be used as a liner glove for under a heavier glove for more extreme weather conditions.

Windproof winter cycling gloves offer more protection from the elements than a lightweight full finger glove like those shown above. Windproof fabrics often also allow the hands to breathe which puts them at an advantage over waterproof cycling gloves and they are also often much lighter which provides better grip on the bars and levers. Windproof winter cycling gloves are a great choice for cold but dry days, and the naturally warm-handed will benefit from their breathability.

Some windproof gloves also have a water resistant coating to hold out spray from the road and light drizzle however for wetter days a full-on waterproof winter glove will be required.

Fabrics to look out for are Windstopper, Softshell and Windtex for your winter gloves

Waterproof gloves can provide protection in the worst of winter cycling weather- rain and snow and come with varying amounts of insulation which leads to a trade-off between warmth and bulk. Many waterproof cycling gloves use a membrane layer between the outer fabric and an inner liner to provide protection from the rain. This membrane often provides a strong barrier against cold, icy winds too for a cyclist to keep their hands warm.

A lightweight liner glove is a great addition to your glove armoury and provides an extra few degrees of warmth to your regular glove.

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