Cold Weather Gloves?

[Road-Dog]

Surprised no one has brought this up, but why don't you get heated grips?
I own several motorcycles equipped with heated grips and ride most of the year in the mountains of Tennessee/North Carolina. I tried a lot of different gloves, but did not like the thickness so many of them were in order to be warm. If it makes any sense, I felt a loss of sensitivity to my throttle hand with thick gloves. Also, I had to take them off to buckle and unbuckle my helmet. (not enough dexterity with thick gloves) Now I wear some thin rubber gloves like you get in a hospital and a pair of thin leather gloves over those. With heated grips added that have adjustable temperature, I can ride comfortably and feel like I have better control of my bike. Just a thought, like guitars, what works for one person does not for another.

[cotten]

Great suggestions, my friends. Thanks! Now I have a little homework to do. Road-Dog, I like your idea of the rubber or latex gloves used as a liner. I will have to try that. Cheap fix if it works! I am driving a Polaris Slingshot, which has a steering wheel, not motorcycle grips. Don't think I could afford a heated steering wheel, even if one were available. I will gratefully follow up on each idea offered here. Another suggestion I am checking out is oversized, perhaps military surplus mittens, into which I would slip my current gloves.

IBKuz, there is not a good ski/snowboarding store anywhere close to me here in the middle of Georgia. We think skiing is something you do on a string behind a boat! Parlorman, if I have to wait until I can get the nice Gerbing electric gear, I'm going to miss a lot of otherwise fun cold weather driving. I would rather not, though the Gerbing gear is certainly on my radar! Nailpicker, you are right, of course, about my not understanding what REAL cold weather is, and for that I am thankful! We have wonderful weather here in Middle Georgia about 9 months of the year. On the other hand, so to speak, my poor fingers think they are cold when the temperature is 38 and the humidity is 88%, in a 60 mph wind. Since your fingers are so much tougher than mine, perhaps you could send me your... never mind. If I finish that somebody might take me seriously.

(Fumei, for what it is worth, this was not my first question about my Slingshot. The first time I mentioned it, I received what I thought were some pretty ugly remarks from a few people who thought my choice was stupid because they prefer something else, everything from an ElectraGlide or V Rod or BMW R1200 or Ducati 1199 or a Goldwing or a Miata, an old MGB, a Z06 Vette, a 911 Turbo, or even a Vanderhall or Can Am Spyder. I do appreciate that everyone has his/her own preferences. I just don't enjoy snippy people who think only their preferences matter.)

You guys have been helpful. Much appreciated!

cotten

[Road-Dog]

cotten, yea steering wheel, sorry! however there are heated covers for steering wheels, several of my friends have them on their ATVs.

[Twelvefret]

Welding gloves are worth consideration. They are made of leather. These gloves are warm, thick, and extend to mid forearm...some longer.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...incolnElectric)

[imwjl]

It’s worth considering some of the suggestions are fine for an activity were you might not be moving in the wind and where your the parts of your hands are moving along with a whole body at elevated heart rate. Not so when you have periods of wind, the hands in a fixed grip, and average heart rate likely below 115 BPM. The better products for sports and activities really make a difference.

It should not be hard getting a lot of good products about anywhere. I used OR’s guidelines with a measuring tape and the gloves I ordered are fine. I’m guessing other quality makers have that just as dialed because so many people buy online now.

Yesterday my wife and I did a trail ride in the 1.75 hours to sunset with weather 20-15 deg. F. A child had her OR gloves and the cheaper Head gloves from COSTCO meant her hands never warmed up the way they usually do with the better ones.

Do the math for just a few instances and paying $20-40 more is well worth it for comfort. Then add benefits from design and durability. One pair of OR (mitts) we have has lasted many years. The cheaper stuff is often done in a season or a day.

The good design is worth it too. My daughter and I work at a ski area. Sure the benefit shows up there but I had a flat tire recently and the OR design with a removable leash to tether the outer gloves to the liners was maybe better for that than a lot of other use.

YMMV, but I use my hands, feet and eyes enough to find it silly to be skimping on them. There are lots of great things for them between Wal-Mart, designer and top tier.



P.S. Cotton, one other method is drive that thing so you’re sustaining a 120-150 BPM heart rate! We’d love your report back stories for that.

[cotten]

imwjl, if I am driving and have a heart rate of 150, somebody probably already died! It is snowing here today, something rare, with the current temperature at 28 F. Humidity just under 80%. I don't mind paying a little more, as you say, for decent, long lasting gloves, but I have been amazed to see gloves that cost over $600! Never knew such things existed. If I pay $600 for something, I prefer that it have six strings!

Still checking out these suggestions, including one by MikeBmusic to just park my Slingshot until it gets warmer. Naaa, too much fun to be had, if only I can keep my guitarist fingers warm. Working on it, with my AGF friends help.

cotten

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by cotten

imwjl, if I am driving and have a heart rate of 150, somebody probably already died! It is snowing here today, something rare, with the current temperature at 28 F. Humidity just under 80%. I don't mind paying a little more, as you say, for decent, long lasting gloves, but I have been amazed to see gloves that cost over $600! Never knew such things existed. If I pay $600 for something, I prefer that it have six strings!

Still checking out these suggestions, including one by MikeBmusic to just park my Slingshot until it gets warmer. Naaa, too much fun to be had, if only I can keep my guitarist fingers warm. Working on it, with my AGF friends help.

cotten

Cotton ...As you know from other threads cotton I have spent most of my adult in cold country doing outdoor things .

Here are my thoughts :
There is little colder feeling and heat robbing than riding in an exposed vehicle in cold and especially cold humid weather.

So whatever you do it has to provide warmth/insolution and wind resistance

If you can drive the slingshot with mitts as opposed to having to have the dexterity of gloves. All things being equal Mitts are better than gloves for warmth.

Personally If I was not willing to spend big dollars on these high dollar $425 heated mitts ( I use the glove version on my motorcycle and they are good for about 2-4 hours heating time depending on setting, but are also well insulated and are as good as any unheated mitt even when the batteries run out)
https://www.seirus.com/catalog/produ...hellfire-mitt/

So if you don't want to do that then I would probably skipp most cost options in between those mitts and think about something like these leather, fleece lined mitts https://www.amazon.com/RefrigiWear-F...9R6XYCNR5NV6A5

With something like these thin insulating glove liners worn under the leather mitts just to be sure
https://www.amazon.com/Terramar-Adult-Thermolator-Glove-X-Large/dp/B002NPBU3Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1516211453&sr=1-3&keywords=thinsulate+glove+liners

[JCave]

Originally Posted by KevWind

With something like these thin insulating glove liners worn under the leather mitts just to be sure

Glove liners are the best recommendation thus far. Use them with fingered gloves, mittens, or just by themselves. I keep a pair of silk liners stashed in my jacket pocket.

[cotten]

You guys are great, thanks!

cotten

[Earl49]

When I was riding my motorcycle a LOT around Alaska, these Olympia gloves were my favorite:
http://www.aerostich.com/gel-cowhide-gloves.html

They are pretty warm and yet still flexible enough not to resist gripping the handlebar. (Really heavy winter gloves make you grip against their resistance, rapidly tiring your hand). I still use these as winter driving gloves in the car.

I've also had good success with Army surplus wool liners with deerskin shells, for a budget approach. In extreme cold, silk liners, then wool, then a nylon shell. (Note that at -45°F or colder, nylon can crack when bent across your knuckles. Ask me how I know.....)

[Nyghthawk]

In the '70s when all I had were motorcycles my dad gave me an old pair of leather gloves with rabbit fur lining. They were the absolute best for keeping my hands warm. IDK where you'd find some now but they were great!

[AcouStickistNS]

I do a lot of mountain biking in winter, I own a couple of fat bikes and I will ride in sub-zero temps. In frigid temps I have pogies over the handlebars. There are gloves by 45NRTH that work pretty well.
https://45nrth.com/products/sturmfist-4
I also have some wool liner gloves that can fit underneath. Something else I learned from someone else this last week, but what material grips are made of can make a huge difference. Seeing the Slingshot uses a steering wheel, you may want to experiment with different covers for the steering wheel.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by cotten

I don't need all the hand armor that good motorcycle gloves provide, though even they can run $150 or more. What suggestions do you have for some great, relatively inexpensive cold weather gloves?

cotten

Fox River Four Layer Gloves:

Fox River Four Layer Gloves

The price on these tends to be between about $22.00 and $35.00 a pair, with about $27.00 being average. Whenever I meet someone new to Alaska and they complain about their hands getting cold and ask me how to remedy that, Fox River Four Layer Gloves are always what I recommend.

Those who follow my advice always come back and thank me for it. They're great gloves.

They're warmer and the leather palms make gripping a steering wheel easy. What's more, they're breathable, so your hands don't get sweaty the way they can with high tech synthetic fabrics. Seriously, they do a better job at keeping your hands warm than ski gloves costing much more money.

After you've owned and worn them for a while, the Thinsulate insulation in them compacts and that in turn makes them less effective at keeping your hands warm. But that's after two or three years of daily use during the cold months which, here in Alaska, are generally longer than what you folks in the Lower 48 have to endure (not this year, though - you guys stole our winter! We want it back!!!)

Anyway, everyone in my family uses them, and I highly recommend them.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[cotten]

More great suggestions! Thanks, Wade, AcouStickistNS, Nyghthawk, and Earl49. I have found some cheap, temporary gloves that will do for now, though while I'm at it I'll go ahead and explore every recommendation. You guys are Tops!

Of course, today, January 21, it's currently 71 F., bright and sunny - MY kind of January! Wade, if shipping weren't so expensive, I would be happy to send the cold weather we've been having back up your way, my friend.

cotten