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Cold Hands While Cycling? Not With Us!

We'll explain what matters when choosing the ideal cycling gloves for the cold season.

Bike gloves are indispensable in winter – they protect not only against freezing cold but also against rain and driving wind. They ensure a firm grip on the handlebars and improve control in wet and snowy conditions. Whether you're commuting by bike or taking sporty tours: The right winter gloves keep your hands dry and warm without sacrificing comfort and mobility.

Warm Hands – Safe Grip These Factors Influence The Glove Selection Everyday Cycling Gloves Which Gloves for E-MTB Rides in Winter? Sporty Riding in the Cold – How to Keep Your Fingers Warm Cycling Gloves for Extreme Sub-zero Conditions

Rides: Road, Fixie
Bikes: Factor LS

Warm Hands – Safe Grip

When you bike in the cold season, your body has to work hard to keep you warm. The hypothalamus, the center for temperature and metabolism regulation in the brain, controls blood circulation so that the body core is protected. It reduces heat loss and increases heat production in the body's core, where the vital organs are. As soon as the blood vessels in the skin and extremities constrict, the blood flow there decreases. As a result, they are less well supplied with heat and the temperature of hands, feet, and ears aligns with the surroundings if they are unprotected. The result of cycling: first cold, then aching, and finally numb fingers and hands. Switching gears and braking can then become difficult. Gloves help keep your body warmth in your hands.

Hot body, cold feet? For less sweating during active rides it is recommended to wear breathable clothes.

Cold feet? Rather not. Special winter boots or overboots help to keep feet warm.

Windchill can cause freezing hands and feet even though temperatures are not that low.

These Factors Influence The Glove Selection

Not all gloves are equally suitable for all conditions. The following factors have an influence on how quickly or how severely you get cold hands:

Outdoor temperature
Precipitation and humidity
Windchill effect (also due to the apparent wind while riding)
Intensity of movement
Personal sensitivity to cold

The windchill effect, by the way, can cause chilled extremities even at relatively mild temperatures. The reason: humans emit a certain amount of heat per time to the surroundings. In the absence of wind, this is about 60 percent via thermal radiation and approximately 25 percent through evaporation on the skin and through breathing. You are constantly surrounded by a thin layer of air that you have warmed yourself. If you stand in the wind or move quickly, this layer is blown away, and you cool down faster.

Everyday Cycling Gloves

If you mostly cover short distances in winter, such as going shopping or to the office, you have to deal with low temperatures and variable conditions with low physical activity. In that case, waterproof full-finger gloves with synthetic fiber filling are recommended. This type of filling defies moisture and does not lose its insulating capacity even when wet. Make sure the gloves fit well and don’t slip when buying! Other practical features include reinforced palms and silicone elements that provide a good grip on the handlebars and give you freedom of movement, such as when handling a bicycle lock. Many full-finger gloves also come with a touchscreen function, so your fingers stay warm when you need to type something on your navigation system or phone.

Good grip is essential.

Most race bike gloves are super breathable.

Which Gloves for E-MTB Rides in Winter?

If you enjoy riding your e-bike or e-MTB in cold temperatures, even with electric support, you might work up a sweat. Remember to protect your skin and body from cold driving winds. Ideally, lightly insulating, wind-resistant gloves with ample grip feel should be used for your hands. Materials with DWR treatment (Durable Water Repellent, a fabric coating) protect against drizzle and light rain. In dry weather, gloves made from softshell materials with a windstopper function are also suitable.

Sporty Riding in the Cold – How to Keep Your Fingers Warm

Low temperatures don't stop you from taking sporty spins with your MTB, road bike, or gravel bike. Why should they? After all, it's all about the right clothing. It's important to match your gear to varying physical activity, low temperatures, frosty wind, and potentially wet trails. When you're exerting yourself, you start to sweat; then perhaps comes a fast descent – and this cycle repeats several times. There's a lot of potential for suffering from hypothermia.

Therefore, you should opt for materials that are as breathable as possible so that sweat can escape and which have minimal or no insulating properties but block the wind with a softshell or windstopper outer layer. For gloves, this means: A lightly insulated upper hand made of softshell material protects at colder temperatures, while a clean palm ensures maximum grip on the handlebars and brakes. Your sporty cycling gloves in winter shouldn't be too heavily padded, otherwise, your grip feel suffers.

Most road bike gloves for winter come equipped with proper moisture management. Example: The palm is made of perforated synthetic leather, which provides high wearing comfort and a cooling effect. Similarly, a good solution is the addition of neoprene areas, which combine breathability with (localized) waterproof spots. At the same time, the upper material of the gloves should be windproof.

The ear needs special attention - and protection against wind and cold.

Cycling Gloves for Extreme Sub-zero Conditions

If you're someone who gets cold particularly quickly or if you're going to be out and about for longer periods in below-freezing temperatures, highly insulated "Lobster" gloves will keep your fingers dry and warm. The name comes from their shape – with just three fingers, they resemble lobster claws. The advantage of this design is that the middle, ring, and little fingers stay closer together (though some models have a different finger arrangement) and thus lose less heat to the surroundings. Unlike regular mittens, Lobster gloves provide better grip on the handlebars, allow for easier operation of brakes and gears, and are also touchscreen compatible.