Gloves for below freezing conditions...

On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 01:56:06 GMT, "Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

Matt O.

Half-finger wool gloves can help a lot. With light-weight full gloves and half-finger wool, I've
been able to bike, hike, stand still in the snow watching birds, etc. into the teens. I guess the
blood has lost a bit less heat by the time it gets out to the fingers.

$6-8 at army surplus stores, or some outdoor stores will have them in colors other than black.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Matt O'Toole
Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

Matt O.

PI Lobsters work well for cold, but you will need to see how they work for grip and lever control.
Layer a polypropelene (sp?) under your glove of choice if the fit isn't too tight or
layer a larger size cycling glove over your exisiting PI lightweights.

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my

hands warm

Quoted message said:

while riding my road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter

gloves

Quoted message said:

are fine down to about freezing, but below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves
are fine, but they're too clumsy for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind
spending some money for

exactly

Quoted message said:

the right thing.

There was a recent discussion on the Mass Bike email list. That would be a great place to look,
since it gets REALLY cold around here ... not a balmy 20+ (c:

massbike.orgmassbike.orgOpen ↗

There were some good suggestions ... the one I like the most is to make or buy a windscreen for
your hands.

C.Q.C.

Q. said:

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

There was a recent discussion on the Mass Bike email list. That would be a great place to look,
since it gets REALLY cold around here ... not a balmy 20+ (c:

massbike.orgmassbike.orgOpen ↗

There were some good suggestions ... the one I like the most is to make or buy a windscreen for
your hands.

Thanks for the pointer. The PI lobster mitts seemed to get a bunch of votes. I'll check them out.

Matt O.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my

hands warm

Quoted message said:

while riding my road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter

gloves

Quoted message said:

are fine down to about freezing, but below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves
are fine, but they're too clumsy for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind
spending some money for

exactly

Quoted message said:

the right thing.

Matt O.

My PI Lobster Mitts have worked for me down to 0 deg F, but I'm not sure if they would allow the
manual dexterity you want for STI (I use barcons). Another solution would be a pair of glove liners
for your present gloves. Ski shops and mountaineering shops sell silk and synthetic liners in
various thicknesses.

I'm convinced that part of keeping the extremities (toes/fingers) warm is keeping the entire body
warm, especially the head, neck, and torso. Are you wearing some kind of hat under your helmet when
you cycle?
--
mark

Matt O'Toole said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

Matt O.

I use to wear some Nalini Windstopper gloves, I guess they are like your Pearl Izumis: lightweight
and fine until you reach about 3°C. My solution for colder days is to wear a pair of wool gloves
below the Nalinis. While the windstopper keeps the air away, the wool keep hands hot. Grip is
perfect, STI control is fine and I had no problem well under 0°C!

Francesco

What works is very individual, depending on what triggers your blood flow to shut down to the
fingers. Once it shuts down, you'll freeze no matter what you're wearing.

The chief effect in my case is from keeping the wrist warm.

It was -2 degrees F Friday night when I got home, and I was okay but barely with (inner to outer)
3 silk gloves (L XL XL) Nashbar polartec mittens (L) Kroger produce baggie LL Bean windstopper
shell (XL)

the baggie trapping condensation but also keeping just that little extra drifting cold out, or maybe
making hand motion pump hot air around rather than out of the arrangement. Normally there's no
baggie and only 2 silk gloves, and that's fine to about 20 degrees F.

The two modes of attack are
1. Keep blood flow from shutting down.
2. If it does, keep hands warm anyway for duration of the ride, but this is a losing proposition
if the ride goes on and on indefinitely.
--
Ron Hardin [email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

At any given thickness, ski gloves by Toko/Yoko and Sinisalo seem warmer to me than Pearl Izumi.

But if you're using PI and like it, and are not using the heaviest model, go to the next
heavier model.

Also, be sure you are warm enough all-around. The body is a system and if you're not warm enough it
starts cutting off heat to the extremities first.

JT

mark said:

... My PI Lobster Mitts have worked for me down to 0 deg F, but I'm not sure if they would allow
the manual dexterity you want for STI (I use barcons)....

My suggestion would be to switch to bar-end shifters. The only shifters I have seen that stop
functioning on a fairly frequent basis in cold weather are STI's.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Ron Hardin said:

What works is very individual, depending on what triggers your blood flow to shut down to the
fingers. Once it shuts down, you'll freeze no matter what you're wearing.

... The two modes of attack are
1. Keep blood flow from shutting down.
2. If it does, keep hands warm anyway for duration of the ride, but this is a losing
proposition if the ride goes on and on indefinitely.

I warm up my hands by sitting on them (one at a time) while I ride. This probably only works well
on a recumbent with a seat pad, however. Upright riders could put one hand at a time in their
armpit, I suppose.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands

warm

Quoted message said:

while riding my road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter

gloves

Quoted message said:

are fine down to about freezing, but below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves
are fine, but they're too clumsy for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind
spending some money for

exactly

Quoted message said:

the right thing.

STI can be a problem with bulky gloves. If you're like a lot of people, perhaps your hands get
warmer after riding for a half hour or so. In that case, perhaps you can wear an extra layer over
your current gloves, like a plain or wind-stopper fleece glove, pocketing them once your hands get
warmed up. The PI gloves (if they're like mine) have thin palms, and the h-bars suck the heat right
out, a fleece over-layer helps that. Layering gloves gives lots of mix 'n match alternatives for
different weather conditions, allows temperature tuning while riding, and, in the kind of very cold
weather we've had recently, avoids bare-handed repairs. Plus, it's a cheap way to go...

February 1, 2004

As already mentioned by many that layering your gloves is important -- as well as the choice of
fabric used in the construction of the gloves.

I ride virtually every night for at least one hour. I exercise my three border collies on a
leash while riding my bike -- two at a time then one. The chore can take as long as three hours
on some nights.

Unfortunately my speed with my dogs on a leash is rarely over 7 mph. My body is like a popsicle
stick -- hands especially.

For rides around an hour or longer..I pre-soak my hands in warm-hot water until my hands are
swelling. I learned this trick when I occasionally play handball. The increase blood flow cushions
the hand from the impact.

blood flow to certain parts of the body. hi hi 🙂

On longer rides.. I also put sun screen on my hands before going out.

In Reno, NV the average January temperature is 44 high 22 low.

Sidebar: Boy.. I am glad I got out of Grand Forks, ND decades ago. -44 F (record) on January29- 30,
2004.

Much obliged. Nick Lee Sparks, NV carless since January 2000 Member of the 5 digit club (10,000+
bicycle miles every year since)

I got a pair of PI AmFib gloves for Christmas and they work very well in the cold. I went out (only
for about 45 min) in 5 degree F weather a few weeks ago and my hands were warm (well, warm enough).
My feet were cold, and my face started out cold despite a PI balaclava, but everything else was warm
enough. I agree with other posters who advocate keeping your trunk warm to keep your extremities
warm. The AmFibs (not the Lobster Claw ones, but with five fingers) allow sufficient dexterity to
operate the STI controls and even to press the buttons on my bike computer. At any temperature over
about 25 degrees F though my hands sweat in them.

-Caddis

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

Matt O.

"Q." <LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my

hands warm

Quoted message said:

while riding my road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter

gloves

Quoted message said:

are fine down to about freezing, but below that they're not enough. On

my

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is
good, but I don't mind spending some money for

exactly

Quoted message said:

the right thing.

There was a recent discussion on the Mass Bike email list. That would be

a

Quoted message said:

great place to look, since it gets REALLY cold around here ... not a balmy 20+ (c:

massbike.orgmassbike.orgOpen ↗

There were some good suggestions ... the one I like the most is to make or buy a windscreen for
your hands.

C.Q.C.

Go check out a motorcycle shop. They make these big ole bags that fit over the steering controls on
motorcycles that should work for mtn bikes or brifters. Better for Ergo than STI at a guess. Keep
motorcyclist's hands warm at highway speeds probably means overkill for cyclists, but better warm
than cold!

Mike

NLee1875 said:

February 1, 2004

As already mentioned by many that layering your gloves is important -- as well as the choice of
fabric used in the construction of the gloves.

I ride virtually every night for at least one hour. I exercise my three border collies on a
leash while riding my bike -- two at a time then one. The chore can take as long as three hours
on some nights.

Unfortunately my speed with my dogs on a leash is rarely over 7 mph. My body is like a popsicle
stick -- hands especially....

<http://www.dogscooter.com/>.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

"daveornee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Matt O'Toole said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding
my road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about
freezing, but below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but
they're too clumsy for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I

don't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mind spending some money for exactly the right thing. Matt O.

PI Lobsters work well for cold, but you will need to see how they work for grip and lever control.
Layer a polypropelene (sp?) under your glove of choice if the fit isn't too tight or layer a
larger size cycling glove over your exisiting PI lightweights.

I second the motion for Lobster Claws.

Mike

In article <[email hidden]>, "Matt O'Toole"

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

A pair of fleece gloves over the PI lightweight gloves.

Tom Gibb <[email hidden]

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Since it's been cold here lately (20s F), I've had trouble keeping my hands warm while riding my
road bike. My favorite Pearl Izumi lightweight winter gloves are fine down to about freezing, but
below that they're not enough. On my mountain bike ski gloves are fine, but they're too clumsy
for STI. Any suggestions? Cheap is good, but I don't mind spending some money for exactly the
right thing.

What I do down to about the mid-20's, is to use my PI full-finger gloves (probably same as yours),
with some regular extra-large half-finger padded-palm cycling gloves over them. The extra padding
seems to add enough insulation where my palms meet the cold bars, and my fingers are still clear
enough to handle the shifting duties. I don't really have a solution for colder temperatures, but
this works most of the time.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

mark said:

... My PI Lobster Mitts have worked for me down to 0 deg F, but I'm not sure if they would allow
the manual dexterity you want for STI (I use barcons)....

My suggestion would be to switch to bar-end shifters. The only shifters I have seen that stop
functioning on a fairly frequent basis in cold weather are STI's.

I've ridden my Tiagra STI's down to 0°F with no problems. They're only 4 months old, though...

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.