Cold Weather Gloves

[keithaba]

O.k. Yes I have searched and read about every thread I could find, which did yeild good info, but I still have some questions.

1st. Most people stated that without hand guards, any glove won't do a great job below 35 degrees. 30-35 is about the lowest I will ever ride in, and I don't like the hand gaurds so they are not an option. So will anything work for well for that weather range?

Are Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves warmer than the Polar Tex, or just more expensive?

Has anyone tried the Orina 118 gloves without hand guards? If so what temps were they good for?

Held Narvik gloves got a good review, but are pricey. I'm willing to spend the cash if anyone thinks they are worth it. No reviews on the forum.

I have a powerlet right underneath the seat, so should I just go with electric gloves? I just have a lot of other stuff and don't want to tax the electrical system too much.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[GunMD]

I've been riding lately w/out handguards in temps around 40 - 45 and my hands have been COLD. I Have an older pair of Olympia gloves (they used to seem warmer...could be that they're old, could be that I'm getting older). I now have a pair of FirstGear Commander gloves (brand new from NewEnough.com) and they're not doing the trick either. In 40 mins I set off through the Mojave National Preserve where temps will be in the mid 30s with my new heated gloves. I hope they do the trick.

Also, keep an eye on this.

 

[FJR1300Mark]

When I got my 05 I needed some quick access to cold weather gloves for a ride from VA Bch to upper Michigan - down to 30 degrees and snow (not on the road). The local honda dealer had a pair of snowmobiler gloves. They use a product called thinsilate (sp) They were enough to make the ride ok. They also do not look like they would provide much in the way of crash protection. I paid around $35 for them.

They worked great and I still use them on colder days on my CB750.

I just added warm n safe liner and heated gloves for my 07. I'm now comfortable not just ok at the lower temperatures.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

So will anything work for well for that weather range?

My best success has been with gloves that 'breathe' -- either a Gore-Tex liner or some other form of breathable construction. The most surprising results have come from MSR Cold-Pro dirt-bike style gloves (not great for cold, long-distance, touring -- but, ok when your hands are busy). I, also, use a few-year-old pair of Alpinestar winter gloves that have a removeable, breathable, liner -- they're my warmest, last-resort, pair. They're also big enough -- too-small gloves will be cold.

Held Narvik gloves got a good review, but are pricey. I'm willing to spend the cash if anyone thinks they are worth it. No reviews on the forum.

A couple years ago I went on a 10-day ride with a friend who used a pair of Held gloves (don't know the model) -- anyway, they kinda fell-apart on the trip (stiching separated, etc). I wasn't impressed.

I have a powerlet right underneath the seat, so should I just go with electric gloves? I just have a lot of other stuff and don't want to tax the electrical system too much.

Ultimately, they'll keep your hands warm -- may need to add a voltmeter and convenient switches for all your other high-wattage electrical accessories?

 

[Toecutter]

I have a powerlet right underneath the seat, so should I just go with electric gloves? I just have a lot of other stuff and don't want to tax the electrical system too much.

Yes, and HID headlights to free up enough wattage to run the gloves.

Watch out for gloves not made to not melt while sliding down the road, since you tend to do that.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I have been using a pair of vented leather racing gloves with a thin liner (good down to 27 degrees F), 2 weeks ago I was at a dealer and got a pair of the cheaper Tour Master winter gloves. They have more insulation than what I'm used to, but don't seem any warmer, and they are alot more bulky. I used them this morning (32 degrees) and they were ok...but still to bulky to get my garage door opener out of the glove compartment.

 

[FJRMGM]

River Road Taos glove - totally windproof and waterproof - the best winter glove I have ever used.

My hands get cold in the air conditioned office in the summer - these gloves keep my cold hands warm down to 30 degrees.

 

[Harald]

I have an earlier version of the First Gear gloves mentioned above. I needed a waterproof glove and I really like the built in wiper on the left index finger. They are warm but short of heated gloves I don't think a glove exists that'll keep my fingers warm in 30-35 degree weather.

I have heated grips on my bike and they help enormously, but the outside of my fingers still get cold. That's where the Vstrom handguards come in, but you already said you don't want those. But I think you'll still need to consider them unless you go with heated gloves.

All this is written with my fingers in mind and they are easily chilled (I have raynaud's syndrome). YMMV.

 

[luvtoride]

In my experience I won't wear anything too horribly bulky.... but sometimes ya' just gotta' & nothing else is gonna' do. Last week I rode in high 20's - low 30's for an extended period of time (3+ hours) at anywhere between 60-80 MPH & had comfortably warm hands. Since I don't own a really heavy pair of winter riding gloves, I wore my ski gloves. I really didn't expect a lot but because of the windbreak that my handguards provide, they worked really really well... yeah, more that I can say for my legs!... & I'm sure, not what you wanted to hear (about the guards). Also, the gloves allowed for the use of chemical warmers in a pouch on the backside of the glove. Besides just offering that wee bit of coziness, the warmers kept the gloves warm when I had to take them off.

Heidi

 

[escapefjrtist]

First Gear Voyager, tested down to 30 degrees, waterproof with an adjustable gauntlet. They are made in China though...watch for lead. :blink:

--G

 

[dbvolfan]

Gordini Winter Gloves ($60)- Lightweight gore-tex, waterproof and have proven good at 0 degrees for up to 30 miles on the interstate going to work. In ~30 degree temps they seemed to hold up well for my 101 mile ride from Richmond to Louisville. I use them every single day for commuting to/from work 64 miles round trip and no issues so far.

If riding any longer distances when it is in the 20's or below, I add Oxford Muffs to the mix. They fit right over the bars and offer excellent protection although it is damn near impossible to use the turn signal.

I still want to add heated gloves however to give me some luxury on longer rides

 

[kulwen]

I do not have the hand guards installed (yet) and my ride to work this morning was nine degrees on my 45-minute ride to work. My ride consists of 35 minutes at 70 MPH. I hope this qualifies me to give feedback on the Polar-Tex Gloves.

I am a warm-blooded person so over heating is a problem of mine. If, I wear the gloves at any temperature above 40 degrees my hands get sweaty and I do not enjoy wearing them. I would consider the gloves comfortable in the range of 20-40 degrees. When I am riding below 20 degrees, my fingers do get cold, particularly my pinkies. My limit on the gloves is five degrees, after that it is time for me to get new gloves.

The gloves seemed bulky when I first got them, but it only took a few rides for me to adjust.

 

[phil]

I have been using a pair of vented leather racing gloves with a thin liner (good down to 27 degrees F), 2 weeks ago I was at a dealer and got a pair of the cheaper Tour Master winter gloves. They have more insulation than what I'm used to, but don't seem any warmer, and they are alot more bulky. I used them this morning (32 degrees) and they were ok...but still to bulky to get my garage door opener out of the glove compartment.

A little trick I figured out on the GDO-in-the-glove-compartment: I use Velcro strip to attach mine to underside of the hinged lid. The little sucker is always there, ready to push the button! The extra weight of the GDO transmitter stops the lid from self-opening all the way, but a bump of the thumb will do the trick.

 

[dragonchef]

I bought the Held Ice Breakers from New Enough. Pricey, but the Thinsulate/Gortex combination works well, and leather/Codura/Kevlar construction is heavy duty. They take time to break in, and if you have grip heaters, they need to be cranked up to get any heat sensation while wearing them.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Below the mid-thirties I've always got my heated gloves on. No contest.

 

[Walkerhound]

O.k. Yes I have searched and read about every thread I could find, which did yeild good info, but I still have some questions.
1st. Most people stated that without hand guards, any glove won't do a great job below 35 degrees. 30-35 is about the lowest I will ever ride in, and I don't like the hand gaurds so they are not an option. So will anything work for well for that weather range?

Are Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves warmer than the Polar Tex, or just more expensive?

Has anyone tried the Orina 118 gloves without hand guards? If so what temps were they good for?

Held Narvik gloves got a good review, but are pricey. I'm willing to spend the cash if anyone thinks they are worth it. No reviews on the forum.

I have a powerlet right underneath the seat, so should I just go with electric gloves? I just have a lot of other stuff and don't want to tax the electrical system too much.

Thanks,

Keith

Keith,

I've been looking forward to commenting on this thread. Not because I like running my pie-hole, but I had powered gloves and was doing the wiring on my bike when you wrote about information/opinions on "Cold Weather Gloves". Well, I finally finished the wiring and the weather finally cooperated and now the results.

I have Gerbing G3's and it was 27 degrees this morning. The trip to work is about 20 miles, mostly Interstate so I'm zipping right along. I was quite comfortable, I could have ridden as long as I wanted with no hand problems whatsoever. I bought mine from University Motors in South Dakota (I think), google them to make sure. The wiring is a bit of a pain, but well worth it in the cold. My 2 cents worth.

Good Luck & Safe Riding - The Hound

 

[James Burleigh]

I don't wear gloves.

 

[NightShine]

I don't wear gloves.

?

 

[wfooshee]

I have a pair of Teknic Thunder waterproof gloves, which I've worn down to mid-30's (coldest it's been here so far.) Had no problems with hand confort, felt none of the wind blast or cold, and I have no hand guards.

Gloves are bulky, didn't realize it when I ordered them that they were so heavy. I was just looking for waterproof. So anyway they are my winter gloves. Can't use the garage door keypad with them on.

I almost didn't get them, as I have a pair of Teknic boots that are coming apart. Velcro stitching is coming out, soles unglueing from the foot, etc. Only 4 months old. But my brother works at kneedraggers, so it wasn't a LOT of money to try these, and I'm pretty happy with them.

It actually hasn't rained a drop since I got them, but it's been chilly a couple of times. Can't speak for the waterproof, but they have the squeegie blade on the finger, which is cool for clearing the faceplate.