Winter Gloves

Gloves protect your hands against exposure to the elements, contacts with vegetation and abrasion in case of involuntary soil sampling. Together with glasses and a helmet they are my basic layer of protection I wear on any ride.

As an all year bike commuter I have gloves for any season:

• thin and breathy with some build in sun protection
• gloves with windstopper for cool temperatures in spring and autumn
• water proof gloves for rainy days
• gloves with reinforcements for extra protection against impacts
• warm and cozy gloves for sub zero rides
• liner gloves to increase heat retention

While I could probably do mostly without gloves, winter gloves are definitely obligatory, as they keep my fingers from freezing. If the fingers go numb from cold, operating the brakes is tricky and this can result in accidents.

How to keep your hands warm

The effect of insulation is a rather subjective thing, especially on the extremities. The hands themselves contain very few muscles and those are not moving to generate heat. Temperature in the hands is maintained by circulating warm blood from the core. But to protect the organs from the cold return blood and maintain core temperature, blood supply to the hands and feet may be reduced. So the first rule to warm hands is to protect your body and keep it warm. Only then will your body be able to effectively provide heat to your hands and feet.

The first rule to warm hands is to protect your core and keep it warm.

some smart ass

Most winter gloves come with thick padding all around your hands and fingers. This results in a feeling of disconnection and it’s hard to get a good grip. On top of that the insulation is so thick, that your hands are sweating. The padding soaks up your sweat and thereby cause a better heat transmission. In short your hands are freezing again, despite ample insulation.

Enter the 100% Brisker gloves

My go-to-winter-gloves have been the 100% Brisker gloves. I bought my previous pair almost 4 years ago (November 2017) and I’m still very happy with them. Since I commute ten times per week for about an hour, an additional pair is more of a necessity rather than luxury.

Contrary to other gloves which often are overly padded, the Brisker have merely a thin layer of Clarino leather on the inside of the hand. This allows for fine control and good feedback. Silicone prints on the palm and tip of the index finger give you good grip even in wet conditions. There is conductive thread stitched in the leather on the tip of thumb and index finger, to allow you to easily operate your smartphone with your gloves on.

The insulation with these gloves is all between the fingers and the back of the hand in this breathable soft-shell layer, that keeps wind out and the warmth in. They do this so well, that I can easily wear them at sub zero temperatures, yet they are still comfy to wear up 5°C – for me, you might feel different. The material can be cleaned easily and dries rather quickly – no soggy sponge for days.

The 100% print on the bright yellow is highly reflective. This provides good passive safety as it means you can be spotted easier and earlier in traffic or in weather when visibility is low.

Even though the cuffs got a bit longer, it’s still fairly short and might expose some skin in a gap to the sleeves of your jacket. The cuff is tapered towards the wrist and it additionally can be fastened with a velcroed closure.

Tips & Tricks

For the new pair I selected a size bigger than usual. It’s still a good fit and I expect the air cushion around my hand to provide an extra bit of heat retention or allow me to wear a pair of liner gloves underneath. Just as with a base layer, a jersey and a jacket, I can match the insulation of the gloves to the ambient temperature.

If all fails I can put two of those hand warmers inside the glove on the back of my hand. That’ll keep my hands warm for hours. This works well for your feet too. Just put the warmers on top of your toes.

DISCLAIMER: I don’t have any affiliation with any of the companies or brands mentioned. I bought all the parts you see in the pictures from my own money and I don’t get any compensation for this article.