The Chainlink

Can we talk winter hand solutions for people with poor circulation? My hands get cold!

Here's my history. Been winter cycling for 4 years. Have tried the following with the following results:

 

Pearl Izumi Lobsters WITH liners - good down to about 28-30. Just a matter of time until ice hooks after that

Heavy ski gloves - maybe better than most things. Good to a few degrees cooler than the lobsters

Heavy ski gloves with latex gloves inside - Sweaty gross hands, but this works pretty well. Just a GIANT pain if you have to do anything en route and don't want to go through multiple gloves. I can usually use them 2 or 3 times, but it's just a big messy pain.

Some misc. others that just suck. Why don't gloves seem to exist that are the cycling equivalent of the Lake cop boots? I have REALLY cold prone hands.

 

Does anyone have any good experiences?

 

Thanks gang.

 

J. Ward

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Nançois on October 18, 2011 at 12:33pm
Has anyone tried Zippo hand warmers? I was thinking about trying these this year, maybe with a pair of convertible mitten/gloves to hold them in place. None of my glove/mitten pairings worked very well last year.
Permalink Reply by Dave Jacque on October 18, 2011 at 12:40pm

Jason - just a thought: do you smoke? Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor - your capillaries contract and reduce blood flow. I used to have miserably cold hands and feet from September through April until I quit.

 

If so, lay off the death sticks for about 20 minutes before & during your ride.

 

dsj

Permalink Reply by Jason Ward on October 18, 2011 at 1:33pm
Haha! No, i gave it up about 12 years ago. I like all reasons to quit smoking though. I've been at a few outdoor events lately and i'm kind of floored by how many people still smoke. Save the money already even if cancer ain't scary enough! Sheesh!
Permalink Reply by Jamais716 on October 18, 2011 at 2:33pm

Haven't tried the zippos, but you might want to check out http://www.wonderwarmers.com or http://www.hotsnapz.com.

I used to use them when it was really cold and I had a half mile walk to the El.  I'd use a pair in the morning and bring a pair to use at night.  They work great and you just need to boil them before you can use them again.  I have the Hot Snapz, but they were bigger than I was expecting.  I may get the Wonder Warmers to tuck into the back of my gloves this winter.

My favorite gloves for walking around are thinsulate lined leather gloves.  But my hands have to be warm before I put them on, otherwise they do a great job of keeping my hands cold.  That's the hard part cause my hands are always cold :-(

Permalink Reply by Michael A on October 18, 2011 at 4:19pm
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on October 18, 2011 at 8:32pm
You can extend the life of chemical warmer by placing them in a ziplock bag between uses, btw. I feel much less guilty when I use them that way!
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on October 18, 2011 at 9:27pm

If your hands are sweaty it means they are too warm then the cold air hits them and cools even more.

I wear Chuck Taylors wool socks, a pair of Thinsulate gloves and am fine(ish).

Permalink Reply by Melissa on November 29, 2012 at 5:31pm

Has anyone had a good experience with reusable hand warmers?  

We rode to Highland Park last weekend and were it not for the little single-use warmers, I would have left behind a few fingers and toes.  I want to acquire a pair of reusable ones to save costs and keep more inevitable chemical trash out of landfills.  HotSnapZ look like a good bet but I can't imagine how they fit into a shoe - they're big enough to take a nap on!  There seem to be a few brands on the market now, so if you've found a reliable one, please let me know. 

Permalink Reply by David P. on November 29, 2012 at 6:18pm

I am becoming tempted to get some heated gloves, e.g.:

http://www.helmetcity.com/page/HC/PROD/venture-apparel/venture-heat...

Expensive, for sure, but there may be cheaper USB options out there. 12V options are a lot cheaper:

http://www.ventureheat.com/p-423-12v-heated-motorcycle-glove-liners...

David

Permalink Reply by Mollie on November 29, 2012 at 8:41pm

I have tiny, bony fingers that get cold easily on a bike.  This will be my third winter biking.  The first winter I used layers of the 99 cent acrylic gloves and fleece gloves.  It was a terrible idea, and I always lost feeling in my fingers.

Last winter, I invested in Sugoi (about $30) Firewall gloves, and thus far, I'm really, really happy with them.  This is going to sound strange: my fingers still get cold, but they don't lose feeling which is what matters to me.  When it was colder, I'd wear a pair of work gloves over them for an extra layer, but again, I never got numb.  

Granted, last winter wasn't too bad.  I don't remember how cold it was when I biked, but I definitely remember running with them in 10-15 degree weather, though the wind is certainly different on a bike.  Based on how I've used them so far, I have absolute faith that they'll keep circulation in my fingers on a bike down into the teens or more (with an added layer for warmth).

Permalink Reply by Lou Kuhn on November 30, 2012 at 7:25am

I have bad circulation also, I haven't had good luck with the Mits but I have used Venture heated gloves for the last 3 years and it has completely solved my hand issues.  Even riding the lakefront at 15 degrees wasn't an issue, just be cautious you don't have them on too warm and cause a lot of sweat.  They're around 200.00 but I found them to be worth it, considering I have a dozen pairs of gloves I tried and bar mitts too that I don't use now.  We sell them at The Pony Shop in Evanston if you want to see them before purchasing.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on November 30, 2012 at 8:34am

I have a pair of Cheyenne River Road cold-weather motorcycle gloves that I use for bicycling when it is REALLY cold.  I can attest that they work well on a motorcycle going at highway speeds to below-freezing conditions as that is what I initially bought them for and have used them for years as motorcycle gloves too.  On a bicycle going at slow speeds there isn't nearly as much wind-chill and since you are exercising more with pedaling one stays warmer all over anyhow.

My River Road gloves are usually too hot to bicycle in unless it is bitterly cold but there have been a few times when I was glad I had them with me.   I can't imagine anyone's hands getting cold with these no matter how bad your circulation was.  If these gloves aren't cutting it I don't even want to be outside. 

They are thicker than typical bicycle gloves but nowhere near as thick as non-riding gloves are in this warmth-class -like for skiing or other winter/snow-sports.  You can operate brifters in them but it isn't super-easy.  There is no free lunch.  

There are better motorcycle gloves out there that are slightly warmer, slightly more waterproof, and slightly  thinner but you aren't going to find any of those in the under $150 price range.  For $40-45 (you can often find them cheaper on other sites than Amazon if you search around) there isn't anything close that I have found.   The next step up from the River Roads would be something like the Held Freezer. 

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