GamJams Review: winter gloves.

I'm a little late again.. Next time I'll be quicker.

As far as gloves, well to say the least, I don't ride too much during the winter time so they have never been a real factor. When I do winter riding, I used my ski stuff. So, the ability to use ski stuff for cycling went well. Unfortunately, that meant using a ski jacket (puffy and blocked lots of wind) and cross country ski gloves or spring gloves, and a stretchy fleece tights.

Over the years, I've finally been given or have won winter/fall stuff. A few years back I was given some Novara winter gloves.. They actually work pretty well when the temperature above freezing. For those times when it is 20 and below your fingers are going to be really cold. They are not wind proof, however the good thing is that you don't sweat much in them. The first 15 minutes in them may be cold till your body warms up, after that they are fine. I remember using them for Jeff Cup last year... remember the cold, snow and ice and rain which fell? Yep, starting the race, I was warm, 10 minutes into the race, they were getting wet and cold. After I warmed up they were okay, however because I was wet... it was definitely not helping keep my hands too warm.
So if you want a nice warm pair of winter gloves, these are not them. They work well for fall riding and spring riding or if you warm up quickly. They are now pretty worn (pretty good for 3 years of riding). They have holds at some of the seams, at the thumbs, however the do decently for a short ride when I get my effort up and start sweating. I need a new pair of winter gloves... Not sure what to get though. I'll be checking out the other reviews and check the LBS for their choices.

By the way, my x-country/spring ski gloves were leather and did a nice job, again for warmer weather. If they got wet, they were horrible as they soaked up the water and had little ability to keep the warmth.

The fleece tights, well they worked nicely, I got a few chuckles on the rides, but they kept me warm (though wind would go through the fleece). I broke down 3 years ago and got a pair of Pearl Izumi thermafleece tights and they work well, as my legs don't tend to get cold. I don't sweat much in them and they do a decent job of cutting the wind. My knees do get cold, the other major problem is blocking the wind in your crotch... Ouch.. Ever get frostbite on your weiner?? So, I've learned, Ride with another pair of shorts over the tights, it will block more wind and provide an extra layer. Maybe, stuffing newspaper might work as well, though I've never tried that.

For the top, I wear my skiing Thermax turtleneck (that is some really good stuff) Keeps you warm and dry. Over that I wear a Cannondale stretchy wind jacket which works very well in cutting the wind. It also has lycra under the arms to allow you to vent the perspiration. This stretchy wind blocking fabric is wonderful. I've seen the light weight North Face stuff and want to get one of those jacket for casual wear. So as you can see, I still use some of my ski stuff and knowledge on how to try to stay warm.. Bottom line, if you're not working hard enough, you'll be cold. So the long 70+ mile rides at a low heartrate, you'd better bundle up more.