Fall/ Winter Ride Essentials: Long Finger Gloves

It’s overwhelming to think about all the layers and special clothing needed to ride your bike in the fall/ winter months. Without them, though, you wouldn’t be able to withstand the elements for long. That is especially true about the use of cycling gloves. 

But you don’t want just any regular pair of winter gloves. You want gloves that are just a winter version of your spring/ summer gloves. That means they need to have decent padding in the palms, easy mobility, resilience in (and to) the wind, and that have wicking properties built in to keep your hands dry and warm.

Why Wear Cycling Gloves At All?

The use of gloves in cycling is a contentious issue. Some view them as a waste of money and never wear them. They prefer their bare hands on the bar type of riding. They feel it’s the cycling wardrobe manufacturers that stress wearing gloves. But I would argue that cycling gloves do serve a few different purposes.

1. If you crash or have a fall, gloves will protect your hands from getting all torn up when you hit the ground, especially on pavement. 
2. They do provide dampening against road vibration that travels up through your fork into your handlebars. If you have a carbon bike, a carbon fork, carbon handlebars, or even a good quality bar tape installed, chances are you won’t feel as much.
3. During the summer months on a hot, sweaty ride, gloves will keep perspiration off your hands. Sweaty hands make it more possible they’ll slide off your handlebars. That isn’t so true anymore, though, with the improvements in tactile bar tape.
4. Ideally, gloves should allow for a full range of mobility so you can operate your bike’s braking and shifting. But you also want to easily access your phone’s screen if need be and feel you can grab your water bottle out of its cage without dropping it.
5. Lastly, your gloves can be used to sweep sweat from your face. But many cyclists use their gloves to wipe their running noses.

So, in the winter, your gloves should be able to cover all these areas as well as provide warmth.

Why Winter Cycling Gloves are Essential

On a ride that starts out cold, without long-finger cycling gloves, your hands will be chilled within 30 minutes. The key to staying on a ride longer in the fall/ winter months comes down to good layering and making sure fragile extremities are covered. 

Plus, cold hands mean that in an emergency situation, your bike control may be compromised. If your fingers start to numb, you can’t grab your handlebars securely or even execute shifts and turns comfortably. That means you, as a rider, become a safety hazard. 

Types of Long-Fingered Cycling Gloves and Costs

While long-fingered cycling gloves will provide the needed warmth to keep your hands dry and toasty, they aren’t the most perfect solution. On a blustery day, and as the wind is generated by moving forward at high speed on your bike, your hands still may get cold after an hour.

Thermo split gloves like the ones shown here at the Gorewear site keep all your fingers close versus being separated in fingered gloves. Four of your fingers are covered but the index finger is separate so a ride can operate shifting and braking. The problem is these gloves are hard to find and quite expensive. Gore wants $63.00 for them.

Another option is the cycling mitt. While this is the warmest solution for a cyclist’s hands, your ability to operate shifting and braking are subtracted. And the gloves are so thick, that it makes grabbing anything, such as your water bottle, nearly impossible. These gloves are also hard to find, but the ones listed on REI’s website are on sale for $50.00

Long-fingered gloves are what most cyclists wear and are readily available at bike shops, online retailers, or other sporting goods outlets. The gloves on Gore’s website run around $42.00, which sounds right about what I paid for them, but I’m unsure as I’ve had mine a long time.

Last Thoughts

Winter, long-finger cycling gloves are a great item to have among your cycling outerwear. If you do a lot of winter cycling outside, a good pair of gloves will make the time on your bike much more enjoyable. The cost shouldn’t even matter. 

If you only do some winter riding but mostly hold up on the trainer during the winter months, then a pair of long-finger cycling gloves wouldn’t be worth it. But if you’re like me and you sometimes like to do a mix of inside/ outside riding, winter cycling gloves will pay for themselves over time and will probably last many winters.