Wet weather gloves?

[Stig]

Well, did my 50 mile commute in constant rain this morning after enjoying a couple of weeks of sunshine and it highlighted that my gloves aren't up to the task (which isn't a surprise as they're more sports than touring!) - my hands got soaked.

I now have to commute all year round, so before I get webbed fingers, any recommendations for a decent set of waterproof gloves?

Ideally, they need to be warm too, but not so cumbersome that you can't feel the bars/levers properly!

Any suggestions?

[Rawwr]

In winter, I use Alpinestars Drystar Vega gloves. They look like summer gloves but have Primaloft insulation and GoreTex lining. To look at them you'd never think they'd be up to the job but I can't really fault them.

[Steve_T]

I have Texport Defender Pros, which are warm, waterproof and give pretty good feel. They're leather with armour in the knuckles and fingers, which I found most wet weather gloves didn't have. They're a better choice for those with broad hands and short fingers I'd say.

Steve.

[Stig]

Thanks lads - I'm using a set of Spada's that are almost identical to the Texports. They're about as waterpoof as a collander though

The Alpinestars look promising though. Like the idea of having neoprene in them.

[dern]

This is really tricky and I've been through all this a number of times... what you need is a pair of summer gloves for when it's sunny, a pair of waterproof gloves for when it's rainy and a pair of warm gloves for when it's cold but they also have to be waterproof

Summer gloves I've sorted for and frankly I'll wear them even if it's raining to a degree because they dry out.

Expensive waterproof gloves are out for me because I need two pairs. Therefore what I did was buy some half decent waterproof gloves from HG with carbon bits. I bought a large pair and an xtra large pair. The large pair I wear when it's warm and the xtra large pair I wear when it's cold with inner gloves. They were waterproof when they were new but a year on and they're not so good. I'll try and treat them but otherwise I'll bin them and buy another pair as in all other respects they're fine. If I buy one pair they'll either be too cold for February or too warm for October.

I've often thought about bar heaters but generally speaking it's the outside of my fingers that gets cold and not the inside of my hand.

The bigest problem I have with lined waterproof gloves is that if you take one off and get your hand wet then you can't get the bastards back on. Wearing silk inner gloves alleviates this a fair bit and one pair doesn't make your hands much larger and while they warm you up to a degree it isn't as much as wearing a proper pair of thermal liners so I can wear them with the smaller gloves and with the larger gloves with the inner thermal gloves - yep 3 pairs of gloves at once.

Anyway, if you find the perfect answer thne please let me know

Mark

PS. I've got some bar muffs in the shed which I've never fitted but they just look *really* shit and I have a top box on my blade

[Stig]

lol - mate, I draw the line at bar muffs!

That said, I did afford myself the luxury of heated grips on my '07 Tiger 1050 and have bought some R1150GS handguards to keep the windblast/driven rain off a bit. This is also in anticipation of the colder weather.

So, my theory is, with the worst of the windchill and rain kept off, I just need a pair of reasonably warm but, more importantly, dry gloves.

From that perspective, Alpinestars or Texports - or something else?

I'd prefer some crash protection (both the above have it) if poss and don't like the clumsiness of something like Hein Gericke 3-finger Pathan's, even if they are warm!

I know there's no perfect solution, but I'd still like a decent compromise

[dern]

Stig said:

and have bought some R1150GS handguards to keep the windblast/driven rain off a bit. This is also in anticipation of the colder weather.

I was thinking about robbing the handguards off my kx500 and making some kind of mount to attach them to the blade for winter but haven't got round to it yet. I'll have to do that before this winter.

[Stig]

dern said:

Stig said:

and have bought some R1150GS handguards to keep the windblast/driven rain off a bit. This is also in anticipation of the colder weather.

I was thinking about robbing the handguards off my kx500 and making some kind of mount to attach them to the blade for winter but haven't got round to it yet. I'll have to do that before this winter.

Mate, just do what the courier's do and fabricate a set our of cardboard, gaffer tape and bin liners

[dern]

Stig said:

dern said:

Stig said:

and have bought some R1150GS handguards to keep the windblast/driven rain off a bit. This is also in anticipation of the colder weather.

I was thinking about robbing the handguards off my kx500 and making some kind of mount to attach them to the blade for winter but haven't got round to it yet. I'll have to do that before this winter.

Mate, just do what the courier's do and fabricate a set our of cardboard, gaffer tape and bin liners

I did try and fashion a set from plastic milk cartons (another courier trick I read about) but reduced my steering lock to nil

Looked fabulous mind

[sjtscott]

As my london commute is down to 6.5 from 13miles now each way I've just been using my summer vented gloves in the rain recently. Hands are a little damp when I arrive.. gloves dry in the office and then ready to be used for the ride home. I tend to only use my waterproof gloves in the winter, these gloves are by far to warm and chunky for summer use.

[Hooli]

heated grips - once the water in the gloves is warm its lovely. your hands do tend to go black where the dye runs though.
oh it gives you lovely soft wrinkled hands like you've been in the bath for 3 years after a few hours.

[Kwacker]

I've have a pair of those three finger (vulcan salute jobbies) from IXS for about 7 years. They are fantastic. Thin enough to give you all the feel you could ever want, Warm enough that I can ride so long that I have to stop because other bits are freezing, but mostly dry as a dry thing on a dry day in the desert! (just remember to tuck them into your sleeves if it is raining or water will run down your arm and into your glove)

I even use them when I go skiing. Had the misfortune of leaving them my friends house in Colorado one year, I thought I may never see them again, but managed to get them back 7 months later.

Unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore, but I know that there are others out there that are similar. Spend a bit of money (mine were £70) and they will last, well at least 7 years so far.

Kwacker

[Stig]

Kwacker said:

I've have a pair of those three finger (vulcan salute jobbies) from IXS for about 7 years. They are fantastic. Thin enough to give you all the feel you could ever want, Warm enough that I can ride so long that I have to stop because other bits are freezing, but mostly dry as a dry thing on a dry day in the desert! (just remember to tuck them into your sleeves if it is raining or water will run down your arm and into your glove)

I even use them when I go skiing. Had the misfortune of leaving them my friends house in Colorado one year, I thought I may never see them again, but managed to get them back 7 months later.

Unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore, but I know that there are others out there that are similar. Spend a bit of money (mine were £70) and they will last, well at least 7 years so far.

Kwacker

Thanks kwacker - I've gone for the Alpinestars Drystar Vega's for now. I'll see how I get on once winter comes before looking at the Hein Gericke Pathan's which are the nearest equivalent to the IXS jobs (half the price though!)