Winter Gloves

[jadziadax8]

Any ideas on the best low-cost winter gloves? I'd love to buy some Helds, but can't justify $120 for a pair of gloves. I live in northern IL, so need something good to extend my season. Is there anything in particular that I should be looking for (long gauntlet, types fo stitching, materials, etc)? I'm a woman with small hands. Right now, my choices are the following gloves I found on New Enough:

1. Olympia Model 4650 Ultima I Gloves

2. Tour  Master Cold Front Carbon Gloves

3. Women's Tour Master Polar-Tex Gloves

[turboderek]

the Tour Master Cold Front Carbon Gloves are good to about 45 degrees.  They are my winter gloves here is so california.

[Doug Just Doug]

I've always found Olympia gloves to be top notch at their price points. Though I've been wearing some of more expensive brands lately, I still haven't found anything warmer for serious Winter riding (non-electric anyway) than my old (and discontinued) Olympia nylon/leather overstuffed Goretex gauntlets. I asked Olympia last year and was told that their GT Weatherking II are the warmest models they still make. BTW, as much as I love New Enough, Olympia is selling certain closeout models cheap on its website: http://www.olympiagloves.com/

[cosmoose]

I've done a lot of riding in the cold.  No glove, even $100 (sigh) ones, has ever really made it "good."  But other things have:

1) Heated grips.  You can get grip heaters for $40 or so anymore.  Makes life way, way better, and they're always there, even on cool spring evenings.  

2) ATV bar muffs.  These are the heavy artillery of winter riding.  They not only kept me from going numb at -7 F, they actually let my hands warm up once I got riding.  Amazing.  Ugly, but amazing.  



Also pretty cheap around $30, plus some fussing with installation.  

If you're gung-ho on gloves, I'd look at snowmobile gloves.  My wife has a pair I envy.  Super-thick insulation and waterproof, for less than similar moto-gloves.  

Ride warm!

Dave

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I second the heated grips. Hell, I have heated grips and heated gloves

The best winter gloves I ever bought were Frank Thomas (Aqua) gloves. I found them in Canada, were about $70CAD and kept my fingers warm and dry for two years. They're starting to lose their insulative abilities, but they're still the best I've ever had.  Oh, and I have small hands too :thumbsup

[Nimh]

They aren't the cheapest, but about half your mentioned amount.  I have the Joe Rocket Nitrogen gloves which at least for me, tend to run a little on the small side so depending on your hands, may fit you well.

http://www.newenough.com/joe_rocket_nitrogen_gloves_page.htm

I only have a heated vest, and haven't yet found a need for heated grips with these, but I stop riding around the freezing mark.  Good stitching, doubled up leather in the palms, shield wipers on both thumbs and even survived well in a recent low speed getoff - ehem.. I've heard.

[Jeff N]

The best winter gloves I ever bought were Frank Thomas (Aqua) gloves.

+1 On the Frank Thomas Aquas. Waterproof, too. If you've a Cycle Gear nearby check 'em out, they usually do clearance sales where you can find some real bargains. I found some sorta-summer Frank Thomas gloves that usually cost $100 for $19.99 on their dis-continued rack.
 
http://www.frank-thomas.co.uk/index.php?pge_id=10&category_id=7&subcategory_id=9

[bluepoof]

+1 On the Frank Thomas Aquas. Waterproof, too. If you've a Cycle Gear nearby check 'em out, they usually do clearance sales where you can find some real bargains. I found some sorta-summer Frank Thomas gloves that usually cost $100 for $19.99 on their dis-continued rack.
 
http://www.frank-thomas.co.uk/index.php?pge_id=10&category_id=7&subcategory_id=9

+2 on the Aquas.  I bought mine after a friend on a tour had only vaguely damp hands after one particularly bad day of 10 solid hours of pouring cold rain.  I've been really happy with mine.

[919rider]

Forget new gloves...
Aerostich heated grip wraps: $45 http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Warm-Wrap-Grips-p-16731.html
 
Hippo Hands: $60 http://www.hippohands.com
 
Both items can be moved bike to bike.
 
25 degrees with my summer gloves, and my hands get warm.
 
Kevin

[servicerifle]

919Rider's suggestions sound pretty good...grip wraps and hippo hands.

Alternatively, Gerbings sells a glove liner (not listed on the website, you have to call them) so if you already own a pair of warm-ish that are a bit too big, these things will work great.

[TC Rides]

I tried about 30 different gloves from various manufacturers and ended up with a pair from The North Face. Here's the link:

http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=ASA2

Pretty good glove for $50

I don't think Gerbing doesn't sells their glove liners anymore because people were getting burned hands, myself included.

[tripledigits]

TourMaster Winter Elite
 
I bought a pair of these this winter and they are really an improvement over my 1 season old Olympia winter gloves.  My hands would get cold at about 25 F with the Olympia gloves and heated grips.  The TMs are warm at that temp.  They have a built in shell, which I haven't used yet, which would provide even more wind protection in really cold or wet weather.
 
The insulation in the Olympia gloves seemed to pack down over the course of a year, and my thumbs in particular started to freeze.

[jadziadax8]

TourMaster Winter Elite
 
I bought a pair of these this winter and they are really an improvement over my 1 season old Olympia winter gloves. My hands would get cold at about 25 F with the Olympia gloves and heated grips. The TMs are warm at that temp. They have a built in shell, which I haven't used yet, which would provide even more wind protection in really cold or wet weather.

I like the rain cover.  If I get them, I could fulfill my old dream of being a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.  

[Dr Gil]

Ahhh, the winter glove thread.  Reliable as rain.

I just ordered a set of Frank Thomas Aqua's from Cycle World because of the high marks given here.  Hopefully they won't just end up in my "glove drawer" (yes, an entire drawer/graveyard specifically for motorcycle gloves) with the other unused "waterproof/warm" gloves I've purchased that turned out either not to be "waterproof/warm" or simply too bulky to use while riding a bike.  

I like the idea of using snowmobiling gloves figuring they would be both waterproof and very, very warm but I'm simply not willing to sacrifice the protection that dedicated motorcycle gloves give.  With me, riding gloves (winter or summer) are primarily to protect my hands.  It's a deal killer.

[jadziadax8]

I just ordered a set of Frank Thomas Aqua's from Cycle World because of the high marks given here. Hopefully they won't just end up in my "glove drawer" (yes, an entire drawer/graveyard specifically for motorcycle gloves) with the other unused "waterproof/warm" gloves I've purchased that turned out either not to be "waterproof/warm" or simply too bulky to use while riding a bike.

So which ones are in that drawer, so that I may avoid them?

[FJRmgm]

I have a pair of the River Road Taos and they ROCK!!
 
My hands get cold easily but not with these guys - best winter gloves I have EVER had. Totally wind and waterproof and comfortable. Get some.
 
http://www.ridegear.com/rg/item/F-28650/shop/River_Road_Taos_Cold_Weather_Gloves.html

[ol Rocket]

So which ones are in that drawer, so that I may avoid them?

I've seen his glove drawer and it's full, but kind of jumbled.  In fact, I borrowed a pair of dry gloves one time and wound up with one motorcycle glove and one pair of faded Old Navy boxer shorts.  

I was afraid to ask whose they were.

[jed]

I picked up a pair of BMW Motorrad goretex gloves the other day.  They're warm and dry no doubt.  The only gripe I have (and hopefully it will go away) is that my right thumb cramps up with them on.  This hasn't happened with my other gloves.  Oh, Held Steves are in no way warm or waterproof in case you were wondering.

[cosmoose]

So which ones are in that drawer, so that I may avoid them?

These are my "wish I had bought something else" glove:
 
http://www.theridestop.com/servlet/the-3524/Olympia-%234100-Weather-King/Detail
 
They had all the right specs: leather, gore-tex, insulation.  They cost $100 when I got them.  They don't work worth a damn.  
 
But maybe I expect too much.

[Twisty]

I bought the Olympia Ultima 1 gloves this fall. I DONT have heated grips or anything fancy like that. I DO however have plastic handguards that keep the wind off my hands.
Between the gloves and the wind protection, I am good down to around 20 degrees for 20 minutes before my fingertips get cold. I have ridden almost an hour in mid 30 degree temps without much problem.
I chose these gloves because I figured they would offer fair warmth without sacrificing all control feel, and I am quite happy with them.

I think someone should make heated control levers, as I think thats what makes my hands cold faster than anything. I store my bike in a garage that gets down to about 40 degrees, therefore the metal levers are COLD when I start my ride. I tend to always rest two fingers on the levers, and those fingers get cold faster than the others..... someone be ingenious and come up with something I can buy