Setting off on a pre-dawn commute in mid-November, the temperature was around 6C. this is well within the gloves’ capability, but did not feel too warm. Without difficulty I toggled between light modes (which is of course partly a function of the light switch, in this case the Moon Sports Rigel Max and the Kranx 800 Spot. The Ravemen PR1600 was even easier.

 

In the colder snap that followed, commuting was sub-zero pre-dawn. Taking about an hour each way to get to the day job, there was a tingle at the end of my fingers by the time I reached my destination. To be honest, few gloves that I have used remain toasty when things go sub-szero . Consider handlebar mitts if you are a regular sub-zero warrior. 

 

Light rain has been easily defied – I have ridden for a couple of hours in that and there’s been not a hint of wet. On that front, it is worth noting that even when the temperature has suddenly gone up to 8 or 9C, there’s been no sweatiness on the inside.

 

Heavier rain? Well, the water stays out, but when things get really wet – could happen with prolonged light rain, too – fingers are likely to feel cooler than they would in dry conditions. The good news is, that the lengthy wrist-cuffs tuck up a long way under the sleeves of a jacket, so ingress is just about impossible. I have worn ithem under the Castelli Reflex Commute Jacket and the Showers Pass Elite 2.1 Jacket, but I’d expect the gloves to snuggle up under any jacket worth its name.

 

No winter gloves are going to feel like, or perform like a second-skin. Such issues are enhanced by my general lack of dexterity. However, the quality of the fabrics means they are lighter than many winter gloves. So, even I have been able to do basic bike things, like mounting lights, fastening panniers, nipping up wayward hex head bolts, even toggling through lights. I rarely succeed in tapping screens in any sorts of gloves, and sadly, sometimes without; but you may well be able to manage this.

 

Padding to protect the ulnar nerve or just damp road vibration can be a very personal thing and quite a moot point. Personally, I’d like some. However, that is not a deal-breaker. However, for trips primarily away from the tarmac, I’d tend to go for something like the Chiba Bioexcell Winter Glove or a more generous cut over a fingerless mitt.

 

The grippy palms have served very well on the Fizik bar tape on my tourer and the ergo- grips on the Jones bars of my commuter-utility machine. Even on wet days over bumpy mixed surfaces, there’s been no problem keeping things under control.