Temperatures have plummeted in recent weeks, and with rain making an unwelcome return, the need to protect your hands from the elements will have taken on a new importance.

Extremities – your hands, feet, and head – lose heat more easily than your core, and the necessity of keeping them warm cannot be overstated. One happy consequence is that a decent pair of gloves will score highly on any ‘bang for buck’ scale. Not only is it likely to be cheaper than a jersey, jacket, or bib-tights, but its effect can be more telling.

But where to start? Your local bike shop will have a plethora of gloves to choose from, including those with claims to be waterproof, windproof, or both. Liner gloves might be an option to consider for extremely cold days, while the  knitted glove is making a comeback, although these days it’s more likely to be made from a synthetic fibre than wool.

We’ll take a look at each type in the pages ahead, starting with a look at the key features of a winter glove. You’ll have your own experiences, of course, and you can share them below, or in the RCUK Forum.

We headed to our own local bike shop, Ride, to photograph the various types of gloves on the market, and to get the thoughts of the man at the head of affairs, Ritchie Hilton-Foster.