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There’s no two ways about it, good gloves are essential to winter riding – there’s little worse than shivering home with cold, wet hands.
Once the temperature drops, it’s your hands which bare the brunt of the icy wind – exposed and immobile on top of the ‘bars. And wet hands will leave you begging for a hot cup of coffee.
SealSkinz’ All-Weather Cycling Gloves, available from Cotswold Outdoor for £30, promise to be waterproof, windproof and breathable.
The Porelle membrane technology does a great job of keeping out the rain – be it a short, sharp downpour or constant drizzle over a long ride. Some riders have complained that the gloves aren’t fully waterproof during prolonged, hard rain, but we didn’t suffer the same problem during our test.
The All-Weather Cycling Gloves are undoubtedly a deep-winter option – unless you really feel the cold – and the lightweight outer shell keeps the wind off your fingers.
The inner glove is, to a degree, effective at wicking sweat away from your hands. But after a long, hard ride – or if the temperature creeps up – your hands will emerge sweaty, but they’ll stay warm. And that’s the key.
We tested these SealSkinz over the Christmas break and they successfully fit the bill both during the height of the cold snap (with temperatures barely nudging above zero in London) and the subsequent thaw. If the temperature is above, say, 7c, however, these will leave your hands too hot and overly sweaty. Time to dig out a slim-line glove.
The SealSkinz are a snug, cosy fit and provide the necessary bulk to see off the worst of conditions, but they don’t restrict quick access to the drops or, crucially, brakes. Thick finger and palm grips are perfect for maintaining control of the bike and look capable of standing the test of time. Velcro wrist straps keep the gloves in place and prevent errant wind and water sneaking in, while a soft, fleecy fabric on the thumb makes wiping away sweat from your face a little more comfortable.
All-in-all, the SealSkinz All-Weather Cycling Gloves get the thumbs-up. Waterproof, windproof and, for the most part, breathable. Promise fulfilled, then. An ideal winter solution.