T100ICE
Member
My trip was a short one; I kept to the slow back roads, and although my hands were chilly, it was nothing more than what I had grown accustomed to over more than a dozen Alaska winters. But then there was a several mile stretch at the end of my route through a 50mph zone. By the time I was home my hands were freezing numb all over except for the tips of my fingers which were burning with the cold.
As I stood over the kitchen sink warming my hands back up to
Anchorage, despite being pretty far South within Alaska, still has snow and ice on the roads from October through April. The reason it took 15 years for me to decide to get a bike up here is that the riding season is already so short; now that I finally had one, I was not going to wait for 60 degree weather to get her out on the road. Over the next few weeks, amidst the Spring cycle of days of melt-off and days of fresh snow showers (see my profile pic), I made a few rides around the neighborhood, and then eventually the 20 minute commute to work, testing the grip warmers. They did an adequate job of keeping the mass of my hands warm through the palm and first finger joint, but the tips of my fingers still got numb. And in traffic, when I needed to keep a couple of fingers on each lever, those fingers received no benefit from the grip warmers at all. There was only one conclusion: I needed new gloves.
Lee Parks Design first came onto my radar for their Sumo gloves, but I quickly discovered the DeerSport gauntlet model with their "Outlast" Phase-Changing insulation (PCi) lining. They advertise that the gloves are comfortable from 35° - 75°, and that the PCi lining works especially well with heated grips as it allows the heat to enter the gloves while simultaneously keeping the cold out; I was certainly intrigued. But the steep price, and some reviews that cast doubt on the "comfortable at 35°" claim had me exploring alternatives. I had been looking into Aerostitch for their commuter over-suits, but was impressed by the reviews I had seen of some of their Merino wool lined gloves, and the price seemed a bit more manageable for a try-it...Unfortunately they were out of stock in my size. But while I was browsing their glove offerings, I did see their Triple Digit Glove Covers were on sale, and that gave me an idea.
I went ahead and ordered the glove covers, then went back to Lee Parks and bought a pair of their shorter DeerTours. Featuring the same PCi lining, these gloves were rated from 40° - 75°. I figured with the gauntleted glove covers, I could get away with a shorter glove for shoulder seasons, and have a single pair of high quality gloves for the whole riding year. Even with the price of the glove covers thrown into the bargain, I was still saving a few clams over the DeerSports. A few days later both sets of gloves arrived in the mailbox.
That weekend I spent a few hours running errands in just the DeerTours with my heated grips. Temps ranged from 41° - 46° while I was out and about. I wouldn't say the gloves were exactly toasty, but the PCi lining did an excellent job of letting in the warmth from the grips. When I had to keep those fingers out on the levers, they did get a bit cold, but when I had some clear room ahead I could wrap them down onto the grips and warm them up quickly. And the tips of my fingers didn't suffer extra like with the old gloves. In the low to mid 40's I would say overall the gloves were chilly, but not uncomfortably so for around-town riding (50pmh and under).
The gloves are comfortable to wear, the lining is very soft on my skin and the leather is supple. People have compared putting on these gloves to dipping your hands in butter. I don't know what that feels like, it's not what sprang to mind for me. Working the bike controls was easy, no extra resistance when moving the fingers, and enough dexterity to manipulate all of the controls.
A few days later, I had to
The glove cover is a bit awkward to get on being only three digits, but it should be easy enough for anyone who grew up practicing the "Live Long and Prosper" Vulcan salute. With the split fingers, you can keep two fingers wrapped around the grip, and two out on the lever, no problem. There is certainly a reduction in dexterity with the covers on, and I found it difficult to work my turn signal at first with extra mush in the thumb. But with a little practice I got the hang of things. The glove covers are also secured by a "hook and loop" wrist cinch, as well as an elastic drawstring to at the mouth of the gauntlet. The left thumb features a built in visor squeegee.
