Glove Advice?

leighjam · Post by **leighjam** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:48 pm

Just rode my Buddy for the first time in VERY cold weather. In addition to the battery dying, my hands were freezing. I had on silk glove liners and leather motorcycle gloves + I have those little oven mitt covers for the handle bars but still freezing. Any suggestions?

climbamt · Post by **climbamt** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:34 am

Our local scooter shop has the Joe Rocket Sub Zero glove in. They are really warm.

You can see them at http://www.motostrada.com/

Scroll down the page to the December 1 blog post for a picture and additional information.

~climbamt

siobhan · Post by **siobhan** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:45 am

Once it's THIS cold, ya gotta go heated gloves. Gerbing's makes gloves that run off lithium batteries and also plug into the battery. On the scoot, I use the batteries because the scoot's battery barely does its job in this weather. The gloves cost 300 smackeroos. Where you live, I'd just suck it up for the few days of really cold cold. But I'm a frugal New Englandah.

http://gerbing.com/products/Gloves/hybridGlove.php

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:29 am

I purchased a pair of Dainese GTX gloves last year and I am super impressed. They are lined with goretex so you can literally stick your hand in a sink full of water and keep it dry. When it gets below freezing I ride with them and silk liners and I am fairly comfortable, plus I have those handlebar muffs for when it gets worse.

I have thought about buying heated gloves but I'm kinda nervous to put that strain on the battery and gloves that run off a separate battery are limited in their usefullness.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 3:14 am

If you're already rocking leather gloves, glove liners and handlebar muffs, you shouldn't be so cold!
Any chance you are sticking your hands in gloves that are already cold? That'll suck the warmth right out of your fingers and put you at an instant heat deficit.
I leave my helmet and gloves in the house. In the morning, I go out to the garage and grab my boots, too. Then, I stick the lot of 'em over one of the furnace registers in the mud room so the hot air blows into them. Nice and toasty when I put them on so that my toes and fingers only get cold about 30 minutes into my 50 minute commute.

Outside of heated gloves, I would recommend heated grips. I run the Oxford Heaterz but there are some other devices that wrap around your existing grips. Doing this is really only an option if you have access to power where you park so you can run a battery tender. Also, I don't know if the electrical system on the 2T 50 cc Buddies is the same as the 4T 125's and 150's so you may be out of luck there.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:38 pm

I second Tocsik's advice.

My short commute at 0 degrees, with glove liners and thick gloves, I was still cold @ 20 minutes. Heck, I was cold 5 minutes in.

You can spend a fortune and not be any warmer really, though heated grips seem to help a lot of people. I don't have power near mine and I don't want to take the battery in every day .

It's about knowing your personal limits and how cold you are comfortable riding.

hal888 · Post by **hal888** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:44 pm

I went the heated glove route this winter, but I upgraded the battery, and I also make sure I turn the gloves off a mile or so before turning the engine off just to give the battery a chance to recharge.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 2:12 pm

Years ago, my pop (a volunteer firefighter) handed me down some gloves that were coated in some sort of rubber/vinyl. I wore these over my usual handball gloves when riding in the winter (down to zero deg), and they worked quite well to keep the cold air from seeping in.

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 3:32 pm

PeteH wrote:Years ago, my pop (a volunteer firefighter) handed me down some gloves that were coated in some sort of rubber/vinyl. I wore these over my usual handball gloves when riding in the winter (down to zero deg), and they worked quite well to keep the cold air from seeping in.

Yeah a rubber lined glove will insulate your hand a lot better than most other materials, the downside of that of course is that you completely sacrifice breathing capacity so your sweat is going to stay in there and make the glove cold to put on later, also if you get any rain in it from the cuff you are not getting rid of that moisture easily.

SYMbionic Duo · Post by **SYMbionic Duo** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:24 pm

Don't forget that you also want to lighten up your grip when riding. If you are white knuckling the handlebars, you are cutting off circulation, and you are crushing your insulating material, which is a double whammy of cold.

Try holding on to the handlebars with your thumb and the weight of your hand, ie don't curl your fingers into a fist.

This relaxed grip allows you to grab the brakes quickly and also grip the bars tight when you need it.

Also try wiggling your fingers to keep circulation up.

-duo

TebKLR · Post by **TebKLR** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:56 pm

I haven't used them on my Stella, but I've had great service from Aerostich merino-lined gauntlets while riding my Ural. They're pretty amazing....for as thin as they are, they're unbelievably warm! Kinda pricey....but not nearly as much as electric gloves. If it's colder than about 20F, I just take the car......

As others have mentioned, heated grips, especially when used with muffs, are the cat's ass! (if your charging system can keep up)

Good luck!

Milt · Post by **Milt** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:54 am

Heated glove LINERS are a less expensive alternative that work well for me. Wear them under good MC gauntlets and you should be good to go. I wear them when riding the Harley on cold days - so far, so good, down to a bit below 20 degrees at speeds up to 65 or so. I have not yet needed them on the scooter, but if I do will plug them in to the cell-phone charging outlet, since they collectively draw less than one amp.

rsrider · Post by **rsrider** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:30 pm

Milt · Post by **Milt** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:08 am

You mean those nasty four-wheeled cage things - perish the thought...

hal888 · Post by **hal888** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:47 am

Visigoth.

pugbuddy · Post by **pugbuddy** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 3:52 am

Hippohands!

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 6:30 pm

I have for years, even before I started riding, been wearing Mil-Issue D3A gloves, They're thick leather shells with a removable wool liner. Ther're not 'armored' but they are tough.
As discussed in other threads, I will when it's cCold out I will slip a latex, or other, glove in between the shell and liner. 'BSFF' has brought up the subject of the breath-ability or lack there or factor of that one must then remember to separate the glove 'components' to allow perspiration to dissipate. Or even carry extra liners, as I do, and swap them out.
Another I do, is just slip heaver rubber over the top of my gloves as another layer on the outside. (works best for me in warm weather when caught in the rain)
Remember also tight fitting gloves will make your hand feel even colder yet as you may be reducing circulation and definitely be compressing the insulation within the glove, it is the tiny air spaces in insulation that actually keeps you warm.

fossel · Post by **fossel** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:14 am

I also have the camelbak impact ct gloves.It's an awesome summer glove.I wear them on winter days in the afternoon rides here in socal.I got them at the army surplus store.or new on ebay for 26. dollars

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:48 am

When it's brutally cold, I give myself extra time and stop a time or two for hot chocolate at a warm convenience store.

Barring that, I have a pair of Gerbings that I use on long rides late at night.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:39 am

siobhan wrote:Once it's THIS cold, ya gotta go heated gloves. Gerbing's makes gloves that run off lithium batteries and also plug into the battery. On the scoot, I use the batteries because the scoot's battery barely does its job in this weather.

I love my Gerbings. But I still run them off the scoot's battery. Most days, I don't need to plug in and it's sufficient, but it has been cold around here the past few weeks. Bob's BMW in Jessup was where I got my Gerbings (gauntlet G3 model).