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This time of year when rides are in single digit or minus degrees c, i really struggle with a cycle of cold/ hot sweaty/ freezing numb hands. Ive got quite a selection of gloves but being generally sweaty anyway, as soon as exertion level drops off (ie top of every hill) i get painfully cold damp hands.
Wondering if pogies could be the answer, as i guess they allow a degree of air circulation and ventilation while creating a cosy micro climate around your mits? Thats my hope anyway.
Looking at basic neoprene ones rather than full insulated arctic ones. And my rides are more 30-40-50 mile xc than shredding any gnarr.
What are others experience of these?
I use hotpogs, for about 5 years now. Makes Riding on frozen mornings possible again. Ended up with woolly gloves in the end to avoid sweaty hands
Ms Bruce uses hotpogs on very cold days and loves them.
Often described by ramblers as oven gloves.
hotpogs ftw. most days don't need any gloves or just glove liners
Yes
I think they’re great, lets you use normal gloves on a winter day. Only poss drawback is if you need to get your hand in quickly, but you get used to it.
Mine are the basic neoprene ones and I like them on my fat bike. A little bit of a faff making sure they worked around my brake levers etc and I can imagine certain setups/preferences where it might be an issue but mostly ok.
2 observations.....First- they are warm! -10Deg C and I'd happily ride with no gloves at all or the thinnest of running gloves inside them. Secondly - it might not actually be a thing as I've not deliberately crashed to try it out, but I'm very conscious that I don't think I'd get my hand free in one of those sudden crashes to protect my face/head. Like the sort of crash you'd have if your front wheel washed out on sheet ice when it's very cold....like when you might wear poggies! For that reason, I'm not convinced I'd wear them on the road bike though I can imagine they would be great. Unlike poggies on a kayak paddle you can't push them along the shaft and out of the way, which otherwise could be good on a ride that was mostly placid with a couple of bit of gnarr.
Thanks all - Hotpogs ordered! Less than thirty quid delivred too, cheaper than most gloves. Fingers crossed (in comfort, hopefully 😉) they perform as anticipated!
Worth mentioning. If its really windy I stuff something in where cables and hoses exit. To stop the icy draught. I use some fake fur trim like goes on a coat hood.
As above. I don't mess about now, they go straight on if the forecast dictates. They might be going on next week. Mid December last year:
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i’ve used them, insulated ones in as low as -30. they were amazing. i just used a regular glove in them.
if you are looking for a solution to cold hands, pogies are the answer
Thanks for the Hotpogs info. We’ve been using some other ones for the last couple of years on the tern gsd but they’re very much dying now.
I’m very conscious that I don’t think I’d get my hand free in one of those sudden crashes to protect my face/head. Like the sort of crash you’d have if your front wheel washed out on sheet ice when it’s very cold….like when you might wear poggies! For that reason, I’m not convinced I’d wear them on the road bike though I can imagine they would be great.
As someone who's broken the same arm repeatedly doing this, it might actually be better. Collarbones are fragile, but they heal quickly, and it's not a given that it'll break. Arms are a PITA to break and if you hit the ground with them outstretch they snap all too easily IME! Watch pro roadies crash and they'll grip the bars till they hit the floor.
I have a 5mm pair of neoprene diving gloves for the coldest of days.
More Hotpogs here... I don't feel good riding in them for more technical stuff, they're just that bit distracting and weird feeling and even if fears of not getting out of them are unfounded they're still there. But I put 'em on the fatbike every year and they are just amazing. There's no need imo for anything heavier duty, I get really cold hands- diabetic circulation- and I just wear autumn-ey gloves under them and that's good enough for the worst conditions I'll ever ride in.
In most ways they're actually better than super warm gloves- you get normal grip and brake feel and when you take your hands out, thin gloves are better for filling your face with snacks. The only downside is snowball making.
In terms of gloves, I'm also a big fan of Glacier Gloves' perfect curves. They're weird- literally made for winter window cleaning, they're 2mm drysuit neoprene so completely 100% waterproof, windproof, and unbreathable. So you can only wear them when it's proper cold or they fill with sweat. And they're also kind of hard to clean (or rather to dry out) so they smell like something died in them if you're not careful. And they feel really odd on the bars, lots of shear and squish, it's almost like having foam grips on your fingers (though they're pre-curved so it's not tiring, you're just a bit disconnected- I'm used to it and it doesn't ever cause me any problems but it's odd). They get pretty slippy if there's mud on them. All in all they're kinda hard work.
But- they keep me comfortable in conditions when other gloves struggle to even keep me functioning, and that's pretty awesome. And they allow for little circus tricks, like just washing mud off them in snow-melt streams without feeling a thing.
I have some of those Glacier gloves.
I have no idea how you can actually ride a bike in them. 🤣
I have trouble even gripping a brush while washing bikes and they still take days to dry out they make me sweat that much.
Yah even with my super cold hands I can't wear them if it's warm enough to get sweaty fingers, they're an instant disaster, they're for omg my fingers hurt rides. But bike control is fine once you embrace the squidge
The seem very popular with the guys on the uber-eats delivery bikes. But then, most of them i think come from very hot climates, and they're finding Glasgow autumnal temperatures a bit on the chilly side.
Like the sort of crash you’d have if your front wheel washed out on sheet ice when it’s very cold…
Studded tyres and that ceases to be a problem.
Studded tyres and that ceases to be a problem.
On the road?
Anyone know why the 45Nrth ones have slightly alarming chemical exposure warnings on them?
@ratherbeintabago - it's a California thing, pretty much anything made out of plastic over there will have that warning on. I'd worry more about the black ice and car drivers than the health risks presented by using pogies!
As predicted, the hotpogs went on this morning. Made what would've been a very uncomfortable ride off the tops at dawn a toasty warm experience.
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Worth noting that you can fold them small enough to carry if you don't need them (I didn't on the ride in yesterday; folded under the fork bag straps below). Game changer for me as I've got older and feel the cold in my fingers more, letting me make the most of my favourite weather - riding straight over frozen bog like it's not there, allowing me access to routes I can't in conscience ride in warmer conditions.
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