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Looking at options to keep hands dry/warm on the school run. I’ve used bar muffs in the past on my motorbike but took them off and stuck with handguards in the end.
Anyone had any success on push bikes? Any recommendations?
For proper cold they are essential. In this country it would need to be -5C or so before I'd consider them, though mine are Arctic rated. Alpkit do some that are more suited to UK conditions, I had a pair of the originals but they've updated them since then. There's also Hot Pogs who are UK based.
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I have some Revelate Designs ones - ridden at -20C without gloves (hands got too hot) - below that only needed some thermal liner gloves. Your hands sweat quite a lot which means things like GoreTex gloves can get pretty clammy.
Not sure I'd want to use them in heavy rain as there's a high chance of them filling up with water / getting waterlogged - only really suited to sub-zero
I used these last year in Glasgow (though I only paid 14.99 for them). I've always suffered with freezing hands no matter what gloves I wear. Last year for most of the winter I just used these and a pair of silk glove liners from Decathlon. One of the best purchases I've ever made.
Thanks so far. Because the wife and I share the school run duties it makes sense to me to have one set of muffs rather than two pairs of gloves.
you want some cheap ones - I have some rockbros ones for drop bars. They're just neoprene so waterproof and reasonable insulation without being massively hot
It’s for flat bars so don’t need the curved ones.
I've been using the basic/cheapest one from Hotpog for about 6 years. They're awesome. Three friends now use pogies in winter too.
As already mentioned, they work best in dry cold conditions, but even if they get a bit wet and soggy they still work better than any thick glove.
There's no faff either.
I found a use for them, and they were great, years ago. But these days I rarely feel the winter gets cold enough (in the UK Midlands) to justify breaking them out. Depending on where you ride. Mine are faux-wool-lined by Cyglove. They cinch up with a strap and buckle so there is a small/slot/gap that I use as a vent when climbing/getting up a head of steam. Haven’t used them for years though, as I say. Shame as I prefer them than gloves.
I've always had cold hands and feet and I know how miserable it can be with cold hands you can't use properly anymore getting whipped by a biting wind.
I was a bike courier for three years riding in Edinburgh and suffering from cold, wet hands for 8 hour stints made work really miserable on those days which it rained all day (mercifully those were few and far between).
After the first year of trying more and expensive/warmer gloves all of which eventually became water logged in heavy rain, I finally got a cheap pair of mitts were a god send.
Yes they look aweful and that's why I resisted so for long but after I'd tried them I fitted them to my work bike for the 3/4 of the worst months of the year and life got a lot better.
I could use much thinner summer gloves all year round and even if these got wet during the day, because they're out of the wind they are much much more comfortable. Also it's much more useable using summer gloves than big thick winter gloves or riding/changing gear, using your phone etc..
Can't recommend them enough.
balls my link didn't work
I've some pogies, the ones I have are brilliant but keep dropping down, I need to find a way of stopping that, mibbe a wee clip sewn inside for brake lever or something.
Stops me from using them tbh.
Pogies are brilliant.
Until you you have your had out and think "i'll just grab the bar through the pogies to make a slight adjustment to my course while i continue to eat this snickers"
Followed by "why am i lying on the ground, and where is my snickers"
in (lightweight) action!
Yes they look aweful and that’s why I resisted so for long
Hate to be the messenger, but this is the UK and most people think that adults on bicycles are every kind of wrong. Other cyclists will also be judging you. Best to just ‘be’. Or move to a country where other grownups ride bicycles in the cold!
They're very little faff once on. Less than I expected, having used motorbike muffs- even simple pushbike ones work well, and being able to wear thin gloves offsets it a lot because any faff, pogie related or otherwise, is much easier.
That said, I don't like having them on the big bike, I don't know how far it's psychology or real but I've never been comfortable with them on technical stuff.
Brilliant. They'll be on my commuter from mid November to late February, just like last year. I keep meaning to add a vent to mine, which are made of neoprene.
The best thing about having them on a fatbike is that folk stop commenting on your tyre size and giggle at your oven gloves instead.
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@Nobeerinthefridge - the Revelate ones either have a loop sewn inside that hooks onto a special bar end or they have a plug sewn into them that screws into a bar end. A sheet of thin plastic (milk bottle sort of thickness) inbetween inner and outer stops the floppyness.
@Northwind - not used them on really technical stuff, fat bike racing is on much gentler terrain, but getting out of them isn't usually a problem.
One point not mentioned so far is to insulate the brake and gear levers - no point in having the outside insulated if there's a couple of heat sinks inside. A bit of thin foam wrapped up in electrical tape is enough, just make sure everything still moves.
whitestone
Free Member@Northwind – not used them on really technical stuff, fat bike racing is on much gentler terrain, but getting out of them isn’t usually a problem.
TBH I've a feeling it's almost all psychological- I mean, I'll happily ride the fatbike on technical stuff with them on. Though, slower than on the big bike of course. But even if it's all in my head, it's a big enough thing to make such a big difference to the riding that I took them back off that bike.
So I guess what I'm really saying is, for me it doesn't work on all bikes but that doesn't mean it won't work for the next dude. I'm sure it's partly just that the fatbike carries big guards and pogies and suchlike much more hansomely, or they compliment its ridiculousness or something.
i have 45° North posies. they are great. ones that stay upright and open (like the red ones in the photo above) are the best as they are where you left them when you take your hand off the bars.
The original Alpkit ones had velcroed slots on the outer edges for "a quick escape" (one of the things they fixed in the next version). The problem was that there was no insulation, such as it was, at those points. Not much of a problem at -5C here in the UK but at -16C or lower in the Arctic very much so.
My wife and I have Revelate Williwaws*, she got hers when I got the Alpkit ones then I got a set. My set have a set of zipped vents at the front which hers don't.
*A williwaw is apparently a sudden gust of wind that comes down a gully - I had to look it up - there you go.
I have the basic hot pigs, they are ace. Best in dry cold but have used them in the rain mainly. I like using mine with 100% briskers
Better than any winter glove setup, but look bad! Matches my mudguard I suppose
Absolutely worth it.
Ride for any time in sleet with ordinary gloves, and then try the same with pogies, and a simple glove, and you'll be sold.
As a bonus, it's really nice having all your fingers still working after a few hours in real subzero.
Huh. Probably says something about how I feel about them, that they're literally the only product I have on any of my bikes that I don't know the name of, or who made them.
for me not worth it. so long as my body is warm my hands are warm given halfway decent gloves.
Everyone is different tho
One thing that's worth doing is have extra insulation on your arms so as an example wear a full sleeved thermal top AND arm warmers (plus whatever other clothing you'd be wearing). You are using insulation on your torso to manage your overall temperature but making sure that your extremities are warm.
Going for a dredge here - I'm after some 45nrth, Revelate or similar pogies for Jone bars but everywhere I've seen in the UK is out of stock and I don't fancy paying through the nose for import tax since Brexit.
Anyone either have any they'd sell, or know of any shops with any in stock?
^
Sorry can’t help locate those but have you thought about buying some basic ones to tide you over while trying to source the hard-to-get ones? A stitch in time and all...?
* Edit - I have Jones loop bars copies (Geoffs) and noticed the extreme backsweep of the bars tend to make my wrists fight against the (80 deg?) bends in the pogies. Probably not a deal-killer (I don’t use the bars now anyway so can’t speak for long-term) but may be something to consider. Softer fabric may be better-suited to deal with backswept bars IMO, or I suppose you’ve researched a specific fit already that plays nice with the H bar/alt bars?
I used the basic Hotpog pogies for seven years with Jones Loops. I never had any problems. I just reckon the softer the construction, the more it adapts to the angle.
@p7eaven and @scotroutes - thanks for the comments. I really only want to buy one pair - I've ummed and ahhed for ages but I am just sick of getting numb fingers, so if I'm going to do it, I want to do it properly.
I spoke to the lovely people at Bikemonger earlier and they found a pair of Williwaws in the back room so might go for those, or wait for a delivery of the Cobrafists (which I think I prefer).
I have seen that getting them to place nice with Jones bars can be a faff - I'm thinking if I keep them outboard of the 'loop' though it should be OK, save for the angle as mentioned. I have space on the bars to connect them there due to the lack of shifter/dropper as it's a SS bike.
IME the Williwaws work fine with Jones bars - they have a handlebar bung and bungee attachment to stop them flopping around
Seeing that this has been dredged an update is that the Cyglove muffs I went for have been brilliant. A real game changer. Still wear defeet duragloves underneath on the bitter days but the muffs take off so much of the weather.
Seeing that this has been dredged an update is that the Cyglove muffs I went for have been brilliant. A real game changer
+1. Finally cold enough here for me to dig them out last night to fit on the footbike. The fleece lining remains toasty and because I run warm no need for even thin gloves.
Have had them for many years now, stored in damp old sheds etc, and they still work like new.
Thread resurrection time.
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Looking at some for the 24hr at Kielder, I really struggle in the cold so exploring every avenue. I'm hoping that buying lots of gloves and all the winter boots on ebay in my size means that sods law will kick in and it will be 18deg and sunny, but just in case it's minus 2 and pissing it down...
How are they in the wet, when the rain is running down the sleeves of your jacket and soaking your gloves?
Does taking the windchill off mean you are warm and wet, which whilst not ideal is still an improvement on cold and wet, or do you still get cold and they only really work when it's cold and dry?
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How are they in the wet, when the rain is running down the sleeves of your jacket and soaking your gloves?
I’ve never used them in the wet, only sub-zero. Mine have a fleecy lining which would soak-up water and would be pretty unpleasant after a while.
@andrewh and others
Check out Rab infinium gloves.
Microfleece windstopper that is warm when wet. Cuts the windchill dead. Now my go-to gloves.
(I used to suffer from cold hands but not now. I own 2 pairs and my son has a set too).
https://rab.equipment/uk/infinium-windproof-glove
The very basic neoprene ones work ok in wet weather, you'll still have wet hands but they will keep the wind off so you'll stay warmer. When it's like that I don't bother wearing gloves inside as they just make my hands colder. It's worth making a hole or two in the underside to allow water to drain out!
Does taking the windchill off mean you are warm and wet, which whilst not ideal is still an improvement on cold and wet,
Basically, that. For the cost of the basic Hotpogs I'd say it's something worth trying.
When I decided to try pogies last winter, there was no stock of anything available. I made my own very basic set with some building membrane knocking about in the shed.
Turns out they worked a treat, and I haven't seen any need to upgrade.
Unless you are in extreme low temps, just a shell is all you need really. The little microclimate created by the pogie seems to be the main thing. Mine don't get waterlogged, I put a hole in the underside.
I generally don't get troubled with cold hands, but there are occasions where generating heat is impossible. One of my regular fatbike winter loops ends with a traversing descent from 300M to sea level. It's not technical, partially road, and quite fast. Takes about 15 mins all in.
That's the one which spurred my pogie experiment, I'd come home with full on ice block hands doing that ride sub zero.
With the pogies, I've only ever worn summer gloves and always remained warm enough.
Thanks.
Will get a cheap set of neoprene ones and give them a go.
Will there be room for a singlespeedet who likes bar-ends? Just those and the brakes, no shifters, no dropper lever
My bargain ebay ones are designed for motorbikes and easily fit over the ergon bar ends, brake levers and shifters