whats best for winter riding in scotland gloves or mitts?

[bobsma]

new to winter riding, doing an hour commute either way and wondering whats the best for keeping my hands warm. Any clean suggestions greatfully received... cheers bobsma

[Bendy]

Bar muffs and heated grips.

[Recluso]

[Spangle2k4]

I was riding at -3 last winter and you simply can't keep warm at those temperatures. I had Hein Gericke Pathan Gloves with the seamless bonding over-gloves that were new for last year and it wasn't enough (I also have hand guards). It was fine when setting off from somewhere warm but if you put the gloves on cold hands you don't get any heat back. The coldness on your fingertips takes a long time to get over at the other end.

As such, you need something to put heat back into your hands. Heated grips are good, especially if they go good and hot, but they only heat the palms of your hands. The backs of your hands and your thumb will still get very cold. Wear super-thick gloves to combat this and the heat from the grips won't get through so well...

The only real solution is thick, heated gloves. These are very expensive but they will keep your hands warm. The pricier ones heat all over the fingers and the back of the hand.

Another school of thought is that keeping the torso warm results in warmer blood and so the hands, feet etc stay warmer too.

FWIW I have bought a Keis heated vest for this year and will again be wheeling out the big gloves. I'm going to see what difference it makes keeping the core warm. Ideally I'd like heated gloves or heated liner gloves as well but it isn't proving easy to find some that are a good fit (seemingly very long fingers). I fully anticipate still struggling on the very worst days in January and February but my commute is only 45 mins.

Muffs are meant to be good and I think will probably help a lot in keeping the wind off (and thus stopping the back of your hand and your thumb freezing); I would consider giving these a go myself if I was going to take a longer journey. You will still need something to get the heat back in, though (heated grips). The only reservation I have with muffs is how things will pan out in the rain. Your gloves will get soaking wet while you're faffing with the bike and then you'll be putting wet gloves into the muffs. Will they go mouldy? Will the water all just hang around? Not sure on that one.

TL;DR: What Bendy said, heated grips and muffs are a good bet for your first winter.

[scorps]

warm in Scotland? in the winter???????
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Do not presume that I am male.

[salty21]

[LordShaftesbu...]

As long as you have really thick gloves or mitts or muffs, heated grips don't just warm the inner surface of your hands, they warm the air inside whatever it is you're wearing. Just ramp them up to max if your gloves are that thick.

[defblade]

Heated grips and handguards to keep the wind off the back of your hands (bit like muffs, but less ghey ). Then normal sort of thickness winter gloves (preferably gore-tex still) are fine down well into minus temps.
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Honda Varadero 125cc => Suzuki Bandit 650 33bhp => 77bhp =>
BMW K1200R Sport 163bhp => Aprilia Shiver GT 750 95bhp

[Derivative]

I've been reading about muffs quite a bit recently.

It seems that people have problems with them being pushed back into levers at speed due to air resistance.

Does anyone here have any experience with brands that, err, don't do this?

I'd be interested in getting some for the CB5.

[Rogerborg]

https://i47.tinypic.com/2vm66f9.jpg

+ hand guards / muffs / heated grips.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Spangle2k4]

[Peirre oBollox]

[Serendipity]

Indeed. Search for CB500 Muffs and you'll find Donnybrago's review thread. You'll see details of the large furry variety and the slimmer neoprene ones. I have the neoprene ones and they're brilliant.

So, if you're man enough to handle the ghey, get some muffs and stick a couple of (warm) fingers up to the fashion victims.
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2016 CBF1000F - Commuter heaven | 1994 CBR600FR - Awaiting defibrillation

[Bendy]

[DrDonnyBrago]

Muffs are simply fantastic bits of kit. It is surprising how much windblast cools your hands, especially if your gloves are wet. My muffs were completely waterproof, windproof and made a cold winter commute tolerable. This year, I'll actually bother fit my heated grips.

My review (innuendo ahoy):


https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=231946&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[Amreet]

heated gloves and hand guards.

[Spangle2k4]

[salty21]

I also have the tucano urbano neoprene muffs and couldnt imagine winter without them now. They do look a bit ghey but you will not care once you have experienced the awesomeness.
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[bobsma]

Thanks for all the tips guys...we've gone for oxford muffs - the cheapest we could find...first ride out today, they definately keep the wind n rain off and I think we'll get heated grips for the depths of winter too... happy riding