Winter commuting and finger tips

[Devils Advocate]

To those of you who ride regularly in sub zero temps, how the hell do you stop your fingertips from getting frost bite?
I've tried countless different gloves over the years and nothing really cuts the mustard, so i want to know what the rest of you do.

I'm using a decent pair of winter gloves now, with some fleece gloves underneath, and then thick rubber gloves underneath those next to the skin. It works for short distances if the weather's only just cold, but if i have to travel very early in the morning, or very late at night for more than an hour, nothing seems to work.

[Rogerborg]

How's your body core temperature? Once your body gets cold, the blood supply to your extremities gets cut off. Make sure the rest of you is toasty warm, and that'll help to keep blood flowing to your fingers.

[DynaMight]

If you have poor blood flow to your fingers then you will find it difficult. Get some heated grips and some handlebar muffs, only problem you'll have then will be your hands sweating
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My bikes are at https://www.bikepics.com/members/dynamight/

[Paxovasa]

The hand guards on the XT help, but on the bandit I just wear a thin pair of gloves under the winter gloves I have. But I only commute 6 miles each way.
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Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[colin1]

When your core body temperature drops, your body diverts blood flow away from extremities like fingers.

You may think that just your fingers that are cold so you dont want to wear extra layers on your body, but if you wear a lot more layers on your body, your hands will mysteriously no longer seem so cold.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Feasty]

I suffer from the same problem, my fingers are really quite painful after an hours ride down the motorway. Not sure hand guards would suit a Divvy 900 though!?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Devils Advocate]

My core temperature`s ok and i dont feel cold anywhere else.
I wear 2 t shirts and a thermal textile jacket, pair of long johns with thermal textile trousers, a neck\face sleeve, and a top notch windproof-waterproof oversuit. I never feel cold anywhere on my body, its just the tips of my fingers. They hurt so much the other day after i rode for an hour to work at 6 in the morning, i actually had tears in my ears coz of the pain.
When i'm riding i can kind of blank it out, but as i soon as i stop and take the gloves off, the pain kicks in. My hands are ok, its only the fingertips that hurt.
I think its a combination of the extreme cold and the wind blast at speed, but i dont know how to stop it getting at my fingers
I could fit hand guards, but im short on money and need a cheap DIY solution really, if anybody knows one.

[Devils Advocate]

[Devils Advocate]

[MarkJ]

[Dr. DaveJPS]

[Paxovasa]

[herulach]

the cheap ebay 2.99 heat pads for your under your grips are ok, I was out for about 45 minutes at 7am this morning with those, a set of HG Panthans & silk undergloves, fingers were only just getting cold by the time I got off.

My toes are a different matter, they're still cold now!
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YBR 125>FZS600

[neil.]

Bar muffs. 'Muff said.

[colin1]

You wont feel cold anywhere else, as your body is diverting blood flow away from your fingers but if you wear a lot more layers, so you look a bit like the michelin man, your fingers will mysteriously stop being cold.

Dont believe me ? Try it, it's magic.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Devils Advocate]

Ive gone one better than the milk cartons in the DIY link. Theyre a botch job this time, but now i know how to make them theyll be perfect next time.
I had some old quilted oven gloves at the back of the kitchen drawer, something like these but not as good:
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/masterclass!reg-double-oven-glove/F/productimage/10224?returnURL=/masterclass!REG-double-oven-glove/F/keyword/oven+gloves/product/10224

Ive just cut off the 2 end bits, made some strategic cuts in them for my thumbs, and hey presto, bobs your uncle, ive got myself some awesome superinsulated bike mitts.
Might make a new pair with the ones in the link when i'm flush enough to spare a tenner

[Devils Advocate]

[colin1]

the oven glove mitts do sound like a good idea, but a few more layers of clothing will help too
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Moo.]

Need like.. a binbag over the over mitts to make them water proof
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[Devils Advocate]

[ttr]

[instigator]

[HD]

[27cows]

Decent muffs and heated grips together. That would keep your hands warm no matter how cold it got. Never done this myself but I've been on a bike that had both - warmed up the whole of me, I was sweating like a pig by the end of the ride

I only use muffs if it gets really cold, which it rarely does in the south. This morning was a bit chilly and I stopped about 40 miles into my journey to warm my fingertips on the engine. That works but it's a bit tedious.
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[imanupstart]

Man up.


heated grips