What is the best winter cycling glove?

Cycling and winter can be mucho hard on hands. Fingers wrapped around a handlebar are really exposed to the wind, plus even with cork handlebar wraps the cold for the metal bars (less of an issue with carbon, I suppose!) gets transmitted right into the hands.

Barrier Lobster Glove

Barrier Lobster Glove

So good gloves are important. My glove bin out in the garage must have 20 pairs, from fingerless summer gloves to a dozen pair of warm gloves. I have three favorites:

For cool but not cold conditions, which I define upper 30s and higher, my favorite glove is the Manzella Silkweight Windstopper Glove ($30). These are a super-lightweight glove that are incredibly warm, with windproof outers and just a little bit of interior knit face for warmth. They technically not a biking glove; they are unpadded, and the rubberized grip material on the palms wears off quickly. But I usually get a season or two out of a pair. The temp range is easily extended by adding $10 silk glove liners (found anywhere).

REI‘s One Gloves ($37) also are a multi-purpose glove that I find work well for cool cycling conditions, down close to freezing. They have tough and wind-resistant nylon and Spandex outers, goat skin palms, and polyester lining. Like the Manzellas, they can be reinforced with a pair of silk glove liners.

Below freezing, only one glove will do: Pearl Izumi‘s Barrier Gloves ($70). These are built like a ski glove, with water-resistant outers, a waterproof-breathable inner liner, and polyester insulation. VERY warm and weather-resistant, yet trim enough so you can shift and otherwise manage the bike okay. The Lobster Gloves ($70) has the same construction but is even a little bit warmer because of their three-finger design, with two pairs of fingers packaged together for warmth, while the thumb goes it alone.