Given the unseasonably bad weather we’re having on London at the moment, I suspect good gloves are as close to your heart as they are to mine and the gloves presented here have a few very useful features as a cycling commuter – read on for more details
Gloves and Smart Phones – normally an unhappy combination
One frustration with wearing most pairs of cycling gloves is the inability to operate the now ubiquitous smart phones that most of us carry in our pockets. Perhaps you need to consult the map, start your favourite training or navigation app, or simply make a call at the side of the road. Normally, this requires the removal of one or both gloves, finding somewhere to put them and invariably dropping one of them on the floor. Well with these gloves all of these problems go away.
The Solution
The BikeTouch pro gloves solve all of these phone use issues and more. They are one of the new breed of smart “eTip” style gloves that give you access to your touchscreen without the need to remove your gloves.
Over the last few years, smart gloves have become more common, but there are still comparatively few cycling specific gloves sporting this feature, and certainly very few at this price point – £29.95. Whilst a lot of smart gloves only have the smart fabric on the first finger. these gloves have smart fabric areas on the first 2 fingers of each hand as well as the thumb. This is a real boon as it allows access to even the more advanced touchscreen features (namely pinch to zoom) which is particularly useful in mapping applications.
First Impressions
I’ve been wearing the BikeTouch Pro gloves for the last few weeks on my daily commutes, and the fact that they are made from a waterproof and windproof fabric has been very useful indeed. They have kept my hands dry very well through some monsoon like rain storms and warm on cold mornings, whilst still allowing me access to my phones features. The wick moisture away from the skin well, and my hands certainly haven’t become sweaty on the few occasions when the weather has been warmer (what you mean you missed that day?!?)
The cycling specific features of the gloves include a full finger terry sweat swipe, soft tri-gel padded zones on the palm, anti-skid material on the palm, reinforced overlay on thumbs and a neoprene cuff to keep the cold air and moisture out. Also featured is reflective piping on the back of the hand which stands out well when making turn signals after dark.
The gloves are rated to below zero by the manufacturer, but as someone who suffers from cold hands I’d say they are more suited to a temperature range of 3-5c – your mileage may vary however. The gloves are a nice size and can be stored in your pocket pretty easily making them the ideal commuter gloves in changeable conditions where it’s cold in the morning, but you may not want to wear them on the way home.
I typically wear a medium in gloves, and as such have these in that size. Although they fit very well in the fingers, they are a little snug across the palm, so you may want to consider a size up from what you normally wear,
As you know, commuting is pretty hard on gear, but these gloves are showing no wear at all despite the worst the British weather has thrown at them – that’s a good sign for the longevity of the gloves.
The good:
- Ability to use your phone touchscreen with your gloves on
- Cycling specific with a good range of features
- Waterproof and windproof
- Lightweight and pocketable
- Great price
The bad:
- Not as warm as they could be on really cold days
- Sizing a little snug
Should you buy?
If you’re looking for some cycling specific gloves that allow you to operate your phone as well as protecting you against the elements then you should definitely consider the BikeTouch Pro gloves. They come in at a good price (£29.95) and all signs are that they will last well. The BikeTouch Pro gloves get a definite touch screen friendly thumbs-up from me.
The BikeTouch Pro Gloves are now available from CycleWiz for £29.95.
In need of new gloves for next winter as my current ones have torn, these look like a good replacement.
Let me know your thoughts on them Liz if you grab a pair!
There’s an alternative that looks quite good, as you can put them on pretty much any gloves you own. Just haven’t tried it myself yet: http://anyglove.com
That looks very interesting – would be fascinated to hear from someone who’s tried it!
Another option is to get a Nokia Lumia 920 – The screen can be used with gloves on!!! But I’m sure most people would rather shell out £30 for gloves over £400 for phone lol!!!
Another alternative, abet for more spring like weather, are the Specialized Wiretap gloves. I’ve had these for a while now and once worn in a bit (the touch screen finger and thumb were a bit stiff to begin with), and they are absolutely brilliant.
I’ve always been a fan of the BG Gel series from Specialized, had many previous pairs, the gel, fit and overall comfort I can thoroughly recommend and for only £5 more than the BikeTouch pro. Again for weather fairer than the like of which we are enduring today.
I’ve tested out the Nokia Lumia 920 – doesn’t it feel a little like you are lifting a brick?
The gloves may indeed work but my word they sure are ugly as hell! Not for me!
I agree, they need a bit of an aesthetic tweaking, hence my suggestion for the alternative
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/ftr/gloves/road-gloves/body-geometry-gel-wiretap-long-finger
I bought these a couple of years ago under the Endura brand. But if you look at the following link, you can see they are basically the same glove.
I agree with most of what is written above, the only point I would change is that waterproof should be moved to the “Bad” summary, because they are definitely not waterproof.
Also, I would add extra emphasis about not being very warm. My fingers always get cold if temperatures are less than 3 or 4 degrees. Sometimes I have to stop mid journey and warm my hands up before I can continue because I just can’t feel the brake levers.
http://philrabbitt.net/Gloves.jpg
I don’t understand why so many people would want to use their phone while cycling. OK, if you’re planning a different route on a longer ride you might forget where you need to turn but on your regular commute, stick the phone on voicemail and focus on cycling.
My winter gloves are these http://www.sugoi.com/usa/firewall-z-glove-11.html and I can happily use my keys with them and that’s about as much dexterity as I need.
If like me you get lost a lot (and I mean *a lot*) being able to stop and consult the map without taking gloves off is a very useful thing 😉
Sam, that’s fine for new routes but I think I save most of my ‘discovering’ for warmer months and the winter is for safer cycling when you know the roads better.
Not sure where the other reply went to but someone asked me what these gloves were like & they’re great (as some tiger once said). My theory was that a Canadian company (Sugoi) would be a good option for winter gloves & my hands have never been cold when wearing these.
I wear them with liners as they are a comfy size rather than, erm, fitting like a glove but if you see a pair in any shop then definitely give them a try.
I’ve always found dampening the finger to with my tongue works a treat! Not to wet, just moist.
Or buy some conductive thread, and use it to make your current favourite gloves “touch enabled”, by stitching a touch point for your finger tip(s) with the thread.
I got mine off eBay for a quid incl postage, enough to do a few finger tips.
You have to supply your own needle and time though, and can be fiddly to do, cheaper than a new pair that you might not like.
Got them and they are (too) tight. I don’t think the gloves are not warm enough.
They work well with the Tigra Bike mount for iPhone 5.
However I did notice some damage on the inducting material: I rest my right tumb on a bolt and it scrathed the surface.