Glacier Glove Premium Cyclocross Glove

I was expecting to be wowed by the Glacier Glove Premium Cyclocross Glove. I like a thin glove. I like to be able to feel the handlebars in my palms, like to be able to feel the brake and lever levers at my fingertips.

This presents a problem in the winter though, especially as I suffer from poor circulation in my extremities, so I need well insulated gloves to stop my fingers from falling off. As a result, I've been on a constant quest to find a glove that ticks both boxes.

The Glacier Premium Cyclocross Glove appears to tick both boxes. This American company specialises in cold-weather gloves, and they have several winter variants. Don't let the cyclocross tag put you off, these are just as at home on the road bike. In fact I've used them more on the road than off it.

They combine a weather resistant fleece-lined neoprene back with a perforated palm, with reinforced leather fingers, thumb and key areas of the palm. There's just a hint of padding. The palm is very grippy and gives a good feel on the bars which useful when it's peeing it down and you want a secure grasp on the bar tape. I've tried them off-road and they give a very good grip on mud covered bars.

The back is made from a thin neoprene that keeps the wind and rain out. They're not able to compete with chunkier winter gloves when the temperature is down below about six degrees, but above that they're just the ticket for shorter rides. I wouldn't want to be out in them for five hours, but a quick lunch hour blast around the park sees them coping just fine.

Across the top of the fingers the neoprene is interrupted with a section of elastic. The idea behind this is surely to increase dexterity, but I found it worked counter to any such benefits. The elastic works against the stretch of the fingers and as a result produces a restrictive feel. It's enough to ruin the gloves for me.

Fit is mostly good. Around the thumb it is excellent, but the fingers are just a touch long, with a small amount of space at the fingertips. I like the large panel of towel fabric on the thumb for wiping a runny nose.

The elongated cuff stretches to fit and ensures a decent seal around the wrist, as well as ensuring some overlap with the sleeves of jacket. They're very well reinforced around the thumb area, with the leather palm overlapping with the neoprene to prevent any wear in this area. The stitching is all solid and they've so far stood up to plenty of abuse. I've used them mountain biking as well and they've stood up just fine to the abuse.

Ultimately, they're not warm enough for longer training rides, but for an hour or so around a cyclocross race or a winter/spring crit race, where I would place fit and freedom of movement above insulation and warmth, they're ideally suited. The fit is just ruined by the elasticated fingers for me.

Verdict

Good for a short blast, with weather resistance and feel. Dexterity blighted by elasticated fingers.