Bontrager Velocis Softshell Cycling Gloves

If only I had these in December! The Bontrager Velocis Softshell Cycling Gloves are fantastic for the depths of winter. They are incredibly warm, block all wind and stand up to some pretty heavy rain. The dexterity is decent too, and the fingertips work well enough on a touchscreen. I'm almost looking forward to next winter...

Well okay, that's pushing it a bit, but after weeks of frozen hands, I'm glad to have the Velocis Softshells for winter's final gasps. Bontrager uses 200g Thinsulate for a recommended temperature range of -7°C to 7°C, and I did get to use them on sub-zero days – if not right down to minus seven.

Certainly I never reached their lower limit. Even when stopped or descending long hills, I never felt any sense of my hands getting cold. The warmth is impressive, though once it turns mild they can get a bit sweaty.

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I'd say Bontrager's temperature range is about right, though if you're riding long, hard climbs they get a bit sweaty around the top end of that. They're best saved for the coldest days.

If they do get sweaty, you need to be careful when pulling them off as you risk pulling the liner out with your hand. That liner is very soft, at least, and very comfortable. There are no weird lines of stitching to irritate either.

Thankfully you won't need to take them off to operate your phone. There's a conductive weave in the fingertips and, while the size of the fingertips makes it slightly cumbersome, I could Instagram to my heart's content while still wearing these gloves.

There's no padding on the palm, which is a good move in my opinion as dexterity would only drop, and they're very comfortable as they are.

Bontrager extends the soft snot wipe all the way along the thumb and forefinger, which gives a a lot of real estate for wiping, and stops any particular spot from getting... snotterlogged? Sorry.

The outers are windproof and water resistant, rather than actually waterproof, but the resistance is good and keeps out a fair amount of rain. And even when they start to get saturated, they stay warm.

Having used these for a bit of mountain biking as well, I tested the durability quite thoroughly. Plenty of brambles and the odd tree has scraped along the backs, and nothing has ripped. That bodes well for longevity.

Value

At £59.99 they're a decent amount of cash to put down on a pair of gloves but for me, it's well spent if you're looking for warmth above all else.

Although they're not as warm, Spatz has the Thrmoz Deep Winter Gloves at £79.99, so you can easily spend more; but if you'd rather not, Decathlon has the Triban 900 Winter Cycling Gloves at £24.99. The Triban does the same job as the Velocis very well, though in a more basic way.

All in, with the excellent warmth on sub-zero days, decent breathability, good resistance to rain and excellent comfort, the Bontrager Velocis Softshell Cycling Gloves are a great buy for the deepest of winters.

Verdict

Brilliant for the coldest days, and fend off a fair bit of rain too