Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves

The Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves are highly weatherproof, breathable and surprisingly nimble. I've used them for general riding, on and off road, and though initially I had some discomfort in my left hand, as the miles racked up this has settled and I've been able to cruise along for as long as my legs were willing.

> Buy now: Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves for £64.99 from Gorewear

Check out more options in our guide to the best winter cycling gloves.

Weatherproofing

Gore-Tex is something of an institution when it comes to weatherproofing and breathability. The C5's waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane has, according to Gorewear, over nine billion tiny holes per square inch, each one 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet but 700 times larger than water vapour, meaning rain is locked out but sweat can escape.

The backs of the gloves are made from 94% polyamide and 6% elastane, and in temperatures below zero my hands have remained just the right side of toasty.

The gloves actually arrived at October's close, when it was suitably dank and greasy in the mornings and temperatures ranged between 8 and 12°C. Ordinarily I'd go for a lighter mid-season glove in these conditions, but I was keen to see how well the C5s would evict moisture and, indeed, how warm my hands would get. On several rides of two to three hours at a decent pace, the gloves became faintly damp in the first 40 or so minutes, but from then on my hands stayed primarily dry.

Light but persistent rain can often soak quite deeply, but here it just settled on the backs and beaded up. Eventually the fabric will saturate, making the gloves feel a little weighty, and heavier, persistent rain will accelerate this – 45-60 minutes and the outers felt quite soggy, but my hands remained dry.

They're not waterproof in the submersible sense (I've tested this, so you don't have to), and really heavy rain will also make itself known, albeit slowly. Any faint dampness will lift given time, though, and I'd much rather a little dampness and accelerated wicking prowess than an impermeable fabric that left me feeling hot and clammy.

When the outers have become saturated, I've found myself needing to wrestle the gloves free, even with the Velcro closures fully undone.

Talking of which, that closure and the sensible cuff length afford an excellent overlapping seal with jerseys, preventing cold winds and wet stuff from getting funnelled inside.

The terry type panel is also nicely positioned for intuitive taming of runny noses.

Palms & padding

The leatherette palm is made from 65% polyurethane, 35% polyester. I was slightly sceptical about the lack of silicone detailing to ensure reliable grip in the wet, though this proved unfounded: the palms have offered good tenure to the various bar tapes on my fleet of bikes.

The 100% polyester padding is of uniform density – no ulnar-defending tech here, which, for me at least, is no bad thing since they can be either blissfully comfortable or induce precisely the discomfort they're intended to prevent. It does a convincing job of isolating vibration and shock, although, as I said at the start of the review, it did take a while to settle.

Initially I did a fair few miles off the tarmac, along green lanes, bridleways and dirt roads, and for the first 45 minutes or so of such a ride I would feel a nagging discomfort in that area between thumb and forefinger. I put this down to riding without my insoles, which correct a tiny but significant imbalance on my left side, but insoles in and sticking to tarmac for the next couple of outings changed nothing.

It only affected my left hand, and wasn't worsened by riding off road, but began easing after around 60 miles, suggesting the padding needed time to settle. And from 125 miles onwards I've been comfortable doing several hours' mixed terrain meandering.

Dexterity

Dexterity is good for a heavier duty winter glove. I was able to retrieve bottles, jackets, phones and a compact camera from pockets without undue faff, though things got a little trickier when fine motor skills were required – switching on or altering the settings on the camera.

Opening sealed snacks and energy bars took practice but I had no issues opening zipped bike luggage and delving around inside for stuff, and I've been able to wield multi-tools and bigger tyre levers without needing to remove the gloves.

There's no touchscreen tech in the fingertips, so when it comes to phones, don't expect to do much more than make a call or send a voice message.

The gloves come in two colours, black or neon yellow, which might be very useful in the winter visibility stakes, along with a strip of reflective detailing. Black is ultra practical in the sense of hiding dirt and also looks less technical off the bike, expanding the gloves' horizons to walking, running and other outdoor activities.

Sizing/fit

I'm typically a medium by most brands these days, but going by the size guide a large proved bang on. For reference, I have long digits and had a millimetre or two's wriggle room at the tips, but I think medium would have been a touch too snug.

Durability

Plenty of miles away from the asphalt and the usual attacks from thorny foliage have made zero impression upon the gloves – not so much as a bobble or loose thread, which is reassuring.

Washing is very straightforward: pop them in the machine at 30 degrees with minimum detergent and leave to dry naturally. I've found they will take a few hours to dry thoroughly; if anything, it's been quicker than other winter weight gloves of similar tog-weight I've used.

Value

While £64.99 is quite an investment, you can also spend twice as much – or more! – for this type of winter glove. The Assos GTO Ultraz Winter Thermo Rain Gloves, for example, promise to deliver long-distance comfort in winter's harshest conditions, but you'll pay £165 for the pleasure. And Castelli's Espresso GT Gloves, designed for temperatures between -4 and 10°C, come in at £140.

You can, of course, spend less: I rated Altura's £55 All Roads last year for their dexterity, low bulk and grippy palms, as well as their waterproofing. The C5s have a definite edge when temperatures are really tanking, though.

Conclusion

The Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Thermo gloves are a sizeable investment but repay this with excellent defence against the elements and good protection from vibration. Compared with other deep winter designs I've tried, dexterity is also superior, so there's less call to remove them out in the cold, if you have a mechanical, say.

However, some silicon detailing on the fingertips would improve connectivity with phones and other touchscreen devices – something that could be a deal-breaker if you're spending this kind of money on winter gloves.

> Buy now: Gorewear C5 Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves for £64.99 from Gorewear

Verdict

Capable midwinter gloves that also perform well in milder weather