GripGrab Ride Winter Gloves Review
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Danish cycling company, GripGrab have nearly two decades of experience in making cycling accessories. With the arrival of winter, the company has a great portfolio of socks and gloves for protection against the elements. I have been testing the GripGrab Ride Winter Gloves, which replace the GripGrab Urban Softshell glove.
The Technology
The GripGrab Ride Winter gloves are designed and pitched as an all-rounder winter cycling glove. They are thick and insulated but less bulky that some winter cycling gloves. The gloves are made from a Polyester blend. Their multi-layered construction is soft and fleecy on the inside for warmth and comfort. The outside of the gloves have a windproof shell that has a water-repellent finish.
The back of the hand features a reflective logo and pattern for improved visibility during night rides. The palm has a 4mm DoctorGel pad for cushioning and comfort holding the handlebars. It's also covered in a silicone print pattern for enhanced grip. The thumb has a soft sweat/nose wipe - whilst the tip is touch-screen compatible. There is no Velcro, zip or button fastening on the gloves so they are easy to slip on and off. There is also an extended knitted cuff to help prevent cold air getting between the gloves and the cuff of your jacket or jersey.
The GripGrab Ride Winter gloves are unisex and come in a wide range of sizes. Available from extra extra small to extra extra large (5"-11" hand circumference). This makes them suitable for nearly all adult riders.
In Use
I can be quite fussy when it comes to cycling gloves. I can't really handle anything too bulky. It sounds strange but I still need to maintain a degree of feeling between my hands and the handlebars. As a result I would usually opt for wearing two (sometimes three) pairs of liner gloves over wearing a more conventional winter glove. So the GripGrab Ride Winter gloves had a tough test with me. But these gloves perform incredibly well. I have been testing a size XL or 10" (25.9cm) and the fit is very good. They are close enough to not be too bulky - but I have enough room for a thin liner glove if the temperature plummets. The lining is very comfortable and combined with the windproof exterior, the gloves feel very warm. The Ride Winter gloves are suitably breathable but I found my hands got a little sweaty on a longer ride. Although the temperature was closer to double figures that zero degrees.
The silicone print grip works really well. Thanks to some pretty miserable weather conditions, these gloves even proved themselves to keep their grip in the wet. The gloves a not or do they aim to be fully waterproof, but the water-repellent finish does a good job of keeping hands dry in light showers.
One of my favourite features of these gloves is the extended, knitted cuff. The exclusion of any kind of fastening means the gloves can simply be pulled on. The knitted cuff makes this task a bit easier if you are attempting to pull the gloves on whilst riding. It also acts as a great barrier against drafts up the sleeves. I find cycling jackets and jerseys can be notorious for having sleeves that are 'just a little bit' too short when riding on a road bike. But the cuff on the GripGrab Ride Winter gloves sits perfectly between the glove and the cuff of all of me winter jerseys and jackets.
GripGrab Ride Winter Gloves Review Conclusion
If you are someone who's hands really feel the cold when cycling in winter, finding the right gloves can be a real headache. GripGrab seem to have struck a good balance between warmth and comfort, and a gloves that don't feel like you're about to go skiing. There is little that I can really fault with the pair I have been testing. They seem to have survived all of the conditions they have been put through so far. Perhaps the only little niggle is that the sweat (snotty nose) wipe isn't as soft as some gloves. That's just me being picky though. It will also be interesting to see how long the silicone print survives being washed. Overall though - these are really very good winter gloves.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_style="solid-icon" message_box_color="blue" icon_fontawesome="fa fa-shopping-cart"]
GripGrab Ride Winter Gloves available from:
Wiggle - £33.95[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]