Pearl Izumi calls the Summit WxB glove a mountain bike glove. Don't worry, they work great on a road bike. Many of the best unpadded long finger gloves carry the mountain bike tag and this is yet another one. In the mountain bike world they are often summer specific but the Summit WxB is a bit more robust than that.

The other useful thing to remember is that you should bring more than one pair of gloves. In some ways, this is the counter to my first piece of advice. Not everyone is as cold as me and having another option solves that challenge. It's not always about options though, changing gloves mid-ride is the only way to manage a long winter ride if it's raining. I promise you will not mind the extra bulk of a second set of gloves when you change into them. Is there such a thing as waterproof gloves? We really rated these Specialized Prime Series Thermal gloves for a more of a mild winter option, ideal for the late autumn and early spring riding in changeable conditions.

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Read more details in our full Sportful Lobster gloves review . How to choose the best winter cycling gloves Not many people enjoy riding in the rain, but if you're going to keep your training up through the winter, then you're going to want the best winter cycling glove to handle even the wettest weather. The Xnetic's low weight also means that once on you barely notice that you're wearing them. This can also be attributed to the high level of stretch, which sees the glove forming to your hand shape with ease. It also creates a good seal at the wrist, stopping any unwanted drafts from entering.

Riding on wet or even icy roads can be treacherous, so being completely in control of your bike is more essential than ever. Even holding on to the handlebars in the wet can be difficult, particularly if you're using smooth bar tape. The answer depends on the timeframe we are talking about. A good pair of gloves with a waterproof membrane, or even a DWR coating, will keep your hands dry for a while. Ride long enough though and they all saturate. The only option that is actually waterproof is a shell. Sportful makes a shell I included here but there are some others out there. They are truly waterproof but they also require another glove for warmth and that second glove will eventually get wet also. When you leave the house on a bitterly cold day, you might make it through a ride with only a single pair of gloves. If you leave the house and it's raining you will need a change of gloves if you ride longer than about three hours. How many winter gloves do you need? A nose wipe is an absorbent patch, usually located on the thumb with which to wipe a running nose. Most of the best winter gloves for cycling will have one. However they aren't all created equal. If you suffer from a runny nose when cycling in cold weather it's worth looking for a glove with a generously sized wipe. It's also vital that it's made using a soft material, such as a fleece-like material that feels pleasant against the skin. This area is also useful for wiping rain and road grime off your cycling glasses.Like any windproof outer layer, a waterproof layer on the best winter cycling gloves should be impermeable to the outside elements to keep your hands dry, but should also be breathable to prevent your hands overheating, particularly over the course of long rides. Neoprene gloves work by holding water close to your skin and allowing it to work as insulation. The problem is that they don't work when the outside air is near freezing. The outside air overcomes your body's ability to warm the water and you have both wet and cold hands. You have to keep the outside air away from the neoprene and if you put them inside of a shell glove it solves everything. The shell will leak but the water that comes through will become a part of your insulation. You can remain warm and comfortable for hours with a pair of neoprene gloves inside a shell. What are the warmest winter cycling gloves? Sealskinz ‘Fusion Control’ refers to its triple layer construction: a merino wool inner lining, a hydrophilic waterproof membrane, and a soft-shell outer layer made from durable goatskin. The intention is to provide a close-fitting, breathable, waterproof glove that allows for flexible movement of the fingers. Are Sealskins gloves any good? Instead of a hook and loop closure, Castelli uses a zippered closure. The Espresso GT also uses a longer cut at the wrist, a squared-off fingertip shape, and lots of silicone grip material on the palm. The overall effect is a less bulky feeling that is faster to get on and off and has a better connection with your bars than the Gore glove.

Read our full Specialized Prime Series Thermal Gloves full review here HOW TO CHOOSE Does owning a pair of winter cycling gloves make a difference? It's easy to find replacement batteries or a charger since they aren't unique to these gloves (Image credit: Josh Ross) VerdictAssos is second to market with a game changing product for those who ride in cold rain. Given that no glove is truly waterproof, the best you can hope for is warm and wet. Neoprene gloves will keep you warm even when wet but if the outside air is too cold then they need protection. A shell glove provides that protection but keep in mind, you won't be able to use a shell on its own. Not only would it not provide much warmth but the Assos RSR Thermo rain shell gloves use a five finger (standard glove) design that's sized perfectly to fit over the top of standard gloves in the same size. Without something as a liner, you'll swim in these gloves. We loved the minimal padding on these, and found them the perfect winter cycling glove for it's excellent grip in all weather. with zero dexterity compromises, including both navigating a touch screen and unwrapping a mid ride energy bar. They're certainly a performance pair and we found them to be the best winter cycling glove to pull on for winter league racing. Keeping the gloves clean requires care. Sealskinz recommends just spot cleaning. The gloves can’t be machine-washed, dry cleaned, tumble dried or ironed. So if you did fall in the mud during a gravel ride you may have to wave goodbye to the prospect of seeing your gloves perfectly clean in the future! Finding the best winter cycling gloves is a lifelong project for most cyclists. Unlike other sports, cycling requires holding your hands out in front of your body without moving for long periods of time. It's the hardest test of any gloves and it's a challenge I've thrown the full weight of this publication into solving. I talked to brands, I ran gloves under the faucet, and more important than any of that, I rode for hours on end no matter what the weather looked like. I tested every pair of gloves I could in cold and wet weather to see what worked and what didn't. Neoprene gloves seem like the perfect solution to riding in the rain. In reality, that is true but only when the rain is reasonably warm. As long as the air isn't too cold your hands will get wet then warm the water in the neoprene and you'll be toasty warm. If that's your riding environment then neoprene gloves are a great option and there are a ton to choose from.