Lobster Claws, really?

[Lise]

I ran an 8K Turkey Trot today. The temp was 19F, windchill -6 (if you live somewhere warm and don't know what windchill is...well, I'm just jealous). As soon as I stopped running and walked back to my car, my fingers nearly froze off. I was wearing the thin base gloves I usually wear, covered with Patagonia wind-stopper gloves. Pretty heavy duty, and they felt like paper bags. Is it just too damned cold to be outside, anyways, or would some of those lobster claw gloves have made a difference? I mean, especially with riding, where my hands are out there on the frontline. I want to ride this winter, but I don't want to sacrifice digits. Experiences?

[pkq]

When it's really cold, I layer gloves and use those cheap chemical heat packs from Wal Mart. Those things work great. I use them in my cycling shoes, too.

[Grog]

Why not just plain old mittens?

I have good mittens that I have worn at -40 (Celcius) and for as long as I was moving/walking I was okay. But even basic mittens (with windbreaker) will help keep your fingers warm, simply because they're all together.

[Selkie]

Lobster claws made a big difference for me. They really aren't too hard to acclimate to for shifting, breaking, and gripping. I have some of those chemical handwarmers on order from REI and intend to use them on extra cold days.

For running, I would go with a good old pair of mittens with windstopper protection. You can always wear glove liners beneath them.

[Lise]

Mittens! Duh! I knew that! Got a little too techical for my own good. All the things I "knew" about being outside in the cold weather from long ago, before I owned a car, are coming back to me. For example, my feet do better in the cold when I wear knee-high nylons under the thin wool socks. I am going to try the lobster glove/mittens for riding though. Thanks, all! L.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've used Lobster Claws for the last few winters. I go from my summer cycling gloves, to summer gloves with a light glove liner under them to an insulated winter cycling glove to PI AmFib Lobster Gloves as the temperatures go down. I really prefer gloves to the lobsters from a dexterity standpoint, but when it's really gold I need the lobsters...

--- Denise

[massbikebabe]

Denise...

How much snow did you guys get yesterday?? We got up around three inches or so. Need them warm clothes stuff today huh??

karen

[DeniseGoldberg]

Denise...

How much snow did you guys get yesterday?? We got up around three inches or so. Need them warm clothes stuff today huh??

karen

Oh, ouch! I have no idea because I'm at my sister's outside of Philadelphia for the weekend. I was really hoping that we didn't get any because I was hoping to ride when I get home on Sunday (early flight is supposed to get me to Manchester by 11:30am, so I'm really hoping for dry roads!).

I thought about bringing a bike with me, but the weather forecast for here matched that from home, which called for rain/snow (but we only got rain here) and cold weather, so I figured it would be a weekend for walking... It's only supposed to warm up to 36 even here...

--- Denise

[annie]

Lise,

The lobster gloves, the ones made specifically for biking, are going to be better than regular mittens simply because they'll grip the bars better than other mittens. Not so much sliding around. I agree with Denise: I'd prefer gloves, for a better grip, but when it's extremely cold, the lobsters are better for warmth. That said, I wear gloves, no matter what, with liner gloves underneath for extra warmth. I have awesome PI gloves, a little large, so I can fit a layer of liner gloves as a base layer. It works for me...... if not, I'd go with the lobsters.

It was extremely cold here, too, for an early morning turkey day run! Probably very much the same as your experience. (I'm in Iowa.) Plus N winds of 15-20 mph. I wimped out! Did not do the local T trot, rode my bike on the trainer instead. So I salute you for braving the cold!!!!! Congrats!! You are a braver woman than I.

annie

[Lise]

Lise,

The lobster gloves, the ones made specifically for biking, are going to be better than regular mittens simply because they'll grip the bars better than other mittens. Not so much sliding around. I agree with Denise: I'd prefer gloves, for a better grip, but when it's extremely cold, the lobsters are better for warmth. That said, I wear gloves, no matter what, with liner gloves underneath for extra warmth. I have awesome PI gloves, a little large, so I can fit a layer of liner gloves as a base layer. It works for me...... if not, I'd go with the lobsters.

It was extremely cold here, too, for an early morning turkey day run! Probably very much the same as your experience. (I'm in Iowa.) Plus N winds of 15-20 mph. I wimped out! Did not do the local T trot, rode my bike on the trainer instead. So I salute you for braving the cold!!!!! Congrats!! You are a braver woman than I. annie

Thanks for the tips, Annie. I had talked five friends into doing the run with me, so I would've looked like a major weenie if I didn't do it. No way is that going to happen! But I seriously thought I might've damaged my fingertips. Not while running--my hands were fine in just the base layer when running. As soon as I was done, though, even with the windstopper gloves back on, the popsicle effect set in. I was just over at the SportsBasement page, cruising some Primaloft mittens. Don't even know what Primaloft is, but it sounds toasty! SB owes me some money back, so I'll probably get the mittens, and use my two layers of gloves for riding when it's warm/dry enough. I'm as scared of ice as I am of freezing my fingers! Who knows, maybe I'll invest in a trainer. I just like being outside a lot. I never dreamed that would happen! Stay warm out there on the prairie! Lise

[SalsaMTB]

For extreme cold, I would go for the layers and the chemical warmers also. The fingertips get the least circulation and with the moisture from sweat, it leads to cold fingers. Only thing to keep them warm are the chemical warmers that last hours. They're cheap and get the job done