Ale Winter Cycling Gloves
Larisa Chinces & Robert Thorpe
Here’s the deal people: “It’s not over until it’s over!” Yes, the cold winds of winter will stay for a while yet, especially in the high passes and hill areas. Hands and feet need to be looked after and these winter gloves from Alé work from around 8+ to -2 degrees. They’re beautifully made, well thought out, but best of all, you can actually use your fingers when you’re wearing them! Trust us, this is especially important when you have little delicate hands to protect.
All too often, winter gloves become unwieldy to ladies hands and small men’s hands, but we need protecting just the same … if not even more so! Our hands are important to us. Thankfully, testing these over the winter here in Transylvania, and with Robert testing them in the hills of North Yorkshire, we’ve both been super impressed with them – and here’s why.
First of all, you want a glove that’s not too bulky, but is very tough, and Alé rely on the technicity of their fabrics to keep these gloves comfortable. The poliammide used on the palm is excellent for wicking, retaining heat and super strong and stretchy too. The thinsulate insulation is of the highest quality and it’s all brought together beautifully, with a soft lining. The palms have well placed gel padding and there’s some neat rubber strips for protection on the fingers. The cuffs are high on the wrists, with an elasticated fabric to help getting the gloves on and off, and a high quality hook and eye fastener. In fact, the fabric used in the glove oozes quality and is very tough in use, showing little wear and tear over a busy winter riding period, both here in a Transylvania and in Yorkshire.
The snug fit is increased due to the elasticated band that brings the glove into the wrist just beyond the palm and back of the hand. In use, it really does fit snugly and keeps the cold and icy wind out.
How does it perform in the wet? It’s not a waterproof glove, which is why the soft shell material allows such easy hand movement and use, but it does keep most water away from your hands as they’re tucked away warmly inside. They also look good for a winter glove, which is critical for us ladies 😉 They have hi vis luminescent yellow used to trim the overall black glove, and a neat Alé logo on the back of the hand, producing a subtly stylish glove, giving lots of protection to my hands and keeping me very warm. Hands can lose heat quickly with poor gloves and leave the winter cyclist unhappy, so it’s reassuring to have such a good technical item to rely on.
Operating the gears and brake levers is easy with the Alé gloves on, even for the smallest and most delicate of ladies hands 😉 The Alé winter glove allowed lots of movement on rides, allowed me to access my pockets too and fitted my hands close and snugly. They’re also reasonably priced and finished superbly, showing the high quality of this excellent Italian brand. Both Robert and I came to the same conclusion using these gloves – we both loved them and believe that they’ll last you for years. Getting a good winter glove makes riding in the cold fun again. Remember, winter miles make summer smiles, so get some of these Alé gloves in your kit bag.