GribGrab Windster Gloves
Like all cyclists, I hate having cold hands. I also hate it when the gloves that I’m wearing don’t keep me warm when the chill really starts. Climbing the Dales and Lakes hills, the temperature can drop dramatically as the gradient rises, and the wind-chill can increase. I like to be warm. There’s nothing wrong with this, and these great winter gloves from Danish brand GripGrab do the job extremely well.
GripGrab know about the cold. After all, they’re from Denmark where winter temperatures can be chilly to say the least. In producing these gloves, they’ve put all their knowledge of keeping warm to good use. The materials used are both wind and water resistant, very useful indeed after this UK winter. On rides across the high dales moorlands, with a minus wind chill tearing at any open flesh, my hands remained warm and cosy, comforted and cossetted by the soft and smooth inner layer. You can feel the layering process that has gone on with the construction of the glove, and coming from a climbing background, I know the value of this. Well done GripGrab for using this, rather than simply using bulky fleece.
The outer layer is mixed, with a hi-vis soft and breathable back, knitted together with a tougher artificial suede palm that is also waterproof. The palm has well placed and well chosen ‘touch screen’ gel on the fingertips, which actually work very well – unlike many other brands. This gel is used more extensive on the palm itself, providing excellent grip (Grab!) and a well-placed DoctorGel 4mm pad for safety and comfort.
Pulling the glove on, it’s surprisingly close fitting for a winter glove, maintaining dexterity. The elastication and knitted cuffs hold in the warmth and are well sewn, with a quaility material once again used. Overall stitching of the panelling is high quality, and GripGrab have gone to pains to stitch the fingers on the outside to ensure a close fit around the fingers.
From a safety perspective, the hi-vis yellow provides a marginal gain, with motorists hopefully seeing you raise your hand to indicate turning. This may seem a small point, but small points count in staying safe on the roads. Branding is minimal and subtle, with silver reflective material used for the graphics, matched by reflective piping that actually adds to a stylish overall look. GripGrab have even gone as far as to add a ‘sweat wiper’ to the thumb of the glove!
Best of all though, whilst other gloves are often damp and soggy inside from sweat etc, as well as keeping the wind and rain out, these gloves from GripGrab really do breath, meaning that all that lies inside them are the warm hands of a contented cyclist, on road and trail. They’re a superb high quality winter glove that every cyclist should add to their kit, so go out and get a pair now. Full five stars GripGrab.
