Castelli CW 3.0 Gloves
November 18, 2011
I got these gloves as part of the swag bag I received at SIDI Press Camp. I didn’t need them on that trip but I took them home to Alaska and have been trying them out. I didn’t really have high expectations because it’s really cold here and even the most insulated gloves don’t tend to keep me warm, but the Castelli gloves have been a huge surprise. I’ve used them in temps from the low 20s to single digits, and I have completed all those rides without cold hands which has to be a first when it comes to winter biking.
I wore them without overgloves or heaters in the low 20s and stayed perfectly comfortable. I usually get cold when riding bikes so this was pretty amazing. On my single-digit ride I put air-activated heaters at my wrists by tucking them inside the cuff of the gloves, and topped off that arrangement with a big pair of overmittens. I took a chance with this one as I doubted I’d stay warm but although my feet froze (again), my hands were perfectly fine the entire three hour ride. Pretty amazing.
The women’s small size was way too tiny for me and I was barely able to even get them on, so SIDI gave me a pair of men’s small gloves which are too big. I think that’s okay though because a little extra air space can be beneficial in the winter (but only a little; slightly big is okay but baggy doesn’t work). My only beef is the Velcro closure. I don’t know why Velcro is so prevalent in outdoors accessories because it’s just deadly on jerseys and base layers. Elastic would be better.
If you can find these and you’ve got the cold hands issue, give them a try; I think they’re pretty good.
