B'Twin 900 Winter Cycling Gloves

The BTwin 900 Winter Cycling Gloves are designed for cold weather rides around the three-hour mark. For less than £20 and as an overall package, they are genuinely impressive.

These aren't an impervious design, which for me at least is a blessing since I find those with a waterproof TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) liner can become uncomfortably clammy, especially on very cold but sunny days.

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Black is an extremely practical colour, especially in grotty weather when tackling a flat or mechanical. Intelligently used 'stealth' reflective detailing on the backs and bold Scotchlite offers reasonable night-time presence when indicating or passing junctions. There is a fluoro yellow alternative should you prefer.

Staying with the backs for a moment, these are a water-repelling polyester designed to withstand persistent, showery rain not full blown submersion. Suffice to say, I've only contemplated reaching for my Gore-tex over-mitts on one very wet three-hour ride.

The lining is a 120g fleece fabric called 'Softermic', which is very tactile, although occasionally caught on one ring, causing it to bunch a little. On the plus side, the liner is tethered to the fingertips, which prevents it plopping out in a big ungainly clump when you remove your hands or following a machine wash.

Speaking of which... so long as you stick to non-biological detergents and avoid contact with fabric conditioners, these can be bunged in with the household load at 30 degrees with no problems. They're not particularly quick drying after going through the machine, though they're not bad on that score while you're riding, following sharp showers and torrential blasts.

That lining does its job well, too: my fingers have at times felt slightly damp but the fleece component keeps them warm.

Long Lycra cuffs with Velcro closures continue the weather-cheating theme, achieving excellent overlap with jerseys, thus preventing cold, wet stuff getting blown inside. Sizing too is very accurate; our large fitted me like the proverbial.

Palms have become so much better in recent years, faux leathers in particular. Coupled with the silicone detailing, these offer excellent grip whatever the weather and indeed handlebar covering. Purchase has been perfect with silicone rubbers, polymers, glossy leathers and cork alike. Even old school bike ribbons didn't present any nervous moments.

Tech-friendly digits are a must for most of us these days, and the 900 gloves proved consistently dependable. Ulnar-defending gel blobs are one of those details that can be seriously hit 'n' miss, often inducing precisely the numbness and tingling they are supposed to alleviate in my experience. Thankfully, this isn't the case with the 'technogel' pads here, which compress and provide excellent defence for low level road and even light trail vibration.

> Buyer's Guide: the best winter cycling gloves 

Compared with some of the softshell or curved-finger designs out there, the 900s felt a bit restrictive for the first 100 or so miles. Locking up in the street, rummaging through a pannier or jersey pocket proved a bit challenging during this period, but I've been able to wield tyre levers, multi tools and so on without having to remove them.

Some commentators have also suggested they tend to become overly hot in milder temperatures. Much of the test period was characterised by arctic blasts, but I haven't felt soggy when these have eased. I did note a bit of gentle airflow at the fingers, which reinforces my point about waterproofing but certainly wasn't uncomfortable when the mercury dipped close to zero.

Ultimately, there are impervious softshell models offering better dexterity for similar money, but for me at least, they don't match the 900's comfort and refinement.

Verdict

Very competent winter gloves for training and general road riding