Gore Bike Wear Power Windstopper Softshell Lady Gloves

These female specific cool weather gloves are aimed squarely at demanding women riders looking for long ride comfort in inclement conditions, but the Gore Bike Wear Power Windstopper Softshell Lady Gloves come without the full-on weather protection of the Countdown Gore-Tex or the extra warmth of some of the higher end unisex/men's gloves.

Available in four colour combos, including a pink variant if that's your thing, these are smart looking gloves and a change from the usual plain black (unless you choose the plain black, obviously). I was delighted to see that the pair sent for test matched my bike. These things are important. Utilizing Gore's Windstopper fabrics, they are designed to be wind and water resistant, whilst still allowing the skin to breathe and therefore reducing sweat induced discomfort and potential chilling in cold conditions.

A soft fuzzy lining is also intended to help out with thermal benefits and wicking. They have high elasticated cuffs, with a reflective logo, a toweling nose wipe, and a silicone gripper on the upper palm, as well as two strategically placed foam pads on the palm to enhance comfort. The fingers are articulated and pre shaped.

On the bike, these were well suited to road riding, with the shaping of the fingers, the fit, cuff length and padding all making them good for dropped bars or flat. They were warm enough for pretty much everything down to about freezing. In rain, they kept the worst off, even though they're not intended to be fully waterproof, and kept my hands warm and comfortable. The comfort extended to the palms too, with little or no problem with numbness, even on a long ride. The cuffs were cosy and fitted nicely over the fastenings on most jacket cuffs. The reflectivity isn't astounding, but at least there's some there.

The female specific fit of Gore's gloves is very subtly different from the company's unisex gloves. It's not a simple matter of rebranding them as 'women's' and making them a different colour (shrinking and pinking is the 'technical term' I believe); the ratio of finger length to palm length and distance to wrist is all very slightly adjusted. I found the size medium to be absolutely spot on for me, even accommodating my comparatively long thumbs (a problem with many gloves) without being in any way long in the fingers or baggy. I have reviewed Gore's unisex gloves too, and find the fit of the women's medium to be similar to that of the unisex size small, but differently proportioned.

These are also available in a men's version.

Verdict

Ideal for cooler road rides where maintaining comfort is crucial, no matter the weather. Not bad value either.