# Cycling with Raynaud's



## Carol C (5 Dec 2011)

Hi - does anyone else have Raynaud's phenomenon? I'm wearing two pairs of gloves, but my fingers are still going white and numb when I am cycling; same with my feet. Also getting wrist/back of hand pain. Certainly not going to stop cycling so would be pleased if any fellow sufferers can offer constructive advice. Thanks.


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## ianrauk (5 Dec 2011)

oh dear. I Can imagine it must be horrible living with Raynaud's.
I do remember a couple of threads a while back discussing it.
Have a search, see what you can dig up.


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## ColinJ (5 Dec 2011)

My sister suffers from it (but doesn't ride a bike) and I tend to get cold extremities but not to quite the same extent.

I think you need to make sure that the gloves aren't tight and cutting off your circulation.

The best solution that I've tried is well-fitting silk glove liners and a slightly looser than normal pair of windproof/breathable/waterproof gloves on top.

Some people swear by Lobster gloves.


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## summerdays (5 Dec 2011)

Yes ... I suffer ... though not as bad as normal this year due to the mild start to the winter. I'm wearing a pair of Sealskinz winter gloves with a pair of thick liner gloves underneath (silk just didn't do it for me). And two pairs of socks, one of them being Endura thermalite ones in warm hush puppy boots (slightly large to fit in the 2nd pair of socks so I'm not restricting the flow that way). And a buff under my helmet. Together with way more layers on my body than normal cyclists. For me the way to go seems to be to keep the core and the ankles/wrists warm. Onne day recently cycled with a down gillet on under a Altura Nightvision jacket when I was particularly cold and I didn't over heat.

I've bought loads of gloves over the years ...

And a hot drink helps - I often take a flash of coffee or herbal drink with me to take to try to warm me up a little.

That said I'm contemplating looking at medicines to help as I'm sure I end up with some nerve damage in one particular finger every winter, and I may be developing glaucoma (currently under investigation) and they seemed to think the history of Raynaulds was relevant.


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## Zoiders (5 Dec 2011)

I have tried all combinations of clothing to combat it and I dont think you can stop it as you are still having to huff down cold air which lowers your core temp from the inside and sets off the over blown vasal reaction no matter what you do.

Simple answer is to treat it like a cold injury in a person who does not have raynauds, it's exactly the same thing - you just get it quicker.

Stop, get your gloves off and get the circulcation back and then push on as hard as possible to get the core temp back up, this is the only treatment for it I have found, it hurts though and there is no avoiding it if you want to ride all winter.


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## Dan B (5 Dec 2011)

IIRC according to wikipedia, coffee is contra-indicated because the caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor. Switch to decaf ;-)

I've had this since forever and not really found a good solution: it doesn't really matter how many layers of gloves you have if your fingers are already white as there's no heat to keep in. I didn't know until I read up on it recently that vibration can also be a trigger, but now I try to avoid rubbing my hands or anything like that to warn my hands up: instead I wiggle my fingers when I feel it coming on - which kind of helps sometimes maybe sort of


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## cyberknight (5 Dec 2011)

Make sure your feet and hands start warm as it delays the onset .

My morning commute is colder than my homeward ride but i am fine as my bike is in the garage and i am warm , coming home i have to spend a few minutes sticking the rack etc back on the bike and my hand s can take up to half an hour to get feeling back into them.

I am going to experiment with wearing a thin pair of gloves that i can have enough dexterity to stick lights etc on before switching to thicker gloves for the ride.


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## summerdays (5 Dec 2011)

Dan B said:


> IIRC according to wikipedia, coffee is contra-indicated because the caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor. Switch to decaf ;-)


 
I have been known to use a common vascodilator but only at the end of the day!!! It does help ... but my boss wouldn't approve of me using it during the working day.


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## Asa Post (5 Dec 2011)

summerdays said:


> I have been known to use a common vascodilator but only at the end of the day!!! It does help ... but my boss wouldn't approve of me using it during the working day.


 
That would be garlic, I suppose


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## ColinJ (5 Dec 2011)

Asa Post said:


> That would be garlic, I suppose


(Cut lengthy Off Topic garlic story ...)

I love garlic and don't understand why people have such a problem with the smell of it. It's very good for you and it is delicious!


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## totallyfixed (5 Dec 2011)

You are certainly not alone Carol, in some circumstances I have seen Mrs TF's hands turn white when it's been 20C! Lingering too long in the freezer isle in a supermarket can also lead to problems.
When cycling she wears three pairs of gloves if very cold or going slowly including Lobster gloves but nothing really works. I am now of the firm belief that when your exposed skin senses cold air or / and you breathe it in as Zoiders pointed out the reaction begins.
Only two things really help apart from very good insulating gloves [and in this department I would recommend ski mitts] and that is to have warm hands before you put the gloves on and excercise as hard as possible even if only in short bursts. When you have the opportunity, windmill your arms to force blood back into the extremities. Bizarrely I have the opposite problem and don't need gloves!
Have a look at these http://www.primrose.co.uk/warmawear-deluxe-heated-gloves-p-5241.html?src=list_btn&cPath=37_1189 there are others if you google "electrical heated gloves"


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## Hacienda71 (6 Dec 2011)

My Dad has it and I remember him being in agony trying to get his hands back to normal from their white state. He did a 30 mile commute for many years on his bike, but he never has found a total solution. I will ask him what was best in his case though.


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## summerdays (6 Dec 2011)

Asa Post said:


> That would be garlic, I suppose


Err yes .. that would be it ....  
(_hic_)


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## andyjee86 (6 Dec 2011)

Reynauds is awful. I've had it since I was about 12, now 25. Though it's only REALLY getting to me now I'm cycling more and the winters here. On Sunday I was wearing 2 pairs of gloves, 2 pairs of socks and a pair of shoe covers and I had a Reynauds attack from the second I hit some wind, which lasted in my feet for the whole ride, and in my hands til I found a cafe with a radiator. It was a 75 mile ride and half way through I got hypothermia, couldn't talk and shivered violently for over an hour in the cafe hugging the radiator, it was an awful experience and I thought I could possibly die (I was wearing Specialized Sub-Zero lobster gloves too!) I'm going out Thursday evening armed with a total of 4 pairs of gloves and a minimum of 3 pairs of socks. These gloves include liners, 2 normal pairs of good quality winter cycling gloves, and finally the Specialized Sub-Zero lobsters. I'm also gonna try squeeze some portable hand warmers down there, but as you can imagine, space is very limited now. I can barely move my fingers with the 4 pairs on, but if it prevents an attack (which, it bloody better do) it'll be worth it. I will report back :-). Good luck to all you Reynaud's cyclists out there, it's only gonna get colder... :-(


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## Carol C (6 Dec 2011)

Hacienda71 said:


> My Dad has it and I remember him being in agony trying to get his hands back to normal from their white state. He did a 30 mile commute for many years on his bike, but he never has found a total solution. I will ask him what was best in his case though.


Thanks, would appreciate it - Carol


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## Zoiders (7 Dec 2011)

[QUOTE 1636433, member: 9609"]Its worth taking a look at what Raynaulds actually is, simply using more and more gloves and socks is not necessarily going to help.

Raynaulds is an overreaction, in the same way negligible amounts of pollen can cause hayfever, with raynaulds cold air to any part of the body can cause the body to react in the same way it does to the onset of hypothermia by trying to protect its core temperature in closing down the blood supply to the extremities; i.e. cold icy air around the neck may cause white fingers and toes even if the hands and feet were not particularly cold. So possibly keeping cold air off other areas of uncovered skin may be as useful as bigger gloves.

I suffer from what I would describe as an unusual version of raynaulds (_my doctor says its a classic example and not that unusual_) I only get Raynaulds in the summer months, very hot day with shorts and tea shirt on, get into a car with powerful air con, or go into the chiller section of a supermarket and my fingers can turn white, strange and very unpleasant especially when they start to warm up. I'm not really sure why I don't get it in the cold winter months.[/quote]The vasal constriction is triggered by rapid differences in temperature not just extreme cold, everyone can suffer from it if you make the difference between the two enough. Once you get over an attack though I find I can quite happily function in the cold for long periods.

If you try warming up too fast it creates complete agony in the extremities, even for those with out raynaurds.

As we do have Raynaurds we just experience it more rapidly and more often.


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## summerdays (7 Dec 2011)

Well I went to the GP today and now have two prescriptions ... can't remember what the drug one was but the standard drug for Raynauds but low dose (as I hate the idea of being on medication), and as an alternative copper cream ointment. I haven't had time to pick up either yet and going to try the cream first.

I have to try and overheat my body so that it seems to pump the blood to my extremities. Also I think I can trigger it sometimes by just thinking about how my fingers are feeling - its almost as if I can hear my brain sending the message to my fingers saying OK time to shut down - a sort of tension.

I don't find the blood going back too painful just throbbing and tingly ... but it is always a welcome sensation that the flow is returning after what can seem a long time without proper circulation.


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## Hacienda71 (7 Dec 2011)

Carol C said:


> Thanks, would appreciate it - Carol


 
Spoke to my Dad his two main tips were to wear good quality gloves but not tight gloves, circulation needs to be free rather than restricted. Also he swings his arms horizontally so he is slapping himself on the back to try to regain\maintain blood flow to his fingers (not possible on the bike though). No miracle cure I'm afraid. He was aware of drug treatments but didn't try them himself.


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## JDP (8 Jan 2012)

Hacienda71 said:


> Spoke to my Dad his two main tips were to wear* good quality gloves but not tight gloves, circulation needs to be free rather than restricted*. Also he *swings his arms horizontally so he is slapping himself on the back to try to regain\maintain blood flow* to his fingers (not possible on the bike though). No miracle cure I'm afraid. He was aware of drug treatments but didn't try them himself.


 
I suffer from this as well and this is good advice.
Also keeping me core body temprature up seems to help (base layers are good) and put gloves on 10 min before leaving the house and don't them off for anything! Jumping between hold/cold/hot/cold seems to be a big trigger for me.


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## DebbieB (2 Apr 2012)

I have Raynaud's and am training for the Seattle to Portland (STP) bike event. The product that saves my hands are Bar Mitts which can be found here: http://www.barmitts.com/index.php Now I am in despirate need of a solution for my feet-have tried the multiple socks, shoe booties, plastic bags and every possible combination of them. In the NW cold and rain, my toes are feeling it with every ride. But you have to check out the Bar Mitts! I even keep extra tissues and chapstick in my Bar MItts. The folks I train with are all jealous and my hands stay nice and toasty


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## The Jogger (2 Apr 2012)

Try gingko my sister in law swears by it, her toes use to be black with poor circulation from Raynauds but now a thing of the past.
http://www.avogel.co.uk/herbal-remedies/ginkgo-biloba-ginkgoforce/


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## Winnershsaint (5 Apr 2012)

I have got my feet sorted with Pro Tarmac neoprene overshoes with sole ventilation holes sealed with Duck Tape. This has avoided the white feet that I suffered the previous winter even though I wore toe covers on top of my shoes. The fingers are a slightly different story windproof gloves with a thin fleece glove under have proven to be fairly effective although not foolproof. To be honest I kind of got used to it until an experience in the Chilterns in the cold weather in late January. The guy I was with punctured at Christmas Common. His Garmin gave the temperature in the Stonor Valley as 3C. At Christmas Common it was 1C and frost was still on the ground. I was OK up to the point we were fixing the flat and i decided to have a glug from my bottle. Normally leakproof i didn't take into account that the cold may have caused the lid to contract so as I squeezed my right hand became soaked with cold water leaking out the top. Stopping even for a short while caused my left hand to start to go numb and by the time we were on our way again I'd lost feeling in both hands. Our route involved descending Pishill which was a scary experience with no ability to feel brake levers or have complete contact with the bars. All I could do was get on the drops and hold on. I had sausages stuffed in the fingers of my gloves. Having survived the descent and caught up with my mate I then tried to use the sausages to change gear as (I was still in the high gear). So no braking ability and no way to easily change gear. Then the icing on the cake. Around about Stonor village the tingles started in one or two of the sausages becoming increasingly painful as we progressed through Middle Assendon back towards Henley. The next few miles were amongst the most painful I've experienced on a bike as one by one the feeling came back and the sausages turned into fingers once more.


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## annedonnelly (7 Apr 2012)

The Jogger said:


> Try gingko my sister in law swears by it, her toes use to be black with poor circulation from Raynauds but now a thing of the past.
> http://www.avogel.co.uk/herbal-remedies/ginkgo-biloba-ginkgoforce/


 
I'm going to give this a try - got some tablets in Asda this morning. Thanks for the tip!


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## The Jogger (7 Apr 2012)

Good luck, hope you get the same results as my SIL let us know if yo do or don't.........


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## wakou (8 Apr 2012)

annedonnelly said:


> I'm going to give this a try - got some tablets in Asda this morning. Thanks for the tip!


 

Let us know how you get on, and tell us the product, how much etc please


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## annedonnelly (9 Apr 2012)

wakou said:


> Let us know how you get on, and tell us the product, how much etc please


 
Well, I just found something called gingko biloba amongst the vitamins in Asda - their own brand. It might not be the same strength, etc. as the stuff The Jogger mentioned. It was £4 for 120 tablets - at one a day that's about 4 months supply. So not expensive and worth giving it a try.


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## annedonnelly (19 Jul 2012)

Just thought I'd report back - I've been taking the gingko biloba tablets from Asda everyday since early April. My Raynaud's is worse than ever for the time of year  I think that's due to the weather.  But I don't think the tablets have improved things - I'm giving them up!

I'm pleased they work for some people, but they don't seem to have done me any good.


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## glasgowcyclist (19 Jul 2012)

I don't know if you ride roadie or mtb but the following links are for heated cycle grips:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/article/sea-otter-2011-a-final-gallery-30043/7/

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/sea-otter-heated-mtb-grips-revealed/09042

Would something like that help?


GC


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## glasgowcyclist (19 Jul 2012)

I forgot to mention these : http://fatbikes.com/dogwood-pogies.html


GC


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## HLaB (19 Jul 2012)

I don't know how he deals with it but the leader of Spokes Edinburgh rides has Raynauds, and it certainly hasn't held him back on the bike.


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## summerdays (19 Jul 2012)

I had a better year than normal - not sure why. 

I used to think I would invent heated handlebars - but I see someone has beaten me to it!


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## coffeejo (17 Oct 2013)

Thought I'd resurrect this thread rather than starting a new one to see if anyone's got any new reviews / recommendations of winter gloves etc suitable for cycling with Raynaud's.

Edit: I know much of the theory but it's the brands/makes I'm interested in as few manufacturers say whether or not their winter gloves are breathable.


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## hopless500 (17 Oct 2013)

Mr Hop has Raynaud's badly in his fingers. This time of year he cycles with full on winter waterproof/windproof gloves and goes as fast as he can to keep his circulation going. Further on into winter, he has to give in and take the prescription drugs for it. Also makes sure he keeps his head warm as this helps too.


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## coffeejo (17 Oct 2013)

Thanks hopeless () 

What brand of gloves does he use? I've found that most waterproof gloves aren't breathable and my hands end up just as wet.


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## hopless500 (17 Oct 2013)

coffeejo said:


> Thanks hopeless ()
> 
> What brand of gloves does he use? I've found that most waterproof gloves aren't breathable and my hands end up just as wet.


Not sure - I'll ask him when he gets home.


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## cyberknight (17 Oct 2013)

glasgowcyclist said:


> I forgot to mention these : http://fatbikes.com/dogwood-pogies.html
> 
> 
> GC


I am trying poggies this winter, not cold enough for them yet but they look promising.


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## hopless500 (17 Oct 2013)

coffeejo said:


> Thanks hopeless ()
> 
> What brand of gloves does he use? I've found that most waterproof gloves aren't breathable and my hands end up just as wet.


Apparently nowt particularly special - they're Altura Nightvision thinsulate ones. He said the padding helps dampen vibration down which slows the Raynaud's kicking in, and they don't appear to soak through when it's raining.


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## campagman (19 Oct 2013)

hopless500 said:


> Mr Hop has Raynaud's badly in his fingers. Further on into winter, he has to give in and take the prescription drugs for it.


I didn't know there were prescription drugs for this. What does he take? There is no cure it's just something that has to be 'managed'.


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## hopless500 (19 Oct 2013)

campagman said:


> I didn't know there were prescription drugs for this. What does he take? There is no cure it's just something that has to be 'managed'.


He's got Nifedipine. Ordinary and slow release. 
Or they can apparently snip a nerve (in the armpit region I think) that stops it, but the downside is constant high blood flow to the fingers.


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## CAS_LEDO (6 Nov 2013)

Hi,
I have a friend who suffers from Raynaud's, and last year did LEJOG. He wore high quality industrial gloves, the kind you'd use with a powerful drill or similar.
They are water, oil, everything proof, protect from the cold very well and obviously are extremely effective when it comes to dealing with vibrations. 
If I were you I'd give these a go, as no problems were experienced for him during the trip!

Good luck!


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## paul04 (10 Nov 2013)

I do suffer with Raynaud's, The worse bit is when your fingers start to warm up, its agony.
Last week riding the bike to work I could not use my right hand, so had to brake+change gears just using the left hand.
this week I am going to try some ski mittens to see if they work.


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## cyberknight (10 Nov 2013)

last weekend i went out and my feet got cold and wet, when the circulation returned i could not even stand up and ended up in bed for about half an hour till i could stand on them although they still felt funny a good 5-6 hours later.


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## Berties (10 Nov 2013)

google silver thread gloves-i was recommended them by a physio when i slashed a tendon and had it stitched and patched,my hands were cold for ages,highly recommend them ,and there are plenty of raynauds users


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## Jacks (14 Nov 2013)

As others have said, Raynaulds is an exaggerated form of a normal response to cold. This can be triggered by local skin temperature but also cool blood circulating in the extremities. You can get a lot of heat exchanged in the blood vessels of the arms (and legs) to minimise overall heat loss; so as cool blood from the edges returns to the centre, it is warmed up by the warmer blood flowing outwards. Therefore you have to concentrate on starting and keeping really warm, and minimise heat loss all the way down the arms with a good windproof outer layer + insulating underlayers. Focussing on gloves specifically only treats half the problem. The other factor is that cold skin anywhere can cause a neural reflex to vasoconstrict, so it may be a good idea to protect the face a bit as well. I always found that keeping the wind and wet out more important than thick insulation but everybody has different individual solutions and what works for one wont necessarily be universal. Prevention is better than cure!


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## paul04 (17 Nov 2013)

Jacks said:


> As others have said, Raynaulds is an exaggerated form of a normal response to cold. This can be triggered by local skin temperature but also cool blood circulating in the extremities. You can get a lot of heat exchanged in the blood vessels of the arms (and legs) to minimise overall heat loss; so as cool blood from the edges returns to the centre, it is warmed up by the warmer blood flowing outwards. Therefore you have to concentrate on starting and keeping really warm, and minimise heat loss all the way down the arms with a good windproof outer layer + insulating underlayers. Focussing on gloves specifically only treats half the problem. The other factor is that cold skin anywhere can cause a neural reflex to vasoconstrict, so it may be a good idea to protect the face a bit as well. I always found that keeping the wind and wet out more important than thick insulation but everybody has different individual solutions and what works for one wont necessarily be universal. Prevention is better than cure!


 
My fingers can get cold in the house, many a day I have sat there in the house with gloves on, even when the heating is on.
Even the knife and fork I use have plastic handles, as the cold of stainless steel knifes and forks can make my finger go cold.


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## paul04 (17 Nov 2013)

Berties said:


> google silver thread gloves-i was recommended them by a physio when i slashed a tendon and had it stitched and patched,my hands were cold for ages,highly recommend them ,and there are plenty of raynauds users


 
I got some of these gloves when I went to see a specialist at the hopsital about my cold fingers, unfortunately they did not work for me,
You can buy them from here
http://www.rsa-shop.co.uk/ 
And you can find alot of information here
http://www.raynauds.org.uk/


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## montage (20 Nov 2013)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/INSOLES-ELECTRIC-OPERATED-SEMELLES-CHAUFFRANTES/dp/B004ETKLJ8

Heated insoles? I remember reading about a pair which cost about £8 and had cracking reviews - last about 2 hours, could be found with some googling.


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## nappadang (20 Nov 2013)

I suffer pretty badly especially in my right hand.
I know it's hardly the deep midwinter yet but there has been a couple of below zero mornings recently. I've used Aldi winter gloves with an old pair of Sprayway, windproof, fleece gloves over them and I've not had any issues at all.
This solution is Ok in dry conditions but the Sprayway gloves are not waterproof and don't fit under the Aldi ones. I have some gore tex ski gloves but whether they're too bulky remains the to be seen.


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