Chrome industries’ Midweight Cycle Gloves make a great, low-bulk option for winter riding and commuting. They feature a waterproof layer and are impressively warm, while still delivering a good sense of feeling at the handlebars and stuffing away quite small. However, the very short cuff does limit their use in more miserable winter conditions.
Reasons to buy
+
Instant warmth
+
Good handlebar feel
+
Touchscreen compatible
+
Waterproof layer
+
Packable
Reasons to avoid
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Very short cuff
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No nose wipe
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The Midweight Cycle Gloves by urban specialists, Chrome Industries, are designed for winter riding in damp conditions. Unlike some of even the best cycling gloves, they’re intended to be subtly stylish, in addition to being functional.
The construction: Chrome Industries Midweight Cycle Gloves
Starting with the inside, Chrome’s Midweight Cycle Gloves feature a warm, fleecy lining which is a little less bulky than you typically get on winter-specific gloves.
Similarly, although the palm does feature some shock-absorbing padding, this is again kept quite minimal so as to keep the profile of the gloves low and increase your dexterity at the handlebars.
(Image credit: Future)
The finger and thumb each feature touchscreen compatible detailing, whilst a ripstop nylon covers most of the back of the palm and extends up three of the fingers. In addition to this, a waterproof insert is layered into the construction.
The ride
With their soft, fleecy lining, the Midweight Cycle Gloves impart an instant feeling of warmth from the moment they’re pulled on. And, sure enough, they also manage to transmit an impressive degree of bar feel for a winter-use glove.
On rougher roads and gravel tracks, I was a long way off that feeling of isolation or disconnect which heavily insulated and padded gloves have a tendency to impart.
(Image credit: Future)
However, the very short cuffs, coupled with the lack of any kind of draw cord or fastening system, does limit the range of temperatures the gloves are suitable for. I found that at around seven degrees Celsius the draughts up my wrists would become a little too much to bear.
Equally, although the gloves shrugged off road spray and persistent mizzle, in heavier rain the water would start to run down my sleeves and end up wetting the gloves from the inside.
The flipside of this is that the gloves are very packable. Just as an example, the pair constitute about the same bulk as a single dhb Deep Winter FLT glove. It’s plenty easy to stuff them in a pocket or bag, which is very useful for commuter applications, if not as beneficial for a dedicated riding glove.
But for their low pack size when tucked away and their direct handlebar feel, the fingers are a little cumbersome when it comes to operating a touchscreen. The responsiveness is fine but the accuracy is limited. With that said, it is fully in line with other winter gloves – just don’t raise your expectations above that.
Value
At £47.00 / $50.00, the Chrome Midweight Cycle Gloves sit pretty much in the middle of the price band for gloves. If you’re looking for all-round weather protection on long winter rides, there are other gloves with a broadly similar price, such as the Endura Strike (£39.99 / $49.99), which do a better job with a longer cuff.
Verdict
But if you’re after a set of gloves which can be quickly pulled on and off, stowed away, and don’t look out of place when not on a bike – the Midweight Cycle Gloves are a great choice and come at a reasonable price.
Specs
Weight: 92g (size large)
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Colours: Black, Olive Black
Contact: www.chromeindustries.com
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After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.
But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.
