Winter is upon us, and if we all survive today’s Mayan-predicted apocalypse, we’ve got three long months of cold weather ahead of us. Some of you may think Southern California doesn’t get cold, but with lots of mountains in the area, even if the weather is mild near sea level it can get really nasty at higher elevations. On a group ride to the Carrizo Plain National Monument over the weekend, we tiptoed over 5,160-foot Pine Mountain Summit as a rime of ice covered portions of Highway 33 and the temperature hovered near freezing.
When it comes to keeping your hands warm on a cold day, heated grips or heated gloves are the best defense. But even with heated grips, a good pair of winter gloves will keep the wind at bay and the tops and sides of your hands warm. For the past couple of months, I’ve been wearing a pair of Alpinestars Apex Drystar Gloves on cold days.
Made from a mix of goat skin and textile, the gloves are lined with a very comfortable thermal velour liner and a waterproof, breathable Drystar membrane. The palms are double stitched and have double-layered leather and padding at critical impact areas, and the tops have molded polyurethane knuckles and foam padding on the fingers. Flexible accordion textile on the top of the hand and around the thumb enhances comfort and facilitates easy movement. A full-length gauntlet can be secured over the wrist cuffs of your jacket to seal out cold air, and there’s an adjustment strap at the wrist and a large flap on the gauntlet, both secured by hook-and-loop.
The Apex gloves fit well from the first time I slid them onto my hands, and they offer a full range of movement for clutch, brake and throttle control, as well as excellent grip. A common problem I’ve experienced with winter gloves is difficulty getting the gloves off and back on again, especially if my hands get sweaty. Sometimes the thermal liner isn’t secured well to the inside of the gloves, or it’s too bulky. I haven’t had this problem with the Apex. They are well-made and have become more comfortable as the leather has molded to the particular shape of my hands.
I have a drawer full of gloves to choose from, but I usually wear a few favorites most of the time. During cool or cold weather, Alpinestars Apex Drystar gloves have made it to the top of my short list due to quality, comfort, warmth and protection against the elements. They retail for $94.95, come in all black, black with blue trim or black with red trim, and are available in sizes S-3XL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
See your dealer or visit alpinestars.com
