Comments on: Pogies

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:34:44 +0000

I use CliMitts. They are around $30, are made for biking. They have bigger openings and don’t go up the arm as high as those in the photo, very easy to get the hands in and out of. I can go gloveless under the CliMitts down to about 0 degrees or wear a light-weight glove. Nothing beats pogies for cold weather ridings. CliMitts are fleece-lined, windproof and very water resistant. I haven’t found a pair of gloves which work anywhere near as well and I have spent lots of $ searching for “the” glove. Pogies are perfect.

By: Larry in AK

Larry in AK — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:28:10 +0000

I know Tim Woody and I am glad he found something that will work for him. Although Pogies can be found in various designs and costs, They really do work at keeping your hands toasty. I have a pair of the ones made in Fairbanks AK, and I can’t ride with any glove within them. They are that warm for me to ride this way; down to the single digits. There are things where Blue Collar design cannot beat the real thing.

By: Jeff Moser

Jeff Moser — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:26:09 +0000

I tried the ones pictured above again last night. I used my summertime long fingered gloves for the test. When I stepped outside, the sun had gone down, temperatures were in the 30’s, and the wind was blowing. I could feel my thin gloved hands getting cold pretty quick. With the thin gloves, my hands slipped easily into the Pogies, and my hands stayed warm all the way home. I pulled a hand in and out during the ride, and it wasn’t a big deal to do while riding.

On my initial test I had my big gloves on. They were a little harder to get in, and kind of defeated the purpose anyhow.

By: JoelGuelph

JoelGuelph — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:09:22 +0000

During my brief stint as a bike courier in November in Calgary, Alberta, I noticed that a lot of the other couriers were using them. As a courier, you needs your hands a lot more, for operating the radio, filling out your manifests, locking and unlocking your bike, etc. The guys I saw weren’t wearing any gloves at all, but they were in out of buildings quite a bit. I have never tried them myself, but I think they make a lot of sense, especially for short trips.

As far as the handcuff phenomenon, again noting that I have never personally tried them myself, I would think most non-cyclists would think the same thing of clipless pedals. I imagine there is a learning curve, but you’d get used to them.

By: Jeff Moser

Jeff Moser — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:23:54 +0000

Tiki, this was also my concern when trying out the ones loaned to me. I wondered if I’d be able to get my hands out in time if I took a fall. The roads were very icy that day, so it was a strong possibility. I was also riding in traffic.

I guess you’d want to use discretion when and where you used them. If I was off trail riding in the snow or cold with acceptable traction, I think they’d be great. A long road ride/commute with few surprises would be a good application too.

I’ve been using a pair of waterproof mountaineering gloves, but they were much more expensive than the pogies listed here!

By: tiki

tiki — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:02:02 +0000

Why not just handcuff yourself to the bike. If you want to bail off it looks dangerous to me. Thick gloves are better for me. But then again I ride kinda crazy at times.

By: Jeff Moser

Jeff Moser — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:50:52 +0000

I found one company that is working on a set for drop bars. I think these would be great, since the wind chill is so much greater on the road bike. I’ll include this information on my Commute by Bike post.

By: Jeff P

Jeff P — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:02:40 +0000

If my choices are riding the indoor trainer or riding in cold weather, I choose cold weather.
So why not be comfortable and get the Pogies.

Will they work on drop bars?

By: Tim Grahl

Tim Grahl — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:26:27 +0000

Yeah Michael, Wool would work, but you really want to snip the sleeves from your $80 Merino Wool Jersey?

This is a great product, especially for winter/snow riding.

By: Jeff Moser

Jeff Moser — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:22:20 +0000

I don’t care much for riding in rain, but riding while it’s snowing is a lot of fun! Still, many of us commute to work by bike no matter what the conditions, and keeping your hands and feet warm can be a challenge during the winter.

If you were to make some homemade pogies, you have to remember that you need to be able to slip your hands in and out easily. You may be able to use one hand to help slide your other hand into a pogie, but if there isn’t some sort of form to the pogies, you won’t be able to get your other hand in properly.

Levi - Cool! They must’ve just dropped the price on the black ones this morning!