BAR MITTS Cold Weather Road Bicycle Handlebar Mittens, fits Shimano Shifters with Externally Routed Shift Cables

Product Information

My bike has internally routed hydraulic Shimano shifters/brakes, so installation was simple as sliding these over the hoods, starting at the bottom, and securing the velcro strap around the top and bottom of the handlebars.

Recently Bar Mitts sent me their new Extreme Bar Mitts model to try and it has finally been cold enough to put them to the test.This provides a longer sleeve to extend the warm and protection further up your arm, reducing the chance of an air getting in. They use a heavy duty zipper down by the shifter and brake for installation purposes, with a small Velcro tab to complete the closure. Once installed they stand up nicely (semi-rigid), and are stiff enough that the large 4x6 inch opening is easy to egress and ingress.

Constructed of 5mm neoprene, the Bar Mitts are waterproof and windproof for the ideal hand protection solution in cold, nasty weather - be it snow, rain, and/or wind. Bar Mitts are a great addition to the winter time arsenal, and they keep your hands warm and cozy, while allowing lighter gloves to be worn for greater dexterity. However, with the pogies, I rode in temps down into the teens, including riding into a brutal headwind whipping down off the Sawatch mountain range. The bottom of the mitts tapers to a fairly small opening, which held tight on my thin Fizik Microtex bar tape.The other major, general benefit of pogies is that since you can wear much thinner gloves in the Mitts, you have improved dexterity of the controls when compared to thicker winter gloves. They easily slip over your hoods and provide a warm, dry, insulated space for your hands while you ride in those cold and wet winter conditions. I definitely consider the Bar Mitts Mountain Extreme to be the biggest contribution to curing the common problem of cold hands. All that's really needed is something thick enough for the mitts to keep their shape and block the wind. Installing the Bar Mitts was straightforward and quick, and armed with my new cold weather shield, I set out to test them during another winter gravel adventure in sub-freezing temperatures.