Winter is one of the worst enemies of mountain bikers. Sure, fresh snow can be great fun, but ice, cold and wet conditions force even the toughest bikers to slouch on the sofa or the roller trainer. It's the cold in particular that gets to us. While our head and upper body often stay warm due to the exertion, our extremities quickly start to get cold at temperatures around or below freezing. Sooner or later, a numb feeling sets in that can only be banished at home with a lukewarm shower. Not very pleasant and when it gets really cold, conventional gloves or overshoes don't help either.
Heated gloves for cold winter days
The French clothing specialist Ekoi wants to counteract this. Under the name "Heat Concept", they have developed heatable gloves and overshoes made of neoprene, which are designed to guarantee warm fingers and feet even at -20 degrees Celsius outside. The gloves are made of neoprene and are equipped with a breathable and waterproof Hipora membrane. The cuff on the wrist is cut particularly tight to minimise the amount of cold wind that enters the gloves. Silicone inserts on the palm and fingers are designed to ensure good grip on the handlebars and brakes. A filament network in the glove fabric distributes the heat as evenly as possible over the entire surface.
Overshoes with integral heating
Ekoi uses a similar construction for the overshoes. They are also made of neoprene, now with a wall thickness of a full four millimetres to ensure the best possible insulation. They are additionally reinforced at the toes and heels. The battery life of both the gloves and the overshoes is between two and five hours. The batteries are located on the back of the hand and above the heel and can be easily removed and recharged. The heat is controlled intuitively at the touch of a button, with the button changing colour depending on the heat. Green stands for 25, yellow for 30, orange for 35 and red for 40 degrees. This means that all components can be quickly adjusted to the outside temperature.
Further information on the gloves and overshoes on the
Website of the manufacturer
. The recommended retail price is 139.95 euros (gloves) and 169.95 euros (overshoes).
Adrian Kaether
Editor
