TRIED AND TESTED
Gerbing XTREME Urban Gloves £199.99 (+ 2aH battery kit at £89.99) Gerbing Premium Jacket Liner £199.99 (+ 10aH battery kit at £159.99)
Gerbing stresses connecting to the bike’s battery gives the best results. I powered the kit using optional battery packs because I regularly hop on and off different bikes. Gerbing advises the battery packs give approximately 100 minutes’ charge on minimum temperature, enough for most people’s commute or a longish weekend ride.
The temperature when testing was 5 or 6 Centigrade (depending which weather app I checked). Add in windchill, that’s a decent test.
The XTREME Urban gloves, even without heat, are full-on, heavy-duty winter kit made from 0.6mm premium Aniline leather with a grippy goatskin palm and Hipora liner. On the lowest setting (each glove has a temperature controller) a gentle warmth adds to the glove, coming through quickly. Switching to medium, after a few minutes it was properly hot (full heat is disabled – it can be switched back on, but that’s meant for long rides in serious sub-zero conditions; on a more stop/start ride you’ll blister your hands). The great thing about independent controllers is you can set different levels on each glove.
So they’re plenty warm, what are they like as riding gloves? Like all thick winter gloves, the trade-off is reduced feel. I’d like a broader span between thumb and forefinger.
I also found the finger fit was spot-on, but the thumbs were long, leaving the tips flapping, so definitely try before you buy. (Since testing, following feedback from me plus other customers, Gerbing has remodelled the glove to deal with the span and thumb length issues.)
The heat controllers were hard to operate in gloves. Adjusting the level (stationary obviously), I struggled to feel the microswitch in the controller (the colour around the switch changes for the heat level); if I got it wrong I had to wait for the next stop. If you want a more tactile glove (which will improve feel at the switch) Gerbing recommends the XR.
The Premium jacket liner is intended to replace your jacket’s existing one, but can be worn as an additional layer.
As per Gerbing’s recommendation I wore a long-sleeved base layer under the liner. It’s tailored for a compression fit with stretch panels to allow movement without bunching. And it does exactly what it says, staying perfectly in place no matter how I moved on the bike, feeling comfortable at all times.
Heat came through the moment I turned on via the little fob (again on the lowest setting). Like the gloves, I could feel a gentle warmth on my torso and arms. At full heat it was too much for the conditions I was riding in; it will keep you warm and happy around the Zero mark. IMPORTANT NOTE: If wiring to the bike battery it is essential to purchase a Temperature Controller. Without this the jacket will operate at 100% heat, which unless in extremely cold climates (like Scandinavia) will cause skin discomfort (see ‘How does it fit together?’).