It’s Snot Pretty

Pearl Izumi Lobster Claw Cycling Gloves — So warm my hands sweat if it's above 40, these lobster claws are great for winter riding--except for the total lack of a nose-wiper!

OK, gross, right? The way your nose runs in cold weather—and we still have cooler temperatures in the early morning and the occasional rainy spring day. It doesn’t help any that I’ve had a cold for two weeks and am running like a faucet.

Fact of the matter is, there is just no ladylike way to deal with that while you’re riding unless you’re the type to whip out a hankie with Grandma’s tatted edging. I actually own one of those hankies, and in fact my grandmother taught me to tat once upon a time, but I don’t carry my hankie riding.

Pearl Izumi Ladies Cycling Gloves--5-Finger — These work for spring/fall riding, occasionally with a liner if it's still pretty nippy in the morning. They block wind but not cold; my fingertips get pretty painful if it's cold. They do have a wiper though.

So there’s good reason that a lot of cycling gloves have a little patch of terry cloth covering the meaty part of your thumb. It’s a wiper, and boy, am I glad to have that sucker when I realize the old sinuses are about to do a very unladylike overflow.

Weird thing, though: The Pearl Izumi lobster claw gloves I got especially for riding in the coldest weather—when my nose runs the most—don’t have a wiper patch. They have a really unfriendly bit of soft-finish leather that has no absorbent properties whatsoever and can be unforgiving at below-freezing temperatures.

Pearl Izumi Ladies Cycling Gloves--Fingerless — I wear these much of the spring/summer, although I also have a lighter pair with less padding. These were my first pair with some color other than black or gray. Why are women's bike gloves mostly so boring?

I find that especially odd since the five-fingered gloves I use for spring/fall riding and my fingerless gloves for summer are also made by Pearl and both have a wiper patch. What gives, Pearl?

I’m in the hunt for much cuter gloves to serve as hand protection/hankie. I’ve found Ana Nichoola in the UK. What do you think of the Bow-Peep (pictured below)? And have you seen this kind of adorable in your local bike shop lately? Googling “cute ladies cycling gloves” yields some really uncute results.

Your turn

Are gloves purely functional for you, or would you like to see more fashion options in gloves optimized for biking?

And how do you deal with the runny-nose problem? I know racers fade off to the back of the line, turn their heads to the side and blow but I’m just not willing to venture down that slimy road.

Cute Ladies Cycling Glove: The Bow Peep by Ana Nichoola — These stylin' babies by Ana Nichoola in the UK come in this gray/pink combo and a white/lilac design as well. I need to find out if they have a wiper patch, but hey, they're washable! They'd also be nice and breathable for summer riding.

Reader Comments

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If you like the Ana Nichoola gloves, you need to know I have white ones with blue bows available for purchase through Bike Style! Email bikestylespokane at gmail to let me know if you’re interested; you can pay through PayPal and I can ship to you. See the line-up of products at http://bikestylespokane.com/2011/07/18/bike-style-spokane-products/.

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Hi, i’m the lady behind Filles a Velo!

The AnaNichoola bow-peep gloves don’t have a wiper patch, but are quite soft and as you say are machine washable.

They are absolutely gorgeous gloves, well worth trying out 🙂

I don’t want to get too gross here… it’s such a nice blog, but here goes: by pushing against the edge of outside of your nostril with your middle finger, you “express” the line of snot gathered inside there to pool on the tip of your finger. With a quick flick of the wrist, you can fling it away from your finger. Most cold-weather snot is like water, so it’s pretty quick and not nearly as disgusting as it’s sounding as I type this out. But once you get the hang of it, it’s quick, discreet,and free!