Giro Pivot Winter Cycling Gloves Review

Giro Pivot Winter Cycling Gloves Review

Winter riding can take its toll on the extremities. It doesn’t take long to turn your once-happy fingers into useless frozen hot dogs. Over the past few weeks, I’ve gratefully swapped out my un-insulated full-finger gloves for the new Giro Pivot Winter gloves.

Giro Pivot Gloves Features:

  • Silicone detailing on fingertips
  • Waterproof wiping surface
  • Pertex™ waterproof/breathable fabric repels cold, wet weather
  • Hipora™ 100% waterproof construction liner
  • Clarino™ synthetic leather palm for maximum grip
  • Adjustable cuff to seal out cold
  • Super Fit™ Engineered with 3-panel palm for a tailored fit
  • MSRP: $69.99

Giro Pivot Winter Cycling Gloves Review

Lately, the weather has been cold and dry, so I’ve been doing my best to keep the wheels rolling instead of skis turning. Gratefully, I’ve had the new Giro Pivot Winter cycling gloves at my disposal to stave off the cold, crisp air. The overall design of these gloves is on par with Giro’s other cycling gloves — ergonomically-shaped, the right mixture of materials for proper grip and feel — but with the addition of lightweight insulation and waterproof membranes.

The exterior is Pertex with a Hipora inner liner. I have several Pertex pieces and have been thoroughly impressed with every incarnation thus far — the Pivot’s are no exception.

I have the size Large, which is my typical glove size, but these initially felt little more snug than I’d like. Over time, they have packed out a tad and stretched just enough to provede a perfect fit. The only exception to that comes when trying to take them off after use or take them off and put them on again to use my iPhone mid-ride. In those cases, the cuff is very narrow and I have a hard time extracting or inserting my hand into the glove. This is magnified when the inside is damp with sweat. I will say that the grippy pull-tab on the cuff is absolutely essential for re-entry.

Further, you do have to be careful when taking your hands out after a ride so you don’t pull the lining away from the shell. Just take it one finger at a time and you’ll be fine.

The weather resistance of these gloves is superb. They are waterproof and still breathe extremely-well. After an hour in the saddle, they do get damp inside, but not overly so. And, though damp, my hands never felt cold. My riding temps have been down to the low 30′s, so I’d say their 35-degree rating is conservative.

Bar feel remains solid with the Pivot’s, but you will never be as precise as form-fitting gloves. I did find myself mis-shifting my Ultegra shifters on occasion, but that comes with the territory. I’ll certainly take that trade-off to keep my digits happy.

After enjoying these on Winter rides, I’ve since taken them out trail running and will likely give them a whirl for backcountry skiing as well. I like their low-profile design and durable materials, so they will work well for my other athletic pursuits in the cold.

Good Pivot

  • Excellent warmth down to 30-degrees and below
  • Only a little tradeoff in bar and lever feel
  • Weatherability is top-notch
  • Durable fabrics and construction
  • Versatile enough for trail running, backcountry skiing
  • Cuff pulltab eases re-entry

Bad Pivot

  • Hard to take off and back on after use
  • Feels tight at first

Bottom Line: Giro Pivot Winter Gloves

Keep Winter at bay with the new Giro Pivot Winter cycling gloves. These gloves will keep your digits warm without adding too much bulk or reducing bar/lever feel.

Buy Now: Visit RealCyclist.com

Written By

A Seattle native, Jason developed a love for the outdoors and a thing for mountains. That infatuation continues as he founded FeedTheHabit.com in 1999--sharing his love of mountain biking, trail running and backcountry skiing with the world. That passion is channeled into every article or gear review he writes. Jason is also part-owner of GEAR.com.