[MrBaker87]

I’ve got a set of Shimano brake levers on my bike and they are pretty damn cold and kind of a major heat suck for my fingers when it’s really damn cold out. I don’t wear gloves.

What have you guys done to insulate your brake levers to make them more tolerable to cold weather? Plastidip? Grip tape (doesn’t that hurt)? Something magical?

 

[rideit]

WEAR FUCKING GLOVES

(they keep your hands warm and protected and shit like that)

 

[MrBaker87]

WEAR FUCKING GLOVES

No. Try again. Gloves are even colder when it’s constantly ducking wet.

 

[rideit]

WEAR WATERPROOF GLOVES, FFS

 

[rideit]

Or pogies

 

[HardtailHack]

Heatshrink.

 

[rideit]

Serious reply: a long time ago I had carbon Hayes levers that were a lot ’warmer’ to the touch than aluminum.

 

[HardtailHack]

Merino bike gloves? They'll get wet but you'll stay warm.

 

[jstuhlman]

i don't ever wear gloves unless it's below 40-45 degrees. in that 40-50 degree window, usually if my fingers are cold it's well before the touch the brake levers rather then having to do with them...so i've never done anything to them. heat shrink is an interesting idea though...

 

[sethimus]

destroy your car‘s rear window, collect the heating coil, wrap it around your brake lever, connect it to a battery, profit.

or just wear fucking gloves like the rest of us.

 

[iRider]

I second the carbon brake levers. They feel warmer.
Or brake less and do not rest your hands on the brake levers when not using them?
Or brake lever covers: https://www.gcdbendi.top/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=305701

 

[Jm_]

I second the carbon brake levers. They feel warmer.
Or brake less and do not rest your hands on the brake levers when not using them?
Or brake lever covers: https://www.gcdbendi.top/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=305701

I have those on one bike, but I feel they are actually a little colder than the CF lever blades on that bike.

The cheap way to do this is cut off the fingers from old gloves and zip tie that over the lever.

And WEAR GLOVES.

I got lots more to keep my fingers warm, but just for lever insulation, I use old glove fingers.

 

[Westy]

Plutonium 238 levers

 

[jonKranked]

OP: doesn't wear gloves
also OP: looking for tiny glove for brake levers

 

[MrBaker87]

Not going to put on gloves. Not on my hands nor on my levers.

Be real, not everyone wears gloves all the time.

I rarely have the experience I had yesterday where we are stopping and going every 30 seconds on a day where it’s absolutely pissing rain and 34deg F. Any gloves I had would have been absolutely soaked (and so would the six back up pairs) and would be sucking heat from my hands.

I know there are plenty of downhill/jumpers out there who don’t wear gloves.

 

[jonKranked]

Not going to put on gloves. Not on my hands nor on my levers.

regardless of what you want to call them, you are looking for tiny gloves for your brake levers.

 

[jonKranked]

I rarely have the experience I had yesterday where we are stopping and going every 30 seconds on a day where it’s absolutely pissing rain and 34deg F. Any gloves I had would have been absolutely soaked (and so would the six back up pairs) and would be sucking heat from my hands.

waterproof gloves are a thing.

 

[MrBaker87]

waterproof gloves are a thing.

Sure. They are also thick and bulky and restrict movement in your hands. I’ve had them.

Just to get this topic more on point, I have lots of sets of gloves. I cycle through them on shuttle days, snow days, etc.

But I am not asking for more information about gloves. Trust me, i know there are little clothe/neoprene things I can get for my hands.

I’m asking what people do to their brake levers to prevent thermal entropy due to the fact shimano levers are metal.

 

[jonKranked]

I’m asking what people do to their brake levers to prevent thermal entropy due to the fact shimano levers are metal.

most of us just wear gloves.

idk, try heat shrink tubing?

 

[MrBaker87]

You do know that you DON’T have chime in on every thread.

Like, you know, if you don’t have anything productive to say?

That’s cool though. At least you tried. Massive heart for that one.

 

[jonKranked]

You do know that you DON’T have chime in on every thread.

Like, you know, if you don’t have anything productive to say?

That’s cool though. At least you tried. Massive heart for that one.

maybe don't bring us dumb questions then cry when you consistently get the same, obvious answer.

2 options:

- replace the ever blade with one made from a material that's not a heat sink - carbon was already mentioned, or some other polymer (nylon is generally pretty durable). not aware of anyone currently making aftermarket levers for shimano brakes, might want to explore getting something 3d printed?

-cover the lever blade with an insulating material. the rubber cover mentioned above, heatshrink tubing, maybe some kind of tape? but this still amounts to putting a tiny glove on the brake lever.

 

[jonKranked]

A'me makes heated grips. they are not cheap ($200 for the kit), they only come in 1 or 2 grip designs, and they won't heat your levers, but they'll keep your hands warmer in general.

Best Bike Grips | A'ME Innovations | BMX, MTB, MX, ATV Grips

✔ best bike grips ✔ best bicycle grips ✔ best bmx grips ✔ best mtb grips ✔ best grips ✔ grips ✔ bicycle grips ✔ bike grips ✔ bmx grips ✔ mtb grips

www.amegrips.com

 

[boogenman]

Only ride when the temperature is tolerable for your precious hands.

 

[englertracing]

Heated grips?

 

[sethimus]

 

[Westy]

A little grip tape on a lever will add a bit of insulation, and uh grip.

 

[Shizzon]

These are anti-cut and anti-slip, plus you can color match to to your bike/kit:

Robot or human?

You're welcome.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Plutonium 238 levers

Beryllium powder coat?

 

[rideit]

What he is really looking for are ‘finger blankets’.

 

[Rockland]

Plutonium 238 levers

You Only half-Life Once

 

[Westy]

Beryllium powder coat?

Beryllium brake rotors

 

[6thElement]

What he is really looking for are ‘finger blankets’.

Maybe sewn into an arrangement of 5, with a central section front and back of your hand to hold them all together?

 

[maxyedor]

Latex gloves under regular gloves, worked fine when working on shit in the field that require dexterity when it's 1° and pissing rain. Alternatively, if gloves simply aren't an option, harden the fuck up.

 

[boogenman]

my brand new Magura MT7 rear brake feels mushy...

 

[fwp]

 

[Loki87]

Latex gloves under regular gloves, worked fine when working on shit in the field that require dexterity when it's 1° and pissing rain. Alternatively, if gloves simply aren't an option, harden the fuck up.

This is the answer if you really require your hands to stay warm.
Nitril gloves with whatever thin glove you prefer on top. Keeps your hands toasty.
I´ve used this while skiing in super low temperatures before. Does feel a little weird of course, but dexterity is actually pretty damn good and the warmth simply can´t be beat.
Might still require a glove that doesn´t absorb water though. Some thin motorcycle leather gloves heavily treated with snoseal (heat the gloves so the stuff gets absorbed properly) should do the trick, while being thin enough to not obstruct movement.

 

[Bikael Molton]

Obviously you need to ride the brakes more so the levers stay warmed up.

 

[Westy]

Have a jewish space laser keep them warm

 

[SylentK]

I'm only posting because this thread delivered! LMAO

Oh, and you may want to look at that scottish guy, the Dudes of Hazzard...can't think of his name, but he developed a grip warming system. For your precious little cubicle hands that don't require gloves in the winter, but probably should...LOL

 

[OGRipper]

Come on people, we can do better than this. Seems like a job for @jackalope but I'll give it a go:

Mount one of those fried chicken warming lamps on yer bars!

Drag the brakes on a long descent and warm up your hands on your rotors!

Kill a small animal and stick your hands inside to warm them up! (Might need more than one on longer/colder rides.)

PS: OP, do you wear shoes?