Winter Gloves

I have winter gloves that work fairly well and I am pleased with them, but my finger tips get extremely cold.  I am trying to figure out something to make this stop.  I live in NW FL so it does not get cold for a long enough period of time for electric gear, but it does get cold enough to put on some winter wear.  Any thoughts or suggestions with gloves that you are wearing that do not have this problem?  

I just bought some polar tek gloves and they seem to work OK.  I'm in central CA and the coldest it's been for me when riding this year is in the upper 30's and the trip was about 30 minutes at 60-65 MPH.  Increasing your body warmth with pants, a jacket liner, and a half face neoprene/felt facemask that covers your neck should help.  You may need to get  less constricted blood flow to your fingers by shaking your hands out or loosening your grip on occasion.  Your core body temperature will hopefully be able to warm up the blood sent to your fingers.  

Someone from the upper midwest or northeast could probably jump in with more authority...  

That is about the coldest it will get around here.  I may see some high twenties for a day or two, but it usually passes quickly.  I get bundled up, but I'll be damned if my finger tips are the only thing that get cold.  

I am thinking about getting something to slip on my hands before I put them in the gloves to see if that will work.  It is going be be 80 degrees for what looks like a few days, so I am not quite as concerned at this moment, but I'd still like to get it done before it gets cooler again.  

You mentioned something under your gloves...

I use to ice climb in New England and we wore these silver metallic, cotton liners that reflected the heat back to your skin.  We also wore polypropylene liners under that on occasion.

Overmitts might be another option.  You just strap them on over your existing gloves to block wind and rain.  I was thinking about pulling my old overmitts out...  I don't know what the newer overmitts look like, but hopefully they have good "traction" on the palms.

The biggest problem with ice climbing was blood flow.  When you kicked into the ice or hammered into the ice, you shook the blood out of your extremities.  Obviously it was tougher on the hands because they were over your head.  Most heat loss occurs through your head, so you may want to be sure your neck and face are warm.

Finally, it is sometimes just uncomfortable to be doing anything in the cold.  

getting your mitts out of the wind helps too. i saw one bike at the shop, a v-star 1100 silverado i think, that had mounted smoke acrylic brushguards (like you find on some enduros and quads). i've thought of mounting a larger windshield in winter, one that extends over my hands, or of replacing my kuryakns with heated grips. my tourmaster winter elites are great cold-weather gloves, but even they're only good down to about 40 on an extended ride at freeway speed...  
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scorpio
sober riders mc
2002 vf750c magna

I personally will put 'hippo hands' on my bike when the rainy season begins, September through May here in the NorthWet.

I use a cheap set for snow-machines and have modified them to accommodate the mirrors and cables on my bike. They knock the wind off and I can use my more comfortable summer weight gloves in the cold and wet.  

Everything warm except the finger tips? That sounds like air leaks in your glove seams. Try carrying some duct tape to put over the finger seams and see if it helps.

I'm also in the Florida Panhandle. I quit taking winter trips on the bike, when I retired here 17 years ago. Back then, I used to keep some really cold weather riding gear, but nowadays I get by with a FirstGear suit, JC Whitney insulated gauntlets and Remington insulated hunting boots. I usually take a couple night rides up into Alabama during midwinter, just to enjoy a cold ride again. I have to tape some of the seams on my cheap gauntlets if the air temp is below about 40f, but with the seams taped I'm good for 3 or 4 hours, down to about 20 degrees. The suit is my limiting factor then.

regards,
Joe  

Sounds like the gloves you have either the liner is missing at the tips or they are defective if your fingertips are getting cold. Because of where you live and not needing electric gloves I would suggest getting a new pair of gautlet gloves and I would get a pair that was leather because the best way to presserve heat is not to let the heat out. Leather gautlet gloves do not breath and I believe this will fix your cold fingertip problems. Check out www.ckmotorcycleaccessories.com if you can't find what you are looking for e-mail C & K and it will be found for you.  

Actually, I'd argue textile for the same reason. They breathe. One of the things that has always made my hands cold when skiing was a buildup of moisture. This is going to allow heat transfer thru conduction to the outer layers of the glove.

Putting on a plastic bag on one hand for 15-20 min would tell you if it's air leak.

Plan B is those little charcoal handwarmers, or since you're in Fl., I'd look at the little toewarmers. I think they'd put out enough heat (I use the handwarmers in the northeast). I'd put them on your arm, just above the wrist (palm side). That way it warms the blood as it flows into your hand. As long as they get a little oxygen, they work pretty good.  

I take a winter trip most every yr, to WI from FL, was born and raised there. You ever heard of mittens?,  instead of gloves? Ya have to have a gal that sews or learn to sew your self. For this kind of temp you have to make the mittens to your own specs., for the temature you ride in. Use the new style long under ware material ( its thin and warm ), make them long enough to fit a ways up over your outer wear. coat etc. Make a thumb as on gloves. keep layering the material for what U need, and be sure there flexible to use the controls. Outer layer the mitten with a air tight, water proof leather, or equivalent material. Now your 4 fingers will keep all your fingers warm because of no finger spacers as in gloves, if your thumb gets cold, slip it back in with your fingers. Problem solved
Jim