This is the second post in a series. Be sure to read the first post, Initial Report: REVIT Fahrenheit H20 Gloves.
I’ve had my REV’IT Fahrenheit H20 Gloves a shade over a year now, which means they’ve been put through their paces during a rainy and cold Oregon fall, a rainy and cold Oregon winter, and a rainy and cold Oregon spring. Suffice to say, these gloves have seen their share of rain and cold, with plenty of wind and even a little snow thrown in for good measure. Let’s see how well they measured up to the task.
Rain
The Fahrenheit H20 gloves are excellent in the rain. They’ve kept my hands dry in everything from persistent drizzle to outright downpours. The exterior leather dries quickly and still looks good despite almost daily exposure to the elements. The gloves have also remained colorfast.
Cold
And here’s where we discover my biggest disappointment with the H20 gloves: the lining, or rather, lack thereof. As mentioned in my initial report, the lining is made out of Schoeller® PCM insulating material, which is supposed to “keep the hands at a constant comfortable temperature.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work for me, as my digits end up feeling pretty frosty during my morning commute. For example, this morning’s temperature was around 40 degrees. I average 30 mph on my way to work, and tossing those numbers into a wind chill calculator results in a wind chill temperature of 28°F. Chilly! And it only took five minutes or so before my fingers started to really feel it.
I have a hunch that the problem is that I’m asking too much of the PCM lining. I don’t have much fat on my bones and tend to run colder than most people. Those of you who are natural born furnaces probably won’t have an issue with these gloves as they’ll absorb your body heat and return it when things turn chilly — and all without the thick, bulky liner found in most winter gloves. Those of us without much heat to spare will just have to deal. It really is time for heated grips and handguards on the SV.
Fit and Finish
The Fahrenheit H20 gloves have held up very well over the past twelve months. A few threads came loose around the grip pads on the palms, but turned out to be excess thread at the end of a row of stitches. The leather remains soft and supple and the lining is smooth and comfortable.
Likes
- classy design and excellent workmanship
- waterproofing that can withstand an Oregon rainy season
- thinner liner means better feel on the grips
Dislikes
- Schoeller® PCM lining doesn’t work as well if you’re coldblooded
Final Rating
(four out of five twisties)
This is the second post in a series. Be sure to read the first post, Initial Report: REVIT Fahrenheit H20 Gloves.
The Latest
Recent Comments
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
PCM isn’t magic, with no wind protection you will feel cold, on a faired bike these gloves would more than keep you warm, even down to 5 degrees. I am also coldblooded and have taken an8hr ride in 5 degree weather.
Heated grips really help the PCM warm up.
No, Schoeller PCM definitely isn’t magic, but the marketing copy certainly makes it sound like it is:
These gloves didn’t give me the feeling of a “personal comfort climate” under “the most extreme conditions”. Thus, 4 twisties out of 5.
It’s true that a fairing, handguards, and heated grips would help. However, my intent was to review the gloves themselves, not the farkles.
Hey Stacy – one thing to remember is that MOST folks on bikes are NOT riding when it is 40 degrees (or 30, or 25). And another thing – MOST riders leave it in the garage in the rain and, God Forbid, snow.
My point is that for the majority of people, your gloves will probably make them very happy – especially if their idea of riding in the cold is 48 degrees!
I see you have heated grips (IMHO they need to be OE on any bike over $4k) and so all of this is moot.
Now that is a very good point. And you’re right about the heated grips, of course. Amazingly, I’m still having trouble with the very tips of my fingers being in pain when it’s colder than 30 degrees (F), despite these gloves, heated grips on “high”, *and* a set of handguards!! I’m going to guess it’s poor circulation on my part.
A “typical” rider will probably find these gloves to be most excellent.
Hey! now that the weather is turning cooler in the northeast I’m researching winter gloves like mad and came back to the Rev’It’s you reviewed – can you tell me if the finger length is what you would call average, long, or short? I have “elegant lady hands” with narrow palms and longer fingers, and I’m just a tiny bit nervous about buying expensive gloves without trying them on. Thank you!
ps love your tweets!
@karinajean: You’ve already seen this via twitter, but I’ll post it here too in case someone else has a similar question. I didn’t know the answer, so I asked someone who would, the GearChic herself. Here’s what she said:
Anyway, the gloves fit me perfectly. I dunno if it helps, but my middle finger is 3.25 inches from palm to tip.