Gore Bike Wear Gloves

GORE-TEX vs. INFINIUM™: Picking the Right Membrane

The technology choice here isn't just marketing - it shapes how the glove performs across different ride days, and getting it wrong means cold, wet or clammy hands regardless of how much you spent.

Standard GORE-TEX gloves are built around a microporous membrane that blocks liquid water while allowing vapour to escape. That's the basis of the 'Guaranteed to Keep You Dry' promise, and it holds up. A DWR coating on the outer fabric sheds light rain before it even reaches the membrane. For the kind of riding where you're out in a proper Welsh downpour or grinding through a soggy Peak District lane with no realistic end to the rain, this is the construction you want. The trade-off is that full waterproofing adds a little bulk and limits breathability on harder efforts.

GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ WINDSTOPPER® gloves work differently. The membrane blocks wind entirely - no windchill creeping through on a fast open road descent - while remaining significantly more breathable than a fully waterproof glove. They'll handle light drizzle and brief showers, but they're not designed for sustained rain. Think dry January mornings in the Cotswolds, or bridleway riding when the ground's frozen but the sky's clear. If you're pushing the pace and generating heat, the breathability keeps condensation from building up inside the glove, which matters on long climbs where sweaty hands chill fast on the way back down.

Both constructions use PrimaLoft® insulation in the winter-weight versions - a low-bulk synthetic fill that delivers real thermal insulation without the padded-fist feeling that kills fine motor control. You can still feel the brake lever travel and sense the bar beneath your palms. That bar feel is worth paying attention to; it's genuinely one of Gore's stronger suits compared with bulkier options from brands like DexShell, which prioritise waterproofing over tactile feedback.

Fit, Cuff Length and How the Range Breaks Down

Gore uses pre-curved, ergonomically shaped fingers across most of the range. It sounds like a small detail, but it's not - a flat-cut glove fights your natural grip position, fatiguing the hand over a long ride. The pre-curved construction follows the shape your fingers naturally form around the hoods or drops, reducing that constant low-level tension.

Cuff length varies by season and intended use. Winter gloves typically run with an extended gauntlet cuff that sits over the jacket sleeve and cinches at the wrist, sealing out the gap where cold air gets in on fast sections. Shoulder-season and transitional gloves use a shorter cuff for easier layering and more range of movement. For commuters or riders who alternate between road and gravel, the mid-weight options with shorter cuffs offer a versatile middle ground without committing to full winter insulation.

Sizing runs true across most of the range - if you're between sizes, Gore generally recommends sizing up for winter gloves to allow a thin liner underneath on the coldest days, though the fit is snug enough that going up doesn't compromise dexterity noticeably. Endura gloves tend to run a touch roomier if Gore's fit feels narrow across the knuckles.

Looking for summer fingerless options? We keep this page dedicated to full-finger protection. Head over to our Gore Bike Wear Mitts hub for warm-weather, short-finger styles.

Layering, Care and Getting the Most Out of Them

One practical question comes up constantly among UK riders: cuffs over or under the jacket sleeve? In heavy rain, tuck the glove cuff under the jacket. Water running down your sleeve will funnel straight into the glove if the cuff sits on top - you'll have warm dry hands for twenty minutes and then cold wet ones for the rest of the ride. On dry, windy days the order matters less, but the under-sleeve tuck is the safer default.

Washing these gloves correctly isn't optional if you want them to keep performing. Machine wash at 30°C or 40°C using liquid detergent only - powder detergent leaves residue that clogs the membrane pores. No fabric softener, no bleach. The critical step is the dry: tumble dry on a warm, gentle cycle for around twenty minutes after washing. This reactivates the DWR coating, which degrades over time and with washing. If water starts to soak into the outer fabric rather than beading off, it's not the membrane failing - it's a tired DWR, and a low-heat tumble dry will usually sort it. For riders comparing care requirements, Castelli and GripGrab gloves use similar DWR treatments with the same basic care rules, so the process isn't unique to Gore.

Pairing these gloves with matching Gore kit - particularly Gore overshoes - creates a coherent weather system across your extremities. Hands and feet are where you feel the cold first, and using the same membrane technology across both means consistent performance rather than one weak link.