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ICEBIKE Mittens-
Winter cycling's nuttiest hand wear yet...
Mary Shelley has nothing on us. Part
winter mitt, part bike glove, a real genetic mess. The ICEBIKE Mittens
were born in 1998 for our chilly Duluth commutes. What began as a
straight-up tech fest 13 years ago, has devolved to a curious mix of new
and old. They have a rabid
underground following, despite our best efforts. Every season we swear that we're done with them, yet we keep
sewing. Let's pick them apart:
The Shape and Size seem odd at
first, but they're a natural for those who grip flat bars on a bike. Two
fingers of each hand hold on for dear life, two fingers work the brake
levers, one thumb on your nose towards OPEC. They're kinda bulky, but
that leaves acres of space for extra liner gloves, hot packs, etc.
Skip the refined drop bars. You won't even be
able to flip the bird, let alone tinker with your touchy road gear
ratios. For the real
whackos who equate shifting and braking with defeat, we make a regular
'no-split' mitten that keeps their digits together. Both styles have a natural
curve built right in.
The Palms are made from the
annoyingly sustainable Whitetail Deer. Deer skin is as strong as it is
supple. It will survive loads of abuse, and still transmit every bit of trail
feedback directly to your teeth. No guilt about leather here. We miss our
raspberry bushes and Hostas.
The Gauntlets are our own quirky
Oilskin. Over the last 13 years we've tried every synthetic fiber under the sun. They're all
weather resistant. They all shed slop. And they all breathe like garbage
bags. Our Oilskin just doesn't degrade with age. The fabric will keep
you dry-ish in the rain, let you brush
off sleet and ice in the winter, and develop personality with age. It
also gets nice and stiff in cold weather, so you can leave the draw cord cuffs open
for air. There's a webbing cinch across the back to tweak the
fit.
The Back Panel is 3 mil Neoprene.
It's flexible, soft, and great for blocking wind chill. Ours has a short
pile backing for wiping snot. (You will. Trust us.) We anchor a nice strip of reflective tape
down the tips for inter-vehicular communication.
The Liners are our own 80/20 wool
blend blanket material. Snap them into place in
the AM. Pull them out to dry on the radiator at work. Stuff them right
back into place at quitting time. When they flatten out from use, wash
them right back to fluffy. They also come in regular fleece, which is
cool by us.
Sizes: S, M, L, XL. Colors will vary:
5.5 ounce Oilskin with deer hide palms, and
Neoprene uppers. Liners:
80/20 Wool/Nylon or 100% Polyester. ICEBIKE
Mittens, Split $140 Regular
$130
Extra Wool blend or Polyester Liners $35
Limited seasonal availability. Plan
accordingly.
No whining.
2012 waiting list
opens July 1, 2012.
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