Keep your hands warm this spring with the Castelli Tempesta 2 glove

Cold hands can ruin a ride very quickly. First, you lose feeling in the tips of your fingers and before you know it braking and shifting can be a real ordeal. Getting your hands warm again once you’ve reached this point can be extremely difficult. The Castelli Tempesta 2 glove is windproof, water resistant and very well insulated to prevent this unpleasant experience on your ride.

Selecting the right gloves can be a challenge. If I expect to ride hard during the spring I know that if I wear something too insulated my hands will overheat quickly but if the gloves don’t provide enough protection I’ll be cold. The Tempesta will please riders whose hands tend to often be cold in the early season and riders who want to venture out for rides in inclement conditions.

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Watch the thermometer

For me, the Tempesta 2 was perfect for days where the temperature reached a high of about 7 C. Above that my hands would overheat. Saying that, I tend to reach for thinner gloves while everyone else I ride with goes for a bit more insulation. For riders whose hands easily get cold, the Tempesta will likely serve them well whenever the temperature is just below zero to just below 10 C. They are also great for variable weather when the temperature might chance a bit or there’s a bit of percipitation in the forecast. Think the type of day you wear a long sleeve or jacket with full tights instead of arm and knee warmers.

Fit and construction

The fit on the Tempesta 2 is really what makes it so versatile. The gloves are of a medium bulk but dexterity in them is still excellent. My ability to operate the bike was never hindered and the grippy palm gave me a good hold on my bars at all times. The medium pair I tested fit quite snug so my hand didn’t move around in them.

The glove has a fleece inner lining which insulates well against the cold. The outer is a more weather resistant membrane that cuts the wind and keeps dampness out. The touchscreen tips allow you to swipe the screen on your Garmin or smartphone. They aren’t nearly a precise as a bare finger on electronics but at least gave me the option of not removing my gloves. A reflective panel on the back makes your hand visible in low light conditions, especially when you stick your hand out to signal a turn.

Riding in the Tempesta 2 gloves

I really like these gloves. For being so well insulated, the fit is really sleek and they are comfortable. They also feel very solid with quality materials and tight stitching. Whether I was riding technical trails on a ‘cross bike or riding the tarmac the dexterity they provided gave me confidence to handle the bike .

I was delighted to find the Tempesta 2 kept my hands nice and warm on some pretty cold days when the temperature ended up dipping to -2 C. When it was damp and on days I was riding easy and wanted to ensure my hands would be comfortable.

One downside of the gloves is the fleece inner can start to feel a little damp if the temperature creeps up or when I was riding hard. This made removing the glove a little less easy and sometimes had me considering a lighter pair if the forecast called for the temperature to warm up.

However, this spring has been cold and I have been reaching for them as I continue to defy the slow coming of warmer weather with rides both long and short. Whether I am greeted with flurries, light showers or a stiff cold headwind, the Castelli Tempesta 2 glove has made the start of my season more tolerable despite the season’s best efforts to delay it.

The Castelli Tempesta 2 glove retails for $125.