B’Twin 500 Winter Cycling Gloves

The B'Twin 500 Winter Cycling Gloves are an impressively good budget option, but the padding and imperfect shaping limit their appeal to shorter rides and commutes.

• Pros: Low price, good looks, bright colours, warm
• Cons: Poor palm padding, short thumbs, fit

With the majority of gloves we test falling between £30 and £50, the headline for B'Twin's £13.99 500s will always be their value. Most riders will make allowances for a certain amount of flaws against more expensive gloves. And if you're wanting a pair for short (sub-1hr) cold blasts and city commutes, the good news is there aren't even that many allowances to be made.

> Find your nearest Decathlon store here

The 500s are neatly stitched with none of the brick-like bulk of many cheap gloves, and have a neat, soft inner cuff that seals well against jackets and jerseys. The palms caused zero grip problems either wet or dry, while large silicone prints on the thumb and first two fingers give extra security on the brakes.

The stated temperature range of 4-10°C is bang on, and they even stay almost as protective when absolutely sodden. Funnily enough, B'Twin claims they're water resistant (they're not, rain soaks in almost instantly), but not that they're windproof, which they pretty much are. As a result, the 500s were no colder during storms than a fancy windproof alternative at three times the price (I like to wear mismatched pairs to see, and also because I'm very fashion-forward).

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves

The screen-friendly thumb and forefinger work very well. The snot wipe the length of the thumb is fine, though it's not the softest ever, and it's also the first spot you'll go numb – the fabric is less of a barrier than the rest of the glove.

Two reflective fingertips and several bright colour options (yellow, pink and blue as well as this red) are good for safety and, frankly, I think they look more stylish than you'd expect of budget gloves. At 98g they're not even particularly heavy.

Now the bad points. I found the pads – one either side of the base of your palm – pretty hopeless. The foam squashes instantly flat, and from then on it's just extra bulk right under your pressure points. I actually found these less comfortable than completely unpadded winter gloves, and found myself shaking the blood back into my hands within an hour as the tingles took hold. Numbness arrived at around the 1hr 15min mark.

The shaping is also a little off, for me anyway, with the webbing between the first finger and thumb taking a short cut across the gap, well above your hand. Grip the bars and your thumb/finger gets rammed tightly into the end, which puts strain on both your circulation and the seams.

They also have a noticeably loose palm but skinny fingers, and while neither caused problems when worn alone, it did mean I couldn't use liners without noticeable constriction and awkwardness on the controls. That's a shame, as B'Twin actually recommends liners for extra insulation.

> 30 of the best pieces of cycling clothing to keep you warm this winter

Ultimately, though, you have to come back to the price. If your rides are short (or your thumbs are...) these will keep you warm and comfy enough even in rain, while bright, smart looks do no harm for city commuters either.

There's not much competition at this price, at least from riding gloves worthy of the name. Madison's windproof, waterproof and very comfy Avalanche gloves are a standout for the price, and though they're over twice the price at £33, they still represent better value for serious riding. The water-resistant and windproof Kalf Fives are also worth a look at £35, if you don't care about full-on waterproofing.

For shorter rides and cold commutes, though, the B'Twin 500 Winter Cycling Gloves are excellent value.

Verdict

Good looking gloves that perform impressively for the price, but the longer you ride, the less happy you get