Worst product ever made

So, in the winter it gets pretty friggin cold around here. However, it's also kinda dry in general (take out last year's fluke of a storm!), which makes for great winter riding. I have more technical gear than you can shake a stick at when it comes to baselayers, tights, and everythign in betweeen. The ONLY thing that still struggles for me is my hands & feet. Mostly my hands, but my feet also have a tendancy to go numb. It's way more tolerable for my feet to get too cold, than my hands. That being said, I have learned a few things about my body when it comes to riding in the cold:

1. As long as I stay dry, I am comfortable
2. As long as I wear layers, I can never really get too hot
3. My circulation to my hands and feet are awful.

Now #'s 1 & 2 pretty much refer to the core, while #3 is more appendage related. Over the years I've amassed a pretty impressive collection of cycling gloves, willing to try out the next big thing in "keeping my hands warm and dry in any condition". However, upon Amy moving in, I did some packing up of stuff, and don't know where the hell any of them went, save for my trusted and killer Louis garneu Eco Tech gloves. Of all the high-priced "warm", expensive gloves, these are still my favorites. They're not too heavy, are windproof, and breathe pretty good. The rest of my stuff...no idea. However, after riding in it again last year, I realize non of it was effective, even the Louis' in super balls cold weather, but of all, they were the lightest and laso the best. .

So where is this leading? Ok...With my gloves being gone, I wandered over to performance for their annual Fall sale to pick up some gloves. I had the Louis, and now, I wanted a viable "2nd" pair, as I typically take a second pair on a ride with me to switch out about halfway through. I try to time this switch when I am near a bathroom that has an electrc hand dryer so I can not only warm up, but, also use it to dry all of my wet crap...mainly the gloves. Therefore, I'll always have a pair of dry gloves I can switch to every 1.5-2 hrs depending on ride time. I wanted a pair like the Louis, as I've had success with them before, however, was willing to try another brand. Enter Pearl Izumi. Amy had received a pair of Pearl Izumi's Gavia glove for xmas last year and rode them a few times. Unfortunately, she picked some of the coldest days to ride them on, and, they're really kinda too thin for any "cold" weather riding. They were sweet gloves...both wind & waterproof, and pretty cool looking. Plus, they were on sale, so, what the hell, huh? Well, these gloves have turned out to be the worst purchase I've ever made. I tried them on and they fit snug, but still had a bit of room to allow for airflow. This was in the store of course, and getting outside in them was a completely different story. It was a balmy day that was warming up to get into the mid-70s. When we started our ride, it was chilly, but not too bad. In fact, I could have probably delt with just regular weight long finger gloves, and been fine. But, I figured it was the perfect time to try the Gavias...afterall, the product description reads: Keeping hands dry in nature's worst weather, these gloves deliver excellent wind and water protection.

This is whtere the truth ends, and false advertising begins. My hands actually get colder wearing these gloves. within 5 minutes (NO LIE...ask Jeremy) my hands were frozen, and alreayd going numb.I thought maybe I caught/trapped some cold air in the glove, so I took it off, heated it up by blowing into it, and put them back on. No change, except for the worse. Now, my pinky & ring finger on my right hand was gone, and the pinky only on my left hand was gone. WTF?!?!? I thought...these gloves suck.

So, I tossed them in the glove bin, and left them for another day. Now, today I rode at lunch, and tt was vhilly, but maybe only in the low 50's. There was some chilly wind, but hey, I have windproof gloves for "nature's worst weather". Wrong again. My hands were colder on a warmer day. These gloves suck. I relly want to send them back to PI, with a note that says 'try again!', but, I doubt they will...