Anyone tried the MEC Cloudraker overmitt??

[Jennifer Mitol]

I need a waterproof/windproof/breathable (ha!) overmitt for winter/rain/Chicago bike commuting/hiking. I was looking at the MLD rain mitts but after emailing Ron I'm not sure about the durability on the bike.

I love the look of the Haglofs gram shell mitt but that will be more than $100 plus the hassle of getting it from the UK or Sweden (but I do love my Endo smock from them…really nice stuff).

MEC has the old OR Endeavor mitts for $70 and people seem to rave about those…but then I saw the MEC Cloudraker at all of $25. MEC claims its WPB but doesn't give specifics on the fabric…

Seems like a great deal…anyone used them? Or should I go with the tried and true (and apparently discontinued!) endeavor mitts for the extra cash??

[Tom]

I've had them for a little over a year and have no complaints. I haven't had any leaks or problems with breathability. They look the same as the day I bought them. The one problem I could see you having would be the lack of grip on the palm. There is some grip but not much. A few drops of Plastidip might solve that problem though. My hand is 7 inches long and the size small fits perfectly over a pair of wool liner gloves and fleece mitts. You can't go wrong with the Endeavors but if price is a concern I'd give the Cloudraker a shot. MEC has a great return policy after all.

[Maris L]

Chiming in here re: Chicago winter commuting again…

I actually tried the MEC mitts on in-store last year for the same purpose, but didn't buy them. First impression was that they were okay, but nothing special. Felt like I had to size down to get any sort of dexterity with fingered gloves under, otherwise the inner gloves would kind of just slide around in there. Didn't like this 'cos I use bar-end shifters. Another thing was that the grip material felt like it could start wearing off after a season of continuous use on bars, based on previous experience with other gloves… but this is a complete guess. The cuff adjustments were easy enough to use but I've had gloves like that where eventually the plastic tab at the end of the cord eventually pulls off from constant use. I also missed a mid-wrist adjustment on these. Again, these were just first impressions, but I wasn't crazy impressed.

Haven't tried the ORs, but I like that style cuff adjustment a lot more, and these have a mid-wrist adjustment which I prefer on the bike.

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