Dakine has been producing mountain bike gloves for many years and continues to offer a full lineup of models to cover the needs of most off-road riders. The majority of Dakine’s MTB range consists of light to mid-weight full-finger gloves designed for warm to moderate temperatures. The exception is the White Knuckle Glove, which the brand refers to as “the ultimate cold weather cycling gloves.”
Dakine has been making the White Knuckle gloves for quite some time. The original version came out over a decade ago, and has been a cold-weather favorite of many mountain bikers ever since. The latest version is reminiscent of its predecessor and intended to serve the same purpose, although it is essentially a completely new, convertible design. A couple of the most notable design features are the use of Gore-Tex Infinium softshell material, an extended stretch cuff, and a tuck-away trigger finger shell for extra wind and water protection.
I got a pair of the Dakine White Knuckle gloves back in October, and I’ve been riding in them on and off for the past few months. I’ve found them to be quite versatile and adaptable for cooler temperatures and changing weather conditions. They have a few quirks, and make no mistake, these are not full-on winter riding gloves for temperatures below freezing. However, when kept in their lane, the White Knuckles are a solid choice for cool to cold temperatures and variable weather.
- MSRP: $55
- Weight: 93 grams (size L)
- Type: Cold weather
- Knuckle Protection: Neoprene on knuckles
- Touchscreen Compatibility: Yes
Pros
- Blocks wind and light precip
- Tuck-away shell adds extra wind and weather protection
- Long cuff keeps wrists covered
- Warm, but not full-on winter gloves
- Normal bar feel
Cons
- Not warm enough for below freezing temperatures
- Bulky back of wrist when cover is tucked
- More difficult to get on and off
Dakine White Knuckle Gloves Details
In Dakine’s own words, “We’ve designed our White Knuckle Bike Glove to be the perfect combination of protection and performance for all cyclists, whether you’re on a late-season mountain bike ride, a frigid winter road session, or an early morning commute.”
To do this, Dakine chose Gore-Tex Inflinum material for the back of the hand. This softshell material is a 3-layer laminate that blocks wind and is water-resistant, and is widely used in cool-weather cycling gear. The palm and fingers are made of AX Suede Laredo synthetic suede material, along with touchscreen-compatible material on the tips of the thumb and index finger. Additionally, the back of the thumb is made of a soft, absorbent material, and the tips of the index and middle fingers feature strips of silicone for grip on brake levers.
The extended wrist cuff is 3 inches long and made from a 4-way stretch material with a pull tab to facilitate the slip-on design. A tuck-away rain shell is attached to the top/back of the wrist cuff, where it folds into a small pouch when not in use. The rain shell has a trigger finger design, with the thumb and index fingers separate and the middle, ring, and pinky fingers together. Dakine doesn’t specify the rain shell materials, but it appears to be a ripstop nylon with a laminate on the back and a soft stretch material on the front, grip-side of the fingers.
The White Knuckle gloves come in black only and in sizes M to XXL. My size large test pair weighed in at 93 grams
Fit and Comfort
I typically wear size large mountain bike gloves, and the White Knuckles in a size large fit me like…a glove. The finger length seems spot-on, and the volume and snugness of the gloves work great for my hands with no excess material to speak of. That said, I have relatively slender fingers, so those with thicker digits may want to try these on. The seams in the fingertips are somewhat noticeable at first, which I believe is somewhat inevitable given the thicker AX Suede material used for the palm and fingers. When riding, I don’t notice the fingertip seams at all.
For me, getting the White Knuckle Gloves on and off my hands isn’t a challenge, necessarily, but it’s more of a chore than wearing gloves with Velcro cuffs. The extended stretch cuff has a synthetic leather pull tab, which is helpful when wriggling your hands into them. It’s fine, it’s just a little more time-consuming, and it isn’t ideal if you’re the type of rider who takes your gloves off frequently for texts, photos, or whatever else. The cuff itself is somewhat snug, so that could also potentially pose issues for those with bulkier hands.
At the same time, the longer cuff is a nice addition when riding in cooler temperatures, as it covers more of the wrist and helps prevent gaps between your jersey/jacket and gloves. Other than the slight bulge created on the back of the wrist when the rain cover is tucked away, it is fairly low profile, and my riding jackets overlapped it easily. That said, the look of the bulge created by the stowed rain cover takes a little getting used to, and the cuff of a jacket or jersey may hang up on it from time to time.
Control and Bar Feel
Beyond being made from slightly thicker and heavier materials, the White Knuckle gloves feel very normal on the hands. I didn’t find them to feel bulky at all, and that translated to a familiar feel on the bar as well. Yes, the AX Suede Laredo synthetic suede palm is slightly thicker than most summer-weight gloves, but it feels like a quality leather palm. It’s a single layer; there isn’t any excess material in the palm to bunch up, and it provides great traction on the various grips I tried them with.
Speaking of traction, the subtle silicone print on the index finger adds a little grip on slippery, cold brake levers. Which brings me to another small complaint I have about the White Knuckles. The grip/palm side of the rain shell is made from a stretchy and fairly slippery material, and Dakine did not add any silicone print to the tip of the index finger. I noticed that I didn’t have anywhere near the same level of brake lever traction when riding with the rain shell on.
Temperature Range
While Dakine refers to the White Knuckles as the “ultimate cold-weather cycling gloves,” I think that’s up to interpretation. Cold means different things to different people and in different places. In my experience with these gloves, cold refers to temperatures between ~ 40 degrees F and 60 degrees F. These gloves don’t really have any insulation, and I wouldn’t recommend them for full-on winter conditions or temperatures below freezing.
Similar to the Pearl Izumi PRO PowerShield gloves that I reviewed a little while back, the White Knuckles are more of a shoulder season option that has you covered when summer-weight gloves are too thin, and insulated winter gloves are too warm. While the Gore-Tex Infinium softshell is slightly more insulating than lighter materials, it primarily keeps the hands warmer by blocking the wind. Still, it’s not very thick, so you can feel cold air through it as you get closer to the freezing mark, particularly if your hands are sweaty.
When you’re flirting with the lower end of the White Knuckles’ temperature range, deploying the Rain shell adds an additional layer of wind barrier. Still, there’s virtually no insulation in these gloves, so there’s only so much that will do for you. So, don’t expect these gloves to keep you warm in temperatures below freezing, but do expect them to serve you well in that ~ 40 to 60 degrees F sweet spot, and you won’t be let down.
Weather Protection
And within that temperature range, the White Knuckle gloves also have you covered when the weather is fickle. While most brands commit to weather protection with membranes built into their waterproof gloves, Dakine lets you decide with the convertible design and tuck-away rain shell. When it’s not raining, the shell lives tucked away in its pouch on the back of the wrist cuff, allowing full dexterity and greater breathability. When the skies open up, it’s quick and easy to deploy and stretch over the fingers for water protection.
In my sink and out on the trail, I found the back of the rain shell to bead water effectively, preventing any from passing through to my hands. I only rode in some intermittent, moderate showers, but my sink test simulated a full-on downpour, and they kept me dry. But, it’s worth mentioning that the stretchy wrist cuff and the palm (including the rain shell’s palm) are not waterproof, so you’ll probably get wet eventually if you’re riding in a monsoon. Still, they’re more than adequate for the rainy conditions that I’m generally willing to go riding in on purpose.
Dakine White Knuckle Bike Gloves: My Takeaway
Dakine’s White Knuckles are one of a small number of convertible gloves made specifically with cycling in mind. Given the brand’s history of making mountain bike gloves and accessories, they seem biased toward use on the trail, but I see no reason they wouldn’t also work well on the gravel, road, or commuter bike, too. They have some minor quirks worth considering, like the slip-on design and the extra bulk of the stored rain cover, but they gave me little to complain about otherwise.
Of course, they aren’t the warmest gloves around, but their functional temperature range of ~40 to 60 degrees F covers a large portion of cool-weather riding. Add to that the tuck-away rain shell, which makes them suitable for use in weather ranging from fair to foul, and these are a solid option for variable conditions or riders seeking a one-glove quiver for all their shoulder-season rides, assuming they fit and you get along with the slip-on design.
