And another one bites the dust. Last year the most amazing riding gloves I've ever worn were discontinued for women, the High Ends by Racer. As soon as I found out, I went out and grabbed the last pair in my size. Now, they're discontinuing my Multitops. :-(

This time however, I'm going to pursue an alternative brand, Held. 

My next "winter" glove purchase is going to be the Warm n Dry by Held from Germany.  The quality is great and something pretty cool that's unique to is that they offer some of their gloves in Long for added finger length. They even offer one pair in short, the Steve IIs. These start at size XS, in size 6 and work really well for women too. 

The Warm n Drys (pictured above) are not only lined with GORE-TEX but have goatskin palms and cowhide construction. They're not bulky because they don't have any kind of insulated, cushy layer. So as a result, they're not the best winter glove in terms of warmth. But they're perfect for heated grips, which is how I make it through the winter. And they should be perfect for SF Bay Area riding. 

Typically you have to trade off tactile-ness and feel for warmth. But with these and heated grips you have the best of both worlds! They start at a size 7 (by measuring the circumference of your hand right below the knuckles) which is generally a small. I can't wait til we get another one in stock so I can try them out. The first day we started carrying them, almost all of them sold out. 

The only downside is that these aren't specifically women's. But, they do start at a small size, so I'm very hopeful that they'll fit well enough after trying an 8.  Fingers crossed.