Advice for cold weather

[TomInPA]

Seriously numb nuts! By the time it's that cold who cares? If you find a window and motivation to ride in sub-freezing temperatures, you're the man! WarmNsafe gear will make it easier, but you still get credit for being one of the few that will be on 2-wheels. A sunny cold winter day is tolerable, mainly because a ride is rare

We left Hungry Mother State Park, VA. Thanksgiving weekend a couple years ago. And everyone's temp gauge was reading 16. I didn't see anything above freezing until I got north of Beckley WV. Slabed it all the way home...highest temp for the day was 38.

Ok then...you're the man!

 

[El Toro Joe]

Seriously numb nuts! By the time it's that cold who cares? If you find a window and motivation to ride in sub-freezing temperatures, you're the man! WarmNsafe gear will make it easier, but you still get credit for being one of the few that will be on 2-wheels. A sunny cold winter day is tolerable, mainly because a ride is rare

We left Hungry Mother State Park, VA. Thanksgiving weekend a couple years ago. And everyone's temp gauge was reading 16. I didn't see anything above freezing until I got north of Beckley WV. Slabed it all the way home...highest temp for the day was 38.

Ok then...you're the man!

Bob, Heidi, and Sharon were also there. And non of us had heated gear.

 

[jmgrif]

Hey! A couple of friends and I trailered our bikes from Vernon, B.C. Canada! To Phoenix Arizona. Sometime in late February? That was in 2009. We were heading to Bike Week in Daytona Florida! Parked the truck and trailer in Phoenix and headed on our bikes to Florida! We left Vernon in sub zero weather and didn't feel warm weather till we got near Phoenix! To shorten up this story we had great weather all the way across till we got to Pensacola Florida. We arrived in the PM with the temp about 72F?. Leaving Pensacola early in the morning the temp was 32F! Myself and one other had heated gear, but our fearless leader, didn't? We didn't get more than an hour on the road before he cried time for a break! He rides a cruiser and thinks Loud Pipes Save Lives? Not so much. Oh he is my friend, so this is a friendly, jab!

 

[RaYzerman19]

Aw fuck...16, 17, whatever. Haha...

Maybe it's a rounding error

Mine goes to -9C, which is 15.8F.... but who cares, mighty chilly then.

 

[CA G-Man]

Mine goes to -9C, which is 15.8F.... but who cares, mighty chilly then.

Agreed. Anywhere around freezing or lower I'm not thinking about whether or not I'm chilly, I'm thinking about keeping the rubber side down. The shot of adrenaline and increased blood pressure usually has a warming effect anyhow.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Rode with my new Gerbing gear last week. Saw 36F and had to keep reminding myself that the road and tires were COLD even though I wasn't.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Winter has finally arrived in the Southland. Rode through a least 3 hours of temps below 70F this past weekend. Will be packing the fleece and wearing the winter gloves from now on.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Winter has finally arrived in the Southland. Rode through a least 3 hours of temps below 70F this past weekend. Will be packing the fleece and wearing the winter gloves from now on.

While I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska I had the opportunity one cold February to go to the Tampa area for a conference. On my last day there, a Saturday, I drove by the Tampa BMW dealer on my way to the airport. It was 8:30 in the morning and a group of riders was assembling for a winter's day ride. They were were outfitted with heated gear, balaclavas, mittens and in one case Hippo Hands. It was 65 degrees when they pulled out and would be in the high 70s before long. Some tough characters,

 

[Bill Lumberg]

It gets your attention pretty quick. I do fall/spring with a crye precision shirt and some sort of jacket. Full on winter calls for insulated jacket, gauntlet gloves, neck gaiter, and thin toboggan under helmet. Under 30 degrees or over 45 minutes of riding, and chaps or first gear insulated pants. I got hypothermic on the back half of a 500 mile ride a couple of years ago involving rain, a cold front, and me wanting to push on and not stop to put on gear. Not smart. I err on the side of gear in cold weather.

Winter has finally arrived in the Southland. Rode through a least 3 hours of temps below 70F this past weekend. Will be packing the fleece and wearing the winter gloves from now on.

 

[Old Guy]

Winter has finally arrived in the Southland. Rode through a least 3 hours of temps below 70F this past weekend. Will be packing the fleece and wearing the winter gloves from now on.

While I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska I had the opportunity one cold February to go to the Tampa area for a conference. On my last day there, a Saturday, I drove by the Tampa BMW dealer on my way to the airport. It was 8:30 in the morning and a group of riders was assembling for a winter's day ride. They were were outfitted with heated gear, balaclavas, mittens and in one case Hippo Hands. It was 65 degrees when they pulled out and would be in the high 70s before long. Some tough characters,

Hey, go easy. We southerners are delicate

I've got a buddy who packs his electrics every time we go go Colorado. For me, those passes aren't cold enough for long enough to worry about, but I think he'd turn into an icicle if he had to endure < 50 degrees for more than a couple of minutes.

 

[SacramentoMike]

While I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska I had the opportunity one cold February to go to the Tampa area for a conference. On my last day there, a Saturday, I drove by the Tampa BMW dealer on my way to the airport. It was 8:30 in the morning and a group of riders was assembling for a winter's day ride. They were were outfitted with heated gear, balaclavas, mittens and in one case Hippo Hands. It was 65 degrees when they pulled out and would be in the high 70s before long. Some tough characters,

Guessing it was all BMW-branded heated gear, balaclavas, mittens, and Hippo Hands, too. :lol:

 

[Big Sky]

My co-workers in Williston, North Dakota, used to give me crap about riding my bike when it was cold. So, for the helluvit, I rode into work - about five miles - one morning when it was 3 degrees. This confirmed my lunacy. One of my great motorcycle learning experiences was Lolo Pass at the end of the third week in September in 1983 in a blizzard, avoiding 3-4 inches of heavy slush by riding in the wheel tracks created by grain hauling semis. One among many things I learned: Face shields will fog inside as you continually wipe away snow accumulating on your face shield.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Big Sky posted: <clipped> One among many things I learned: Face shields will fog inside as you continually wipe away snow accumulating on your face shield.

Seriously, that's one of the worst aspects of winter riding around here: when high humidity coupled with cool air fogs the visor and the glasses. I wash and clean lenses religiously, but often to little effect.

When you can't see, it doesn't much matter if you're cold.

 

[pista]

I have a short, 20 minute, commute to work so heated gear isn't essential for me. Well actually heated gloves would be nice.

The problem I've run into is ice on the roads before the sun comes up. If the temp is at about 35*F or lower I cage it.

Even if it's nice and dry 99% of the way, invariably there will be an icy spot someplace. When I feel the ABS pulsing or Stability Control cut power for an instant on one of these patches of "black ice" it makes me glad I wasn't riding.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I may live in the south, but it can get into the 20's here in Dallas. My 45-60 minute commute can get downright chilly so I'll run electric gear. Call me a wuss, but I'd rather be comfortable than cold.

 

[Pterodactyl]

When it comes to using heated gear my motto is "Dishonor Before Discomfort". Heat on!!!

 

[Niehart]

When I first bought my heated vest years ago, all of my buddies call it a toastmaster 2000 and gave me a ton of s#@t about it. Of course the all have heated gear now.

 

[Old Guy]

When I first bought my heated vest years ago, all of my buddies call it a toastmaster 2000 and gave me a ton of s#@t about it. Of course the all have heated gear now.

My first ride with mine temps were in the 20s when we left and was a balmy mid-30s by lunch. I was on the ZRX with little wind protection. I was with three other ZRX buddies, when at lunch I commented "I had to turn the jacket liner down a little; I was getting too warm." My buddies were still shivering from the morning ride and one commented, "I hope you f***n' fry!" He was not smiling.

They all three have heated gear now too.

 

[CA G-Man]

I may live in the south, but it can get into the 20's here in Dallas. My 45-60 minute commute can get downright chilly so I'll run electric gear. Call me a wuss, but I'd rather be comfortable than cold.

Jasen, do you have to lie down beside your bike to plug in or is the cord long enough that you can stay warm standing beside it while it's napping? (sorry...couldn't resist!)

 

[gixxerjasen]

I'll have you know I purchased the coiled extension so it works fine no matter what.

Geez, making fun of me now, just wait till I get the ride report published and you see how I came to be lying next to the bike.