Winter Apparel "Q"

[Garwil]

I am in the south, but grew up in Canada. I commuted all winter and rode down to 18F. In the summer I ride in a Joe Rocket Pheonix jacket. In the winter, I put on thermal underwear under my office clothes. I put on wool socks and replace my mesh boots with leather work boots. I wear a pair of bib rain pants (the bib makes a big difference) I purchased at wal-mart.
On top I put on a fleece and then my Joe Rocket Jacket. Over this, I wear a wind proof outer jacket. I picked up Nylon jacket jacket at the second hand store for $5.00. Beleive it or not, the Joe Rocket Mesh Jacket makes a big difference to warmth when it is covered by a wind proof jacket (one the outside). The outer jacket needs to have a tube collar (1.5 to 3 inches). I wear a turtle neck dicky as well.
For my head, I wear a cotton bela colava under my HJC full face helmet.
My hands are the most difficult. Because I live in the South, and because I am very cheap, I searched for gloves that would do the job. I ended up with a pair of streachy gloves under a pair of insulated ski gloves. That was OK for one winter, but I have kept looking and found better gloves (on sale) for this next year.
My commute takes 45 minutes to an hour and I have no problems staying warm. I don't think it would matter if I wanted to ride farther
The biggest problem I have is because I wear glasses under my full face helmet I have problems with fog. I raise my windscreen to half mast every time I slow down below 40 mph because of fogging. If it is really cold, I only raise it one inch. It is a balancing act, but I get by OK.

[Sculelos]

I do some of the things others posted. I ride down to around 10F and do pretty well. Of course I could use more armor in my gear as it's mostly just for the cold and not for the crash. (Armored cold gear is damn expensive)

1. Long necked thermal
2. Hunting Jacket
3. Snow pants
4. Hunting Gloves or Sub-Zero leather gloves
5. Helmet liner / balcalva.
6. Magnum Waterproof Boots

With such gear I'm good for up to 30 mile stretches in 15f weather, any longer and I'm still frozen. I could really use electric gear if I want to do any longer rides this winter but a car is usually more practicle for long drives in the winter time.

[KLR AK]

Originally Posted by krt1

Hey, happy birthday KLR AK! You suggested looking at your profile, so it's not really lurking. Do you mind a tiny thread heist? How do you start your bike in sub-20 deg. weather? btw, I'm a fan of layering beneath wind protection, too.

Hey thanks! As far as starting the bike in cold weather goes, I got it good in that I have a garage.

I also forgot to say that I ride wearing a variety of balaclavas and make sure my helmet has a chin curtain.

Mark H.

[09blkklr]

you dont have to get those ,electric cloths,i rode all last year n bitter cold,nothin more than my fieldsheer adventure coat,pants both had the liners in,but i rode n ice n snow ,never got cold except for my forehead,it got cold through a baclava and my hjc helmet,new meanin to brain freeze lol.lol.

[webmost]

Grew up in SoCal. Moved to Dull-Aware 25 years ago. Been riding 50 years. Have never put a bike away for Winter yet. Here in DE, it rarely drops below 5 degrees. I may take the cage five or six days a year when ice on the road has no snow on top, so that the tires can't get a grip. But this is the first year I'll be riding a KLR; so I won't have to worry too much about dropping her; so I may not miss any days at all. Have never used any heated gear. Have a heated seat and heated grips on the Beemer; never turn on the seat (feels funny); rarely turn on the grips. Have heated grips on Biffy the KLR; haven't used them yet. It's easy to ride cold. Here's how I ride at 5 degrees:

Loose cowboy boots (not the pointy toed kind) Absolutely have to be a half size or more too big. That's the trick. Have to be pull on. Laced boot tops are anathema and will freeze your toes. Knee socks. Carharts tucked into boots. Rain pants over. Cotton golf shirt, red plaid Woolrich shirt over that (red plaid is the warmest color), Unlined leather Vanson over that. If it's sleeting, I may substutute a ski jacket for the Vanson. Ski gloves. This is my coldest outfit. No problemo.

Working up to cold as the season changes helps a lot. Don't put on the full rig when it's fifty. Don't put on anything but your jacket. If you do layer too soon, you will park by the time it's 30. Add a long sleeve shirt in the 30s. Add the rain pants in the 20s. Add the Woolrich in the teens. This morning, 39 degrees, I had jeans, cowboy boots, a thin cotton V neck over a golf shirt, the Vanson, then just elk skin garden gloves.

The more you buy, the less you ride, is what I observe. Guys in my beemer club here spend as much as my KLR cost on Gerbings and Aerostiches, put the whole deal in the garage by November. Spend less = ride more.

It's odd. When I was a lad, Dad rolled down the window and stuck out his hand for a signal, rain, sleet, snow, or shine. That was life. When he was a lad, his Dad didn't have to roll down the window, because cars didn't have windows. That was life. When gramps was a lad, there were no cars. A man tipped up the tent flap in the morning, stuck his face in the wind; that was life. From, that time back to the first monkey who fell out of a tree, every day had weather all year long. Now, suddenly, in the last generation, weather has become lethal, at least in imagination. We don't even get cold any more; we suffer hypothermia instead. One syllable is a winter day; five is a boogeyman.

Ride cold. It's fun. Try it.

[Scott_Rides_Again]

I might go with a block heater.

Block heater

[Scott_Rides_Again]

Has anyone tried one of these?

Block Heater

[PiffleMaster]

Originally Posted by Scott_Rides_Again

Has anyone tried one of these?

Block Heater

I haven't used them on a motorcycle, but we used them on the gearboxes of helicopters and oil pans on piston aircraft when I worked out of Yellowknife and other places in the north. Much quicker getting them up to temp than just using a Herman Nelson hot air heater.

[Scott_Rides_Again]

Thanks, I think I will try one.

[dopplebock]

Eight Knots:

I ride in north Florida year round. Our winter months are few in number but can be bone chilling due to high humidity in the early morning hours. My cold weather gear consists mainly of a Tourmaster three layer jacket, military arctic gloves, jeans(if a long trip flannel lined jeans), gore-tex lined boots and an under the helmet balaclava. I have two winter riding issuse.... Fogging of the visor and staying dry.

[Scott_Rides_Again]

Originally Posted by dopplebock

I have two winter riding issuse.... Fogging of the visor and staying dry.

Yes, Two very good issues. They say the double screened helmet fixes the fog problem. Not just in the cold, but regular wet as well.

Staying dry is a piece by piece issue. Good luck.

[fxdlmatt]

I find living in SoCal fixes the cold weather riding issues for me ... and for those times when I have to leave the correct climate, I have a one-piece Olympia riding suit with a liner and a pair of Gore-tex outer mits with fleece Windstopper inner mits. Mits are aways warmer than gloves.

--Matt

[Brother-Joseph]

Originally Posted by Eight_Knots

No need floundering along going well this one is good and this one is best. So for you all who dont let the Cooold stop your riding adventures.. For a one stop upper and lower with moderate body protection. What will do the job?
Dave

Centurion Riding Suit.

100% Waterproof Textile. Removable upper and or lower liners, CE approved armor.

[navythomas]

Heres what I use. fits over all my riding gear.
www.icearmor.com look under outer wear. I have the blue set. wind and water proof. the gloves are excellent also. but wear liners. now if I can just figure out the visor fog issue. cant find a heated one for my fulmer. under armour balaclava with another one over the top of that that goes inside my jacket.

[Xtreme]

Firstgear weather suit, leather under that, fleece under that. MX boots.