Cold Weather Riders

[McG]

Hi all!  I'm wondering, if you're a cold weather rider, how you cover up.  I was thinking of buying a snowmobile suit to go over everything on my 2 mile commute, but wonder if there are better options.

Any thoughts?
McG

[Stig / Major Tom]

I will be watching this thread!
Signed, Frozen Stig
I do 3.5 miles in the pre-dawn....with layers, rain pants, full face helmet, good leather gloves AND the balaclava across the chin and throat (or a scarf across the neck/mouth, knotted tightly at the back)....the big issue with me is that I want to have my armored hi-viz jacket on the outside for safety and viz.
A one piece snow suit is probably very warm - but where is the armored jacket?
I figure for a 12 min ride I'd rather be safe and fairly comfortable than unprotected and toasty.

[CosmoKorny]

There is motorcycle specific cold weather gear but I prefer brandy.

[tclhb]

I have a full over suit from my mc riding days. Since I bought my scooter in March, I haven't used it yet. On 50 degree mornings my seven mile commute is a sweatshirt, then wind breaker, then mesh mc jacket for the armor. That's over a long sleeve dress shirt and undershirt. So far it's enough, barely enough.

[tclhb]

Aero stitch

[91cavgt]

Get a wind screen/wind shield!!!   


With one in place on my Like, I have ridden in 37 degree weather with just my riding pants (Duluth Firehose pants), my riding jacket with it's liner in it, a sweater, my full face helmet, glove liners, and my winter gloves.  That's it.  Yeah, I was just a bit chilly on my knees but otherwise I was comfortable. 




As long as there is no moisture and temps close to freezing, I plan on riding year round.  If it is below freezing AND moisture then I'll be driving my truck.   

[Vivo]

There is motorcycle specific cold weather gear but I prefer brandy.

Rum for me....

[johnson]

Nike balaclava (better than the cheap ones from cycle shops), Underarmor long sleeve, shirt, Spidi waterproof jacket with liner (sometimes in, sometimes not), flannel lined bluejeans 2"-4" longer than normal (ebay), 8" boots.  Modular helmet of course. 

[NeoGenesisMax]

I ride all year and KS gets cold. I wear regular shoes with two pairs of socks, thermal pants (long johns) under jeans, under armor shirt or thermal shirt or regular t shirt as my under shirt, t shirt, hooded sweat shirt, leather coat, leather gloves with lining, balakalava or how ever you spell it (basically full head mask with one big hole for nose mouth and eyes, and a full face helmet. The only parts of me that get cold are my hands and nose and eyes. Cold air still gets in my helmet around my chin and goes strait for my eyes. Makes my eyes tear up sometimes. Its like chinese water torture with ice water. Also my hands. Even though the gloves are deer skin and have a cotton inner liner they dont do enough. My hands will go numb 15 minutes into my commute.  The only things i bought special for riding in cold was thernal pants and shirt at k mart (dirt cheap), and the gloves. There is no need to buy elaborate stuff when you can add a layer of cloths you already own.

[91cavgt]

I ride all year and KS gets cold. I wear regular shoes with two pairs of socks, thermal pants (long johns) under jeans, under armor shirt or thermal shirt or regular t shirt as my under shirt, t shirt, hooded sweat shirt, leather coat, leather gloves with lining, balakalava or how ever you spell it (basically full head mask with one big hole for nose mouth and eyes, and a full face helmet. The only parts of me that get cold are my hands and nose and eyes. Cold air still gets in my helmet around my chin and goes strait for my eyes. Makes my eyes tear up sometimes. Its like chinese water torture with ice water. Also my hands. Even though the gloves are deer skin and have a cotton inner liner they dont do enough. My hands will go numb 15 minutes into my commute.  The only things i bought special for riding in cold was thernal pants and shirt at k mart (dirt cheap), and the gloves. There is no need to buy elaborate stuff when you can add a layer of cloths you already own.

I hope you at least have some kind of riding jacket and pants.  The first time you go down wearing stuff that you can buy at a local non-motorcycle store, you will wish you would have paid for some real riding equipment.  Road rash can really mess you up and people would be surprised at how normal clothes tear apart when sliding across pavement, regardless of how many layers you have on. 

[houndguy]

I commute at night here in Florida, and believe it or not we have had temperatures drop into the low 30's (low 0's C) here.  My commute is 35 miles (56 KM) 1 way.  Most of it is at highway speeds.

I have considered getting a balaclava but have found layering to work best.  I wear long underwear under my pants, my pants, and then I pull a pair of sweat pants over my pants.  I wear two pair of socks in my boots.  I have a hooded sweater that I wear and I wear the hood under my helmet. 

Under the sweater I wear a long sleeve shirt, long underwear and a regular t-shirt.  I have a heavy "winter" motorcycle jacket I wear.  I also purchased a pair of winter gauntlet gloves that slide over the sleeves of my jacket to prevent the wind from blowing in.

I am actually pretty warm till the end of the ride where I start to fill the cold.   

Remember in the winter its not so much the cold but the wind chill factor that will get you.  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/?n=windchill#Now  (English measurements only)   

[Vivo]

You're right houndguy,,, wind chill....  lots of people don't know that its warm inside an igloo because there's no wind...

[RubenC]

I ride on the average 75 miles a day riding in the Fort Worth-Dallas area.  For riding in the cold, I wear the following:  My Epic jacket and Caliber pants are Tourmaster.  My gloves are Bilt motorcycle winter gloves.  My neck guard and helmet liner are the Cycle Gear Freeze-out line. I was able to stay warm except for the top of my hands.

[Stig / Major Tom]

21 degrees, "feels like 14"  (says the weather.com, but a bit colder than that at 40mph) for my 4:30 AM ride today.
Nose & eyes~!! (pull the face sheild all the way down you get instant frosting over - so it has to stay up 1/4 inch to freeze the snoz)
Stig

[houndguy]

21 degrees, "feels like 14"  (says the weather.com, but a bit colder than that at 40mph) for my 4:30 AM ride today.
Nose & eyes~!! (pull the face sheild all the way down you get instant frosting over - so it has to stay up 1/4 inch to freeze the snoz)
Stig

That is my issue as well.  I don't have a way to prevent fogging, so I have to lift the visor now and again or keep it cracked.  Which leads to cold air getting in and that wind chill issue we were talking about.   Perhaps that is another thread?