Cold riding gear....

[Stig / Major Tom]

Many riders have found gear options which allow them to keep scooter riding through the winter months.

Remaining 'armored' AND high viz in the winter is most important to me. I will not ride without these two safety things!
Warmth is nice....but always secondary for me.

After 5 years I found ways to stay armored, hi viz and warm.

HANDS are the weak point for me. Ion battery powered Gerbing glove liners, worn under heavy Olympia Wind-Tex gaunlets enable me to ride for 3 or 4 hours, without a screen, into the F teens.(bar muffs don't work for me )

I wear a Zan balaclava under a full-face modular hiviz Nolan helmet. Thin material over the head, thick at the neck.

FroggTogg rain pants over armored, kevlar, Slider jeans.

Over-ankle leather boots.

Shirts under a lined, armored, leather ICON jacket worn under a rainproof, lined, hiviz, Occu-Nomix highway worker's jacket (ANSI class 3)

Wool scarf is always essential for the neck!

I hope that you can stay armored, hi viz AND warm over the next few months.

Stig

* rainproof = wind-proof. ....Must keep the wind from reaching any part of the body!
** some day I may break down and fit a screen. But I doubt it.

[Gnzbrg]

Back when I lived in Maine we held the "any day the plows ain't out" philosophy.  What seemed to work best was insulated boots and overalls, snowmobile gloves, heavy socks, and fur-lined caps.  I have literally been out riding and waved to friends who were ice fishing!  Didn't seem unreasonable at the time...  NOW I live in Lower Alabama, this morning it's 66°, and I'm half freezing to death. 

[boo]

a snowmobile suit with extreme temp undies under it. Face covered, good boots, and cold weather gauntlets. Works pretty good. Having said that, i`m not crazy about riding in real cold temps. I`m on blood thinners and I get cold easier than the average joe.

[randyo]

Warmth is nice....but always secondary for me.

you sir, are a danger on the road, hypothermia is worse than drunk driving, your reactions are slowed just as much without the euphoria to know that your reactions have slowed

If you have even one iota of a shiver, you are hypothermic

[CROSSBOLT]

you sir, are a danger on the road, hypothermia is worse than drunk driving, your reactions are slowed just as much without the euphoria to know that your reactions have slowed

If you have even one iota of a shiver, you are hypothermic

You may have taken what he said a little too literally, Randy. He is pretty squared away and I doubt he would press into a hypothermic state for any reason. Unlike me as a new rider in the 60's I would get so cold the cheeks of my butt would slap together! Dumb!

[randyo]

the problem with hypothermia, is that you don't know your judgement and reflexes are impaired

[CROSSBOLT]

Just like hypoxia. I used to fly to 14000 feet AGL thirty or more times a day and had to use mountaineering breathing to help avoid hypoxia. Probably could not do that today if I even tried because of age and experience. Which is the point here since Stig, while not as antique as I, is senior enough to at least prep to avoid. I'd be willing to bet my life will never be the hazard of some old guy in an over-heated cabin of a Buick. Either to himself or another.

[hypophthalmus]

you sir, are a danger on the road, hypothermia is worse than drunk driving, your reactions are slowed just as much without the euphoria to know that your reactions have slowed

If you have even one iota of a shiver, you are hypothermic

No way is it near that level of impairment. Not saying that there isn't SOME danger in being mildly hypothermic. Hands in particular can slow down problematically, separately from hypothermia.

[randyo]

not talking about hypothermia that is health threatening, rather mild hypothermia, that first affects judgement, before there are any outward symptoms.

I don't ride a scooter (my Kymco is a UTV) but I do ride a motorcycle, in winter, at normal traffic road speeds. when temps are below 20°f, I limit my top speed to 60 or less, doesn't take long for yer helmet to feel like a block of ice at higher speeds. I also use duct tape to seal anywhere there are air leaks, around my waist, wrists, etc. when you're going 60mph and it's zero, an air leak feels like a needle poking you, I wear Sorel boots with felt liners. While I do have an electric heated layer, I don't count on it, I've had electrical failures more than once, when I do, I turn off everything electrical I can, even unplug the headlamp, so the juice left in the battery can get me to safety, thankfully, never had an electrical failure in cold weather. A voltmeter is mandatory to monitor the condition of your charging system before an idiot light tells you too late that it has failed

[Stig / Major Tom]

I have visual cues which let me know it's time to pull over and warm up.


Stig