Riding in the cold

[BumpaD_Z28]

I rode today in Logan, UT and they say the temps just topped the 40's ... It is suppose to snow tomorrow so I had to get a ride in before the white shit

... I was COLD ... with long underwear under Levi's , long sleeve thermal shirt under my leather coat (w/ liner), and a "scarf" sorta thing on my neck ....

~DaVe

[ghosthound]

it was 33* when i rode on friday to work.. my hands were hurting by the time i got to the office.

Do they sell battery powered heated gloves?

[psycledelic]

it was 33* when i rode on friday to work.. my hands were hurting by the time i got to the office.

Do they sell battery powered heated gloves?

I have seen battery powered gloves before, but they were expensive.  I actually installed a set of Powermadd handguards and they really help (and are not as ugly as most handguards).  www.roxspeedfx.com
Rox has machined mounting brackets that look much better and clear your controls really well.  The set up does look a little doofy, but at 30 degrees, I could give a crap.

[the_Journeyman]

It's not uncommon for me to head into work on Molly in the teens ~

JM

[Desmo Demon]

I don't own any heated gear and don't own any of the fancy cold-weather gear like long-johns nor Under Armor......The lowest I've commuted at was 28-degrees.....Back in December of 2001, I rode 500 miles from South Carolina to Daytona Beach. I left the house and it was 29 and the highest it got that day was 54....It was snowing at the Grand Canyon when I went there in 2004. I have no idea how cold it was during any part of that trip to Cali and back. Hindsight tells me I should have scheduled the trip in April or May instead of late March.

[BastrdHK]

I don't own any heated gear and don't own any of the fancy cold-weather gear like long-johns nor Under Armor......The lowest I've commuted at was 28-degrees.....Back in December of 2001, I rode 500 miles from South Carolina to Daytona Beach. I left the house and it was 29 and the highest it got that day was 54....It was snowing at the Grand Canyon when I went there in 2004. I have no idea how cold it was during any part of that trip to Cali and back. Hindsight tells me I should have scheduled the trip in April or May instead of late March.

So what do you wear?  Sheep skin chaps and a mammoth hide

[Desmo Demon]

So what do you wear?  Sheep skin chaps and a mammoth hide

When I commute (26 miles that takesw 35-45 minutes depending on traffic), I wear steel-toed work boots, jeans, a sweatshirt over my shirt, jacket, gauntlet gloves and full-face helmet. On my long-distance trips, I wore the same thing, but when I got tired of the cold, I would put my rain gear on because it works great as a wind-breaker. I actually have not replaced my rain gear since the California ride when the shoulder busted out of the rain jacket.

These days, it is not uncommon for my wife and I to leave the house when it is 30-40 degrees for pleasurable day rides on the weekends. We wear one-piece leathers, though, which are a lot warmed than what I've worn in the past. If I was to do a distance ride in the cold, these days, I'd probably wear my leathers.....these are the same unperforated leathers I wear when it is 105 degrees.   

[DCXCV]

The coldest day last year was about 25 when I left the house.  I had to stop about 5 minutes from work (20 minutes, half highway, into the commute) because my hands were getting cold enough that I didn't know if I'd be able to operate the clutch/brake much longer.  I just hugged the engine till the tingling/burning sensation stopped.  Gloves are really the only thing I would upgrade if it was cold more often. 

[Autostrada Pilot]

40* is my temperature floor.  Any colder than that, and it just isn't safe (without proper gear).

That being said, I think I got stuck out a few times and it was probably 35* coming home.  Too cold for me, as my fingers go numb fairly quickly.  I'm also one of those skinny suckers that doesn't have much natural body insulation.

[MikeZ]

Rode when it was about 30 degrees about 30 minutes each way.  Did ok except for my hands.  If I was going to ride w/ it that cold I'd have to get better gloves.  And I learned how cold tires do NOT stick to the rode because when I turned off of my friends street after the bike being parked outside for a few hours and hit the gas a little harder then I should have the rear broke loose and slid around and went down.  Luckily all I did was snap the end off the brake lever, crushed the bar end mirror and bend the bar a little.  Couldn't believe the tank made it w/o a scratch or dent.  Already found a new bar from someone here.

[TiAvenger]

I commute every day on the scoot, many days in the winter are sub freezing. I found that my rain suit makes a big difference, as it stops the cold air from penetrating my warmer inner layers.  I also wear snowboarding gloves over my riding gloves.

Your main enemy is the cold wind (generated by riding,) it draws your body's heat away from you. Wind chill factor at 55mph at 20 degrees is about -15 

I also wear a two valve breather mask (from a gas mask) under my helmet, it vents your breath out under your helmet, and keeps your visor from fogging up.

[giordy]

Well, it's starting to look like I'm on the wimpy side of the scale!

I'm not really having problems with my head, body and legs, but my hands (especially the right one for some reason) kill me whenever it gets below 45. I tried with thick liner gloves but it doesn't help much. The only thing that works is putting my hand on the exhaust while stopped at traffic lights... one of these days the glove is going to catch fire!

[SaltLick]

i rode to work the other day when it was 30 degrees out and still dark, alot of fog as well. Not fun.  it was about a 45 minute commute to work, hit top speed around 55mph. Hands were frozen solid when i got to where i was going.....two words for riding a MC going over 55mph in 30 degree cold fog.....make the beast with two backs THAT.

[Scottish]

Temp wise I'll rise in anything. Most weather too, blizzards are out though.... I will ride after one though. Not my Monster though.

[akmnstr]

Living in Alaska I do a lot of cold weather riding, but my lower limit is 32 F.  Ice on the road is to be expected here any time the temp drops below freezing.  My bikes are all equipped with heated grips and plug-ins for heated clothing.  I also have a closet full of cold weather gear.  I have a friend that has studded tires on his KLR and rides in the winter.  Frankly I'd rather ski when it is cold enough to need studs, but heated: clothing, gloves, socks, and face shield makes it possible to ride in negative temps.