Winter Riding Gear suggestions - Australia

[loony888]

big bulky cold weather riding gear is ok but limits movement and makes using the controls clumsy and awkward. you really can't avoid that with gloves but decent winter gloves are a must and good ones aren't too thick , especially with an unfaired bike, and waterproofing boots is a must do also. as for keeping the cold out, leather does very little. if i were faced with the cold every day i would buy thermal underwear, especially if it is cold enough to keep them on all day, jeans a size too big so good quality tracksuit pants will fit under and a decent winter/rain jacket. make sure it fits well, there's nothing worse than one that's too big, the wind forces out the warm air barrier generated by you and you can't stay warm, but too small and it will ride up your back and that will make you very cranky very quickly! Try and remind yourself too that just cause you're rugged up and toasty, your tyres are still freezing and hard, there's no grip on cold roads. dannogs tip of wearing rain gear works well too, as a postie i can remember wearing my rain gear on freezing mornings and taking it off as the day warmed up.
cheers,
paul.

[Yellow Meanie]

Also wear Possum hair gloves under my normal gloves. Got these babies in NZ also.

+1 on the Possum fur gloves. I picked some up at the markets here in Hobart the other day. they fit nicely under my normal gloves and keep my fingers nice and warm.

I also stopped into a camping shop and bought a thin balaclava. It's thin enough not to make the helmet feel too tight and does provide extra warmth. I also grabbed one of those fleecy neck warmers. It's nice and thick, covers my whole neck (you can pull it up over you nose too) and it fills the gap around the bottom of the helmet. It's great at stopping the cold air getting in.

I've also got a Mammut "Polar Fleece" jumper, that I wear under my leather jacket. It's real warm, and quite thin too.

I rode up Mt. Wellington yesterday arvo, the temp was probably in the single digits up there.
My feet were warm in my Puma boots, but my legs were freezing under the Hornee jeans. There was some major shrinkage happening below the belt but from the waist up I was toasty warm and very comfortable.

I knew I should have worn my thermal Y-fronts...



 

[Spider]

If it's only one laying under leathers - for when the day looks like it could be decent - I'd recommend merino wool underlayers, I wear socks, leggings, boxers, t-shirt, balaclava, undergloves and jumper. The advantage is that it's thin and you can wear multiple layers depending on the day and the other reason it's great is that it will still keep you warm if it gets wet - no man made fabric can do that from what I've read - and those polypro thermals suck the heat right out if they get wet.

Doesn't have to be expensive either, target had a range last year of the basics in good smooth merino.

If Meanie had worn the leggings under his jeans his genitals would be talking to him now instead of trying to be one with his liver a few days ago.

[ellingly]

+1 on the Possum fur gloves. I picked some up at the markets here in Hobart the other day. they fit nicely under my normal gloves and keep my fingers nice and warm.

I also stopped into a camping shop and bought a thin balaclava. It's thin enough not to make the helmet feel too tight and does provide extra warmth. I also grabbed one of those fleecy neck warmers. It's nice and thick, covers my whole neck (you can pull it up over you nose too) and it fills the gap around the bottom of the helmet. It's great at stopping the cold air getting in.

I've also got a Mammut "Polar Fleece" jumper, that I wear under my leather jacket. It's real warm, and quite thin too.

I rode up Mt. Wellington yesterday arvo, the temp was probably in the single digits up there.
My feet were warm in my Puma boots, but my legs were freezing under the Hornee jeans. There was some major shrinkage happening below the belt but from the waist up I was toasty warm and very comfortable.

I knew I should have worn my thermal Y-fronts...



 

I used to think that riding up Mt Wellington was make the beast with two backsing cold... then I moved to Canberra.

Not actually cold enough to justify thermals during the day - givne it gets to 16-18 and awesomely sunny - but I don't find it too bad to change. You can't really cope without them.

Personally, when it's close to -10°C, one thing I should have mentioned... I have normal snowboarding pants I wear to the snow, then I have XXXXL ones that go over my draggins. Keeps one nice and toasty.