Cold Weather Riders

[GlennTuc]

Got a question for you cold weather riders who have been doing this for a while. What gloves do ya wear to keep your hands warm. I've rode home from work the last couple of mornings, temps around 30 to 32 degrees F, and with my snowmobile suit on my body stays comfortable, but my hands get extremely cold. I wear waterproof snowmobile gloves but it doesn't help. I'm not even going to try adding a handwarmer on the grips, beings what adding fuel is the extent of my mechanical abilities. Any help on warm gloves would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Glenn

[hale374]

Heated Gloves. Not hard to hook up. They even make a plug for the cigarette lighter. If not, the Harley FXRG Winter gloves are very warm.

[mini-muffin]

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/73123.asp?promo=ap_outerwear

 

Got these for the hubby and he said they worked ok. You could give them a try since they are fairly cheap. If you think you're gonna do alot of cold weather riding you may want to try some of the more expensive ones. Not sure if they work any better though. I'm sure someone will come on and let you know.

 

Margaret

[SaltyDawg]

I use these gloves along with electric socks and a dual heat controller. On the REALLY cold days my palms will get cold, but my fingers and thumbs stay toasty along with my entire feet. The thumbs have dual elements going up each side. The gloves are also water and wind proof. I have been in some really driving cold rain and my hands stayed completely dry. I also use a Shampa Pharaoh mask which is very warm and keeps the draft out around the neck.

 

I road to work this morning with the temps at 35 wearing this gear a Avantec jacket, jeans, and leather chaps and was perfectly comfortable. I do have the Yamaha lower deflectors on my bike and they are worth their weight in gold.

 

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/detail.cfm?model_ID=42&Category_ID=8&manufacturer_ID=532&product_ID=25418

[Rick Butler]

Glenn,

 

Since you are wearing a snowmobile suit, try some snowmobile mittens. They are much better than gloves because your fingers stay together and help warm each other. Plus if it gets bad, you can drop a handwarmer pack down into each mitten.

 

But if you understand hypothermia, you'll get a heated vest and also wear a good full face helmet. The principles of hypothermia require that you keep the body and head (also neck) warm to keep blood flowing to the extermities. When these parts of the body start getting cold, then the body starts cutting off the flow of blood to the extremities which in your case the fingers and toes.

 

There you have it, just think of the simple solutions.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[Missionary Rider]

I've ridden comfortably at 19 degrees using Gerbing heated gloves and heated jacket liner.

 

Before I got the heated gloves, I bought the cheap chemical packets from Walmart and put them in my ski gloves. The heat is not spread around very well so my finger tips still got cold but it was, at least, an improvement.

Lynn

[RedRider]

Electric is the way to go. Gerbings or Warm and Safe (warmnsafe.com). Use the gloves and a jacket liner with a dual control. Rode 300+ miles Tuesday in 35-45F weather and was fine. Even got snowed on but my hands and body were warm.

 

RR

[RoadKill]

Got a question for you cold weather riders who have been doing this for a while. What gloves do ya wear to keep your hands warm. I've rode home from work the last couple of mornings, temps around 30 to 32 degrees F, and with my snowmobile suit on my body stays comfortable, but my hands get extremely cold. I wear waterproof snowmobile gloves but it doesn't help. I'm not even going to try adding a handwarmer on the grips, beings what adding fuel is the extent of my mechanical abilities. Any help on warm gloves would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Glenn

 

I use deerskin thinsulate work gloves with the silk liners available from New Enough. Those silk liners made all the difference in the world from previous years.

[Squidley]

I use deerskin thinsulate work gloves with the silk liners available from New Enough. Those silk liners made all the difference in the world from previous years.

 

 

I too use a deerskin gauntlet glove with thinsulate insulation, best cold weather glove I have found thats not heated.

[Seaking]

Glenn,

 

But if you understand hypothermia, you'll get a heated vest and also wear a good full face helmet. The principles of hypothermia require that you keep the body and head (also neck) warm to keep blood flowing to the extermities. When these parts of the body start getting cold, then the body starts cutting off the flow of blood to the extremities which in your case the fingers and toes.

 

There you have it, just think of the simple solutions.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

And there you go, Rick.. you hit the key word :hypothermia:.. What people generally forget when riding is that the wind flowing through and around the rider wicks away the heat from the outter body forcing the inner body to try to balance the heat out and poof all of a sudden you're in a heat imbalance of deficit and that's when problems start to hurt your riding.. if you're shivering or cold, your mind is not on that important ride safety factor and this can cause accidents and worse.

 

A lot of us like to brag how brave and tough we are by riding our bikes in as cold of weather as possible. Some of us do it in comfort and some of them do it but suffer.. And some people have NO choice but to ride their bike in the cold so they either quickly learn to adapt or go through a lot of suffering.

 

I can't wear electical heating gear on a bike.. it doesn't work for me. I simply get too warm. I ended up selling my heated vest and gloves to a buddy. Ideally, all I need is to be air sealed and I'm good to go for a long distance cold weather ride.

 

Have you ever heard the survival rules "If you sweat your dead" and "Keep your head covered"? These apply in bike riding as well to some extent.. When you're getting all dressed up to jump on the bike, a lot of us are fussing around, packing up, moving around a lot and building up heat and in result start to sweat.. once you jump on the bike with a wet back and the cold wind gets to it, your ride is now going to be miserable.. it doesn't take much. I showed this to a buddy of mine who was always cold on the bike, once he learned to keep 'dry' before getting on his bike he could last most of the day riding in the cold.. =)

 

Keeping your head covered is very simple and it's all about making sure no skin is exposed to the wind. In the artic you never take your hat off as 90% of your heat loss is through the top of your head, hair or no hair. If you take your hat off, your hands and feet will start to get cold right away as your body will take the heat from the extremities to ensure the core gets what it needs to survive.. However, you have to regulate your heat so you don't sweat as well..

 

If the wind grabs a hold of your skin it will suck out any heat you have through that opening. I will typically wear a Schampha fine fleeced Balaclava over my head which keeps all the wind off my head, neck, ears and cheeks, leaving no more than the bridge of my nose exposed, but still allowing me to pull it down lower should it get a little too warm. Keeping the wind out of your jacket by having gloves that go up over your sleeves and "putties" over the lower leg part of your chaps or wind pants, not allowing the wind to come up inside your pant legs. Believe it or not I still wear steel toe capped boots in the cold but not suffer cold feet. I typically ride with my legs stretched forward a bit so the wind is hitting more of the sole of my boot than straight on the toe. Also, a dual sock combo works great. One inner thin sock with a thicker sock outside.. the inner sock wicks the moisture away from your foot (keeping it dry) and the thicker sock insulating your foot from the cold.. if your feet are dry, not sweaty you can last a lot longer.

 

Remember the "keep your head covered" line? If your head is covered (balaclava) then your body will keep the heat in your body and not rob Peter to pay Paul..

 

Now the ONE important mod I did to my bike that makes a world of difference for me is my sheepskin seat cover mod =) Though a sheep skin is nice to sit on year-round, it keep your butt warm and not sweaty sitting on the vinyl seat. The mod I did on my 'winter cover' is that I have a beaver tail built in. This sheep skin is cut in such a manner that there is a longer and wider flap in the front that when you're riding the bike, the wind naturally curls this large flap up and over my lap, covering the top of my thighs and my erhm, jewels. Strangely enough, no matter how well I dress up for a cold ride, the top of my thighs and crotch get cold and I can't do anything about it, especially so on this bike.. but the beaver tail flap comes up and over while riding and I'm all nice and toasty, able to enjoy the ride and not wondering where things have disapeared to.. =)

 

Having said all that, Cold weather riding IS indeed fun when it's done properly but you also have to be careful for the harder wheel rubber and the cagers not expecting bikers to be so foolish as to be riding out in this cold.

 

What a strange breed of people we are..

[jlh3rd]

do yourself a favor and get heated riding gear....or keep spending money for the " these gloves are the best " statements........i bought gloves that were highy rated by a motorcyle magazine,.... one hour at 50 degrees and my fingers were done.....got silk liners... same thing....bought windproof covers...lasted a little longer.....bought highly touted harley gloves ( riding electra-glide at that time ) same thing....tried ski mittens...hands were warmer but made it hard to use controls.......it's your money

[loehring]

Here's what I have. They are rated the same as Gerbing (which is really the best but pretty expensive) at a much better price. I have the jacket liner and leather gloves with the dual control. With these items under a leather jacket and chaps I commute 100 miles a day. The mornings have been around 32 this week and I am perfectly warm. I do have a "Turtle Fur" neck cover and agree with keeping your head and neck warm. The jacket liner has a high, heated collar and under the turtle fur I don't feel any cold at all.

 

I know $300 can be a lot of money but I tried to ride without and I just couldn't get away from the chill. I layered clothing and did everything I knew to do (growing up in Canada) but nothing really worked. I was either so bundled up that I couldn't move well (not safe) or I was so chilled that I couldn't relax. (also not safe) I hate to be in a car and want to ride 12 months a year. For me it was worth every penny. I'm comfortable, relaxed and have complete mobility. Even in the teens I can enjoy the ride and I don't feel like I'm fighting the elements.

 

Bottom line, like others have said is to find what works for you. If you can't move or get warm then the ride is unsafe. Some people can do it without the heated gear but couldn't. For me the investment was worth it. I hope you find the right mix.

 

http://cozywinters.com/heated-clothing/

[dragerman]

Good write-up Seaking, I’m glad you mentioned about the “tires”. Cold tires can be particular problem when first starting out if the bike has been sitting in the cold.

 

The only other thing I’d like to add that often gets over looked is that it’s important to eat ‘properly’ before you go out in the cold. Your body needs fuel to keep warm!

 

The bottom line is that if you do get cold ‘manage it’ don’t insist on riding. Make frequent stops, warm your gloves in a washroom hand dryer, use hot packs, get a room, whatever... know your limitations, act accordingly and be safe.

[Seaking]

Good write-up Seaking, I’m glad you mentioned about the “tires”. Cold tires can be particular problem when first starting out if the bike has been sitting in the cold.

 

A couple of years ago, while out on the VStar, the weather was less than ideal, well below the freezing mark but the roads were dry, no snow anywhere but nut-cracking cold.. That's when I realized that frozen rubber don't stop the bike at all.. if anything it greases the road up more for you to slide. And it didn't much to 'lock it up through the intersection'.. Luckily for me no one was going through at the time and I was allowed to live through my stupidity to ride another day..

 

I dare say the E3s I have on the Venture seem to be doing very well with the cold but I'm super overly cautious with them all the same.. Tomorrow, 40'F and sunshine (expected highs), and I plan to ride for the day

 

Cheers M8

[eazyduzzit]

I've been wearing some thinsulate mittens when it's around 32 degrees, and they're warm, but it worries be because they're so thick I'm afraid if someone pulls out in front of me, I can't get the brake lever quick enough.

 

I'm going to get some 12V gloves very soon.

[GlennTuc]

Thanks everyone for their advice. I'll end getting something electrical I guess, but I don't plan on putting the bike away because of cold temps. Snow, freezing rain - of course - but we get very little of that. My friends goldwing has heated hand grips and seat (factory). Maybe someday Yamaha will do the same?

 

Thanks again,

 

Glenn

[StarFan]

You guys are just a bunch of "Starababa´s" - (polish for "very old ladies").

Here in Iceland we tough guy´s use gloves to keep our hands from getting to warm.

:rotf::rotf:

[GlennTuc]

I've been to Kev so I know what you mean. Don't rember what the temp was, but there was a whole lot of white cold stuff on the ground. Can you put snowmobile tracks on the rear of your RSTD and a Ski on the front? Year round riding then.

 

Glenn

[N3FOL]

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/73123.asp?promo=ap_outerwear

 

Got these for the hubby and he said they worked ok. You could give them a try since they are fairly cheap. If you think you're gonna do alot of cold weather riding you may want to try some of the more expensive ones. Not sure if they work any better though. I'm sure someone will come on and let you know.

 

Margaret

I don't recommend those battery operated gloves for motorcycle riding. I have a pair and are of poor quality. Honestly, I feel like I just wasted my money for getting them from Hammacher...

[StarFan]

I've been to Kev so I know what you mean. Don't rember what the temp was, but there was a whole lot of white cold stuff on the ground. Can you put snowmobile tracks on the rear of your RSTD and a Ski on the front? Year round riding then.

 

Glenn

 

Ohh,,, the white stuff. We use that to keep our bath water from getting to warm. We just add a showel or two,,,,,,,

Regarding snowmobile tracks we don´t use them. It is all about skills you know,,,,,,,,,

:rotf::rotf::rotf:

Were you based in Keflavik Nato base Glenn or just passing through?

[N3FOL]

Thanks everyone for their advice. I'll end getting something electrical I guess, but I don't plan on putting the bike away because of cold temps. Snow, freezing rain - of course - but we get very little of that. My friends goldwing has heated hand grips and seat (factory). Maybe someday Yamaha will do the same?

 

Thanks again,

 

Glenn

 

Electrical is your best bet and you won't be looking anywhere else once you have them. I also have Gerbings heated gloves and rode for hundred of miles on my Vulcan. when I got my Venture, I simply transferred the plug harness that is hooked on the battery and that's it. Lately, I didn't have to use my liner and sometimes just my gloves, since the Venture does have a lot of wind protection compared to my old Vulcan.

[saddlebum]

I wear a pair of snowmobile bib type pants, a fleece type pull over with a collar that zips up to form a warm turtle neck, covered with a leather wintercoat. My gloves are dakota leather thinsulate snowmobile gloves with ample cuffs to go ver the jacket sleeves. and a silk balclava. keeps me very warm even in freezing temperatures. Today I was out for a 6 hour ride and never once got cold.

BTW it is just as important to drink plenty of fluids when riding in the cold as it is when riding on hot days the wind can still dehydrate your body.

[thecount]

I wear a pair of snowmobile bib type pants, a fleece type pull over with a collar that zips up to form a warm turtle neck, covered with a leather wintercoat. My gloves are dakota leather thinsulate snowmobile gloves with ample cuffs to go ver the jacket sleeves. and a silk balclava. keeps me very warm even in freezing temperatures. Today I was out for a 6 hour ride and never once got cold.

BTW it is just as important to drink plenty of fluids when riding in the cold as it is when riding on hot days the wind can still dehydrate your body.

 

Hey Saddlebum, Were did you pick up the Balclava?

Was out today as well in Sunny SouthWestern Ontario and that would have done the trick for me.

 

4 hours ride in on Saturday in 7C weather and another 2 hours in today. Stretching the season as long as we can before the White stuff flys too much.

[mark reed]

Their is an article in the "poor mans fixit" on this site on how to make your own heated vest.I did it,cost less than 50 bucks. With the vest and heated grips I ride comfotably to work daily down to twenty degrees.Also one of those collors that velcros around the bottom of your full face helmet is worth it.Its a chore to get suited up in the morning,but with fuel prices,the savings add up.

[BEER30]

When it get's cold enough , I wear my poly-pro , blue jeans , leather chaps to break the wind , all under my Walls Insulated bib cover-alls . I hate one-piece suites ! Usually one pair of thick cotton socks , but I would like to get another pair of Sorels boots with an extra set of liners if I could find them here in my area . Upstairs , I wear poly-pro top , T-shirt , then maybe a flannel shirt .I like to layer the clothing rather than a few big thick stuff. My jacket is lined , insulated reversalble jacket with rain/wind protected outer nylon shell . Gloves , I use a pair of wool/thinsulate finger-less mittens that have the finger covers .Even when wet , they are still warm .When extremely cold (below freezing), I place them cheap brown linen work gloves under the mittens . Above freezing , I still wear my shorty helmet . If moisture/high humidity is present , I wear my modular/full face helmet . Being originally from Alaska , I welcome cooler tempatures .

Wife has a heated jacket and me to cuddle up too !

 

BEER30