Topic: Riding in near freezing temps...

[kach_me]

I have been riding daily to work as much as possible and I am going to continue to ride as long as it is relatively dry and / or up until it gets cold enough to snow / freeze.  Aside from the obvious (black ice, freezing rain, snow, etc), what factors should I be thinking about in the coming winter months? 

I'm looking for practical riding tips from the veteran winter riders... Also, how about preparing the bike for cold weather riding, any tips / tricks? 

[my78k]

Buy a Ural with that two wheel drive sidecar thingy....lol!

Actually I can't be much help other than to let you know you better get it figured out quick...we had wet snow today in my area east of Toronto!!

Dennis

[kach_me]

Ack... I'm done once it snows.  I haven't ridden much in the rain, but I think that I need to get used to the notion just in case I get caught outside. 

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Wet leaves can be as slippery as ice, so watch out for that too.

You'll need longer warm up time and prolly more time on choke.  Watch your tire pressure closer then usual.  Cagers are never friendly to bikes, but in the winter they REALLY aren't looking for you.  If you have to park her longer then a few days and she is in an unheated garage, pop the battery out and put it on a tender.

Otehrwise just ride her with a little extra caution and care and you'll be fine!

Oh, and be prepared for the people at work to think you are nuts!

[fuzzybutt]

i rode bikes in sub-zero temps when i worked for the bmw/triumph dealer. as soon as the new bikes, in their crates, came in i would uncrate, oil, assemble then ride the new motorcycles (8 miles recomended by bmw, 10 miles for the trumps) be VERY VERY careful as your tires have very little grip at low temps, also let the bike run for 10 minutes before you ride off as oil is really thick at low temps. i wore long johns, a pair of my english riding breeches over the bottoms, flannel lined jeans, a silk sweat shirt a sweater then a heavy leather jacket over all that. heated gloves and a balaclava under a full faced helmet.

[super pasty white guy]

I ride year round commuting to work (washington DC, 20 to 30s temps).  A couple of things to check-  make sure your charging system is up to par (clean connectors, etc).  Consider a fairing.  Think about grip warmers, I'm using the kind that are thin sheets that adhere to the bar under the grips.  I have no problem with my legs or arms/body with insulated riding pants and a sweater under a lined leather jacket.  For me, the hands and my neck are still the limiting factors.  I rode last year with a helmet halo full neoprene skirt- it worked ok but not great (shoulder checks were breezy).  Looking this year for better gloves and a windproof balaclava instead.

spwg

[754]

For short rides in weather down into the 20,s, I just wore my nylong rain pants over my other pant. 5miles home and I would be getting cold when I got there..

For colder or longer duration, try a snowmobile suit. and mitts.. work pretty good but the mitts are cumbersome but pretty warm.... when it gets around 10 or 0, I would start using maybe a faceshield..

[UnCrash]

i wore long johns, a pair of my english riding breeches over the bottoms, flannel lined jeans, a silk sweat shirt a sweater then a heavy leather jacket over all that. heated gloves and a balaclava under a full faced helmet.

No Kilt!

I'm truly dissapointed.


Now back to reality -- I second the caution of cautious cornering.  Tires are hard and much less grippy when cold.  Then there's the additional hazard of leaves on a cold damp road.  Go slow, be cautious and bundle up.

Windproof balaclava or neck gaiter is really helpful with a full face helmet.

[KB02]

+1 to just about all of the above.

My Dad rides his goldwing until the snow sticks. Granted he has heated seats and grips and even heater vents for his feet.

Bundling up is the best thing you can do for yourself. Look int getting some snowmobiling gloves. They give you the same mobility, but better warmth.

[rhinoracer]

I hate riding in the cold, once you lose the feeling in your fingers it all goes downhill from there. Sorry I have no tips/tricks other than to avoid it.

[goon 1492]

One thing I haven't seen any one mention is the salt or in my area the sand that they will be dumping on the road, it hasn't happened here yet but when it does the sand will collect in the corners and truns in the road. This has caused many riders go down in the corners and when they start dumping it on the road be prepared for it to be lurking on turns until the spring when the massive spring rains wash it away. Hope it helps

[PJ]

I will be ordering one of these asap, It's battery operated so the CB charging system will be spared. Heated clothing makes all the difference.

http://www.gerbing.com/Products/Liners/liteHeatedVestLiner.html

[Alan F.]

Sunday and Monday I rode with cold weather gloves and chaps, (full face helmet of course) lined leather jacket and a bandanna tied around my neck cowboy style, tuck your chin into the bandanna and buckle your helmet strap over it to hold it in place, then tuck the bottom of it into your jacket, it really keeps the wind off.  I had a 55 mile highway ride to meet up with the local sohc4 guys on sunday, that's about an hour of 55-80mph with only a national cycle f-16 touring shield to tuck under.  My fingers got a bit cold and numb, watch out when braking after a long run like that, numb fingers and cold legs don't react very well when you need to brake.  I locked the rear on my last off-ramp, I thought it was me braking too hard, the surface was clean and dry but a bit bumpy...I didn't even think of reduced traction from the cold being a factor, but that was probably it.  I have about 5000 miles on this season and that was my first lockup, it was a bit unnerving, but way nicer than a steel grated bridge at 15mph, or the highway turning to rough pavement without warning at 85mph.....

[Artfrombama]

Was going to start another thread but I'll piggy-back the question here.

Going to buy some cold weather gloves. Here, the daytime temps rarely get below 40*F and I can ride almost all year providing it's not on snow or in rain.
My last gloves were trade-day specials. Served me well but the stiching is breaking between the fingers, time for replacements.

Going to the internet, two gloves are very well rated. I look at internet ratings skeptically. How many "critics" sell these items on the side. I am skeptical on everything I read on the internet. Don't tell me I should move to Socal please...

CLICK

1. Orina 118. Priced in the $60. range are rated a good value on one site, average on another.
2. Roadgear "Boss" Waterproof. Around $90., again rated high on one site, average on another.

I am not a faring user. I'm not using those foam things that cover your grips/hands/forearm.
Let me hear from some real cold weather bikers.
                                               Thanks!

[speedy gonzalais]

ok Ive heard mention of salt/grit on the roads in the winter time but did anyone forget to mention what salt does to metal? it corrodes it rapidly so regular washing is a must! Riding on wet roads in the winter is prety much the same as riding on wet roads in the summer so take the normal precautions, stick to major roads if you can they will be salted and ice free, avoid the smaller country roads as they will most likley be icey and dangerous. Make sure you look ahead all the time breaking well before you reach any corners and never brake in the corner and try not to accelerate to hard out, Light snow is not much of a problem but heavy snow should be avoided if the roads are covered then get the bus or take the car, And a little trick i learned riding in heavy rain and wind is to tuck urself up behind a big rig and you will find theres no wind or rain just the spray from the truck,

As for clothing i use padded water proof bottoms and a pair of hicking boots, a thick leather jacket normally keeps me warm but dont keep the wet out completley a thin water proof over the top helps with thick warm gloves that you can tuck ur sleeves into, also make sure the jacket has a long collar that goes up into a full face helmet, as for heated gloves and overals what a waste of time for the cost you might as well get a cheap car for the winter, and if you feel your hands getting chilly pull over and rest your gloves on the engine for a few minutes.

[KB02]

AND... just for giggles, if you want to get really serious, get some knobbie on/off road tires and throw some cleats into 'em.  Ice be damned, ride to work EVERY day!!!!   

(I actually saw a bike with set up once. They said that it went down the road pretty nice, too.)

[Tower]

My chin and fingers are numb, the feeling is just now returning along with that oh-so-pleasant freezer burn sensation.  Just got back from a Toronto-Hamilton round trip in 7oC weather. 

On the bright side, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was crisp.  My cardboard shin insulators worked like a charm - no frozen knees.
 
I'm getting too old for this.  Time to ride the Burgman.

[Dave Wyatt]

I wear my rain pants over my jeans, and sometimes add thermal underwear if I'm going to be riding much further than my 10  miles to work.  On the top I have a light T shirt, long sleeve shirt (usualy heavy flannel), a pull over sweat shirt, all under my Joe Rocket mesh jacket.   I use the rain liner in the Joe rocket to block the wind, and it does great.  I wear a balaclava under my full face helmet, as well as a pair of Tour Master Polar Tech winter gloves.  This morning it was 35 degrees out and I did OK.  Like I said, had I been going further, thermal underwear would have been included.

If it gets down to freezing, I'll take the truck since I don't have a fairing or windshield.

[andy750]

I ride in Boston, MA until it snows or too much salt on the road. For 20-30F at 6.30am in the morning and coming home at night I used gore-tex rain trousers (or any waterproof trouser will do - if short commute - if longer - leather trousers with padded knees/hips). I have a Hein Gericke gore-tex winter jacket with armour in shoulders and elbows. Scarf or neck warmer is a must.

Gloves -I just bought a set of SCOTT Nordic gloves and test rode them for 300 miles in 40 - 45F cold. Hands were not cold by the end. I dont have a fairing either. One of the things I noticed is - cheaper full face helmets let more air in through the visor. This can make a lot of difference on longer rides.

With this gear Im pretty happy for a couple of hundred miles...

good luck and watch out for slippy leaves, ice etc etc..

cheers
Andy

[manjisann]

Sorry, gonna piggyback my question on this one. I have ridden to work and a few other places in cold weather and I have noticed my full face shield will begin to fog up if I have to stop for lights, or go too slow. Has anyone tried those breath guards they make for these and do they help with this? I have an HJC CL-15 helmet, and I am toying with the idea of one of the guards, but just wonder if anyone else has tried them.

Thanks,

Brandon

[super pasty white guy]

You talking about the Fogcity or Pinlock visor inserts?  I use a fog city and it does keep down the fog.  It scratches easily though...

spwg

[gene03079]

I will be ordering one of these asap, It's battery operated so the CB charging system will be spared. Heated clothing makes all the difference.

http://www.gerbing.com/Products/Liners/liteHeatedVestLiner.html

I ride my HD year round. The gerbing liner and heated gloves keep me warm. I wish the CB550 had enough power to run heated gear.

[Alan F.]

My CL-15 fogs up a little for the first mile or so but I just open the shield that first little bit to let some air flow inside to clear it up, I might have to do that once or twice until the helmet adjusts to the air temp.  But when I've been on the road for 10 or so minutes it won't even fog.  Hope this helps some.

[alltherightpills]

AND... just for giggles, if you want to get really serious, get some knobbie on/off road tires and throw some cleats into 'em.  Ice be damned, ride to work EVERY day!!!!   

(I actually saw a bike with set up once. They said that it went down the road pretty nice, too.)

Like this one?

[manjisann]

You talking about the Fogcity or Pinlock visor inserts?  I use a fog city and it does keep down the fog.  It scratches easily though...

spwg

No, I am refering to one of these.

http://www.newenough.com/helmets_eyewear/replacement_base_plates_gear_kits_and_other_parts/hjc/breath_guard_for_cl_15_and_cl_sp_helmets.html

I am just wondering if anyone has used them and if they noticed any sort of improvement.

My CL-15 fogs up a little for the first mile or so but I just open the shield that first little bit to let some air flow inside to clear it up, I might have to do that once or twice until the helmet adjusts to the air temp.  But when I've been on the road for 10 or so minutes it won't even fog.  Hope this helps some.

That is good to know. Unfortunatley most of my riding is short jaunts to and from work, and there are a lot of lights. At 4:30 in the morning, the lights don't like to recognize my bike  and hence the problem. I may just have to get used to riding with the visor up for a short bit.

Thanks,

Brandon