Topic: winter wear

[kach_me]

I took a ride this morning and the temp was a brisk 50 degrees with little help from the sun and a stiff cross breeze.  I had on my mesh jackets with the liner in and two shirts underneath and I'm still cold about 5 hours after the ride.  What are you guys / gals wearing on those chilly mornings? 

I'm looking for CE padding or better and something good for between 35 degrees and 60 degrees.  Leather would be preferably but I'm open.  I've been looking at this one, but I just haven't done it yet:  http://www.compacc.com/prod.cfm/cid/2001002/pid/15893

[upperlake04]

 50F=10C    You can keep warm at that temp with  leathers and insulating layers. I wear a short sleeved T-shirt, then a long sleeved micro-fleece t-shirt with crew neck, a thick fleece pull-over, and a collarless fleece vest on top of that. Collarless (customized) so the neck snap on the jacket can be done up. Leather jacket also has a zip-in quilted liner. The foam back protector which is sticky in the summer is a nice extra layer of insulation at this time of year. Insulated leather gauntlet gloves.
  This is the season where a windshield or fairing shows its' worth.

[05c50]

I was out for a ride today, it was 29 degrees when we left and got up to about 50 by the time we got back. I ride all year long as long as the roads are clear and dry. I wear a turtle neck shirt under a leather coat with a liner, heavy jeans and leather chaps, and Gerbing heated gloves. I've found that if I can keep my fingers warm, I don't notice the cold so much.

...........Paul

[Patrick]

In winter here in Austin, I usually wear long pants. Sometimes a wind breaker. It can be downright chilly at 70 mph when it's only 75.

Patrick

[kach_me]

Patrick! 

..|..

[Alan F.]

I rode this morning/afternoon with the New England Honda Guys, it was about 36 at my house and only about 40 or so at the diner where we usually meet up.  My ride in is 55 miles of open highway at about 75mph.  I usually wear a short sleeve t-shirt under a long-sleeve t-shirt, leather jacket with liner in place, a couple bandannas tied around my neck with my chin covered up cowboy style, this really keeps the wind out.  I wear regular jeans and unlined chaps, thinsulate gauntlet gloves, and regular workboots.  Full face helmet should go without saying, right?  My fingers got pretty cold, (windchill at 75mph with 40 degree temps is like 20 degrees) but in general I wasn't too cold to keep riding, my day ended with about 215 miles on the clock, all or most below the 50 degree mark.

Check out pics of the ride at http://nehondaguys.info/forums/index.php?topic=189.0

[Otto]

Was thinking abot the same thing as I rode to work last week, 38 degrees. My leather jacket keeps me warm and heavy gloves too. But my legs get cold!  

Do leather chaps keep you warm or what is the alternative?

Bob

[andy750]

Yesterday I left the house it was 40F and high of the day was maybe 51F....rode north from Boston, MA to NH and ended up doing 320 miles getting back at 5.30pm. It was a little chilly  I as wearing...thermal top/bottoms, t-shirt/sweater, lined-leather jacket and leather trousers (not chaps) and on the way I bought new winter gloves (Scott Nordic for $68 gore-tex lined - hands were not freezing/numb!).

Today on our Fall ride (see Alan F post) I changed the jacket to my winter jacket as it was 39F this morning   -a Hein Gericke thermal-lined goretex textile jacket with CE armor in shoulders/elbows/back...one tough jacket!

cheers
Andy

 

[WFO]

Lately just having a windbreaker underneath a warm jacket keeps the chill out ohhhhhh and some good gloves, i left a couple times to work at 4:00 AM and it was 25 degrees i do live fairly close to work but i don't get cold at all.

[Alan F.]

Was thinking about the same thing as I rode to work last week, 38 degrees. My leather jacket keeps me warm and heavy gloves too. But my legs get cold! 

Do leather chaps keep you warm or what is the alternative?

Bob

Hi Otto/Bob, we're neighbors...well 85 miles give or take!

I picked up a pair of unlined chaps from an eBay store, I listed a link to it in the thread on NE Honda guys that I linked to in my earlier post... lined chaps seem like they'd be a bit warmer, but for the price I grabbed these unlined ones.   Riding in the cooler weather in jeans my legs were getting pretty cold, having noticed the difference between my mesh jacket and my leather as to how much warmer I stay just from keeping the wind out, I figured I'd pick up some chaps, they're nice and long and don't ride up to let the wind in just above my boots like my jeans do. Leather pants would be good too, but With chaps I can ride to work and toss them in a bag with my jacket and gloves, leather pants would break the dress code, but might be warmer all in all...

[Otto]

Hey Alan,

Good to hear from a neighbor. I'll see if I can find the link. I know what you mean about your shins getting cold just above he boots...

The only thing that should ever be cold is beer!

I hate winter.

Bob

[MoTo-BunnY]

I wear all leather, that's been waterproofed using 'Sno-seal' (mostly beeswax) and one of those paint heat guns (like a super-hair dryer. . lol). You heat up the sealant while rubbing it into the leather - works really well. I have a kewl old Schott (USA) motorcycle jacket plus either chaps or racing pants. All leather - no road rash for me (hopefully) in event on a spill!     I put on a gore-tex rain suit over all that, if the rain is really coming down.





The must-have I can definitely recommend though, are neoprene diver gloves to wear underneath some leather cycle gloves. My hands really get cold so I tried everything until I found the diving gloves. I wear thin silk liners, then the diver gloves, then my armored leather cycle gloves. I still have plenty of dexterity but my hands stay warm during the ride (finally).      Only thing is your hands (and the gloves) have to be warm already, before you put them on. If already cold, your hands seem to just stay that way (yuk).

Also, silk long underwear is the bOmb - super warm but thin and can be worn under anything. I will layer polypropylene over that, if it's real cold out. The neoprene diver gloves are sooooo a must have though, seriously!



I've been able to ride year round, for the last two years, with the exception of only a few weeks when it is cold enough for 'black ice'. . . .yikes!  baaad stuff.



OH,  I also sometimes carry along or wear one of those super reflective vest thingies like road construction workers wear, if it looks to be super foggy out or rain a bunch (which it frequently does in the winter here in Oregon). Looks kinda dorky but I would rather be safe and seen than run over, when vision gets limited due to weather!

[Alan F.]

I'm with you there Otto/Bob, I truly hate winter too.  But I have been known to say that a warm beer is better than no beer at all.

+1 for MoTo-B's choice of more leather rather than less, and thanks for the waterproofing trick!

[kach_me]

Alright Bunny, I gotta ask...

How about a pic of you in your leathers?  Huh?   

[edbikerii]

And one in her silkies too?

[MoTo-BunnY]

LOL. .. .  We'll see. .  . ..

Do I get a free SOHC4 shirt, if I do?   "SOHC4 Girls Gone Wild!!!  woOt!"




By the way, here's that Sno-Seal stuff I mentioned - works great on boots, too. Waterproofs and preserves leather - my jacket, that I picked up off of feeBay, is like 30+ years old but still in real good shape. The Sno-Seal helps soften the leather and keeps it from getting all dried out.

I worked for a while at a leather and shoe repair place and we used the heck out of this stuff. The local cops used to bring in their utility belts and boots and let me have at 'em with the heat gun and sno-seal for winterproofing - they loved it as Michigan winters could be pretty brutal with all the snow and salt on the roads.   

[Cataldo]

^ very neat stuff. looks like another thing to keep me occupied.

[ev0lution7]

www.leatherup.com

those guys rock and have really good linned jackets and chaps and pants!

[edbikerii]

I know, I know, Bunny.  You don't want all these freaky biker dudes drooling over your pictures, thinking god-knows what.  So, if it makes you more comfortable, you can just PM them directly to me.

[kayaker43]

I think I'm part reptile? I have no body fat and hardly any body heat, don't know why because my metabolism is off the chart

I finally broke down and bought one of the new Tourmaster Synergy heated jackets. Supposed to have carbon fiber fabric as an element. Makes all the other heated clothing look silly and expensive. It looks good enough to wear alone and if used as a liner most people say its plenty warm on low setting.

http://morepower.info/c-1-30436/

First test drive is tomorrow...........

[andy750]

For winter gear check out this guys thread where he details gear and bike mods...for riding coast to coast across Canada in January brrrrrrrrrrrr..........


http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109911&page=12

cheers
Andy

[Magpie]

The best - an electric vest!
http://www.widder.com/html/Product/System2/index.html It doesn't have to Widder but they have good products. We paid about $125 each for ours and ride all year round. Of course we're in the banada belt of Canada.
Cliff.

[Frankenkit]

+1 on the snow seal... it was always great in WI and has proven itself here, too.

For reflective stuff, X and I wear these in twilight/dark/rainy crappy days:

    * Neon green shoulder and waist straps with reflective stripes provide 360° coverage for cyclist, joggers and walkers
    * Central front and rear reflective safety zones further enhance visibility
    * Fully adjustable straps with stretch material and Swift Clip™ allow you to customize fit

I just like it because it's easy on, easy off, and easy to throw in a pocket if I don't have saddle bags on.  Following X at night, all I see is her red tail light, the silver 'Y' of the singlet, and a little yellow reflective triangle she has on her helmet, vs just the little red suzuki tail light. 
Cagers are idiots- I don't give them much of a chance to screw up.

For 'unders' I wear my smartwool stuff. It's pricy, but I already had a bunch from when I was cycling all the time, and because it wicks almost as good as silk (but might be warmer) it's great for when I work up at the hospital.  (people are real heavy to move...) 
Smartwool midweight longjohns under my jeans, under my chaps (and REI waterproof/breathable rain pants over my chaps if it's really, really coming down- like I said, most of my real rain gear I have from cycling) My chaps have thinsulate panels that snap out, too, and they keep me pretty warm. 
Smart wool light or ultralight shirt, then a columbia polar fleece jacket under my standard Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket- it has a waterproof liner, but the outside still gets cold and wet. Fortunately the textile dries pretty fast...
wicking balaclava just squished under my chin, unless it's really, really cold.
Smart wool liner gloves in my usual buckskin gloves, and nitrile gloves over them if it's really coming down, because they're thin, cheap, and waterproof. might not reccommend it with most grips, but my renthals are really bitey and work ok with the nitrile gloves, even when wet.