Cold weather gear discussion

[Motorcycledave]

I started my ride today @ about 33*F. Here's what I was wearing (that wasn't quite enough): boots, regular sox, drawers (of course), thick jeans (not insulated), rain pants (to keep some wind off my legs), long sleeved t shirt, hoodie, mesh jacket, rain coat (again, to keep some wind off me), neck gaiter, thick fall/spring gloves and my helmet. I wasn't frozen but I sure wasn't warm.

I think I need something under the jeans. Some of the motorcycle specific long johns are probably best for both warmth, wind resistance and less bulk but I'm a big guy w/a fat arse and most of those seem to be geared for normal size people. Probably my best bet is to hit up Wally World and buy a pair of generic long johns.

I could feel the cold air on my feet but my feet weren't cold, just cool. A nice pair of wool sox should do the trick.

I just ordered a pair of Cortech Scarab 2.0 gloves. The reviews are mixed but I can get a pair for $75 including tax (they're priced almost $100 plus tax everywhere else). Thinking about a pair of glove liners aswell. Never worn glove liners so I have no idea what to get. I had the heated grips on high but between the foam grip covers and the gloves, I couldn't feel a whole lot of heat from them. I'm thinking about removing the foam grips.

I had too much bulk on the top half of my body. I didn't wear the thermal jacket liner but might try that instead of the hoodie next time. I'm still not sure if that will be enough. I'll have to see. It's supposed to be much warmer tomorrow (low 50s to mid 60s).

I tend to ride down into the low 20s as long as there isn't any rain/ice/snow. I'm going to have to up my game. Even up into the upper 40s today, I was a little cooler than I'd like although nothing was numb and I wasn't shivering.

So, that's my story. If you have suggestions, brrrrrrrrring 'em on. (That was humor. Get it? Brrrrrrrr-ing 'em on. Brrrrrr, right?)

HAGO!

Go to BASS PROS and buy your self a snow mobile riding suit they work great, then call me and I will send you
one of my motorcycle seat heaters just like the OEM units you pay a ton of money for but mine is only $89.95
motorcycledave.com

 

[MONK]

Lived near Anchorage...

For an extra leg liner...pj bottoms work good. Gauntlet gloves with fleece liners, a scarf or balaclava to keep the wind off the neck. Looked and felt like the Michelin Man, but it kept my comfort level good.

In Arkansas: since May 2019....been through one winter now. Rode all year last year, made sure to do Christmas and New Year's, just because I could. No ice riding for me. We had two snow "flurry" days so I did not ride them. Rest of the time, clear roads, so the ride was on.

I see you are NC, so you are going to be in the ballpark for suggestions for Arkansas riding. :bowdown: :riding:.

I lived in Anchorage when I was just a wee tot. Mostly too young to remember anything but I used to drive a truck and have been back a couple of times.

Hadn't thought about PJ bottoms. I don't care if I look like the Michelin Man, I just don't want to feel like him. If I lose some mobility, it makes the ride harder. Harder to turn, harder to hit the brake, harder to work the controls.

We had the same winter last year. A couple of "flurry" days and a couple of actual snow days (if you can call it that....about 3/4" each time). Now, the year before, we had a 24" snow. Not horrible to what I'm used to (grew up in northern Indiana) but the worst snow around here in 20+ years. (It made the news.)

If you are getting Baker air flaps for your RT...

Al in Kazoo

No Baker wings, only OEM deflectors.

Go to BASS PROS and buy your self a snow mobile riding suit they work great, then call me and I will send you
one of my motorcycle seat heaters just like the OEM units you pay a ton of money for but mine is only $89.95
motorcycledave.com

Dave, I'd buy anything from you but I don't need a heated seat, my friend. Had one once. Turned it on twice, once when I bought it because it was a novelty and once when I sold it to show the new owner it worked. And that was northern Indiana.

 

[trikermutha]

Now I stop riding when it gets in the 40's but do use a heated vest that has heat in the neck liner and the heated grips. I wear the BRP jacket and maybe a shirt over the vest. Then find a neck face gator works well too.
Regular deer skin with the heated grips worked well.

If I had to go longer distances then maybe a pair of insulated bib overalls. Those snowmobile ones work well.

 

[AVBIZ]

Just leather gloves are best when using heated grips - no thick liners. Beyond that I go to my Joe Rocket heated gloves which have never let me down. They were $200 6 years ago and still going strong. Battery powered heated gear has come along way; I don’t think I would have hard wired heated gear to a bike anymore.

 

[ThreeWheels]

I've been looking at heated jacket liners. Most of the major power tool manufacturers offer them to match their line of cordless tools.
I've been looking at DeWalt so I'd buy the jacket, but I already have several of the 20V batteries and chargers.

Just a thought.

 

[Fat Baxter]

Aerostich has a "triple digit" glove cover that works great as a windbreaker layer without a lot of bulk.

 

[ARtraveler]

I lived in Anchorage when I was just a wee tot. Mostly too young to remember anything but I used to drive a truck and have been back a couple of times.

Hadn't thought about PJ bottoms. I don't care if I look like the Michelin Man, I just don't want to feel like him. If I lose some mobility, it makes the ride harder. Harder to turn, harder to hit the brake, harder to work the controls.

We had the same winter last year. A couple of "flurry" days and a couple of actual snow days (if you can call it that....about 3/4" each time). Now, the year before, we had a 24" snow. Not horrible to what I'm used to (grew up in northern Indiana) but the worst snow around here in 20+ years. (It made the news.)



No Baker wings, only OEM deflectors.



Dave, I'd buy anything from you but I don't need a heated seat, my friend. Had one once. Turned it on twice, once when I bought it because it was a novelty and once when I sold it to show the new owner it worked. And that was northern Indiana.

I did not feel mobility was reduced...except for the touch using the heavier lined gloves.

 

[trikermutha]

The power tool jackets are not as good as the ones designed for cycling.

 

[Wmoater]

Klim non insulated jacket (Keewee, stealth, Storm etc) and north face wind fleece or Klim wind transition jacket under it with underarmor in the winter on the sleds is all we wear. No bulk at all. Klim makes a really good wind pants called the "transition" Wear your jeans and slide these transition pants over and you will roast. If your worried about protection wear the transition under your touring jacket. Thats what I do and we ride the Spyder at 35 in the fall. Just did it yesterday before it started snowing today.

 

[Woodaddict]

since your legs were the coldest. i use "freeze out" base layer under jeans in colder weather. a good inner fleece lined. available from cycle gear, it might be "their" brand?

 

[Highwayman2013]

I use Hotwired heated gear from Cycle Gear. I use 12 volt jacket liner and gloves. I do not feel “tied down” to the bike when I use them. The wires slide apart if you forget to unplug them. Expensive? Once you use heated gear you’ll wonder why you didn’t get it sooner.

 

[MONK]

since your legs were the coldest. i use "freeze out" base layer under jeans in colder weather. a good inner fleece lined. available from cycle gear, it might be "their" brand?

I've heard of them and had considered them but my sizes in the pants and pull over seem to be out of stock. Seemed like it might be a good choice given the price.

 

[LongIsland]

I ride all year round on and around Long Island, NY. Above 45 degrees, I wear a long sleeve shirt under my BILT jaket with the winter liner a schampa neck warmer, wool socks, gloves. Under that temp, I add a Gerbing jacket liner over the long sleeve shirt and under my BILT jacket (with the liner removed, don't need it with the heated liner). I wear a freeze-out head liner, freeze-out long johns (under a pair of 511 tactical pants), schampa neck warmer (that extends over my chest and back) and gauntlet gloves. I wear insulated boots with heavy wool or merino wool socks. I can comfortably ride for hours in this gear. As a side note my feet always get cold although not uncomfortably so. I have tried multiple pairs of socks and heated socks, to no avail. This year I will be experimenting with adhesive toe warmers.

 

[Northofthesix]

I have a Motocentric one piece riding suit... much like a snowmobile suit. Bought it for winter riding when I still had my Harley. Actually find it TOO warm on the RTL unless air temp is below about 16F/-10C. Anything less than that and its just longjohns and sweatshirt under regular gear.

 

[Schreckftw]

As someone that does a lot of snowmobiling I like ski gear till it gets below 0 then I go to snowmobile gear. You can layer thermals under ski gear when below 25 or so if needed. What I like about the ski gear is that most all of it has a ton of open and close vents. That is perfect because when you step out of the house you will think you are not warm enough. A few mile into the trip when the engine heats up and you are working turns you will be to hot. You will want the vents IMO. You do not want to start sweating to bad. I find once I start sweating the clothes feel wet and when you stop can make you even colder. It will never dry until you take them off.

 

[Fatcycledaddy]

I purchased first gear heated jacket liner, pants liner, glove liners, and socks from BAJARON about 4 years ago. Great price and awesome service from BAJARON as always.
There is a 2 dial remote for separate control of upper body and lower body temps. They work GREAT. Now down into the teens.

 

[RayBJ]

Re: sweating under the gear. Avoid cotton completely. Merino wool or synthetics sap moisture away from body so you don't feel like you're wearing a wet sponge.

 

[Nuttymopar]

When I would drive my Ural's during the winter months (never drove it during the summer). I went with Ice Fishing gear. I used Ice Armor which blocked all wind and 100% waterproof. Bought them at Dick's sporting good store though I'm sure other places have them. I wasn't into buying Snowmobile suits as they seemed to be structured to be tight and advertised snowmobile names, whereas Ice Fishing was slightly baggy and could easily slid them over my normal clothes going to work. They have insulated pads in the knees and butt, which worked great also. I figured if fishermen could stand all day on a lake with the wind blowing up storms and then are sticking their arms in the water to grab fish, they must be good. They lasted my 5 years before thinking about buying new again.

 

[whitedog43]

best money i've spent on cold weather gear is a pair of snow ski pants sized as overpants works great for me

 

[Speedy88]

I also like to ride to work in cold weather. Got a 3 season Olympia jacket and riding over pants from RevZilla, love it. Also got heated gloves with a battery pack, they are bulky but work. The gloves had a wiper on the forefinger that I had to trim off as it would hit the down shift button. I do use an inner glove as you get some cold around the seams, this takes care of it.