Cold Weather Jacket/Gloves...

[twidget]

I live in Florida, and was wondering if anyone has recomendations for Cold weather Clothes. Typically the temp does not drop below 45 or so... and I have a 30 mile drive to work. I am looking for a Jacket and gloves to get...

[Osco]

Nothing protects you like biker leather,,BUT its too hot so i went with HD part #98256-09vm Hi-Vis Mesh got armor at the elbows n shoulders,also can get cold packs for it for summer wind goes right thru it,, I stay warm with layers,,long sleeve cotton,then space mesh,,then sweater,,then windbreaker,then this jacket. In florida all ya gotta do is stop the wind,,remeber your neck n hands n knees n toes,,,,XD,,, XL1200R I ride my Sporty like a Sport bike,,
Imagin that,,the thing Rawks. Local boy

[check_valve]

Try on the FXRG textile jacket. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer (comparing with my other harley leather jacket), as it has a removable inner jacket and six air flows.

[DCLXVI]

I have a mesh jacket with a liner that works good here in central FL. I commute 25 miles each way and have done it comfortably down to 40 degrees. I'll use a sweat shirt under it and I have a neck gaiter that I use in the colder days. Also have leather gloves with full gauntlets and thinsulate. On the colder days I have leather chaps that keep my legs warm.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by twidget

I live in Florida, and was wondering if anyone has recomendations for Cold weather Clothes. Typically the temp does not drop below 45 or so... and I have a 30 mile drive to work. I am looking for a Jacket and gloves to get...

I used to live in Florida; I still have a house there. Even though it isn't as cold there as here in NC, 45 degrees is still pretty chilly on a bike, especially if it is humid or raining.

At 45 degrees I wearing heated liners. Gerbing makes some of the best. The gear is a bit pricey, but I have ridden in it when it has been 16 or 17 degrees and was toasty. At 45 degrees, you hands can get real cold real fast. Even if you have a windshield, you hands will still be out there in the wind. I have insulated gloves and mitts that can keep my hands warm when it is below zero, unfortunately they are too bulky for riding a bike.

Even if the heated liners are too much for your needs, heated gloves are a good investment once the temperatures get below 55 degrees, for most riders.

In the winter I wear a Tour Master Transitions jacket. It's a touring length jacket with a zip in liner. It's waterproof and windproof. It also has a bunch of vents that you can use to cool off with if it gets too warm. The jacket is good without a heated liner down to about 45 degrees, lower depending your your metabolism, and up to around 80 degrees with the vents open and the liner removed. It comes in that really sexy and visible (anything on a motorcycle that is visible to the cagers is sexy, by the way) florescent yellow as well as the more traditional shades.

I wear insulated ski bibs or snowboarding pants in the winter a lot of the time. They are windproof, waterproof, and reasonably warm. You can wear them over regular pants or by themselves. If you can't find any ski stores in your neck of the woods, on-line venues like Great Prices on Outdoor Gear, Equipment & Clothing for Camping, Hiking, Climbing, Kayaking & More from Campmor and REI can get you outfittted with all sorts of winter gear.

One of the most vital clothing items are my DuoFold wool long underwear. They keep you warm even when they are wet and they wear like iron. I have some that are over ten years old and still going strong. Take it from someone who spends a lot of time in the mountains both on and off a bike, wool is the best winter fabric going. It blows away most of the synthetics and if you get into camping, wool is very fire resistant, synthetic fleece is not!

Pete

[twidget]

Originally Posted by Pete

I used to live in Florida; I still have a house there. Even though it isn't as cold there as here in NC, 45 degrees is still pretty chilly on a bike, especially if it is humid or raining.

At 45 degrees I wearing heated liners. Gerbing makes some of the best. The gear is a bit pricey, but I have ridden in it when it has been 16 or 17 degrees and was toasty. At 45 degrees, you hands can get real cold real fast. Even if you have a windshield, you hands will still be out there in the wind. I have insulated gloves and mitts that can keep my hands warm when it is below zero, unfortunately they are too bulky for riding a bike.

Even if the heated liners are too much for your needs, heated gloves are a good investment once the temperatures get below 55 degrees, for most riders.

In the winter I wear a Tour Master Transitions jacket. It's a touring length jacket with a zip in liner. It's waterproof and windproof. It also has a bunch of vents that you can use to cool off with if it gets too warm. The jacket is good without a heated liner down to about 45 degrees, lower depending your your metabolism, and up to around 80 degrees with the vents open and the liner removed. It comes in that really sexy and visible (anything on a motorcycle that is visible to the cagers is sexy, by the way) florescent yellow as well as the more traditional shades.

I wear insulated ski bibs or snowboarding pants in the winter a lot of the time. They are windproof, waterproof, and reasonably warm. You can wear them over regular pants or by themselves. If you can't find any ski stores in your neck of the woods, on-line venues like Great Prices on Outdoor Gear, Equipment & Clothing for Camping, Hiking, Climbing, Kayaking & More from Campmor and REI can get you outfittted with all sorts of winter gear.

One of the most vital clothing items are my DuoFold wool long underwear. They keep you warm even when they are wet and they wear like iron. I have some that are over ten years old and still going strong. Take it from someone who spends a lot of time in the mountains both on and off a bike, wool is the best winter fabric going. It blows away most of the synthetics and if you get into camping, wool is very fire resistant, synthetic fleece is not!

Pete

Wow, Thanks Pete...

I got transitions Tour length as well.. in the non High-Vis color...

What about gloves? that seems to be what get cold on me most of the time.

[DCLXVI]

+1 on the wool. Absolutely one of the best things out there. Try wool socks too.

[toorglide]

x2 on the wool...i also use the base layer {wicking}material, try this place for some great deals on cold weather clothing http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

[Pete]

Originally Posted by twidget

Wow, Thanks Pete...

I got transitions Tour length as well.. in the non High-Vis color...

What about gloves? that seems to be what get cold on me most of the time.

I left late for a ride today. By 5:00 pm the temps were in the low 60's and my fingers were getting cold. The problem is that even with a windshield you hands are not protected. They are exposed to a pretty harsh windchill at motorcycle speeds. By the time you get into the fifties keeping your hands warm on a motorcycle is a very tough job.

If you don't buy any other electrically heated gear; get a pair of Gerbing heated gloves. There are a lot of times when I ride in cooler weather then I can stay comfortable behind the windshield, but my hands would be way too cold without the heated gloves. I can't tell you how much more comfortable and how much safer it is to ride when your hands are not cold.

If you are going to run gloves without other heated gear, you will need only a single circuit thermostat. For under $150 you can have gloves that will keep your hands warm when its zero degrees out side.

Another option are heated grips. They are a nice supplement to heated gloves for people in very cold climates, the problem is that they don't heat the tops of your fingers, the tops of your fingers or the tops of you hands. If you are wearing heavy gloves, heated grips have a hard time getting any heat through all that insulation.

Any glove that is warm enough to protect you in a 55 mph wind in 45 degree temps is going to be too bulky for motorcycle riding.

Pete
Heated Clothing Outlet - Huge Discounts on Heated Clothing!

[Pete]

Originally Posted by DCLXVI

+1 on the wool. Absolutely one of the best things out there. Try wool socks too.

Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, on the second floor, has super heavy duty wool socks that come up to just below my knees. They are the best riding and hiking socks that I have ever owned. The socks are really thick and made from a tight wool knit.

The removable liners in my pac boots are made of wool too. I have a bunch of wool sweaters that range from light dress sweaters to heavy winter ones. One of my favorite winter pieces of gear is my bomber-style hat. It has a waterproof leather shell with a heavy wool fleece liner. It has kept my head warm when it been below zero.

Wool pants are not so easy to find, at least not heavy duty, tightly woven fabrics. A friend put me on to a company that sells a lot of surplus Scandinavian military gear. He said that they have new, surplus, winter duty wool pants in their catalog.

Pete