Riding clothing for the cold weather

5290 Views 38 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Q4GLiDe, 6 mo ago

Telnetcarlos

Discussion Starter · 7 mo ago

For those on a budget, what do you wear to stay warm in the cold riding in highways? I ride on highways at an average 70-80mph with 35-45 degrees in cold.

Obviously I bought a insulated motorcycle jacket, it does help.
Heated motorcycle gloves, sometimes helps.
Insulated pants with Jeans over it, it helps.

Not the best, but I can still feel after 20 minutes riding and I have 20 minutes left more to ride.

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· #17 · 7 mo ago

slingshot383 said:
Silk base layer, socks and glove liners, works wonders!

This is what riders have been doing since motorcycles were invented. Thin layers that create a bubble of air around your body so it stays warm but can also breathe. The notion "cold will eventually win" isn't true. Natives in Alaska don't wear electrically heated clothing and the cold doesn't "eventually win". It's knowing what to wear and how to wear it.

With that said, I love heated gear. I've done both but when it's in the 20's and 30's the thin and easy to move around in heated gear is the way to go. However, if you're on a long ride you will want to carry layered clothing just in case the electric heated gear fails. There's nothing like being 50+ miles from civilization in 20 degree weather and having a wardrobe malfunction.

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· #21 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

scott7d said:
That is incorrect. Those natives in Alaska aren't getting the exponential windchill on an open moving vehicle. It's more of a "static" cold for lack of a better phrase.

I guess on the rare occasion they don't have wind in Alaska you would be correct.

The wind can blow most any time. The Alaska Meteorological Team at Fort Greely reports that winds in excess of 60 miles per hour have been recorded during every month of the year.

I ride an hour to and from work in the winter. I average about 65 mph. Many times I don't wear heated gear because I simply don't need it. I can easily stay out of the wind on my Ultra and the same would be true with a similarly configured Street Glide or other bike with a fairing up front. I live just south of Lake Michigan and have most of my life. We know what cold is around here. I see Harley riders out with socking caps and scarfs wrapped around their face in the 30's and 40's. I choose to wear a helmet in the winter even though I really don't need it to keep the cold off me. The only time I don't ride is if there is snow or ice on the roads. I know guys that still ride in those conditions, but at my age I would rather not take unnecessary risks.

I wonder how many riders up here in the great white north used heated gear from 1901 through the 90's?

I don't go on cross country trips in the dead of winter, so I think perhaps we have a bit of a misunderstanding. I am talking about things like commuting to work or running to the store.

Again, I know from experience what is necessary and what isn't. Heated gear is far from necessary. It's an absolute wonder if you use it, I agree. It's nice. Required though, it is not. The day I die from exposure I'll have my wife post "you were right, he's dead."

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· #23 · 6 mo ago

scott7d said:
I think the conditions in which we are riding is probably where the disconnect is. As mentioned, I'm talking 500-1000 mile days subfreezing where irrefutably unequivocally, the cold will win. I'm talking 200-220 miles in a single stretch. Otherwise, yeah you're right. In the conditions you're talking about, the cold isn't getting a chance to do it's thing. Hence the part Ken Phenix mentioned about short stretches being fine. Your initial comment was just incorrect when you take into account all various types of riding. Same thing as saying "oh if you ride in stop and go traffic for an hour at 120 degrees you won't get hot". You most certainly will get hot. It's really not even an argument. We are just talking about temps on the other end of the spectrum.

I know of cold riding as well in some of it's most extreme conditions (duration, speed, and temperature). But if we end up agreeing to disagree, no problem. I think we both have good intentions.

I don't really do cross country trips even in the summer. We might run down to a southern county in the fall (we did this year) or rarely hit a neighboring state. I use my bikes for commuting and for summer fun. I don't take my Breakout out in the cold, that's nuts. I ride my Ultra or PAS in the winter. If it's in the 40's or above I'll ride the PAS. If it's colder I'll ride the Ultra because it keeps me and my feet out of the wind whereas the PAS doesn't. At most I'll be out on the road 2.5 to 3 hours.

Yeah, I'm not arguing for the sake of arguing. We're just thinking about two different things. Also, those of us who spend 1/2 of the year in the cold tend to be acclimated to it. Example: I would often wind up in San Francisco for work years ago. It would be 50 degrees outside and a bit of wind and the locals would be wearing huge coats and wrapped head to toe like it was 10 below zero in Chicago (where I worked for 20 years). Conversely, I wear shorts in the high 40's if I'm out and about sometimes. I've even been known to shovel snow in shorts, but my wife would deny this because she thinks I'm being a red neck. LOL I see young women wearing skirts in the 30's in Chicago. We are used to the cold because half of the year we live in it.

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· #25 · 6 mo ago

scott7d said:
Gotcha, no problem. I'd still ride with ya

If you're just south of Lake Michigan we're not too far apart. We're in Bloomington Indiana. We need to head up and check out the Dunes.

Absolutely! I know the Bloomington area. It's been a couple of years since I went there.

When I retired from working in Chicago I moved east. Actually, I did that a few years before retiring. I just got tired of the laws, taxes and prices in Illinois.

Feel free to drop me a PM if you're interested in doing some riding. We have some great areas around here. The dunes are awesome in the summer or winter. Lots of good food and stuff around the lake too. I keep saying I want to hit the Tail of the Dragon down south but none of my riding buddies will make the trip. Perhaps we can put a group together if that sounds fun to ya.

Have an outstanding Thanksgiving.

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IndyTRX

· #27 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

sardonicus87 said:
Never mind that nobody has yet mentioned the difference between a dry cold and a wet one. I can stand outside in NYC in the dead of winter with just a thin hoodie and be fine, but freezing to the bone in lower Alabama when the temperature is even 5° warmer while wearing heavier layers (although, if you're naked, a wet cold doesn't feel as cold as a dry cold, it gets inverted wearing clothes though, but cops and neighbors tend to frown on you running around in your birthday suit).

This is swamp-ass country where the air is so heavy it's sometimes hard to breath when it's 95°+ outside, and for the week it's cold here, it's still relatively moist.

Water always made me feel colder. I used to stand duty in the Seattle area (Puget Sound) back in the late 80's and it constantly pissed rain. We didn't wear rain gear because what we had made us too warm. We were on duty for 4 hours in the misting rain, then 4 hours off, then 4 hours of sleep and right back to 4 hours on duty for several days. By the end of it all we were chilled to the bone even though it was almost always well above freezing.

That hiker they just found in the Appalachia mountains yesterday wasn't dressed appropriately. Winds gusted up to 60mph they say and the weather turned cold. Her parents claimed she was an experienced hiker, but making that type of mistake tells me the poor girl was horribly unprepared and far from "experienced". On my bike I always carry spare clothing in the winter and in the summer (and winter) I have a basic survival kit including a tire repair kit and 12v power inflator. Yes, I know you're not supposed to patch a Harley tire but if I'm stranded in the middle of no where I'll take my chances and get my bike back on the road and to a dealership. I carry water, snacks, knife, gun, clothes, solar charger and battery bank, etc.

Some folks don't realize how easy it is to make one seemingly small mistake which then turns into a series of cascading events that leads to your premature demise.

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· #29 · 6 mo ago

Grumpy Gyrene said:
I started riding early 1970s. I ride all year. Never could keep my legs, feet, toes & hands warm, ever. I rode & lived with it in Kansas and Idaho. A year and a half ago I accidentally stumbled onto this amazing website. The name of this company is REFRIGIWEAR. Been in business since 1956. They make cold climate gear for the big freezers ( -20 degrees and lower). They advertise gear that gives one a comfort level of -60 degrees F. Yeah, you read that right. I followed this company for the last year and a half. It checked out good, so I bought several items. This gear works. The first time my legs, feet, toes and hands have been warm and toasty, ever. I do not use battery powered heat and their gear kept me warm and snug as a bug in a rug. Their website does, also, sell to men and women who work outdoors. I have rode from Chubbuck, Idaho to Idaho Falls, Idaho (46 miles) several times, to the H-D dealer, early morning on I-15 at 80 MPH with a wind chill of -14/-16 degrees F. Toasty warm. I have never found any other items that could keep me warm until now. They have comfort levels of -60, -50, -30, -20, -10, -0 and higher degrees. I will be riding to Helena, Montana in January, 2023. 323 miles one way. Best way to test this gear. Leaving early AM, dropping off Santa's Sleigh Bells with a little BS and heading right back to the barn. Next year I am riding from Idaho through Wyoming & points east to arrive at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina on the 10th of November to celebrate our 248th United States Marine Corps birthday. Semper Fideles.

Now I will have to check this company out, thank you for sharing.

Semper Fi, brother.

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IndyTRX

· #31 · 6 mo ago (Edited)

Helmet Automotive tire Motorcycle helmet Cloud Motor vehicle

The ride to work today (this is on the way home). No electronics outside of the heated grips (set to 6). In the low 20's with a constant 20mph W wind. I spent 2.5 hours on the road going on average 70mph. I wasn't uncomfortable.

Temp when I got to my driveway:

Motor vehicle Automotive design Gadget Personal luxury car Vehicle

I aint dead yet and I'll be doing this all winter and likely in temps down to 0 to the teens.

It's still a wonderful way to spend time in the saddle, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

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· #33 · 6 mo ago

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Took the Dirt Glide out today for the commute to the office. Every day I stop for gas on the way home to fuel up for the next mornings ride. Some have said the heated grips don't work on their PAS's. Mine get warm but no where near as warm as they do on my Ultra Limited. The PAS has 3 settings and the Ultra has 6. No electronic heated gear... Just wind, road and a beautiful scene through the country. I live to ride!

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· #35 · 6 mo ago

scott7d said:
My wife got me the same jacket you have, the HD Killian, about three weeks ago. That thing is worth its weight in gold. I sold my Klim jacket (over twice the price of the Killian) after she gave it to me. HD nailed it with that one.

I love this jacket. I bought it a size larger so I could fit a vest under there for a bit of added warmth. This thing is a beast, and full featured. Definitely one of the best cold weather riding jackets on the market.

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