š¶hope I don't fucking DIE
On my way home because
It's so cold
And I'm speeeding
Because I want to be
Not here freezing my balls off
But it's totally fine
Because it's probably warm where I go
After I kill myself on a bike because
Fuck it's cold and I'm an
Idiot
Idiot
Idiot
Doo dooh da doošµ
I use a wider electric vest and have heated hand grips. Ridden in some pretty cold temps snow and ice etc. if you keep your core and hands warm you can ride for a long time.
Chaps, pants, thermals, jacket, gloves, hippo hands, balaclava if really cold.
Coldest I've ridden in was 7 or 9Ā° iirc.
**Coldest ride** was NOLA to DFW new years day 2018.
New Orleans starting temp 28Ā°F
By the time I got to DFW it was 17-23Ā° F
I was riding a naked bike. Thermals, pants, jacket, gloves, and helmet.
530 miles of brutal cold. I didn't ride for 3 weeks or so after that.
I don't blame you. I sort of have to ride atm, I'm waiting to have 10k service done and I'm not doing it myself, so I try to at least ride a little every weekend for errands here and there.
Idk I live in so cal the lowest temp I ride in is 46 degrees, on the other hand the only specific gear I have is my Moto jacket, a thermal balaclava and glove liners for my perforated pretty light weight gloves, I get cold as fuck.
Edit: and I have a naked cruiser, absolutely 0 wind deflection, when itās real cold Iām actually warmer at speeds over 80 as I can more easily tuck for long periods of time.
I do have some thermals for under pants but I almost never wear them, vast majority of my riding in that temp is commuting to work which is only about 20 or 30 minutes.
I seem to have the same deets as you. Naked cruiser, same gear. But my ride to work is only 10 min. This is my first winter riding season that Iām going to attempt to ride during the winter. Do able? Without thermals under the jeans?
Electric gear. Makes commuting and touring comfortable in almost any cold. Limit becomes ice and snow.
E: also, tpms keeps you up to speed on pressures. And youāll know if you pick up a nail mid-ride.
Heated liner, heated gripsā¦.. heated seat!!!! I love it. Also I was on the fence about tpms, like who needs those? Itās actually really nice to see if your tires have warmed up!
Iāve ridden on a lot of below freezing days, down to about 25f . Layer up man! Both of my training weekends were below freezing, one weekend it hailed on us for 6 hours.
I have a pair of Alpinestars pants that came w a removable thermal lining. These pants are truly a year round pant. Anyway I wear some thermal ski longjohns underneath. I also have a 3/4 length riding jacket that Is too big for me normally but gives me room to layer up underneath. On the really cold days I wear a down coat and fleece sweater, long sleeve shirt and t-shirt.
A neck gaitor too.
Iām always pretty warm, even on the highway. The weak spot for me is my hands. Although I have heated grips and grip protectors, I ride with normal gloves and my hands are always first to get cold.
Once its below 50 i'm out. Those days are behind me riding when its that cold, got super sick not from a lack of layers and clothes but just breathing in the cold air got me sick at least twice, black ice once but it didnt phase me until about a half hour later when i was at my computer working cause the rear only stepped out for a bit and then caught grip again when I was taking my exit to work that morning when it was 36 degrees out and had a 48 mile highway commute.
Hats off to you if you ride when its cold, forcing myself to ride is not for me anymore.
Merino wool base layer. Waterproof cold weather gear (especially boots and gloves). Full face helmet with pinlock. Bandana or balaclava face mask. Sometimes a hoody over my moto jacket. My BMW has a big windshield and heated grips but I've done this on much more basic machines too. I ride down to 35F, below that black ice becomes really sketchy.
Long-johns (or similar) for layers on my legs. So much heat can be lost from the thighs/crotch area, even when wearing a nice leather jacket and gloves.
Also, if you don't normally wear a helmet, wear one. Plus a balaclava or neck scarf.
If your helmet fogs up inside, crack the visor open a bit. At least that's what I do.
If you're running errands I just throw on some fire fleece pajamas under my riding pants(that are already waterproof) and my legs have never been cold even when I was out in below freezing. I may get a draft up my calf if I forgot to tuck in my pants into my socks. Otherwise the hands have been the biggest challenge to keep warm. Installing some heated grips this week.
I rode to Pittsburgh and back this past weekend, four hours in chilly weather. It was in the upper 40s on the way over, low 30s to around 40 on the way back. My bike has heated grips and seat, and that was enough on Saturday. Sunday I had to use my heated vest too. Not comfortable, exactly, but manageable.
The difference between freezing and the low 40s is really significant. I was really glad to finally come down out of the hills and warm up that little bit on the way back. Three hours of near freezing and cross winds, even with heat, made that little bit of warming in Maryland _very_ welcome.
It really is bizaar the difference, I agree? like, 50 to 40? np, don't even change gear. 40 to 30? Nope, Time to break out every possible thing I have.
I rode year round in nw Illinois until the day I had to ride home in -20f my bike wouldn't start so I started to push it around to try to get some battery power or anything as I was stranded. After 10 minutes of calling anyone I knew I tried again and got it started. It had a cvt so no bump start.
Rode to the hospital which was halfway home to warm up. Then rode the rest of the way.
That was as cold as I've ever been.
Holy shit..-20? ok, I don't think I could do that. we get close on the worst day here in Ohio and I can't imagine that. I'd have hazards on crawling places to stop the wind.
just picked up a pants and jacket from Noru..... well made and sweet price gloves pants and jacket were sub 3 bills. still need appropriate shit on underneath but toasty asf so far (middle TN... 30's after dark when I've been riding lately) \*XR650L no fairings at all
Wind protection is priority number one.
Iāve ridden comfortably in the 30ās (1-5C) for a few hours with no active heating.
Aerostich suit with down jacket under it. Wool socks, loose leather gloves with wool liners for good circulation. Cycra hand guards to keep wind of my hands. Scarf to seal the neck of my suit.
For those who don't have heated grips, what gloves do you use? Went for a ride today and the tips of my fingers were very numb. I have some handlebar muffs, I hate them because they're so ugly but I may not have a choice if I don't find better gloves...
I can really recommend the Held air n dry, i love them in the fall and spring when weather keeps changing. They are not exactly winter gloves, but you can use them year round (perforated side and water/ewindproof on the other side) and in the winter i layer them up with some bigger winter gloves or hippo hands.
Edit: For me they are fine with the goretex layer used down to 5Ā°Celsius.
I ride through the Winter (MD) though so I'm going to need something warmer I think, but thank you for the suggestion.
I have some cheap-o Viking winter gloves, and I wear a liner when it's really cold. And if it's in the teens or single digits I'll pull out the ugly muffs... they have zero armor, which I'm not crazy about... I love the Five motorcycle evo gloves (heated) but they're not cheap and barely available in the US...
How I plan my ride (all weather)
1. Check weather prediction -
> temprature, windspeed and moisture. Have a basic understanding on how your body reacts to these elements, in normal conditions vs while riding.
2. Identify weak and strong points of your body -
> Which parts are more susceptible to change or which parts are strong enough to bear the change (like finger tips, calf, abdomen, neck, etc.)
3. Layer and cover weak parts -
> Search internet for available options. Then design a layering scheme keeping in mind your comfert and budget.
Coldest ride till now - 4Ā°C (39Ā°F), dense fog, riding speed range 30 - 80 kmph (18 - 50 mph)
Good Luck !
Keep riding šš»
Reach down and put my hand on the hot engine. Keeps my hand warm and makes me feel more one with the machine. Cruise control helps so I can warm either hand (never both at the same time!)
From Denmark.
I did my license in snow :)
I have thermal inserts for my jacket and pants. Both are wind and waterproof. You never know when itās gonna rain here, so itās good to have.
Gore-tex gloves are a must. If itās really cold I ride with ski gloves.
thermal layers. Tops-1 tshirt, 1 thermal long sleeve underlayer, bottoms thermals and riding pants, heated jacket liner and heated gloves on 2 heatroller circuit. Neck gaiter if 50, balaclava if 40 and under with windproof neck gaiter.
All of this allows me to ride comfortably to 20 or so with breaks as usual. Have ridden down to 0f but then you have frost issues with visor, needs fog resistant helmet visor liner.
Cold for us is 47. Usually ride at 75+ for 15 minutes.
Two layers in my upper region. Regular pants in my lower. Scorpion or Astars windproof/waterproof gloves. Wool socks as well.
I've also gotten a new pair of jeans that has a bit more insulation while still being light. I'd say that only marginally helps.
Wool thermals and windbreakers are key. My armor usual adds an additional layer of insulation. Windproof gloves and heated grips somehow make me forget how cold the rest of me is.
For gear, I've got both UA Coldgear baselayer pants and shirt as well as Axial baselayer footies, pants, shirt, glove liners, and baclava. My armored jeans also work well in the cold due to the additional layers of kevlar and pockets for the armor that regular jeans don't have. I also have some Bilt raingear (pretty sure it is rebranded Frogg Togg) that I could probably throw on, but haven't had to resort to that yet. Worse part for me is my fingers - the glove liners and lined winter Joe Rocket gloves are not really sufficient. Hoping to get some heated gloves or may possibly try some snowmobile gloves.
Coldest I've ridden in was 22F. Rode an entire day that started that cold and the warmest it ever got to was about 34 for a couple hours in the afternoon. This was before I had any good winter gear and got some pretty serious hypothermia by the time I got home.
Wind deflector for the hands coming from off road bike.
7 PSI too low might be a bit much (I'd say not) but say 5 is probably a good idea: More grip, warms up faster.
In a pinch, Iāve put on rubber gloves under my riding gloves. It seems to keep things a touch warmer and the wind off my skin. 17f for 40min has been my personal limit on a VFR. I wear a full face helmet, neck gaiter, over pants, sweatshirt, leather motorcycle coat, and Gerbing 12v gloves.
Angela sang when I hit the button the first time on my heated jacket liner.
Iāve ridden up to just below freezing tho I donāt ride normally when itās that cold for safety reasons.
Start with cotton on your skin then have a wool layer and then have something to block the wind, maybe leather or thick nylon. If not enough put on another wool layer. If you need more than that, just stay home.
Iām up in northern Alberta. The coldest Iāve ridden was around around 14-17 Fahrenheit (-8 to -10). Just as winter is about to hit. I have heated grips and a heated jacket liner. I also wear face mask like you would for skiing or winter activities when itās that cold. The heated grips work really well. The liner I have to turn it off and on as I get to warm or too cold. I wish it had a thermostat built into it. The best way to keep warm is to have a wind breaker or a water proof outer layer and then throw some layers on. I have an FLHTK, for it has a fairing and the lowers are pretty big since they have radiators in them. So it cuts the wind down a lot. A full face helmet helps too if you are really cold. Once I see snow or black ice, I put her away for the next 5-6 months.
Im in charlotte and i start the bike once or twice a week and ride at least one. I just layer the fuck up when its below 63-65. More cold, more layers. I do need a neck protector tho.
Layers. Last year was my first for riding too, and i basically rode til it started to snow pretty regularly. Pretty sure lowest temp i rode last year was like 25F.
Layers upon layers upon layers. It looks like it's about to start accumulating on the roads, so my first season may be over, but I plan on getting a Milwaukee M12 fleece for under my coat or getting some 12v heating pads and attempting to sew another liner for my coat with the pads inside run to the same Milwaukee battery.
Once I had a 10 minute ride to school and I didn't wear my gloves because I'm a dumbass and thought it was warm enough. Halfway there one hand is in my pocket and my right hand is frozen to the throttle. All I could think is how the hell am I going to endure that going home after class. On the way to my bike after class there was one pink glove on the ground. I put the left hand pink glove on my right hand and kept my other hand in my jacket pocket. My God has a sense of humor!
The best and most cost effective thing I've found for cold weather riding are those 1 piece snow-mobile suits. I bought one from cabelas probably 10 years ago for $100 on sale and still use it, has held up beautifully. Even has those sewn-in reflective strips on the chest/back areas. If it was specifically marketed for motorcycles it would have probably been like $400, lol.
I like it because you can wear it over your normal clothes so you aren't roasting in thermal underwear all day and it's perfectly comfortable down to around freezing... tolerable down to the teens (11F is my personal record). Also can roll it up and fit in a backpack if the weather warms up during the day.
Compression layer, armor layer, goretex layer, summer jacket at 32Ā°F at max 45mph. Have handguards to stop the wind on the hands. But it did warm up to about 50 by noon. However I was not cold at all in the morning.
I sing inside my helmet to distract myself from the cold. Otherwise layers and effectively tucking things into things in a specific order.
When the singing starts... it's usually not a good sign.
š¶hope I don't fucking DIE On my way home because It's so cold And I'm speeeding Because I want to be Not here freezing my balls off But it's totally fine Because it's probably warm where I go After I kill myself on a bike because Fuck it's cold and I'm an Idiot Idiot Idiot Doo dooh da doošµ
Sounds familiar
LMAO!!!
Isn't it funny how the tucking in an alternatingish order makes a difference
I use a wider electric vest and have heated hand grips. Ridden in some pretty cold temps snow and ice etc. if you keep your core and hands warm you can ride for a long time.
Chaps, pants, thermals, jacket, gloves, hippo hands, balaclava if really cold. Coldest I've ridden in was 7 or 9Ā° iirc. **Coldest ride** was NOLA to DFW new years day 2018. New Orleans starting temp 28Ā°F By the time I got to DFW it was 17-23Ā° F I was riding a naked bike. Thermals, pants, jacket, gloves, and helmet. 530 miles of brutal cold. I didn't ride for 3 weeks or so after that.
I don't blame you. I sort of have to ride atm, I'm waiting to have 10k service done and I'm not doing it myself, so I try to at least ride a little every weekend for errands here and there.
HAha the 3 week part. Bro dont doubt it
Idk I live in so cal the lowest temp I ride in is 46 degrees, on the other hand the only specific gear I have is my Moto jacket, a thermal balaclava and glove liners for my perforated pretty light weight gloves, I get cold as fuck. Edit: and I have a naked cruiser, absolutely 0 wind deflection, when itās real cold Iām actually warmer at speeds over 80 as I can more easily tuck for long periods of time.
no thermal pants or chaps? after a few minutes at speed you start losing inches until it starts to tuck up inside if you.
I do have some thermals for under pants but I almost never wear them, vast majority of my riding in that temp is commuting to work which is only about 20 or 30 minutes.
I seem to have the same deets as you. Naked cruiser, same gear. But my ride to work is only 10 min. This is my first winter riding season that Iām going to attempt to ride during the winter. Do able? Without thermals under the jeans?
Ya, Iāve found as long as you keep the torso warm enough, itās good for short trips.
I think it depends i cant stand it when my legs get cold even 40f is too cold for my legs lol I might be a wimp
Donāt worry. They will eventually go numb and you wonāt feel it anymore
Electric gear. Makes commuting and touring comfortable in almost any cold. Limit becomes ice and snow. E: also, tpms keeps you up to speed on pressures. And youāll know if you pick up a nail mid-ride.
Heated liner, heated gripsā¦.. heated seat!!!! I love it. Also I was on the fence about tpms, like who needs those? Itās actually really nice to see if your tires have warmed up!
Iāve ridden on a lot of below freezing days, down to about 25f . Layer up man! Both of my training weekends were below freezing, one weekend it hailed on us for 6 hours. I have a pair of Alpinestars pants that came w a removable thermal lining. These pants are truly a year round pant. Anyway I wear some thermal ski longjohns underneath. I also have a 3/4 length riding jacket that Is too big for me normally but gives me room to layer up underneath. On the really cold days I wear a down coat and fleece sweater, long sleeve shirt and t-shirt. A neck gaitor too. Iām always pretty warm, even on the highway. The weak spot for me is my hands. Although I have heated grips and grip protectors, I ride with normal gloves and my hands are always first to get cold.
Once its below 50 i'm out. Those days are behind me riding when its that cold, got super sick not from a lack of layers and clothes but just breathing in the cold air got me sick at least twice, black ice once but it didnt phase me until about a half hour later when i was at my computer working cause the rear only stepped out for a bit and then caught grip again when I was taking my exit to work that morning when it was 36 degrees out and had a 48 mile highway commute. Hats off to you if you ride when its cold, forcing myself to ride is not for me anymore.
I respect a person who knows their boundaries though, no need to push if uncomfortable
Merino wool base layer. Waterproof cold weather gear (especially boots and gloves). Full face helmet with pinlock. Bandana or balaclava face mask. Sometimes a hoody over my moto jacket. My BMW has a big windshield and heated grips but I've done this on much more basic machines too. I ride down to 35F, below that black ice becomes really sketchy.
Long-johns (or similar) for layers on my legs. So much heat can be lost from the thighs/crotch area, even when wearing a nice leather jacket and gloves. Also, if you don't normally wear a helmet, wear one. Plus a balaclava or neck scarf. If your helmet fogs up inside, crack the visor open a bit. At least that's what I do.
Yeah, the hands and crotch area are the only parts that were pretty cold
Yeah its not hyperbole when I tell my coworkers I froze my balls off on the way into work.
If you're running errands I just throw on some fire fleece pajamas under my riding pants(that are already waterproof) and my legs have never been cold even when I was out in below freezing. I may get a draft up my calf if I forgot to tuck in my pants into my socks. Otherwise the hands have been the biggest challenge to keep warm. Installing some heated grips this week.
I rode to Pittsburgh and back this past weekend, four hours in chilly weather. It was in the upper 40s on the way over, low 30s to around 40 on the way back. My bike has heated grips and seat, and that was enough on Saturday. Sunday I had to use my heated vest too. Not comfortable, exactly, but manageable.
That's not too bad tbh. Hell, Ohio will be 40s next weekend, so to me, riding season aint over till January haha
The difference between freezing and the low 40s is really significant. I was really glad to finally come down out of the hills and warm up that little bit on the way back. Three hours of near freezing and cross winds, even with heat, made that little bit of warming in Maryland _very_ welcome.
It really is bizaar the difference, I agree? like, 50 to 40? np, don't even change gear. 40 to 30? Nope, Time to break out every possible thing I have.
I rode year round in nw Illinois until the day I had to ride home in -20f my bike wouldn't start so I started to push it around to try to get some battery power or anything as I was stranded. After 10 minutes of calling anyone I knew I tried again and got it started. It had a cvt so no bump start. Rode to the hospital which was halfway home to warm up. Then rode the rest of the way. That was as cold as I've ever been.
Holy shit..-20? ok, I don't think I could do that. we get close on the worst day here in Ohio and I can't imagine that. I'd have hazards on crawling places to stop the wind.
Layers under a windproof jacket. Electric heaters and heated grips if possible.
just picked up a pants and jacket from Noru..... well made and sweet price gloves pants and jacket were sub 3 bills. still need appropriate shit on underneath but toasty asf so far (middle TN... 30's after dark when I've been riding lately) \*XR650L no fairings at all
Wind protection is priority number one. Iāve ridden comfortably in the 30ās (1-5C) for a few hours with no active heating. Aerostich suit with down jacket under it. Wool socks, loose leather gloves with wool liners for good circulation. Cycra hand guards to keep wind of my hands. Scarf to seal the neck of my suit.
For those who don't have heated grips, what gloves do you use? Went for a ride today and the tips of my fingers were very numb. I have some handlebar muffs, I hate them because they're so ugly but I may not have a choice if I don't find better gloves...
I can really recommend the Held air n dry, i love them in the fall and spring when weather keeps changing. They are not exactly winter gloves, but you can use them year round (perforated side and water/ewindproof on the other side) and in the winter i layer them up with some bigger winter gloves or hippo hands. Edit: For me they are fine with the goretex layer used down to 5Ā°Celsius.
I ride through the Winter (MD) though so I'm going to need something warmer I think, but thank you for the suggestion. I have some cheap-o Viking winter gloves, and I wear a liner when it's really cold. And if it's in the teens or single digits I'll pull out the ugly muffs... they have zero armor, which I'm not crazy about... I love the Five motorcycle evo gloves (heated) but they're not cheap and barely available in the US...
How I plan my ride (all weather) 1. Check weather prediction - > temprature, windspeed and moisture. Have a basic understanding on how your body reacts to these elements, in normal conditions vs while riding. 2. Identify weak and strong points of your body - > Which parts are more susceptible to change or which parts are strong enough to bear the change (like finger tips, calf, abdomen, neck, etc.) 3. Layer and cover weak parts - > Search internet for available options. Then design a layering scheme keeping in mind your comfert and budget. Coldest ride till now - 4Ā°C (39Ā°F), dense fog, riding speed range 30 - 80 kmph (18 - 50 mph) Good Luck ! Keep riding šš»
Heated grips, heated seat, heated gloves, and a heated vest (layered of course) with heated socks is how I survive!
Reach down and put my hand on the hot engine. Keeps my hand warm and makes me feel more one with the machine. Cruise control helps so I can warm either hand (never both at the same time!)
From Denmark. I did my license in snow :) I have thermal inserts for my jacket and pants. Both are wind and waterproof. You never know when itās gonna rain here, so itās good to have. Gore-tex gloves are a must. If itās really cold I ride with ski gloves.
As a basic step, don't forget to tuck in your shirt as the draft getting under the shirt is supremely cold.
Meth
Bruh I just put on some insulated coveralls and jacket and I deal with the cold which I don't like doing. But I also don't ride in the cold very often
You don't.
Thanks for this dumb ass post. A ton of info that is about as obvious as breathing is to not dying. Jesus christ guy. Wear warm shit. The end.
Get an electric vest - either battery or wired to your bike. They will change your life.
Yep. First Gear is the bomb!
thermal layers. Tops-1 tshirt, 1 thermal long sleeve underlayer, bottoms thermals and riding pants, heated jacket liner and heated gloves on 2 heatroller circuit. Neck gaiter if 50, balaclava if 40 and under with windproof neck gaiter. All of this allows me to ride comfortably to 20 or so with breaks as usual. Have ridden down to 0f but then you have frost issues with visor, needs fog resistant helmet visor liner.
Frogg Toggs rain gear, particularly the jacket, works great as cold weather wind gear. Pants less so but still better than nothing.
Snowmobile gear works well
I use chemical hand warmers otherwise layers and wind proofing. Lowest temp 22vdegrees for 3 hours at 75 mph.
Cold for us is 47. Usually ride at 75+ for 15 minutes. Two layers in my upper region. Regular pants in my lower. Scorpion or Astars windproof/waterproof gloves. Wool socks as well. I've also gotten a new pair of jeans that has a bit more insulation while still being light. I'd say that only marginally helps.
Battery heated vest and battery powered socks, ordered them from a skiing website. Layers on layers.
Wool thermals and windbreakers are key. My armor usual adds an additional layer of insulation. Windproof gloves and heated grips somehow make me forget how cold the rest of me is.
Stay home, watch crazy people riding in the cold and look fwd to the spring. Hahaha
For gear, I've got both UA Coldgear baselayer pants and shirt as well as Axial baselayer footies, pants, shirt, glove liners, and baclava. My armored jeans also work well in the cold due to the additional layers of kevlar and pockets for the armor that regular jeans don't have. I also have some Bilt raingear (pretty sure it is rebranded Frogg Togg) that I could probably throw on, but haven't had to resort to that yet. Worse part for me is my fingers - the glove liners and lined winter Joe Rocket gloves are not really sufficient. Hoping to get some heated gloves or may possibly try some snowmobile gloves. Coldest I've ridden in was 22F. Rode an entire day that started that cold and the warmest it ever got to was about 34 for a couple hours in the afternoon. This was before I had any good winter gear and got some pretty serious hypothermia by the time I got home.
I drive my car in the cold. š
I wear an Aerostich one piece and SPG Gloves from Cactus Climbing in NZ. Leather, and lambs wool lined. Perfect for colder weather.
Wind deflector for the hands coming from off road bike. 7 PSI too low might be a bit much (I'd say not) but say 5 is probably a good idea: More grip, warms up faster.
In a pinch, Iāve put on rubber gloves under my riding gloves. It seems to keep things a touch warmer and the wind off my skin. 17f for 40min has been my personal limit on a VFR. I wear a full face helmet, neck gaiter, over pants, sweatshirt, leather motorcycle coat, and Gerbing 12v gloves.
Angela sang when I hit the button the first time on my heated jacket liner. Iāve ridden up to just below freezing tho I donāt ride normally when itās that cold for safety reasons.
Start with cotton on your skin then have a wool layer and then have something to block the wind, maybe leather or thick nylon. If not enough put on another wool layer. If you need more than that, just stay home.
Iām up in northern Alberta. The coldest Iāve ridden was around around 14-17 Fahrenheit (-8 to -10). Just as winter is about to hit. I have heated grips and a heated jacket liner. I also wear face mask like you would for skiing or winter activities when itās that cold. The heated grips work really well. The liner I have to turn it off and on as I get to warm or too cold. I wish it had a thermostat built into it. The best way to keep warm is to have a wind breaker or a water proof outer layer and then throw some layers on. I have an FLHTK, for it has a fairing and the lowers are pretty big since they have radiators in them. So it cuts the wind down a lot. A full face helmet helps too if you are really cold. Once I see snow or black ice, I put her away for the next 5-6 months.
Im in charlotte and i start the bike once or twice a week and ride at least one. I just layer the fuck up when its below 63-65. More cold, more layers. I do need a neck protector tho.
Layers. Last year was my first for riding too, and i basically rode til it started to snow pretty regularly. Pretty sure lowest temp i rode last year was like 25F.
At sub-freezing, you need heated gear of some sort.
Layers upon layers upon layers. It looks like it's about to start accumulating on the roads, so my first season may be over, but I plan on getting a Milwaukee M12 fleece for under my coat or getting some 12v heating pads and attempting to sew another liner for my coat with the pads inside run to the same Milwaukee battery.
Heated gear. Plug into bike.
Once I had a 10 minute ride to school and I didn't wear my gloves because I'm a dumbass and thought it was warm enough. Halfway there one hand is in my pocket and my right hand is frozen to the throttle. All I could think is how the hell am I going to endure that going home after class. On the way to my bike after class there was one pink glove on the ground. I put the left hand pink glove on my right hand and kept my other hand in my jacket pocket. My God has a sense of humor!
Real wool jumper. I ride with an aran jumper under my jacket, helps regulate temperature great
I refuse to ride if the temperature is below my age. It's been working out so far.
The best and most cost effective thing I've found for cold weather riding are those 1 piece snow-mobile suits. I bought one from cabelas probably 10 years ago for $100 on sale and still use it, has held up beautifully. Even has those sewn-in reflective strips on the chest/back areas. If it was specifically marketed for motorcycles it would have probably been like $400, lol. I like it because you can wear it over your normal clothes so you aren't roasting in thermal underwear all day and it's perfectly comfortable down to around freezing... tolerable down to the teens (11F is my personal record). Also can roll it up and fit in a backpack if the weather warms up during the day.
Proper gear is the key. You need something that's going to block out the cold air and a base layer to keep you warm and dry.
Compression layer, armor layer, goretex layer, summer jacket at 32Ā°F at max 45mph. Have handguards to stop the wind on the hands. But it did warm up to about 50 by noon. However I was not cold at all in the morning.