Winter Riding

Hi all,

I plan to ride to work (55 miles one way, speeds to 65 mph+) as much as possible this winter. I live in Maryland and our winters can be brutal! What tips do you have and type of riding gear do you winter riders use?

 

I would recommend a good set of gloves, long underwear, and a honda civic to wrap around yourself.

Besides the road danger, riding in the winter is more dangerous because drivers are not expecting you out there in the off season.
Just a thought.

 

Ah brave soldier! Ski gloves work well, and run a hose from your exhaust up into your jacket-NO NO just kidding.

I had to ride in the winter a couple of years and my gear was ski gloves, warm socks, leather boots, 3 layers top, 2 bottom, closed my helmet vents, a wool scarf that I wrapped around my neck and tucked in my jacket. I usually warmed my gloves on a heater register just before going out on the really frosty days <28-brrrr at 60mph. It helps to hug your tank.

Be prepared when you arrive to need about 10minutes to look human again. Don't try what I did when I was 16 on my XL (in signature), I went out on the snow and thought I was a bad-ass when I made it several blocks from my house until I did about a 720 with both feet planted in the snow and then dropped it into a snow banked yard-ooops!

 

That does not sound like fun at all! But if the bike is all you've got, I guess I would rough it as well. A ski mask is definitely a must.

 

Icy patches and street bikes don't mix.

I personally won't ride when the temp drops to close to freezing; all the warm gear in the world doesn't help if you hit a patch of black ice.

 

As stated-winter is a bad time to ride to work.

I like many have little choice.

But I stable 'ol girl if the temps drop below freezing and rain
or snow is on the ground.

We have about an inch of snow now but the temps keep dropping
right after a little melt so there's ice all over the place.

 

I agree with the above 2, I push my luck into the winter season..
as long as the roads are dry I'm good to about freezing, but if it was damp the night before and potential of ice at all.... park it.

I went 1 morning 2 years ago , heavy frost, but was starting to warm up... hit black ice at the intersection at the end of my street, ended up on my side looking back up my street wondering what the hell happened ( was that fast)

Luckily I was just moving into the intersection so very low speed, and no traffic at all that time of day. Good thing, because trying to get my footing to right the old girl was not much fun.

Ended up with a sore leg for a week, broken clutch lever and front signal lens....
Low cost for a valuable lesson learned, not so stubborn about driving in the cold days, always do a good road assessment beforehand now

 

I used to be a diehard rider when I owned my BMW's, went down twice due to ICE! Listen to Big Fitz and others snow and ice don't mix with our bikes, braking alone would be a nightmare. But if you are going to tough it out get studs installed, the kind those guys who race on the ice have.

 

George - they ride in Europe all the time and have been for decades - so we know it can be done. I think a side car helps! But short of the side car - as others have said - be carfeul!

I have ridden down to about 28F. My gear is a pair of insulated Carharrt coveralls with an Underarmor balaclava under my helmet. For the gloves - if you can swing a pair of battery operated heated gloves your ride can be quite enjoyable even in the severe cold. If you have any stop and go driving you can warm your hands on your cylinder head in between stop lights - it works wonders to get a little feeling back into numb fingers.

This past winter, right after doing my winter maintenance, I took off out of my drive in the morning and gassed it pretty hard in order to beat a train at a crossing an 1/8 mile from my house. The road was DRY - VERY DRY - TOO DRY! It was full of salt dust from the winter because it hadn't rained in a very long time to wash off road debris. I was leaning over pretty hard as I came out of my drive and pretty heavy on the throttle - next thing I know I'm looking up at the stars.

Be careful and learn from the mistakes of others. There is absolutley NO WAY to prepare for a patch of black ice no matter what anyone says. If you hit a patch - and it's long enough - you're going to go down - period! No amount of experience or skill is going to keep you upright.

 

The folks who ride year-round in Europe generally tend to be in urban areas where congested traffic conditions keep the roads largely melted and the speeds are significantly lower.

All it takes is one good-sized patch of black ice at say, 50mph, and you're looking at a serious situation. As mirco pointed out, if it's big enough all the skill in the world won't keep you up.

 

Thanks for the advise all.

 

Good gloves are top priority. Regardless of the road conditions if you hands are too numb to squeeze the brake lever enough, it is game over.

My buddies all swear by these and I concur.
http://gerbing.com/Products/gloves.php

They stand behind them with awesome customer service LIFETIME warranty.
A friend had one that failed after 7 years. He sent it back, they couldn't fix it and the model had been discontinued. They sent him a completely new pair of latest model FREE.
I broke a wire in one of mine. They fixed it no charge.

Wire them into your electrical system and you can have sweaty fingers down to about 30 deg

Add a decent pair of pants or chaps and you will survive the cold.
http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Gear

But I agree with others, a slick spot of ice is damn near impossible to navigate.

 

I ride year round except for ice and snow days when I drive the F 150. It is 27*F as I write this so it does get a little chilly around here from time to time.

The SINGLE most significant winter accessory is the pair of ATV handlebar muffs I bought from Cabelas. Fleece lined with an outer shell of nylon they have proven to be both completely wind and waterproof. Without the wind on your hands your ability to ride in the cold in comfort will be extended greatly.

The muffs are easy on and easy off, I would not ride in the winter without them.

Loren

 

I also ride year round but it takes a bit of practiced skill to know where the black ice typically forms. I live in MD too but wouldn't decribe our winters as being brutal<LOL>....but I have learned that most people around here consider 1/2" of snow to be a blizzard too. Minnesota with -40 degree temps is brutal, our 22 degree days are just uncomfortable.

As other mentioned, good gloves are a must. I have electrics for riding my Vstrom but none of my other bikes have an electrical outlet so I have to rely on good gloves and hippo hands. That way you can wear gloves that still allow full freedom of movement of your fingers while keeping them out of the wind stream. Also keep your core warm...if your midsection gets cold, your body will draw the blood from the fingers and toes to warm the core to keep you alive so keep your core extra warm and it will help keep your hands and feet warm by doing so. You will also want to set your bike up for winter riding by installing a windshield if possible and handguards will keep the blast off if you don't want the hippo hands. The last thing is good "thinsulated" boots.

The last caution is this.....once cold, you'll stay cold so delay getting cold in the first place as long as you possibly can...makes for a lot more fun winter riding.

jeff

 

"down to about 30 deg" :?: :?: :wink:

Who needs heated gloves at 30 deg's? Do they keep you warm at 17 deg
or lower? That what I need. I could ride in 30 deg temps all night long
( Much of my commute is in the wee early hours .

I think I'm going to fab a pair wind/rain covers for my bars and hope
that works.

 

Who needs heated gloves at 30 deg's? Do they keep you warm at 17 deg
or lower? That what I need. I could ride in 30 deg temps all night long
( Much of my commute is in the wee early hours .

I think I'm going to fab a pair wind/rain covers for my bars and hope
that works.[/quote]

I think that what I've learned the most from year-round riding is illustrated in your quote.....if you ride EVERY DAY all year round, you'll get used to temps that would typically freeze part-time riders. If 30 degrees is fine for you, then you obviously ride all the time. I learned that one winter many. many years ago when I endured a winter in a trailer with no heat for the entire winter....the cold just didn't bother me since I got used to it. Now I know how the street people survive in the winter time, they're used to it. The best prep for winter riding is to get out and ride as much as you can every day as the temps fall....by the time you get to January, you'll be used to it.

Good point about the electrics...I have very good electric gloves but they only stave off the cold and generally don't keep my hands toasty warm in the teens. The biggest problem area of course is my right thumb. It usually freezes while the rest of my hand is warm. If I could design a pair myself, it would have two elements on the right thumb......but notwithstanding that, they still make life at 25 degrees a lot nicer then just ordinary winter riding gloves.

jeff

 

After re-reading my post I kinda sounded like a prick-so I apologize.

I didn't want to sound all bad like "I can take any temp" kinda thing.
You are quite correct that riding every day gets one used to the weather.

 

Well what I say is ride to enjoy yourself. From living in Ohio all my life, we have four months were it's impossible to ride. But I tell you, that first spring day is wonderful after a long cold winter.

It only takes one bad accident.

But when riding we all know we are on the edge of death. Winter riding just increases that chance.

So it's your life, your judgement.

 

+1 for the bar muffs, picked up a set designed for motorcycles for $20..
Haven't tested the waterproof part yet... may have a chance tomorrow
( worth the cash for the wind protection alone... can use my leather instead of lined some day, with the lined my hands are actually warm on arrival)

 

You guys didn't read very well
I said your fingers would be sweaty at 30....
They will keep them toasty colder but that's when I park it. I'm too old for that anymore and since moving out here I've lost my cold tolerance.

I have to pick up the kids and tote a bunch of stuff around normally anyway so riding is more of a "luxury day" instead of a necessity.

 

Well it was 10 deg by the time I rolled into work this morn. 8O

Def need something to cover the feet and some bar muff's :twisted:

 

hmmmm, bar muffs....I wonder if I can get her to sit still up there on cold days?

Then there's the whole ('S) part...what, you have two GF's up there? One for each side? Probably would keep my hands warm but it seems like a big safety issue.


Something's telling me that I'm interpeting this incorrectly........
jeff

 

just a bit! lol