Fucking cold weather...how you cope?

[AnthonyF]

My first cold spell of riding. I was looking of Dennis Kirk.com and underarmour.com to see if they had any head gear to keep my neck warm. Are you guys wearing anything? I have always loved udnerarmour stuff, but theirs is 23 bucks where on DK.com their head gear is 5.99 and it covers more of the neck area.

-Ant.

[Rican219]

I think it feels great!!!

[slow_hatch]

It is pretty chilly in the mornings now. I've got a fleece lined full face mask/ski mask, that covers down around my neck and tucks into my jacket. Use to have a SWEET windproof MountainHardware one, but lost it I'm in need of some non perf'd gloves soon.

[Cool Cat Racing]

I've got a full head cover and a neck cover, not sure the brand though but they're about to get dug back out of my closet so I'll check. They work pretty well but still not enough when its dead cold. I'm about to switch to my intermediate jacket as well since the mornings are a bit nippy.

[97_c1vic]

I think it feels great!!!

x2!

[BLK JDM]

Look up JMAX. They make a full head/neck cover. I've been using it for over a year and I love it. It keeps the cold wind off my face and neck and tucks into my jacket.j It's a full head cover and it's made kinda thin so it won't make your helmet fit any tighter. I bought mine from Mountain Motorsports for either $4.99 or $5.99. I'd pay $20 for it!! Maybe not? One of the best accessories I have. Plus I can use it to scare my fiance all the time b/c it looks like a ski mask!! Lol

[slow_hatch]

Opted to drive the car to work this morning, it's to fucking cold already. I've rode enough years in the cold, it just takes most of the fun out of it. Car+Heat=FTW

[punkr6]

get a cheap beanie/boggon at wal-mart for 99 cents, cut the top open and slide it over your head and around your neck. It works great....

[AnthonyF]

I've thought about getting the Gears one from Denniskirk.com Looks realllly warm.

-Ant.

[jhadleyh]

i cope by putting more clothes on.....that is all

[Black Mamba]

It does get a little chilly in the morning, but this is the only times I'll wear my jacket! my hands still get cold though even with gloves!

[redwagon02]

a balaclava is your friend.

[BLK JDM]

Yeah I don't ride in the cold anymore. When I first bought my R1 I rode any chance I got but now I don't even look at the bike in chilly weather. The nostalgia has worn off. Don't get me wrong I love to ride but riding all day everyday has gotten old.

[AnthonyF]

PUSS

[BLK JDM]

Whatever!! I'll be at the Varsity tonight on the bike.

[dazn]

get a cheap beanie/boggon at wal-mart for 99 cents, cut the top open and slide it over your head and around your neck. It works great....

ROFL, Brad does this sound familiar?

nothing against you punkr6, a friend of ours used to do this, got me doing it now too.

[FasTech]

Can't say too much cause I haven't got a bike yet, but when I rode my dad's and shit... I just dealt with it until you were to numb to feel it anymore. lolol.

[Turbo Terrance]

two thermo shirts and 2 pairs of tube socks and im good...

[AnthonyF]

PUSS

Who the fuck typed this? Some1 got on my name somewhere...

-Ant.

[turbosx©]

but a hoody on under your jacket, get some insulated non perforated gloves, and then get some thick socks.

[BLK JDM]

Who the fuck typed this? Some1 got on my name somewhere...

-Ant.

Hahaha I positived repped you for it and laughed!!

[slow_hatch]

ROFL, Brad does this sound familiar?

nothing against you punkr6, a friend of ours used to do this, got me doing it now too.

LOL, yeah. Good ole' Pruitt. Wasn't it camo too??

[punkr6]

ROFL, Brad does this sound familiar?

nothing against you punkr6, a friend of ours used to do this, got me doing it now too.

yepp, works great...

[deathrex]

I just put a Hoodie on underneith my jacket. But cycle gear has awesome deals on cold weather stuff

[BLK JDM]

Actually went out and rode tonight. Just got in the house. Rode from about 7pm-12pm. It was a good night to get out. Highways were clear w/ no cops. Bike ran amazing b/c the of the cooler weather. The cold didn't really affect me-FELT GREAT!!

[03RCode]

I got a pretty sweet HJC Barcleva that I wear during cold races... as well as long sleeve Under Armor All Season gear shirts and pants under my jersey/pants. Keeps me pretty warm even running in and out of creeks, I'd say it'd work pretty good on the street as well.

[Tarzanman]

I'll chime in and help you out as I ride year round. This is general advice for sportbikes which have nothing in the way of wind protection (except for a tiny wind-screen). Different style bikes with handguards and large windscreens do a MUCH better job of keeping the rider protected from the cold wind.

Head:
1. You will want a helmet with a chin skirt. Most helmets (notably the Scorpion) have removable chin skirts that you wear during the fall/winter and remove during the spring/summer. The chin skirt helps cut down on cold air flowing up ur face (and making your nose runny). Note that a chin skirt will not cut off all the air flow (just some of it).
2. Balaclava - These are 'ninja masks'. You will want something with a tight, stretchy spandex-type fit that is breathable. Coupled with a chin skirt, they will keep your head warm and maintain a nice 'seal' that only lets a tiny amount of cold air into the helmet through the bottom. The drawback is that lower air-flow will make your visor fog up much faster. Most balaclavas also cover the neck. Different balaclavas have different weights to them (heavier = warmer)


TORSO:
At moderate temperatures (50º–60º) whether the sun is out or not makes a *huge* difference on whether you'll be cold, just fine, or too warm. It is also important to recognize the distintion between jackets with a 'crew cut' collar, or mandarin style collar. The crew cut collars will let a lot more air inside the jacket.

1. For sunny 50º–60º temps, a leather or solid textile jacket without a liner is fine. I usually open up the vents to get good cooling air flow
2. For for brisk weather, I will close the vents on the jacket and maybe add a jacket liner
3. For chilly weather (~44-50º) You will want to layer up under the jacket. Form fitting t-shirt (or similar) and maybe a sweatshirt or fleece under the jacket+liner. I have some Underarmour cold gear shirts which works very nicely
4. For cold weather (44 and below), ditch the leather jacket because it will leach the warmth from you. Waterproof textile jackets (especially the 3/4 length styles) keep the wind out better, and won't transfer nearly as much heat away from your body. Heated vests are also an (expensive, but well working) option.


LEGS:
There are really only 3 options here.

1. Dedicated riding pants - As with jackets, they are made in a vareity of weights, styles, and materials. As before, textile waterproof ones are the warmest.
2. Overpants (riding pants meant to be worn over regular pants)
3. Riding armor - combination shin/knee pads under your pants keep a lot of the wind off of your legs - this is what I usually wear in cool or brisk weather.

HANDS
Ha! Good luck. Regular gloves (leather, with gauntlet, no vents) are fine in cool weather... but woefully inadequate when it really gets cold.
I have never tried on a pair of gloves that I was satisfied with in cold weather. Options like using glove liners (silk is the best) or getting waterproof, insulated gloves HELP, but only really delay the time it takes for your hands to get cold.
The only gloves I have ever worn that stood up to really cold weather are ski gloves (which do not have armor and will not provide good protection in a crash). All other motorcycle gloves are just too thin and inevitably leak heat to the continuous 60 mph wind blast directly hitting your hands on a sportbike. Consider using heated handlebar/throttle grips and heated gloves for really cold weather. Your hands WILL get cold.

If your bike can take them, hand guards help a ton. There's also a product called 'hippo hands' which look totally gimpy, but help a lot with warmth.

FEET
Boots. Nuff said.

[jhadleyh]

^^^^Holy long fucking post batman!!!!

[Tarzanman]

^^^^Holy long fucking post batman!!!!

I've spent a couple of winters trying different things out. Since riding gear is so expensive (very few items lost LESS than $100), thats the only way to do until you want to blow a lot of money just testing stuff to see if it works.
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