Riding at 34 degrees

[CC Cowboy]

I got bored last Monday so I decided to drive ( not ride) up to New England for Christmas. While going through New Jersey I cam upon a guy on a Honda two wheel sports car ( I think they are called Goldwings). It was 34 degrees out and he was in the fast lane (not going fast but still doing 60 or so). Then again in Connecticut I saw another biker and it was 37 degrees.

I'll be riding, as I always do, on New Years day.

[Racer x]

I rode to work last week on my scooter. It was -12 deg Fahrenheit. That is the coldest I have ever ridden. So cold it burned. I am liking fuel injection.

[CC Cowboy]

WOW!

Why?

[Mechanikrazy]

Above freezing isn't too bad with the right gear. I wear a one piece Alpinestars thermal in the 30s and am fine without heated gear.

[Racer x]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

WOW!

Why?

My van died after 570000 miles. I don't have a car. I can't afford a new van and have to go to work.

[Triple Jim]

I used to water ski each New Year's Day, wearing a dry suit. I got out of the habit, but I'm not sure why, since it was a lot of fun. Maybe I'll try it again.

[CaliGrrl]

Brrrrr!!! Coming home the other night, it was 37' and it was COLD. I learned the gloves I'd bought were insufficient. I now have new gloves. Consensus within our little group was that we see the value of heated riding gear.

[cbinker]

its cold. i usually pull out the bike on Jan 1st every year, not so bad in arizona, but in South Dakota, single digits and teen temps got chilly really fast.

[Racer x]

Originally Posted by CaliGrrl

Brrrrr!!! Coming home the other night, it was 37' and it was COLD. I learned the gloves I'd bought were insufficient. I now have new gloves. Consensus within our little group was that we see the value of heated riding gear.

I got a set of heated gloves. I found them in a bargen bin for forty bucks. But I have no controlled. I am thinking about using a battery pack to heat them. Any ideas on voltage or how to make a controller? Or should I just buy one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/112235497569

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Racer x

I rode to work last week on my scooter. It was -12 deg Fahrenheit. That is the coldest I have ever ridden. So cold it burned. I am liking fuel injection.

[CaliGrrl]

Racer X, I have no idea how to power the heated gloves but I hope you find the answer.

[Triple Jim]

If you can figure out who made the heated gloves, you should be able to get some specs from them. If that fails, you could start with a resistance measurement so you can calculate the heating power from V²/R

[subxero]

saw a guy on a small dual sport the other day riding while we were having freezing rain.

I don't mind riding when it is cold or raining or whatever but i have my limits. Hats off to that man.

[sp3ak]

I've ridden in the low 30's and could have gone lower. That was with a lot of gear though:

- Helmet (of course)
- Bilt Thermal balaclava
- Bilt Thermal shirt
- Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 Jacket with liner
- Sedici Terreno ADV waterproof and thermal pants (I LOVE THESE! In the 50's my legs sweat)
- Bilt Waterproof boots w/ Dickies Thermal socks
- Joe Rocket Latitude XL gloves w/ latex gloves underneath for that "greenhouse effect'

I just love riding so much I don't want to stop. As long as it's not icy I plan to push the riding as far as I can. Really wish I had fuel injection though! The Ninja isn't horrible in the cold but it takes a whole lotta choke to get it going and warm up.

[corksil]

Eric -- post some pictures of the gloves in a new thread and I'll do what I can to help. You've helped me lots over the years and I'm pretty sharp with electrical stuff.

I've been riding all over lately and I estimate it to be around 60* weather here in hawaii but with the windchill and icy rain it seems much colder. Hats off to you guys in colder climates..

[JasonJ]

Originally Posted by Racer x

My van died after 570000 miles. I don't have a car. I can't afford a new van and have to go to work.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, good on you for just riding with it.

The coldest I've ridden was 35-39 degrees in November one year... it started off brisk, in the 50s... then it got dark, and started raining...

With the right gear, it wouldn't be bad at all, provided your tires are in good shape for the cold and wet pavement.

[Triple Jim]

For a while in the late '70s, my H2 was my main transportation. I rode to the University of Maryland through a few winters, taking me into 15 degree air quite a few times. Most of the trip was on the Beltway. The first winter I hadn't bought my snowmobile suit yet, so I layered multiple pairs of pants, and wore a couple sweaters and a fiberfill vest under my leather jacket. I had an "Apple Warmer", which was a quilted skirt that attached to the lower edge of my full face helmet, and tucked into my jacket. Except for the helmet, I didn't take any of it off until well after my first class.

I still have the Apple Warmer, but it doesn't seem to be a good fit with modern full face helmets. That thing was much better than a balaclava, which is what seems to be popular these days.

[motodancer]

What do you all think about heated vests to wear underneath the jacket?
How "cold" does it get in the southern states such as Texas?
We don't want to spend money on heated vests and then end up moving to a warmer state where we won't even need them anymore.

[LittleRedNinjette]

I take the car if its below freezing or any chance of ice on the rode. I've been a wussy lately though. Haven't been out in much below 50. think it was 45 or so when i was last out this year.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by motodancer

What do you all think about heated vests to wear underneath the jacket?
How "cold" does it get in the southern states such as Texas?
We don't want to spend money on heated vests and then end up moving to a warmer state where we won't even need them anymore.

I end up wearing my heated jacket year round. The extra liner in the outer jacket is really the only change I make between seasons.

In the winter, I wear the heated gear and put that sucker on HIGH auto combat the cold.

In the summer, I put it on after dark and keep the dial at LOW to take the edge off. While riding around in 100+ degrees doesn't need it, as soon as that sun goes down and temps fall to the 70s it feels freaking cold.

[Racer x]

Today it was 2 deg. I did looked at the windchill chart. At 40 mph the temp feels like -26. Its freaking cold in Iowa. Fun ride anyhow.

[SLOWn60]

-13C with the windchill. Please keep the St Bernard on standby!

[Triple Jim]

The high yesterday here was 25F, and last night it went down to 3F. Later this week the daytime highs will be near 70F. I'm putting off riding until later this week.

[spooph]

This was a few years ago - 15F, 30 min ride to work @ 60mph = -55F windchill. My biggest issue was faceshield fogging, even with a foggy breath guard, and a pinlock. No heated gear, had to ride the bike on half-choke the whole way there or it would die at stop lights. The first and only ride I did with the bike with the knobbie tires on, back when I didn't have a car. Decided then I wouldn't ride again below 40F unless it was colder than -15F so I could set another record, lol.

Tops to all who brave the cold!

[Racer x]

I just got a fog resistant insert. Like fog city. Works really well. I tried all the other fog repellent stuff like cat crap and other things that are liquid applied to the inside of the face shield. They prevent foging. But they freeze and form ice when the temp drops well below freezing

[Triple Jim]

All the ones I've tried also let the inside get wet, just not foggy, so after a while the view gets noticeably blurry, even it it doesn't freeze. I usually get along OK with just opening the shield when stopped or going very slowly.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Feeling to old to ride in the cold. But its been 50 here in RI last couple days, but rainy.

[backinthesaddleagain]

54 out in RI, nice and warm but too wet for me, but not for a 300 rider in my office park. Maybe a member on here?

[Rifleman]

Ride your age.

if you are 21, you ride down 21'F

if you are 50, you get to ride in the warm weather only.

if you are 100 you better move to Arizona or you might not get to ride all year.