Must-have gear for daily cold weather riding?

[ally99]

I'm considering going bike only this winter...leave it to me to decide to try this in what is supposed to be an extraordinarily brutally cold winter. :duh:
I know we have badasses on our forum who live up north and ride year round, so tell me, what's your secret? Specifically, what is your "must-have" gear?
I have ridden in temps mid to high 30s, but by the time I arrive at work those days, my fingers are so numb, I really shouldn't be depending on them to operate controls reliably.

What ONE THING could you not do without when riding in the cold?

Thanks!

[Ralgha]

My hands are the first thing to get cold, so for me it's either well-insulated gloves, or heated gloves/grips.

[ally99]

Thanks! I'm looking for brand recommendations as well.

[NevadaWolf]

Absolute must: Gerbing heated jacket liner

After my core was warm, found other cold spots in the following order:
Toes - solved with thick socks and TourMaster Solution boots
Hands - solved first with Olympia All Weather gloves, then added Hippo Hands
Neck - solved with NOJ Helmet Skirt
Core - by this time found the outer jacket not holding heat in, so added a North Face wind blocking fleece.

Hopefully my latest purchase of a wind and waterproof jacket traps heat better for this upcoming winter

[Whiskey]

Cold weather kit includes a ColdKillers (British brand) windblocking fleece top, same material balaclava & A* drystar apex gloves.

That's beneath a set of leathers with the waterproof lining in & combined with a set of underarmor type thermals.

The Shark RSI helmet's visor is anti fog.

The 675 has heated grips, they're a godsend when it's really cold.

I don't do 4 wheeled transport, don't even have a car licence, I either bike or walk/bus (snow is no fun, but that's about the one thing that will make me consider walking)

[alex.s]

must-have gear for me when its stormy and raining ... my car keys! :P

[cuong-nutz]

I wore a cheap rain jacket and trousers over my gear.
Bandana or neck gaitor around the neck and tape up my perforated boots.

[ninjamunky85]

One word: Balaclava

[Sirref]

Here's what I did last winter

extra jacket
heated gloves under my gloves and giant mittens over my gloves to block airflow

I still had my fingers frozen after a few rides :/

this year I'll be doing more:
balaclava
a proper winter jacket so I don't need to wear 2-3 jackets (really cumbersome)
non-perf'd leather gloves to go over my heated gloves so I don't need to wear 3 pairs of gloves

snow tires?

[nickjpass]

Gloves for me. I feel like if you can't control the motorcycle then you're screwed. Eventually hypothermia sets in but hopefully you're home by then

[Flying]

Last winter I had to withstand a 20 mile commute in temps ranging from 15F to 40+, you already have an idea of what it's like.

Priorities:
1. NevadaWolf has it: Warm your core. Eat, wear a windproof layer, do whatever it takes.
2. Heated gloves. The distraction caused by the pain of cold fingers/toes is more dangerous than the temperature.
3. Fogging. I wish I had a pinlock visor. I wish I thought of opening my vents with a balaclava on.

Having windproof insulation around the trunk and taking some time to eat and warm up before leaving actually made the ride enjoyable. Ignore that if you enjoy being chilled thoroughly.

[capt_bugaloo]

I find it's keeping your hands warm that's difficult. As long as it's not too wet out, you can bundle up and keep a lot of your warmth in, but keeping your hands warm with just a pair of gloves is tough.

[spooph]

@Flying nailed it - a fogging face shield is the difference between certain death and not.

You can push the body past where you thought it could, but if you can't see you'll push it into something you didn't want to.

PinLock is by far the best out there. Cat Crap, Zook, all of those ointments are a bit of a pain but transport better as an "emergency backup".
A Foggy breath guard from Aerostitch helps to keep your breath away from the periphery as well, and keep your face warm. I pair mine with the wind cover that clips into the chin of a shoei RF1100 helmet.

Once you can see... @NevadaWolf hit all the cold spots...
I've found that hand guards go a lot further than super expensive gloves:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...d-hand-warmers

Those are less expensive than Hippo Hands at least they were when I looked 4 years ago....

So, once you can see, and you can manipulate the controls, you'll have to figure out where you have cold spots and how to fix that...

Long underwear like @Whiskey's Cold Killers or Tourmaster, or most other brands have some killer gear. Personally I ride Patagonia Expedition weight long underwear when it drops below 0.

A neck gaitor/scarf is a great idea, but you'll have to figure it out depending on the rest of your gear.

What I will offer is that fewer expensive items makes for a more comfortable ride than more inexpensive items which bulk up and inevitably cut off circulation.

Really pay attention to your circulation... Personally I have gotten off my bike at red lights and done push ups until the other light turns yellow and gotten through some crazy storms....

In this post I used:

Patagonia Expedition weight underwear
Patagonia nano windstopper fleece
TourMaster Winter Elite II MT Glove - which were total overkill, my hands were sweaty when I got to work.
Duck Unlimited hand guards/warmers
Leather Jacket that I always wear (brand unknown)
Custom leather overpants
A* Harlem leather boots
Shoei RF1100 Helmet
Cheap skiing neck protector (brand unknown)
pin-lock knock off that didn't work all too well
Cat Crap after
Foggy
Prescription eye glasses for when I had to lift the visor and couldn't see...

After this ride I lifted the tank bag off the bike and shattered the pliable plastic map pocket - it was frozen stiff, so be careful with how you use your luggage gear as it gets colder.

[allanoue]

Hothand hand warmer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hothands-Han...p2054897.l4275

[fishdip]

full winter suit

[NevadaWolf]

As an FYI I named Hippo Hands more for the style over the brand. The cheapo ATV pair that I have were like $30 at the off-road dealer.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by fishdip

full winter suit

That works too.

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by fishdip

full winter suit

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

That works too.

what I put over my leathers
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Genuine-Di...erall/14649714

Then a spider ski jacket

It's about not letting any air flow

[NevadaWolf]

I met someone sporting a Carhartt suit once, claimed it was the warmest thing ever. Not sure about its crash resistance though...

But under regular gear?

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

I met someone sporting a Carhartt suit once, claimed it was the warmest thing ever. Not sure about its crash resistance though...

But under regular gear?

its what I have on in the pic full gear under it

[NevadaWolf]

Oh. Well.... Then that then.

[Whiskey]

Ally how cold is a Georgia winter going to get?

Porridge & Tea/coffee at breakfast should also help

[iamjacob]

Doesn't look too bad to me...

[allanoue]

for a southern bell that is plenty cold

[dcj13]

Definitely wear a dickie (aka neck tube) or scarf.
Heated vest or Gerbing jacket liner is nice.
Heated gloves are nice if the ride is more than 20 to 30 minutes.
Windproof/waterproof (they're never really waterproof) over-pants with knee & hip padding.
This sounds silly, but earplugs add to the sense of warmth.

I've found that the pre-gen Ninjette alternator output is sufficient to run my old Widder vest, sleeves, and gloves. The KLR250 alternator output is not adequate, however. BMW handles all electrical loads with no concern whatsoever.

Visor (and glasses) fogging is a PITA when it's 34F (1C) and raining or drizzling, especially when not moving. Externally applied anti-fog snake oils aren't worth a crap.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Ally how cold is a Georgia winter going to get?

Porridge & Tea/coffee at breakfast should also help

Originally Posted by iamjacob

Doesn't look too bad to me...

We regularly have lows dip into the 20s here in Georgia for a couple of months out of the year, so it can be pretty damn cold.
You guys rock! I'm going to start checking some of this gear out this weekend. Thank you so much for the suggestions!

[EsrTek]

For our area:
Above 30*
Balaclava
Freeze out gear under layer
Heated grips/gloves
(optional) heated boot liners
Below 30*
First gear thermal 1 piece (needs armor under it)
Balaclava
Heated gloves/boot liners

[Aggrotech]

I wear some really thin insulated gloves that go on before my regular gloves, Froggtogg pants from Revzilla. The froggtoggs are ****ing awesome for the price.

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by Aggrotech

I wear some really thin insulated gloves that go on before my regular gloves, Froggtogg pants from Revzilla. The froggtoggs are ****ing awesome for the price.

froggtoggs

[eddiekay]

In addition to` all the correct recommendations above
a Sno Mo face shield
It has a double layer window that doersnt fog up...like thermo windows on a house.
Cheap-o methods:
This will add bulk but is amazing.....cheap crap bubble wrap...the stuff you may even be able to get free from your local UPS or Staples of anyplace else that ships stuff.....an 18" piece with a "head hole" cut in the end and worn like a bib cuts 100% of the wind to your body. Even my beloved Gerbring vest cant keep up with 50+ mph wind chill under my leatrher Dianese but the bubble vest works 100% of the time.Your cheapest way out is a used sno mo suit...jacket and farmer john...no 1 piece.
Army Surplus Finger Trigger Mittens with gauntlet. Leather, fur, long strings.
As goofy looking as you can imagine and hard to get but $15 bought me a set from Barre Army Navy in VT. Worked for years.

[adouglas]

[scorch]

i ride yearround and here are the things i like.

Gerbing electric jacket
gerbing electric gloves
hippo hands
face mask
alpinestar winter pants
any jacket

[eddiekay]

I guess the gerbring vest is the best available but I'm a bit disappointed with what I think is a design shortcoming:
moving forward in the cold means your front is getting cold
your back isnt
I wrote to grb about this...
double up heat or put a windblocker on the front....the back is more than adequate as it is but in my experience....50mph in even 30 degree and my front is cold...below 30 I wear a padded bra

[ally99]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

Absolute must: Gerbing heated jacket liner

After my core was warm, found other cold spots in the following order:
Toes - solved with thick socks and TourMaster Solution boots
Hands - solved first with Olympia All Weather gloves, then added Hippo Hands

I bought the Olympia All Weather gloves. Unfortunately the medium size is too big. On one hand (haha, pun intended ), it means I can fit my armored moto gloves on underneath them. On the other hand, the damn fingers are too long and mess with my braking/clutching.
I'm going to return for a small, but I wish there were similar gloves with some armor. I don't know how much protection these would offer in a crash.
I bought a balaclava and some Hothands Hand Warmers too. Bring on the chill!

[Linkin]

Thermal pants and top, plus thermal glove liners. Balaclava or similar to protect from the wind

[sharky nrk]

I didn't ride in the winter in when I lived in the Midwest. It just wasn't worth it. In TX last winter (if you can call it that for most people up north) I gave it a whirl.

Honestly core, hands, and face were musts for me. I "suffered" through without cold weather specific leg and feet bits, just frogtoggs over my jeans and my commuting boots. But layered my core with cold gear base layers, fleece, and wind breaking liner under my jacket. Head needed a decent balaclava, and gloves were leather gauntlets with cold weather liners.

Good enough for 30 minutes, at 60 mph, at 40F. Anything colder or longer was unbearable. For this winter I am going to add some long wool socks, winter specific outer gloves, and a leg cold gear base layer at minimum.

[LittleRedNinjette]

+1 on the freeze-out gear. Stuff works!

I now have a jacket lined with it.

Still working on the hands...

[allanoue]

Hands are the most difficult part

[LittleRedNinjette]

I've seen heated versions of the "hippo hands" or "mitts" whatever you want to call them but just haven't found where to get them from yet. That may be worth a try.

[BlownWideOpen]

A car, cause screw riding in the cold