Successful 20 deg F motor bike commute.

Both ways the temp was about the same. I didn't notice any wind to speak of in the morning, but in the evening the wind had gotten fairly strong out of the northwest. Bad enough that when I was riding into it I got a bit of a brain freeze.

I was not perfectly comfortable. But I definitely wasn't suffering, either. At my destination on both ends I felt good and I felt encouraged. And I didn't have any numbness.

My commute is six miles. Both times I got it done in a half hour. That's a twelve mph average. That might not sound too impressive to the average citizen. But I'll bet you motor-bicyclists are aware that that's not real shabby on an motorized bicycle when it's that cold.

Another perspective: I'm also a serious pedal bicyclist. And I can tell you that 20 degrees is a nice day on a pedal bike. But an motorized bicycle is a much, much different matter. Because you're not generating nearly as much heat, of course.

And I give my word of honor that I am a true cold weather wimp. Particularly my hands and feet. I've spent most of my life suffering in winter with cold, numb extremities. But I'm learning how to protect myself. And even though I might not ever be able to motorized bicycle at zero deg F, I'm now sure that I can get closer than I got today. Maybe I'll even get to zero. I've got 'room' for more clothes. I'll have to improve face protection, for instance. But it can probably be done. I imagine I'll soon find out.

So in the hope of helping others who are thinking of pushing right on through winter on their motorized bicycle, I'll list some of the tricks I'm using.

I think you want protection for your hands and legs. I know I do. Here's a link to some hand protection. And it's cheap!
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=50693

And here's a link to leg protection. Also inexpensive.
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=51374

On my hands I was wearing a pair of white cotton 'gardening' gloves. A bit thicker than brown Jersey gloves, but with a more open weave. Probably roughly the same warmth. Over that went a pair of leather half-finger riding gloves. The tips of my fingers were a little cool. But not numb. not even very uncomfortable.

On my head I wore an item that, I think, is called a balaclava. But that seems line an unnecessarily long, and even confusing, name. I think of it as a hood.

What are the white strings all about? Those are attached to paper clips that are clipped to the edge of the hood at eye level. They pull the hood back a bit at that point, helping with peripheral vision.

On top of that I wear a bicycle helmet, somewhat modified.

I filled the ventilator holes with silicone and attached a bill. That's handy in rain and wind. Plus it gave me a space to put on a little plastic face cover. But you gotta keep it short or else fogging becomes a problem. Just cover the eyes. A stocking cap in warmer weather, or a hood when it's colder, makes this the warmest winter hat you've ever seen. Waterproof, too.

To avoid frostbiting my face I used some of that rubberish weave counter top liner that you can get at the dollar store. The helmet chin strap holds it in place.


For the feet, one of the best tips I've ever picked up is to wrap your bare foot in plastic. Grocery sacks work very well and the supply is endless.

I wish I'd figured this out years ago. Your feet still sweat. But your socks stay dry. This makes so much difference. And don't forget; this isn't one of my strengths. When my feet are comfortable, then you know we're really talking comfort here.

Put on a decent wool sock and it almost doesn't matter what boot you put over it. The ones I'm wearing now are just $30 dollar big box store boots. They're half worn out and have splits in in the seams at the ball of the foot.
And I don't care; my feet were just fine on the commute both ways.

The ropes tied above the ankles are there to keep your pant leg out of the crank and to keep the wind out of your pant leg.

I did forget to take a photo of one more foot accessory; motorcycle boot covers. You can find them on Amazon and such sites. Usually twenty to thirty bucks. Waterproof and warm. I've ridden a pedal bike below zero with them ad my feet were just fine. I don't know how low I can go on a motor bike. But I'll bet I can get pretty low.

thank you to 2Door and Intrepid WW.

The folks around me just don't understand why it is that I avoid my car and ride a bike no matter what the weather.

There's something very exhilarating and satisfying about going out and facing whatever weather Mother Nature chooses to throw at us. I rarely lose.

And when you throw in the other benefits (health, carbon footprint, etc.), then it's a no-brainer.

Most every year, about this time of year, someone at work or on the street will look at me, wide-eyed, and say, "What?!...Are you crazy?"

I stand tall and I look down my nose at them and I say, "Don't be crude....
I'm just abnormal".
It gets a laugh.



But you know what? Everyone at work figured out what I was up to. But no one said or asked anything. I guess they've grown used to me. Still, there'll be newbies there sooner or later.

Thank you, Paul.

But one of the things I'm trying to say here is that I'm not really all that strong and anyone can do it.

For that matter, I'm from Michigan also. Oh how I miss those delicious fish that were so easy to get. My 'crowd' and I were outdoor types. Always tromping around in the woods. But when they went ice-fishing I'd go but I couldn't fish. I couldn't stand to stand around on those frozen lakes. I'd have to keep moving. I'd go exploring the lake while they fished. Even then I'd usually be a bit cold. But standing still would have killed me.

So, again, it's not like I'm all that strong against cold. I consider it, in fact, to be one of my weaknesses.

It's something like what I tell 'citizens' about pedal bicycling: Anyone can do it. They just don't know they can.

My clothing does resemble what you mentioned, too. My outer leg layer is a pair of rain-bibs. Something more that just a sheet of PVC. They're a nylon weave type material. They cost about fifty bucks, I think. But they must be nearly 10 years old now and they've been worth every cent. Under that I wear a pair of sweat pants. On top I wear a sweat shirt. Over that I wear two uninsulated cotton jackets. Or a raincoat, when needed. If it's above, say, 35 deg, then I wear gym shorts under the bibs and one jacket. This is plenty. This applies to a regular pedal bike. The motorized bicycle will, no doubt, require more. I'll be experimenting with that.

Let me reiterate; I'm not all that strong against cold. One of the reasons I'm kinda celebrating is because this really is a victory for me. Success was not a foregone conclusion.

If I can do it, then so can others who live in a winter climate. A moderate winter climate, anyway. And it's worth doing. For me, 'nice' weather begins on about Feb 1 and lasts until about Christmas. While my colleagues are mostly miserable in November, I'm liking it more than October. (which seems to have been getting more sunny and hot lately) The last two Januaries, for that matter, have been so mild that they've been open season for me.

All of this mostly applies to feeling good riding a pedal bike in the winter. I haven't experimented all that much yet with a motor bike in winter. But I'll keep you posted.