Do you ride in the cold?

i just ordered some new knobby tires yesterday, for that very reason.

I don't have a choice, lol, my bike is my only transportation. So I bundle up in my Dickies jumpsuit, throw a nice GorTex rain coat over top, and if need be, I ware lots of layers under the monkey suit. I'm in northeast Arizona, we got snow last night, not much here in Heber/Overgaard, just about an inch, but snow none the less! Snow level is supposed to drop to around 4000' and we're between 6500'-7000', so we likely aren't done yet.

Stay warm and dry folks!

I don't have a choice either! My bike's my only transportation, plus I've been having to park it outside on my apartment's uncovered bike racks...

Gonna get some new Michelin tires for the winter, it likes to snow up here in Pennsylvania, grabbing a balaclava and a nice winter coat and pair of gloves to buckle down this winter.

Leave the bike outside? Why if I did that to Tanglebones, I don't think he'd like me much. I keep him in the living room and everyone can shuffle around it to get to the kitchen. At least it's smaller than my old Triumph.

mogollonmonster said:

Leave the bike outside? Why if I did that to Tanglebones, I don't think he'd like me much. I keep him in the living room and everyone can shuffle around it to get to the kitchen.

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Ahh...wish I could do that, bring ol' blue in to the nice heated apartment. But with the amount of security my building has and our stupid f***ing policies, I don't think that's likely to happen for me.

Sure hope my bike bears the rain and snow!

Grab a thrift store blanket, and wrap your worthy steed! Just leave the blanket outside, so it stays frozen, if you can. If you keep the motor from iceing up, you'll be a step ahead. Oh, and a grocery bag over your seat is always a good idea.

You know them little hand warmer packs? Lay one on you carb and intake for a bit before you start it.

Actually scratch that, PA is damn cold. Cover your bike with a tarp, and an hour afore you leave, take a large heating pad, and wrap your jug, set on high. I'm sure your motor would appreciate it.

I had to use an electric blanket on a rather stubborn Diesel pickup. Worked for me anyways.

Just make sure the 'lectric stuff don't get wet.

I ride in the cold, no rain though. I just have my sweater and I'm fine. Although today was very windy. Riding my mb is just so much fun that it's worth it

mogollonmonster said:

Grab a thrift store blanket, and wrap your worthy steed! Just leave the blanket outside, so it stays frozen, if you can. If you keep the motor from icing up, you'll be a step ahead. Oh, and a grocery bag over your seat is always a good idea.

You know them little hand warmer packs? Lay one on your carb and intake for a bit before you start it.

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Ahh, not too cold... the blanket idea might work pretty well, keeps the snow off too! Might have to petition for some covered bike parking here.

I ride in the cold. I've done work commutes down near zero deg F. One I remember was seven degrees. I think there've been a few others where it was colder. Maybe I've hit zero. Or close, anway.

For my feet, I use these:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/13022/i/nelson-rigg-wprb-100-waterproof-rain-boot-covers
I also put my bare foot inside a plastic grocery sack and put a good wool sock on over top of that. The good thing about this is that my feet still sweat --that's gonna happen no matter what-- but the sock stays dry. And that makes a huge difference. If it's really, really cold, then I might put a grocery sack on over the sock. Between the inner plastic liner and the outer boot cover, it doesn't matter what boots I wear. Anything will do.

For my legs, I use these:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/66674/i/tour-master-elite-iii-rain-pants
In mild winter weather I'll wear sweat pants underneath. If it's getting cold, then long johns plus sweat pants. And more can be added in if necessary.

For my hands I use home-made Bar-Mitts. These allow me to ride in brown Jersey gloves in most weather. Sometimes some ski mittens if it's really cold out there.

For my face and neck, I use these:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=balaclava

My helmet is a basic bicycle helmet with the holes sealed up with silicone, making it waterproof. I also attached a bill with a clear face shield attached. The face shield is cut down so that it goes down to about level with my nose, but no lower. The reason is that it'll fog far too much if it's any lower.

I also recommend something along these lines:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...i:outdoor-recreation,k:reflective+safety+vest
I recommend them especially in winter. There are simply too many motorists who get all flustered when they come upon a bicycle at that time of year. They threaten to lose control and slide into you. You need to make them pay attention and this'll help.

Soon I'm going to try a mod. I'm going to take an old sweatshirt and cut it off an inch or so below the armpits. The reason is that I tend to dress as light as possible. To avoid stiffness. And I've found that my upper arms and shoulders tend to be the part of me that's closest to being cold and uncomfortable.

It wouldn't be all that hard to simply add another layer. But then my midriff gets bulked up on clothing. So I'm going to try a cut down sweat shirt. Hopefully it'll give the shoulders a bit more cover, but it won't feel as though my belly and waist are in a straight-jacket.

Good idea with the sweatshirt, should work out just fine. I do something similar with the foot bags lol. I use 13 gallon (tall) trash bags, so they go up aways. I lived on a 45' sloop for awhile, learned some valuable stuff for cold weather. Really cold, like -20°F, it can get rather brisk, up off the Canadian coast.

Layer One: closest to the skin. Polypropylene, like UnderArmor, or old school long johns. The point is to wick water away from the skin, a layer of ice on the skin is the last thing you want.

Layer Two: the insulator. Goose down, heavy knap wool, dead air space is the name of the game here.

Layer Three: the shell. Water resistance is the word. Goretex, rubber slicker, whatever. Keep the water off of the rest of it, and you. Nothing is water proof only resistant, and rarely permanently. CampDri sucks, all the spray on stuff does. Use a synthetic fabric, I really have to recommend GoreTex here. The stuff rocks, sheds water as well as a traditional slicker, it's lighter, and breathable.

Anyway there's my two cents.

2door said:

By "cold" do you mean under 50 degrees? Then NO!"
The wind chill factor brings that down too low for a dinosaur. We're cold blooded.

Tom

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Man that's funny, took me a full five minutes to catch my breath! It was 18 this morning. Tomorrow I'll be out in it for about twelve hours, hooray elk hunters!

Yes I do and I bundle up really good too.

i plan to break out the hunting gear when it gets cold.

that way, it will look like a ghost bike when i ride in the woods. lol

from the lack of recent posts in troubleshooting & kits, I'd say riding in cold ain't happening much, or building either

Up here in the great white north there is no choice but to ride in the cold. I'm lucky to be on the coast so the temp doesn't drop so much but there's humidity which seeps the cold right in to your bones. I just bundle up as best as I can and still be able to move a bit. Soon I'll be wearing my neoprene mask. I always wear my open face motorcycle helmet. The worst thing is the rain, and they don't call it The Wet Coast for nothing.