Riding Cold

As I sit in front of computer, I am debating if I should go for the first ride of the year. It is 1/1/11...It is damn cold out but look at the traffic! Almost no one is on the road. The town look like newly abandoned or evacuated city... Probably many are recovering from new year's eve party.

Well, from my bit of experience of winter riding, I can tell you that it requires a different style of riding than one in the summer. You want to slow down. Not to mention the speed increase the wind chill factor but also the cold rubber doesn’t grip the pavement like they do in the warmer weather. Needless to say, cagers are not used to seeing bikers in this cold weather so you will need to watch for them as well. Also you want to keep up the maintenance of your bike; it sucks hairy balls to break down when it is really cold outside. Unlike cars, bikes don't provide instant shelter. Not to mention the fact that freezing temperature often disables your cell phone. You have to keep it close to your body to keep it warm.

Riding in darn cold weather seems stupid and dangerous but I like the hardship, challenge and knowing that you are doing something others would not do too often. It also can be quite enjoyable ride if you are equipped properly . I don't like those electric heated grips or clothing. I think they are bit too much unless you are riding in arctic area. And if that is the case, you might want to drive a car instead. When I ride cold, I like to wear many thin thermal layers, with the outermost layer being wind resistant.

Starting with the hands, gloves are an absolute necessity. It would really help to have hand guards or handle bar mitts to direct the wind away and protect your grip on the throttle. - One guy I knew made hand guards with cut-off milk jug and duct tape-. I also found cruise control effective. You can let go of throttle and warm your right hand by the engine. For an added layer, disposable latex gloves or glove liners can keep the heat in. Gauntlet style gloves helps to keep the wind out but wrist bands can also keep the gloves connected to the jacket.

A wind screen will be a great help but it won’t guarantee that you’ll be warmer. Again, layering some thermal shirts will keep the moisture away from your skin and the warmth in. I like wearing a thermal shirt, a regular long sleeve shirt, a sweat shirt and leather jacket over it. Yep, too many layers make you look like a fat ass and more importantly can restrict movement. And a pair of overalls will also keep the break between your shirts and your pants sealed to eliminate cold air sneaking in.

As for the head and neck, you want to wear helmet when it is damn cold. you might add a balaclavas, beanie, or bandana underneath. For me, the neck protection is a big thing. The cold piercing air on my neck gets my entire body cold in a few minutes. I wear a few layers of neck gaiters.

To keep the feet and knees comfortable, wear long, thick, ski socks, (wool socks works good, I hear. Also help absorbing vibration.) and insulated heavy duty boots. I heard shin guards work well and can fit under a loose pair of pants, but never owned any. I wear thermal underwear and jeans under the trusty overall.

There are many electric heated products to buy or make if you are heading out to the South pole. But again, I would not use them since they are costly and gets to the point to question myself why not drive car... And those Hand warmers can go just about anywhere and will last about 8 hours.

Well those are just my opinion and such. You can go to this link and read all about Winter riding. Some of links are dead seems like, though...

If you get really cold, you can always make a pit stop. The major fun part of Winter riding for me is making stops to get warm. You would stop at places that you would not during the Summer time.