Riding in the cold

[Birdman48d]

Is anyone still riding (or trying to) I just went for a ride and froze my butt off. I am going to try and ride one day per week. But i do live in Iowa and it may not happen. Does anyone else look for a sunny non windy day as a time to ride?

[slide]

I ride always. I just got back from riding today. Temps started at about 25F this AM and now is about 40F. I used to commute 130 miles / day from here at 5k feet elevation to 7,500 feet and boy it was COLD there during the winter. I guess I know a bit about riding in the cold and also clothes, what to do on snow and ice, etc.

Here we have a lot of winter wind. It's a real pita to be running down the road at 70 mph with a x-wind of 30 mph. Tough to dress for that.

As far as riding, I'd go berzerk if I didn't ride for the 4 or so months when almost nobody else here rides. I'd rather freeze than go stir crazy. Any specific ? you have?

[jaydrz400s2004]

Is anyone still riding (or trying to) I just went for a ride and froze my butt off. I am going to try and ride one day per week. But i do live in Iowa and it may not happen. Does anyone else look for a sunny non windy day as a time to ride?

I commute daily in the Pacific NW sunshine 😢

Buy the right gear, you'll never regret it..

[drzmike1]

I'm riding Saturday at the OHV park in Council Bluffs. Supposed to be like 42, that's plenty 😢

[Redrodent]

How many watts is an electric vest? 😢

[ericnjapan]

I think mine is 55watts. Havent really tried it on my week old drz yet. just hooked up the wiring yesterday.

Hope the alternator is stout enough to push it?

[Erik Marquez]

I commute daily in the Pacific NW sunshine 😢

Buy the right gear, you'll never regret it..

Sunshine... umm, look past that Full-spectrum sunlight bulb and out the window... it's getting cold, been raining and foggy,, PNW,, and Sunshine go together about as well as KTM and locktite.....oh,, wait,, that does not work

😢 About as well as Honda and maintenance free valve train 😢

I use grip warmers for cold rides.. and Underarmor when needed. Kep the chest warm, hands and head, all the rest should follow

[Deman]

Before I screwed up the head on my bike. I rode up here in 😢 at -7c Just put some close on. How do you think people ride snowmobiles? I got a balaclava (still riding with an mx helmet) and heated grips. No problemo muchacho. 😢

[sireland67]

It was 18F here this morning for the ride to work.

I can honestly say that that is my limit just wearing full leathers and full face helment.

I was froze for about an 1/2 hour after I got to work (10 mile ride on interstate).

I think that I will take the truck if it is below 25F from now on.

[Spud786]

Coldest I've ever ridden was 19 degrees with a howling north wind, dressed up like a snow man. But riding in the woods it was actually quite pleasant, open fields was not as nice.

Riding the street you get no movement hard to stay warm, sometimes I'm like damn it's cold, lets go find a trail to warm up and get the butt off the seat.

But for street riding while the sun is out, the low 40's is about all my cold weather gear can provide. Below that it's just painful to me at sustained highway speeds.

[Plane Dr]

Unwind balaclava baby and heated hand grips baby! 😢 That's the 😢 talkin. Now it's comfort not survival! 😢

[skadamo]

I think mine is 55watts. Havent really tried it on my week old drz yet. just hooked up the wiring yesterday.

Hope the alternator is stout enough to push it?

I have been running a areostich kilamanjaro (I think) on my drz...no problems.

Very toasty now that I found the on/off switch.

[Teez]

Exactly right.

People are always asking me: "Isn't it too cold to ride your bike?". To which I always reply, "Why? How is the weather any different than for snowmobiles?". People just can't make the connection between bikes and near-zero/sub-zero cold.

However now we have much snow in Quebec, and the bike sits in the garage waiting for spring... It would be too dangerous to ride.

When I was younger I used to love riding my tri-moto in ANY weather with feet of snow! Cold? Bah!

TZ.

[slide]

I'm thinking of getting a windshield for the winter. They make a heck of a difference in riding comfort during the colder times.

[Jim_K]

"Why? How is the weather any different than for snowmobiles?". People just can't make the connection between bikes and near-zero/sub-zero cold.

I ride my bike once in a while during the winter...Usually just on my property.

The bike is much much different than a sled. On my sled, my boots don't act like a big snow shovel freezing my feet. The sled has a wind screen (though small) it helps. The bike sits much higher giving the wind a direct crack at my chest. After an hour...the whole underside of the bike is coated with ice and snow. And anything more than a few inches of powder and the bike is spinning.

I'll take the sled and let the bike rest for the winter.

[EZGZ]

Check out these grip heaters I got at my local bike shop for $50

The most no hassle mod you can make. They Work

http://www.stromtrooper.com/hothands.htm

[Erik Marquez]

Check out these grip heaters I got at my local bike shop for $50

The most no hassle mod you can make. They Work

http://www.stromtrooper.com/hothands.htm

Not bad for a street bike

😢

But I would never want those on a off road bike 😢

[MilleonAir]

Made in the UK by this lot.

Cheers

Ian

[Squidward]

It's still 50 degrees in NW FL.. well, yesterday it was like 35.. but today it's nice 😢

Come January you'll see me complaining of sub zero temps... I'm a pansy beach boy... I don't do the cold weather thing.

[Teez]

...after an hour...the whole underside of the bike is coated with ice and snow. And anything more than a few inches of powder and the bike is spinning...

I wouldn't drive the bike in the snow either. I was speaking of snowless cold days only (near freezing temparature) like in the late fall.

Talk to you soon,

TZ.