Winter Riding Tips

[Sadie]

To go along with the preparing the bike for winter, here are some tips about riding in winter.

There are three main (and obvious) weather elements that define winter - it's dark, it's cold and it's wet.

Dark

For those working office hours it's now dark for your ride home and possibly even your trip to work in the morning.

The obvious danger is:

Reduced visibility - it's harder for you to see others and others to see you. It's also harder to see the road which may not be a problem in town but on minor roads out of town you may well find corners jumping out in front of you.

Tips:

Lights - make sure they are on, the lenses are clean and there are no blown bulbs.

Wear reflecting clothing / strips.

A white helmet makes you more visible.

Visor - use a clear visor (i.e. not tinted) and make sure it's clean.

Slow down - and don't take risks.


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Wet

Not only are the roads wet most of the time, the sudden increase of autumn leaves can make stretches of roads into lethal ice rinks.

The dangers are:

Slippery roads - not only because they're wet but because of the surface is colder so offers less grip and fallen wet leaves are very slippery.

Braking distances are dramatically increased - wet brakes don't work as well and tyres don't like wet roads.

Visibility is greatly affected by rain, drizzle, fog, mist and spray. We don't benefit from windscreen wipers so much moisture stays on our visor. Water refracts light so when it's wet and dark, oncoming headlights will be a problem

Comfort - if you're wet you'll be miserable and fed up. This will affect your ability to concentrate on the road when you need it most.

Tips:

Tyres - make sure they have enough tread, are free from defects and are the CORRECT PRESSURE. Correct tyre pressure is essential for the tyre to perform properly and a properly performing tyre is even more important in the wet.

Slow down - no way around this - you simply can't go as fast on a wet road as you can't stop safely. Allow more time for your journey. It is a fact, your commute WILL take longer in winter.

Allow more braking distance - the rule of thumb is a 2 second gap in the dry and a 4 second gap in the wet.

Clothing - spend some money on good waterproof clothes, boots and gloves.

Helmet - make sure it's a good make with proper ventilation so it won't steam up inside.


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Cold

The cold is generally unpleasant but also has some dangers.

The dangers are:

Concentration - if you're cold you simply won't concentrate well.

Reaction - cold hands can make braking difficult. If you've gripped the bars with cold hands for a while (on a long stretch of open road for example) when it comes to braking you may find your hand won't move!

Grip - not only are wet roads slippery, a cold surface also offers less grip.

Variation - on a sunny but cold day there can be a great difference in road surface conditions between those in the sun and those in the shade.

Snow & ice - dangerous enough for cars - deadly for bikes.

Tips:

Wrap up - invest in warm, wind and waterproof clothes including thermals.

Keep your hands warm with winter gloves, inner gloves if necessary, muffs fitted to the handle bars or even heated grips which can be bought for around £50.

Be aware - look around you more, note the road conditions and keep an eye out ahead to see how they are changing.

Slow down - especially when cornering.

DON'T - ride in snow or ice. Get the bus or work from home.

Check the weather (radio, internet etc) before you leave.


And above all, be careful out there!
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With experience comes age.

[mr jamez]

Winter riding tip, buy a car

Cool guide though Sadie

[Fallen Angel]

Nice touch Sadie!!!
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I have an asshole tolerance level of -10
www.cliqueyclanmcc.co.uk
www.bebo.com/fallenangelfran

[cagiva gezzer]

Buy a large sheet of bubblewrap and attach it to the inside of your jacket / front of trousers.
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"

[Sadie]

[dodsi]

Some rain-x on the viser works a treat above 20mph, and below that you can open the viser.

Also an anti-fog viser insert are a really good idea!

[mattsmith95]

Nice one Sadie

On the subject of thermals, I can't get any!!!

I have a few pairs but they are a bit old and holes are appearing from constant washing.

BTW, newspaper is best for the chest

[dodsi]

What about Gore-tex clothing I find it brilliant.

[Scooby]

Very good post. Ironically enough today seemed like the first day of winter. It was pissing it down when I left work (6pm) and it was dark too, it was really strange, I've not left work in the dark so far this year.

Coming home the rain was coming straight at me, I could literally see fuck all. Put the visor up to reduce condensation and the wind and rain hitting my face was unbearable, especially seeing as I wear contact lenses.

On a couple of the roundabouts all I could smell was diesel. Back end slid out a bit on one, and I was only taking it steady. Was really glad to get home, I was also carrying a carbon micron exhaust home too without the aid of a bag or bungee strap which didn't help matters

Think it might be time to invest in that paddock jacket I've been promising myself. In fact, my whole kit range is about due a change. My lid is 3 years old, and even though still in good condition because I've always looked after it, I think it's worth changing. The stitching on my boots has started to come away slightly, this can't be good, but then again the boots are nearly 3 years old too. So is my jacket, and even though this is showing hardly any wear, it's leather, no good for winter. Waterproof bottoms are also on the agenda at some point.

I have been looking into the new kit, and I am going to get the following, Jamie Whitham paddock jacket £60, new type A fm helmet £60, sidi or alpinestars boots £150, and some waterproofs £20. That's less than £300, and I think it's gonna be the best £300 I've spent in ages. I can see myself binning the bike if I keep with the kit I've already got, I wasn't concentrating fully, all I kept thinking about was hold wet I was getting, and how much I wanted some waterproofs

So that's my number one tip for winter, get the right clothing! Dang. Just remembered. Could probably do with new gloves too
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[synaptyx]

Thanks Sadie, most enlightening and informative.

[AcIdBuRnZ]

[Sadie]

[TheShaggyDA]

As well as newspaper down the trouser legs, stick a pair of women's[1] tights on too[2].


[1] Dunno why they are referred to as "women's tights" - are there any "men's tights" available?

[2] This WILL ensure that you lose your bike on a corner, squash your foot between the crankcase and the kerb, and meet an attractive nurse in the hospital who hasn't heard of men wearing tights for keeping warm whilst biking/fishing/whatever
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[atom]

[katana]

This was a great advice but snow and ice are an experience and what do you do if it starts snowing when your on a ride. I recommend going for the fresh snow as this seems to give more grip than the slush that is in car tyre tracks on the road.

At all times you should be very smooth and gentle with power and brakes. You should also use both brakes gently.

Also clean off the road dirt off the bike and spray with wd40 or scottoiler fs365 protector avoiding the brakes discs and tyres and chain.