Keeping warm

[ram_doom]

Winter is rapidly approaching, its dark earlier, temperatures are plummeting through the night, and soon the roads will be covered in grit and manhole covers frosted over.

Well, there's plenty of older threads, with great advice on surviving the winter months, but with the influx of new members since last winter, I'm sure there's plenty more advice, tips and tricks, along with useful experience they can share to make winter riding less daunting.

Every winter, I find myself freezing cold, despite having thermals, layers, gloves, a balaclava etc. But you see people in the antarctic wearing specialist gear, in temperatures much, much lower than even the worst winter conditions we see here and they dont seem to mind it half as much as me. I'm expecting wind chill is the biggest factor, so working out how to reduce its effects during a long haul would be a huge benefit.

So, how do you keep warm in winter, during the dreary commute to and from work in chill and darkness, or a long slog down the motorway to visit relations a few hundred miles away?

Any gear recommendations? Particular products? Do share
____________________
TL1000s, KDX200

[Marcg868]

Frank Thomas Jacket and textile pants. A balaclava a neck gator and a hoody underneath my jacket.

And summer gloves !
____________________
JACK, MISS YOU LOADS YOU LEGEND.

[ram_doom]

[quacker_boy]

[iooi]

Make sure that when you layer stuff on its not all too tight, under your jacket or in the gloves.
Its the layers of air trapped that help to keep you warm, if its all too tight you dont get that. So get a size larger coat for winter that allows a couple of extra layers underneath.
____________________
Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[feef]

BFO fairing, heated grips, decent textiles and lobster-claw style gloves

a
____________________
Mudskipper wrote: feef, that is such a beautiful post that it gave me a lady tingle
Windchill calculator - London Bike parking
Blog and stuff - PlentyMoreFish dating

[Andy C]

On the really cold days i raid my drawer and get a few extra t-shirts, jumpers with a big textile jacket. Works a treat

And, Polar Buffs, great things for your neck
https://www.penroseoutdoors.co.uk/acatalog/Polar_Buff.jpg
____________________
99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

[MoshizZ]

Birthday suits

Last year was my first on a bike, and i had to go about 2 miles to my mates, so i decided to wear:
Bottom half...
Leg warmers, Tracksuit bottoms, Jeans
2 pairs of thermal socks
Top half...
2 Football tops, jumper and biker jacket.


I also wear a neckwarmer that comes upto my nose which keeps my face warm, oh and a visor helps a lot
____________________
half_lyfe wrote: my helmet is still wet...
quacker_boy wrote: he ended up missing my mouth and shot it straight into my eye. Yup, went in her eye as well!

[Bardeey]

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230168128703&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013


____________________
:: P Speedfight 49cc => Gilera DNA 124cc => Suzuki Bandit GSF V 400cc ::
:: CBT=Passed 07/08/05 :: Theory=Passed 31/05/07 :: Practical= Passed 02/08/07::

[Itchy]

exactly the same as my summer gear, textiles wise that is
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Fisty]

my summer leathers, with a fleece underneath, alpinestars drystars gloves, and if its reeeeeeeeealy cold my sidi one piece gimp suit.

I may invest in some heated grips this winter tho.
____________________
Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[Finglonga]

Layers, Layers, Layers the more you have the warmer you will be. I use summer gloves all year round as I have heated grips . . . Worth their weight in gold.
____________________
Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[sceats]

Biked from London to Wales in the snow last year in Feb on a Friday night. Bike thermometer hovered around 0c until crossed the Severn and then fell to -1C. When not cr@pping it about black ice, I found that lined textile trousers, long-johns, fleece, unlined textile jacket and masses of air trapping layers did the trick. Keeping neck warm was an absolute must as were heated grips. And stopping every 45 mins to do press-ups to keep warm. Probably won’t do again…

[Wave2k]

Make sure you give it loads of throttle everwhere, it heats up the tyres, specially if its snowing, i find supercorsas a good winter/ snow tyre.

Or just get some thermals, good textiles and a suitable winter tyre and dont be stupid, be smooth.
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[iooi]

[Louise]

I freeze now with a hoodie and leather jacket.
Legs dont get too bad its just the top half.

Will invest in thermal socks/gloves and another neck wamer this year.
I only really travel to Brighton, other then that its just to work and back.

[Mudskipper]

Another vote for lobster gloves (cheers to the BCF'er who posted the link to them going cheap last year - saw me through winter!!!) paired up with silk inner gloves (from nevisport).

Agree that it's all about layers.

Keep your heat in, and the wind and rain out. If you get soaked you'll be freezing for the rest of the ride.
____________________
CBR125|||GSXR400|||CBR400|||CBR400|||CB250RS|||GSXR750|||CB250RS
"You're clumsy, you eat too much and you behave like a 12 year old boy. But you know what? Every once in a while, you find a thumb."

[stinkwheel]

A good, old fashioned string vest with a fairly snug fitting t-shirt over the top works wonders. Traps loads of air.

You get dead thin, polyurethane thermals from ski-wear shops which are both comfy and warm.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Wave2k]

[magpiemale]

Well lets try and see what winter is going to be like as it hasnt exactly been cold the last few winters has it.I buy the best jacket that I can buy I bought a hein gericke psxr blouson jacket 3years ago and this I have been wearing only (that is until now I have just got a paragon rst jacket and trousers recently) I wear a vest a t-shirt also a ski-polo neck t-shirt if it is really cold then maybe a fleece my hands I have a choice of alpinestars sp-3 gloves I think ! (ride recommended) and heine gericke patheon 5 fingers.As for boots just thick thermal socks I wear a balaclava under the helmet too. If you just ride every now and again then you will not be accustomed to the cold but nearly everyday and you have a good start to beating the cold than someone who is just occasional rider.Also if you think that your cold you will be cold try maintaining road concentration then you will last longer in the cold winter days no matter how warm you wrap up if you have a mind set that it is cold and you are cold then you will be cold soon enough will power has a lot to do with most things stupid as it sounds.With the gear I wear as listed above I find I can ride to london and back from northampton though not with ice on the ground.I guess this winter my new jacket and trousers are going to be tested but bike magazine said the pro series was very good and the paragon is the next new season up (improved as it were).If you like heated grips then install them other than that buy a heated vest and or gloves,something I have never bought as yet aslo read the bike magazines for tips like not to tough bear metal or allow your hands to get cold prior to putting your gloves on as they will never warm back up!! I found that out to my mistake.If your journey is long like 50 miles or more build a stop off point for a hot coffee

[NSR-Rulez]

When i worked in Millets the best bit of advice for keeping warm was. Instead of one big thick layer use a larger amount of thinner layers, reason is due to trapping the heat in between the layers.

Something like, Thermals, t'shirt & trousers, micro fleece (x2 if its that cold), then your bike gear.

Micro Fleeces are a god send as they are real thin yet really warm

Have a look on www.millets.co.uk or www.blacks.co.uk for micro fleeces.

I agree with andy on the Buffera range, fantastic piece of kit.
____________________
Past: 1985 Suzuki GS 125 + 2002 Honda NSR 125 R-2 + Ford Fusion
Present: Honda CBR 600 RR-5 + Suzuki SV650S-K4 + Mitsubishi FTO GPX

[chris-red]

If i'm going for a blast it will be my summer kit but with a hoody ontop of leathers and a pair of inner gloves and heated grips. For long journeys it's a pair of lidl trousers, a Triumph textile jacket and the above kit. I usually have a buff too. But now I'm gonna be comutting this winter so a decent pair of gloves and a polar buff are on the shopping list.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Whosthedaddy]

Anything for the nads? Or to be more accurate the inner thighs that grip the tank

Its the only part of me that never seems to stay warm and I am consciously aware off when getting of the bike.

You have to think like an onion, have many layers as mentioned. I found the balaclava or neck tube to be a great asset to keeping the chill down for the face and ears.
____________________
Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Noxious89123]

[LeeR]

Along these lines my leather trousers went away for the winter today, and my thermal liners went into the textile trousers and jacket I wore this morning. Air temperature was 12deg C + 10mph NNW + 95 mph = bloody cold must've been minus something or other. I left my summer gloves on as I have heated grips and handguards but it'll be winter glubbs tomorrow, and may invest in an Edz gimp suit.
____________________
My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...