Winter Riding

[DukeRed]

Hi,

I've decided that the tube is so unpleasant that I'm going to keep riding in the winter. However, just rode up to Sheffield with nothing more than a jumper and two piece leathers on my trusty bros. (Uber Cold!!)

Anyway back to the point, what are the best ways to keep warm on the bike. Are hot grips any good? Full textile garb? Newspaper down the sleeves?

Cheers

Jan
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[askew]

London to Sheffield?! I can see that being just a tad chilly at this time of year. My tip would be to wear thermal socks or two pairs. There really is nothing worse than frozen toes!

Buy a racing balaclava too, if you plan on doing much more in the way of of huge missions this winter. They really help - although if your nose runs, it can get a bit gooy .
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[Kris]

The trick is to keep the body's 'core' warm, then the body will naturally heat the limbs more.

I'd try and get a heated waistcoat/jacket if you're serious about riding all year. I used to wear 3 jumpers and a puffer jacket in winter on the NSR
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[Sparks!]

Cheap ways to be warmer, are

1) buy some decent warm gloves.. cold hands are the worst

2) buy a Buffs neck sleeve type thing, warm neck/face really is great

3) get warm socks

Those 3 bits being warm generally make you feel less cold in general... then get some decent textile jckets (buffalo for instance) and some textile over trousers and you'll be as snugg as a bug in a rug
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[DukeRed]

Lol, yeah I've experienced the runny nose at 80, not nice.
This is probably a very stupid question but can you get something like chains or spikes for a bike or at least something to make ice and snow slightly less slippy?
Heated waistcoat?, Would Heine Gericke have them?

Cheers

Jan
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[Rory]

Yep, plenty of warm layers, and stop on the way to warm up if you need - if the body's core starts to cool, you'll get sluggish and unresponsive. Pack a thermos of tea just in case
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[Sparks!]

Eat 2 servings of porridge in the morning... keeps you warm ALL DAY according to Ewan Mcgregor on the Long Way Round
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[dainesefreak]

Heated gear can be expensive but if you fancy a look there's some here.

https://www.giali.co.uk/

I bought the heated inner gloves from them. They work really well and are easy to connect, they use a waterproof D type connector and have an on/off switch.

[askew]

[mr.z]

Go to mcdonalds and get a couple of cheese burgers, stuff em in your coat, if your brave you can eat it later!

Bubble wrap is supposedly good wrapped arround your body for emergency warm

Seal skins socks are very good for warm feet, just make sure to wear another pair inside aswell!

Proheat hand warmers, weird magic chemical that solidfys when you snap the small metal thing in there, can be reused as many times as you want, very good in the inside pocket or wherever is cold..

Keeping a rag somewhere on the engine (depends on your bike) is handy for checking oil and makes a neat hand warmer.

Handguards are the latest addition to my bike and make allot of difference! but depending on your bike may look rediculous.

Buffs are good, they also do thermal buffs now (not tryed) balaclavas are the best for long distance, only the faffing takeing it off makes them pants on short rides (if you dont take it off you will look like a mental or a criminal...

Hoodies are quite good too, put the hood up if you have enough space in the helmet, keeps your head warm but neck will be cold...

Two pairs of pants, cold bits aint no fun.
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[TheShaggyDA]

When on a long trip, pull over at service stations and use the hot air blower in the loos to warm up.
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[stinkwheel]

My 'full-on' winter gear consists, from the feet up:
Thin cotton socks under army issue socks. Combat boots.
Thin skiing longjohns with swedish army issue toweling longjohns over the top, leather jeans and gore-tex trousers.
Thin skiing thermal top, string vest, tight t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, fleece waistcoat, leather 'biker' jacket, cordura textile jacket with lining removed and if it is REALLY pissing it down an army issue gore-tex jacket over the top.
Gericke 'Master 4' gloves and bark busters fitted to the bike.
Large beard, helmet and if really pissing it down, hood up on the gore-tex jacket under the helmet.
Neutrogena chap-stick on tip of nose, lips and under eyes.

Ready for anything

Piccy of all my gear on a double bed. A bit dark, no flash.
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[DukeRed]

Wow, some of you are properly prepared for the winter. Went out and bought a couple of thermal stuff and a packet of porridge. And a matching textile thermal jacket for the tartiness of it.

I'm tempted to start a new thread on this point but I don't like starting to many theads so hear go's.

I just smashed my wing mirror and if any of you know where to get one quick in sheffield that would be great.

Cheers Jan
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[DukeRed]

Realised how that read, I mean a wing mirror quickly.
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[WildGoose]

my current set up, that seems to be working, january/feb will be the real test, but so far im arriving warm..

Oxford hot grips
'Cold Killers' long johns, balaclava and top with high neck (very good series of wind proof stuff, combine this with thermal underneath, and then maybe a t-shirt, your torso will never get cold

just wear my normal leathers 2 piece, and sidi vertebrae race over them

and carry a one piece waterproof in a bag for long distance, but hate the thing!
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[mattsmith95]

[instigator]

My winter gear consists of

£80 frank thomas jacket (cheapest they had in shop)
£40 frank thomas gore tex gloves
jeans
very thin light waterproof trousers
normal socks
steel toe cap boots

Funnily enough, my hands are the only bit that gets cold, and thats only been once when it was an extremely foggy day and the wind chill factor was extreme.

Steel toe cap boots work a wonder for me, no chill at all!!!!!!

Doesn't always have to be expensive

[yambabe]

Gel hot water bottles!

Seriously, you can pick these up for less than £10 now, they're really thin so they fit under your jacket/t-shirt (front and back if required) and kind of mould to your body shape.

You heat them up in the microwave just before you go out, then slip them in, they hold the heat for hours and help keep your core temp up.

For keeping hands warm, sheepskin woolly muffs tied to your handlebars work. They may not look pretty, but they keep an awful lot of windchill out.
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[89CBRChris]

[Ste]

Yup steal toe cap boots aren't a good idea, well it all depends on how attched you are to your toes and how attached you want to stay to your toes.