Cold weather gear

[Zwartie]

Don't know about you but it's getting cold over here, about 50 F and lower.

What's your favorite cold weather gear?
Snowmobile gloves? Heated grips? Heated clothing?
Handlebar muffs? Newspapers tucked under the jacket?

Shiver me timbers...

Nat

For cold weather riding I wear my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket and pants (also my warm weather gear with the outer panels removed). Depending on how cold it is I either just go with a Nike compression fit warm gear shirt (long-sleeve) and a t-shirt over top. If it is really cold like around 5C (40F) I include my Gerbing's electric vest and wear insulated gloves. My Alpinestars Web Gortex boots work fine in all weather – hot, cold, and wet. No heated grips required – I think it's odd to try to heat your hands through insulated gloves when it's cold out. The Gerbings' vest does a great job of keeping the core warm and a warm core means warm fingers and toes. One more thing – I also got a pin-lock visor for my Shoei RF1000 helmet. It never fogs up in cold or wet conditions.

Zwartie

[ribbert]

Don't know about you but it's getting cold over here, about 50 F and lower.

What's your favorite cold weather gear?
Snowmobile gloves? Heated grips? Heated clothing?
Handlebar muffs? Newspapers tucked under the jacket?

Shiver me timbers...

Nat

No heated grips required – I think it's odd to try to heat your hands through insulated gloves when Uta's cold out. Zwartie

My heated grips are one of my favourite accessories. While Aus. isn't that cold, the first few hours of a winter ride are generally below freezing then staying in single figures over the day.
Even riding in snow storms in the mountains I find the highest heat setting (of 4) too hot after 15 mins. That is through thick Winter gloves. The fact they are insulated means the heat is retained better.
On my 4 day ride last weekend with temps in the mid to high teens I still used them on low settings just to take the edge off the wind chill.
I have Oxford grips, they cost $140 and have just done their 4th Winter, and they get a lot of use.

Noel

[Zwartie]

Don't know about you but it's getting cold over here, about 50 F and lower.

What's your favorite cold weather gear?
Snowmobile gloves? Heated grips? Heated clothing?
Handlebar muffs? Newspapers tucked under the jacket?

Shiver me timbers...

Nat

No heated grips required – I think it's odd to try to heat your hands through insulated gloves when Uta's cold out. Zwartie

My heated grips are one of my favourite accessories. While Aus. isn't that cold, the first few hours of a winter ride are generally below freezing then staying in single figures over the day.
Even riding in snow storms in the mountains I find the highest heat setting (of 4) too hot after 15 mins. That is through thick Winter gloves. The fact they are insulated means the heat is retained better.
On my 4 day ride last weekend with temps in the mid to high teens I still used them on low settings just to take the edge off the wind chill.
I have Oxford grips, they cost $140 and have just done their 4th Winter, and they get a lot of use.

Noel

Well you can't argue with results! There is something to be said for the convenience of heated grips - a lot easier to deal with than a heated vest. And if they keep the edge off, that's great too! I rented a BMW last fall while in Holland and it had heated grips on it. They did work well and as I recall the temp was around 10C. But when I ride for a distance at home in the cold with the vest plugged in, no heated grips are required.

Zwartie

[andyb]

A friend got me the Tourmaster Caliber pants and a Tourmaster Transitions 2 jacket as a present, and it's now cold enough to wear both.

Starting with the pants.  Fit isn't terrible, they're big heavy overpants, and can be worn over jeans.  They're quite definitely bulky, especially with the liner in.  I've yet to try them without the liners, but so far I'm quite impressed.  They appear to be solidly made, and they're plenty long enough for me (though I have a relatively short inseam, ymmv, etc), so I'm able to wear them over either normal shoes or quite heavy riding boots with a large calf area.  They're padded through the knees and hips, and that brings my only real quibble up:  when you're sitting with your legs folded up (relatively high pegs), the hip armor digs into my hips, just below the top ridge of the pelvic crest on both sides, which is a little painful.  There is a fix, and that's removing the hip padding and trimming it a little shorter, problem solved.  Definitely feels a little dorky to wear them once you've arrived at your destination, shades of being a little kid in a snowsuit again....

The jacket I quite like.  It's got a bunch of pockets in handy places, and with touches that show someone really thought about things when they were designed.  For example, there's a small pocket on the left forearm for your keys, but when you open it, you find a attached cord with a clasp on the end, so you can be absolutely sure your house key isn't going to fall out and get lost.  The pockets have a funny little flap that's tucked away when they're closed that keeps water from getting to the zippers, which is nice.  Most of them also have velcro to snap down and ensure that crap stays out of them (bugs, etc).  There's a well-thought-out front zipper with a velcro flap to cover it and a anti-wet-chest-in-the-rain flap, as well.  Inside that chest flap is another pocket on the left (so I hope you're not a lefty, this may not be the jacket for you, it's clearly designed for us superior people....) but it's outside the zipper, so you can get access to it without unzipping the coat, just opening the velcro'd flap.  Inside, there's a number of the usual pockets, lacking the waterproofing obviously, but they're covered when the liner is in place.  So the liner has extra pockets sewn to it, which is really a nice touch.

Both the pants and the jacket are really quite good in the cold, I've been comfortable at 45F without much problem.  The jacket is really nice with the liner removed for medium-warm days, but their fancy venting system has a simple problem.  The vents are on the shoulders, well away from the stiller air of the windshield, and can be opened in increments.  Tourmaster has a really nice system that uses a velcro flap to cover the zipper in cold weather, but an extra strip of velcro lets you keep it open if you want the airflow when it's hot.  The problem is that the jacket can get so much incoming air that the venting on the back is basically useless, and it will fill with air and force the entire thing up, so it chokes the hell out of you.  Feels a little like helmet lift, but in the jacket!  So other than on really hot days, it's been really a handy piece of kit for me.

The jacket zips to the pants with a ~8" zipper.  Not as good as a full length one, but good enough to keep your flanks off the asphalt.

I've been wearing Firstgear winter textile gloves (can't find the exact model, probably a 2010 version... why do we have to have "the new 20xx collection!" each year?  We don't wear this shit for fashion, ffs...) and I've been relatively comfy down into the 40's overall, with the gloves being the weakest link.  The pants I've not tried on warmish (>60F) day yet, and the jacket was quite comfortable in air below 75F or so.  In the colder air, I usually wear a neck dickie as well.  You can buy them premade like so but I just had the wife make some from fleece; a simple tube of about the right size and cut to length.  $10 was enough to make a half dozen, so my friends wear them in the cold as well.

[Arnie]

AndyB,

I've had a Tourmaster Transitions 2 jacket for a couple of years now, and agree with most of your assessment.
The fact that the liner has its own set of inside pockets is great!  The chest pockets also are added ventilation points if you choose.  If you choose to ride with the zip at the collar partially open, there's a snap on the shoulder to hold it in place and stop it from flapping.  There's also a large 'bum bag' pocket across the back of the jacket big enough for a pair of lightweight rain pants.
I've not had "lifting" with the scoop flaps open, but that may just be due to the adjustments of the waist closures or our different physiques or ride positions.
The collar does not close tight enough or stand high enough to keep out all the water if you're caught in a rainstorm, but this is really picking nits.  It claims to use a breathable water repellant layer and this seems to work as advertised.
This is the jacket I wear 80% of the time I'm on my bikes.  After a couple of years, its holding up well.  Armour and pads in all the usual places and its removable as well.  The jacket is also a parka length so does cover more of you than a bomber jacket.
With a RRP of US $179 (when I bought mine), I've not seen any other jacket with so many features.
It even came with its own heavy duty hanger :-)
I have not had occasion to test its protective abilities.

Arnie

[andyb]

The venting looks like an awesome idea, and it'd be brilliant on something with a bigger windshield.  Something about it just doesn't work for me, could be the way things fit or more likely the riding position.  Short arms, y`see, I'm leaning into the wind pretty good....  Just a try before buying sorta thing, unless you've got a dedicated hot weather jacket. 

[The General]

In the colder air, I usually wear a neck dickie as well.  You can buy them premade like so but I just had the wife make some from fleece; a simple tube of about the right size and cut to length.  $10 was enough to make a half dozen, so my friends wear them in the cold as well.

I found the pre made ones too restrictive with head turning, as the helmet strap locks it in place while the chest protector of course is an anchor. Home made tube worked best for me too.  Doug

[Arnie]

I do have a larger windshield.  '91 with a 7" extension on that.  I also have long arms.
I'm very happy with the warmth of this jacket with the liner, and would rather be a bit chilly than too warm when riding.  I don't use a scarf or neck wrap since I left Michigan.

Arnie

The venting looks like an awesome idea, and it'd be brilliant on something with a bigger windshield.  Something about it just doesn't work for me, could be the way things fit or more likely the riding position.  Short arms, y`see, I'm leaning into the wind pretty good....  Just a try before buying sorta thing, unless you've got a dedicated hot weather jacket. 

[FJ Flyer]

David,
I'm on my second pair of Defenders.  Still like them a lot.  Although, my office is now a couple block walk from the garage, so the soles are taking a beating.

Teknic Defender boots are good all year round.

Hey Chris,
How many pairs of those Defender boots have you gone through over the years?  I'm on my second pair.  Do they still make them?

Ride safe,
DavidR.

[FJ Flyer]

Those of you with the Transitions jacket, how does it do in the rain?  Stay dry?  I've had to retreat my Kilimanjaro twice now.

And I also use a NOJ Quiet Rider deluxe in the really cold weather.  Prevents cold air coming in my helmet and drying my contact lenses out.

[Arnie]

Those of you with the Transitions jacket, how does it do in the rain?  Stay dry?  I've had to retreat my Kilimanjaro twice now.

Normal rain showers its fine.  As I said, a bit of rain gets in at the neck.
In a downpour or all day rain, the outer fabric gets wet, but I stayed pretty dry inside.  My gloves and boots were soaked. :-(

Arnie

[andyb]

Neck isn't terribly wet for me, though I lean in a bit to keep it that way in the rain.  Shell gets quite wet, but there is an internal layer of rainsuit type material in them, so no worries inside it.

I'd much rather be too hot than too cold.  Either way is uncomfortable, but I'm less tense when I'm warm, easier to stay loose on the bike.  Adore the neck dickies in anything under 70F and almost always at night, great bug protection when the insects come out... makes it smell a bit, but they're easy to wash.

[fintip]

For my trip from Seattle down to Austin via the West Coast coming up here in about two weeks or so, I am looking at buying warm gear for the first time. (We get about 6 weeks of 'really cold weather' here in Austin a year, if you ask me...)

I'm thinking this, would love some pointers from people who know more than me. I'm really trying to do this as much on a budget as possible, so please keep that in mind!

Some normal warm pants (jogging pants or something?) with these over them.

MAYBE this heated jacket, if it is recommended that a heavy duty jacket won't be quite enough or will cost just as much anyways.

These[/quote] heated glove liners seem cheaper than full on heated gloves, and will, I guess, go inside the gloves I already have.

[url=http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Boots/Waterproof-Boots/Vega-Motorcycle-Boots-Mens-Vega-Touring-Motorcycle-Boots]These boots look like a pretty good deal for what they are, imagine with some wool socks that they'd do the job?

Also, These gloves caught my eye, but I think I'll do fine with just the liners in my normal gloves. They do like nice in general, though, warm weather questions aside.

Thoughts? I also have a wool scarf I got that should be a part of this, and a full face helmet of course. (Thinking of trying electrical tape around the windshield to really isolate the face from outside air while riding.

[FJmonkey]

Don't over seal your helmet, it needs some venting to clear the fog effect. And the need to raise the visor quickly can be the difference between needing a change of pants or not.... Just my $0.02....

[fintip]

Venting effect, hadn't thought about that. Interesting. I do have a balaclava, I forgot to mention, so that will be a part of the package. Guess I'll just stick with that.

Didn't understand the comment about the connection between the visor and the new pants...

Woops. Wish I could still edit that last post.

Glove liners: http://www.jafrum.com/Heated-Motorcycle-Clothing/FirstGear-Heated-Glove-Liners

Boots: http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Boots/Waterproof-Boots/Vega-Motorcycle-Boots-Mens-Vega-Touring-Motorcycle-Boots