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I Never Ride If The Temperature Is At Or Below X F/c, Unless I…


Duc2V4

I never ride if the temperature is at or below x F/C, unless I…  

53 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you ride in the cold?

    • ? I?ll only ride when it?s sunny and warm.
    • ? I?ll ride in the cold in textile gear and layered winter under garments.
    • ? I?ll ride in the cold in leathers and layered winter under garments.
    • ? I?ll ride in the cold with active heated gear, in leathers or textiles.


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  • Member Contributer

This past Saturday we went up to the local mountains where the high was supposed to be in the 50’s(F) but at the time we went (early morning) the temps were more in the low to mid 30’s(F). A couple riders backed out due to the anticipated temperatures, can’t blame them for that but, what keeps you from riding?

To answer my own question...I never ride if the temperature is at or below 50 F, unless I have my freeze out gear underneath my leathers.

My current “winter” gear is typically my non-perforated leather suit with either, cold weather sportswear or the Cycle Gear Freeze Out gear underneath. Depending on the combo, I found that I can actually ride comfortably from 70F down to 40F without needing any “active” heating gear but temps any lower than that, I can start to feel the effects of the cold, but only if the duration is longer than say an hour. My hands do suffer a little but nothing that keeps me from working the controls well enough. I'm heading towards an active heating solution but I'm still searching for the right leather jacket that will fit over my heated jacket.

So what’s your limit for winter riding?

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Don't have a choice in the poll as I don't ride in textiles, and likely never will.

The thing I like about my heated gear is the fact that I don't need lots of bulky layers to stay warm. A silk or wool base layer under my Gerbings with my perfed leathers on top, and I'm good down to where traction becomes an issue. The Gerbings liner is better than the liner that came with my leather jacket even without plugging in. The gloves are heavenly. Warm 'n comfy without being needlessly bulky, and instant adjustable heat.

Our ride last weekend has me seriously considering getting another controller though as the extended ride time in low temps had me turning up to keep my hands warm to the point where the jacket liner was becoming a bit toasty. I never got past 75% on the knob.

I remember a few really cold rides back before I got the active gear. One on Cerro Noroeste on my old ZX600, and another over the Grapevine on the GTS. Temps were similar to what we had on Sat. The cerro ride is the coldest I've ever been in my life. I was probably borderline hypothermia. The GTS had a Throttlemeister, and I was locking it so I could stick my right hand into the radiator vent to get the feeling back. Never again.

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  • Member Contributer

I think the last option would cover your setup, no? "I’ll ride in the cold with active heated gear, in leathers or textiles"

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  • Member Contributer

I think the last option would cover your setup, no? "I’ll ride in the cold with active heated gear, in leathers or textiles"

OK, but I won't ride in textiles unless it's the only option.

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Almost always wear textiles, except when it's above, say, 20°C/70°F, then it's vented summer jacket & Hood bike jeans.

In the winter, I put the Keis heated gilet on at around 5°C/40°F, usually with the inner gloves too. My ride to/from work is around 40mins, mostly highway so cruise around 6krpm and I tend to feel the cold after 20mins if I don't wear it.

I rarely wear my leathers since buying my Rukka suit.

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I've ridden with my Motoport Kevlar mesh suit for the past 5 or 6 years comfortably down into the 40's with the liners. This year, I ended up getting a 2-piece Aerostich suit too along with a Freeze-Out top. I have ridden down to 26F in the morning this year with that combo. I also have a Gerbing liner and gloves, although haven't broken them out in several years. The short ride to work, just isn't worth the hassle. If I was going riding for the day and it was below 45 or 50 all day, I would probably put them on so I had the option of turning them on if needed.....although with the Stich, I'm not sure i would need them until it was in the 30's for the day.

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For me, the limiting factor for riding isn't the cold, it's the salt on the road. If there is salt, I don't ride.

Salt, grit, slush and just general season debris is what I use as my gauge. Once I winterize the bike, it doesn't come back out until usually March.

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I think it was 26F when I left NC last November and I was fine with just my Aerostich and an under-layer of fleece (plus my Scooter Mitts to keep my hands warm). It was hours of riding before we got far enough south to see 40F so it would take something pretty extreme for me to pull out the electric vest these days... or it would have to be below 40F and raining.

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I can personally handle a lot of cold, but what I can't stand though is not knowing how well my tires (especially the front) are going to hold.

It unfortunately takes most of the fun out of it for me. And roads dusted with salt, no thanks!

It was 60 degrees here Saturday, and I couldn't get the bike out due to all the roads being absolutely covered with salt dust. :wacko:

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  • Member Contributer

Low 50s are the limit of my gear right now, and that's pushing it. After I expand my gear selection I'm sure I'll be able to go down to the 30s easily. I don't plan to do heated grips or anything electrical though; it's just not required here.

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Living in Southern California, I feel awkward commenting on cold riding. But I'll ride down to the coldest it gets here, so maybe high 40s in the day and hi 30s at night if I need to. Once it gets below 60 I add long sleeves under my leather jacket. Once it gets below 50 I add thermals top and bottom to the long sleeves and switch from leather gloves to insulated textile. For comuting I can usually get away with just my textile over pants on top of my work jeans even for temps in the 40s. Hooray for fairings! It doesn't get nearly cold enough here to bother with heated stuff or separate winter boots and I have no occasion to ride to the snow (except once on my old ZRX in vented gear when I was younger and stupider). The biggest improvement to my cool and cold weather riding has been the switch from super sport tires to more touring oriented compounds. My current angels are far better in cool temps or at night than my diablos ever were. Much quicker warmup and better at shedding winter sand and road debris, not to mention more consistent wet grip.

Oh yeah! Go get a fleece neck tube. Best thing ever for a cold day or riding in the wind. Keeps you warm and keeps the dust and crap from hitting your neck. We have taken to calling it the "tube of eternal happiness"

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+1 for the Girbing heated jacket liner and Girbing heated gloves under an Aerostich Roadcrafter. What keeps me off the road is icy pavement. We had a non-winter a few years ago. Very little snow. That winter I went no longer than two weeks without riding. Rode in temps in the 20's and 30's. Did not have my heated gear then so the rides tended to be shorter. Now, clear roads are all I require for winter riding. With more that three feet of snow, there won't be any riding for me in MN for the next couple of months. NUTS!

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Wow.....between 60-90F and the sun is out. Thankfully here in central cali it hardly rains and plenty of warm days. During winters I prep the bike for riding season.

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This past Saturday we went up to the local mountains where the high was supposed to be in the 50’s(F) but at the time we went (early morning) the temps were more in the low to mid 30’s(F). A couple riders backed out due to the anticipated temperatures, can’t blame them for that but, what keeps you from riding?

I saw 36 on my bikes gauge when we arrived at Newcombs and same when we left, I guess it was noonish.

That's about as cold as I think I've ever ridden in. If it got colder here, I think I'd go with road conditions to decide when I did not want to ride.

Salt would be a no go, never seen that used here. Wet is not good, and ice is right out. Snow too.

I wore leathers and a Shampa warm shirt, which I really like, with a T over it. Old school long underwear bottoms, and Shampa glove liners. Also Shampa neck warmer, gaitor, tube, whatever. "tube of eternal happiness" Let's not get carried away, LOL. I was warm enough, except my hands which were discomfort cold, but nothing more, nothing too bad. I wouldn't want to stay out for many hours in the 30's in just that gear.

Have never tried heated gear or grips. Although I can see how they could be useful. Only once or twice found myself trying to warm my hands by the engine. Brrr.. :biggrin:

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  • Member Contributer

My stich does 26-106F. Less than 55 I usually wear the Widder vest. Heated grips are always available. Cycling arm warmers work well for cold day rides. Cold, 40's, and rain is a no go.

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So far, based on the poll, looks like a lot of textile gear wearers and a close second is heated gear wearers. I think for the most part, it's not so much the cold for us, but the road conditions that keep us from riding. Considering all of the options with gear these days, there probably isn't much in terms of weather that they don't make gear for. I'm sure for those in the Northern and Eastern parts of NA, road conditions is more of a concern, with the snow, ice, salt, etc.. I don't mind a little ride in brisk weather but I do often worry about black ice in some of these canyon roads when the temps drop below 32F, but when it is that cold, I'm not going all out, not that speed is the only contributor to a crash when you hit ice, but I guess just being on the road regardless of speed seems to be fulfilling enough for me.

Well, thanks for all the post. Ride safe everyone!

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  • Member Contributer

Gear for all weather becomes v important when one hits the road for a multi-week jaunt. Being caught in thunderstorms, blowing snow, and being chased across Kansas by a big snow storm (following a big snowstorm), good gear proved to be crucial. Like They suggest "Don't leave home without it."

Number One: GoreTex rules!

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  • 1 month later...
  • Member Contributer

Will ride on a clear blue sky day above 50F to 55F for the most part and always ride with textile gear on. If I ever get heated gear, if the sun is out and not a cloud in the sky can see myself down to about 30F but I don't have it yet so it might be easier said than done. During Autumn think it's a great time to ride, cold crisp air, no humidity with the sun out and hopefully all the leaves have not fallen, wow, I need heated gear!

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Recently I invested in a set of windproof long johns and combine those with my snowmobile jacket (cordura, full zip out lining, vents) it has certainly broadened the range I will ride in. Gloves are turning into the weakspot now and will try my sled gloves before I purchase anything. The winter has been killer, fueling the riding itch at cooler temps than normal for me. But coming home at about 46 degrees tonight bike sure was running good. This was the first year ever I rode before the roads got some rain on them to wash the salt, good rain normally opens the season for me.

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