You Really Can Ride In The Winter

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You Really Can Ride In The Winter

"You didn't ride that motorcycle in to work today did you?"

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact I did, and no I don't look like I'm frozen do I?"

OK, so the radio said it was 29 degrees when I left the house this morning, but it was still a pleasant ride.

You need not park your bike when the temperatures begin to drop. Like dressing for any other outdoor winter activity, your winter riding gear has to protect you from hypothermia and frostbite. The key is to wear an inner insulating layer covered by an outer shell that will block the wind.

For your outer shell, loose and long is better for staying warm. A tight shell compresses the inner layers of your gear and minimizes their insulating effects. A loose shell will allow plenty of trapped air between it and your body as well as preventing that cramped and bound feeling.

Your jacket should be long so that when standing it comes down over your hips. That will help prevent a gap around your waist that can let in the cold air. The cuffs of your jacket should fit snuggly around your wrists since riding requires a hands forward posture that can let wind blow up your sleeves. A tall collar is needed to protect your neck. Your pant legs should be long as well so that when your knees are bent in the riding position they don't ride up over the top of your boots. For both jacket and pants, look to snow skiing/snowmobile gear for inspiration.

Protecting your hands from the cold is a bit more challenging for motorcycling than for other winter activities because your hands must maintain a certain amount of dexterity to operate the motorcycle's controls. Heated grips are great if you have them, but if you don't you can still keep your hands warm with a good pair of riding gloves. Look for a somewhat loose fit so you've room to wear a thinner pair of gloves as a liner. Also look for gloves that have long cuffs to cover the wrist cuffs of your jacket. Keeping the wind from blowing up your sleeves is crucial for comfort and this is mostly a function of your gloves. Also, when riding avoid holding the handgrips tightly. You'll need plenty of circulation in your hands to keep them warm, and a death grip on your controls limits blood flow. Flex your fingers from time to time and try to stay loose. If you find your hands getting stiff, it's time to pull over for a rest.

You can protect your face by either wearing a full face helmet, or you can wear an insulated mask made specially for motorcycling and available at many dealerships. A leather bandana works fairly well also. Regardless of what your choice, it's a good idea to use moisturizing lotion on your face, and some sort of lip balm to protect from chapping. Flex your face muscles from time to time, and like your hands, when you feel your cheeks getting stiff it's time to pull over as you're in danger of getting frostbite.

Lastly, you can protect your feet from the cold by wearing layers of socks. A thin pair against your skin followed by a thicker pair seems to work best. For longer rides you can also get warming pads that provide a chemical heat from sporting goods departments of many stores. Flex your toes frequently to keep the blood flowing and to make sure you're not getting frostbite.

In summary, a good rule of thumb that will tell you if you've dressed warmly enough to go for a ride is to step out side fully geared up and just stand for a couple of minutes. If you don't start feel a bit overdressed and uncomfortably warm, you probably need to go back inside a put on another layer. Also, if you plan to ride frequently during the winter months, consider investing in electrically heated clothing. Although a bit expensive, even the basic heated vest is enough to really make a difference in comfort.

Ride safely.

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