Cold Weather Riding Safety

[WildBlue]

So long as its dry out, I will commute down to 25 degrees. If its wet, I wont go below 35 degrees. I use my Tourmaster heated vest, that thing is AMAZING.

[jas]

Well, it's that time of year again where the temps start to dip a little. Today’s ride to work (at 0445) was a chilly 20 degrees.
The only issue I had, which I have never thought about before, occurred when I stopped at a traffic light and slipped a little.

Watch out for small patches of ice where water accumulates as a result of condensation from an automobiles exhaust.

[Canyon Runner]

All you folks just need to move on out here to the desert! I have to chase altitude to find any real cold out here!

[jas]

All you folks just need to move on out here to the desert! I have to chase altitude to find any real cold out here!

I guess there is a litle difference between the "high" desert (Great Basin) and AZ desert (would that be the "low" desert?).

[towerworker]

I had never thought about the exhaust condensation and freezing issue. That's a very good point. I'm glad folks are still reading this topic and being mindful of the safety issues.

I was in DC today on the beltway and saw a fella on a bike pass me in the HOV lane (in the rain) and lane splitting. Traffic was moving at a fair pace so it wasn't like the usual parking lot. Scary!

Ride Safe!

Wayne

[MattPie]

All you folks just need to move on out here to the desert! I have to chase altitude to find any real cold out here!

I'll call you back in July when it's 110 out there.

[MattPie]

DR - don't have any charts or graphs but there is a reason race bikes use tire warmers, even in summer!

Keeping the tires warn for traction is part of it, but also each heating/cooling cycle releases oils from the rubber. After lots of cycles, the rubber eventually dies out and gets stiffer. So, keeping the tires warm helps them last a little longer. (Or so I've been told)

For cold weather riding, it seems like a good idea to lower your tire pressures. Lower pressures cause more tire flex, more tire flex means more heat in the rubber.

Personal limit: around 40 for general riding, but if there's something special I'll go down to 30 or so. I need to get better cold weather gear, right now I either wear my Fieldsheer leather jacket, which has stretch panels in the arms that let plenty of air in, or my mesh stuff with the rain liners in. I think about electrics, but what if they fail and I'm a ways from home?

[R4R&R]

I was in DC today on the beltway and saw a fella on a bike pass me in the HOV lane (in the rain) and lane splitting. Traffic was moving at a fair pace so it wasn't like the usual parking lot. Scary!

Ride Safe!

Wayne

That may've been me...

I did ride yesterday, and the ride home in the dark, messy rain was most fun. I hate the traffic in this area!

[duke]

... until it really hit me. One year ago on Jan 25th I laid my R down going very slowly thru a turn and snapped my leg in two places.

Sorry to hear this - I haven't been reading the forum for a while and have missed this.

My personal take on winter riding (before I put my bike to sleep for a year in the garage) was to use a refelctive fluoro-vest.
At least there is no excuse for "I did not see you".

The streets of London are greasy at best when it is dry and worm ... and at winter is a bit hairy.

[Airman]

For cold weather riding, it seems like a good idea to lower your tire pressures. Lower pressures cause more tire flex, more tire flex means more heat in the rubber.

Personal limit: around 40 for general riding, but if there's something special I'll go down to 30 or so. I need to get better cold weather gear, right now I either wear my Fieldsheer leather jacket, which has stretch panels in the arms that let plenty of air in, or my mesh stuff with the rain liners in. I think about electrics, but what if they fail and I'm a ways from home?

I am with you on limiting how cold I'll ride in. I generally don't like to go below 35 because I get concerned about ice below that. In the winter you can't ever trust it to be dry where I live.

This year I've been wearing my First Gear Scout IV leather jacket with the liner in it. It is surprisingly warm. If it looks like rain I put my Frog Togg "Road Toad" rain jacket over it. Seriously waterproof and quite warm. I just bought the Gerbings Microwire jacket liner. I think that is going to be the final solution to the cold issue. I've been wearing their gloves for a couple years, but the y-harness to power them is clumsy to use with the leather jacket. The jacket liner has plug-in's for the gloves in the sleeves. Probably I will switch back to the FG Kilimanjaro when it starts raining more as it has the Goretex liner and I won't have to haul the rain jacket with me.

Down side to heated gear ? It's expensive. The liner, dual thermostat, and holster was right at $340, and there's no cheap place to buy the stuff. I do get a perverse enjoyment about laughing at the cold and rain. As far as failures, I don't think the gear fails much. I did blow the fuse to the outlet a while back... don't know how... banging connectors together probably. All us hard core riders carry spare fuses don't we ?

[towerworker]

I no longer ride in extreme temps, even though I'm perfectly warm and comfortable in my Joe Rocket jacket and Warm-n-Safe heated jacket liner. I don't have heated gloves or pants but use insulated ski pants and basic leather gloves with liners.
It's been nearly two years since I dumped my R on ice and broke my leg. But the memories are still pretty vivid. I want to keep them as distant memories!