Long Cold Ride (any tips)

[Diveboy]

Hello All.
I have to ride back to Newcastle tomorrow form Wales :?
Its going to be cold and I was wondering if anyone has any tip for keeping warm.

One suggestion is:
Tie some tesco bags round the grips of the bike, that will stop the wind
biting into your fingers, looks **** - but at least your hands won't freeze
off.

[Samurai]

Get a train :lol:

what out if you do use the shopping bags, your feet will sweet like buggery, and by the time you get home, will be filled with sweet :(

Edit: stupid me :oops: read the post wrong thought you where going to use the bags on your feet,

going to climb back under my rock now :oops:

[Kate]

Have you got heated grips? If you've got time, it might well be worth getting them, they are a life saver.

I'm not sure about tesco bags, but you could try masking tape or something around the levers as they really do chill your hands.

If you don't already, you could try a neck tube or a balaclarva, they really help. Layers of clothing really help too.

Take regular breaks, I find my concentration wanders pretty quickly when really cold, and the colder you get, the slower your reactions too.

HTH

[TSM]

Put news papers on your chest.

Get a goldwing.

[Iansv]

Heated grips or some kind of wind protection on the handlebars, used to use the handle bar gloves on my old gpz on long winter trips, did a good job...

failing that, stop to warm your hands fairly often

[GSXR Carlos]

use a van :roll:

keep relaxed and try to keep your concentration

some of those silly stretch gloves under your riding gloves might help

maybe a jumper under your jaket

tracksuit pants under your pants

i flask of hot tea :lol:

[Mogs]

Stop regularly, take a flask of soup with you, wear a scarf around you waist to keep your lower back warm.

[Diveboy]

I don't have heated grips :-( Just some new hopefully warm gloves.

[GSXR Carlos]

if i was at home tomorrow i'd say pop to mine for a brew :wink:

[copper kettle]

i'd definitely recommend hot hands from oxford, although i do still find that the tips of my fingers gets cold. wear many thin pairs of sock rather than one thick pair and if the cold starts to annoy you then stop and warm up as you will soon have your mind elsewhere and that's a bad place to be.

[mysteryjimbo]

Several thin layers.
Long johns (i got mine form matalan)
Trainer socks with looser thermal socks over the top
Insulation tape over the metal control
Possibly full body waterproofs (great wind protection)


I follow all of those rules along with heated grips and am normally very warm. If you include all of my upper layers, i wear 5 tops on cold days (t-shirt, shirt/tie, jumper, leather and waterproof jacket)

Your core body temperture is main thing to monitor. The extremities will feel warmer if this is right.

[Scoobs]

Possibly full body waterproofs (great wind protection)

Your core body temperture is main thing to monitor. The extremities will feel warmer if this is right.

Both great tips.

[mysteryjimbo]

Possibly full body waterproofs (great wind protection)

Your core body temperture is main thing to monitor. The extremities will feel warmer if this is right.

Both great tips.

Its my 5th winter of riding :lol: 8)

[Scoobs]

Its my 5th winter of riding :lol: 8)

You're my hero. :notworthy: :wink:

I ride all year, but I don't do the miles I used to. Don't miss it either TBH. It's not nice.

[LondonLad]

if you've got ski geat - salloppetes and ski jacket - wear them over your normal gear if they'll fit. good ski gear can be picked up at tk maxx.

[PoRk ChOp]

Good luck buddy, cant wait to see it :thumbsup:

[Diveboy]

Shhhh. I haven't told anyone I'm picking up my new K4 in yellow with carbon can, double bubble and lowers tomorow...

....DOH!!!! Can't wait :D

[Warthog]

I have a balaclava that helps a lot for your chin and neck. Many socks too, and really do take breaks often, as I almost crashed into the back of a car when I encountered a roundabout after 2 hours night riding in winter, as I was so frozen solid my muscles had kind of locked and didn't realise. Had to swerve instead which wasn't ideal.

[timwilky]

Shhhh. I haven't told anyone I'm picking up my new K4 in yellow with carbon can, double bubble and lowers tomorow...

....DOH!!!! Can't wait :D

Nice new nana! Well old one.


Seriously though. I would be tempted to get it in a van this time of year. Unless you know the bike well, it is not nice to discover a problem so far from home in this weather.

You could always discover a fault and get your recovery people (If you have it covered) to bring it back for you :lol: and you travel in a nice warm cab.

[Ratty]

Kidney belt or scarf around your lower back as stated earlier. Keep your kidneys warm and you keep you blood warm. Central heating for big kids.

Good Luck

Ratty

[wyrdness]

If you don't already, you could try a neck tube or a balaclarva, they really help.

Definitely, since your neck can be exposed under your lid and gets the full force of the windblast.

Have hot food and drink before setting out.

Cardiovascular fitness and a good circulatory system helps too, though that's not so easy to achieve. I get far less cold on the bike in winter since I've been going to the gym.

I think that this is my 12th year of winter riding. I used to feel the cold a lot worse than I do now. I even used to resort to heating my hands on the pipes at traffic lights - singed gloves don't smell good though!

[ophic]

I even used to resort to heating my hands on the pipes at traffic lights - singed gloves don't smell good though!
try the cylinder heads not the exhaust!

[Cloggsy]

I was (ironically) bought some electric gloves for Christmas (which was nice as my bike has been stuck in the dealers since November :roll:)

I haven't tried 'em out yet though :evil:

[fizzwheel]

Have you thought about getting a "Windstopper" most bike shops sell them.

I've been riding around with one on for the last couple of months, Now Liz has her bike back on the road shes got it back. I can really notice the difference now I am riding without it, They are well worth it IMHO.

I'm going to get myself one now I've been paid and have some money again

Good luck with the trip.

[Peter Henry]

Cloggsy wrote:

I was (ironically) bought some electric gloves for Christmas (which was nice as my bike has been stuck in the dealers since November

Forget your bike man! Plug your gloves in to a socket next to your favourite chair and put them on. Then slap Moto GP on the playstation and your sorted! :lol:

Diveboy..My best advice would be to get some other daft bugger to ride it back for you! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[RandyO]

frostbite is serious injury, and at speed windchills can be seriously cold

I recommend not riding in cold unless you have the proper gear

that said, I wear First Gear HT pants & jacket, with a gerbings heated jacket liner, I have a Windstiopper balaclava and snowmobile helmet, and wear Sorel boots, I also have heated grips with handguards for wind protection.
you can use disposable hand warmers for supplimental heat too.

I start to use my cold weather gear as soon as temps drop below 55°F, and can comfortably ride to -15°F

newspaper on your chest is a good windblock in a pinch, priority is keeping your torso warm to keep warm blood flowing to the extremeties

[Ed]

I start to use my cold weather gear as soon as temps drop below 55°F, and can comfortably ride to -15°F

At 55F? - that's 12C. We'd never be out of cold weather stuff here!! But -15F? - that's about -23C. You ride in that???? I'd be on the bus...

[madmal]

newspaper on chest area and lower back, silk inner gloves, scarf on neck, feet in bags n waterproofs against wind chill. sod it, get a bus :)

[RandyO]

I start to use my cold weather gear as soon as temps drop below 55°F, and can comfortably ride to -15°F

At 55F? - that's 12C. We'd never be out of cold weather stuff here!! But -15F? - that's about -23C. You ride in that???? I'd be on the bus...

I don't commute in it, it takes too long to get dressed for a short ride, only weekends ..... cold air=free horsepower=roll on wheelies in 3rd gear on my nekid 99

[Ed]

Oi Diveboy!!!!!!

How'd it go???

[Diveboy]

Aye canny apart from my gloves turned inside out when I took them off at a service station and I had to rip the linings out to put them back on. Was a little cold after that.

I think I stopped 5 times in 3 for petrol & tea and 2 times just for tea. Seems my bike gets better mileage than me in the cold :lol:

So took 7 hours including stops and my back is killing me. Thanks to every one for the advice a lot of it was put to the test and worked well :thumbsup: =D>

[PoRk ChOp]

Well done bud! I think I passed you in the tunnel this morning at about 9, I was in the cage :( so you won't have spotted me.

If you were on the SV, man that can sounded sweet

[madmal]

:riding: :thumbsup: