Cold Weather Riding - What's in your closet?

[rotomotor]

Cold Weather GEAR LIST 

If there isn't a thread on this yet, there should be. Here is what I have been wearing to go for a ride or commute when it's cold (not 60 degrees cold...COLD). Rule #1: All synthetic, NO COTTON.

Bottom: 4 layers
Long underwear base layer, nylon pants (REI Cargo Pants), windproof running pants, armored textile pants.

Top: 3-4 layers
t-shirt, long sleeved lightweight capeline (sometimes), light weight fleece (always), Tourmaster Transition full length jacket with insulated liner. My mesh jacket with wind liner made it into the 50's and 60's, but now it's full length time.

Head:
Buff balaclava under helmet, NOJ neck gaitor for the gap between the jacket and helmet. I really like the buff, it's a hat, a balaclava, I'm a pirate... no, a gang member, so many options!

Hands:
Everything that I can fit on them and still operate the motorcycle  This is the issue that I haven't solved yet. I'm thinking about heated grips and wind deflectors. I've been wearing liner gloves, leather motorcycle gloves, and ski mittens.

Feet:
Mountaineering socks and textile motorcycle boots

What do you wear? Let's cut it off warmest at around 40F

[Bumblebee]

Bermuda shorts and keen shoes. 


Outdoor rule #1: Layers
Cotton is ok as long as you don't get wet. Most people overdress and get wet then freeze. It's far better to be a little cool at first than to get wet. I've been to -50F in cotton without problems however you have to be careful which is essential at that temp no matter what you're wearing.

32F is summer gear with the liners put in, jeans, flannel shirt and winter riding gloves. No other changes.


Good down into the 20's plus 60mph windchill for hours on end:

Thermal underwear, jeans. Air mesh overpants with windproof partiall insulated liners in. Gaters under the overpants if it's in the 20's.

Winter hiking boots with thick socks. Gaters improve heat retention. Overboots are available however not used.

Tshirt. Long sleeve pullover shirt and a flannel shirt. Fleece is available if needed. Kili air jacket with the windproof mildly insulated liner in.

Hands are the tough bit: Winter riding gloves. Overmits available if needed.

Half ski mask that goes down into the jacket. Nothing betwen my head and the helmet liner since my helmet is too tight for that. If it's that cold, I quit riding.

No skin exposure to the elements.

Plexifairing 3 windscreen does wonders at keeping the windchill manageable.
A backpack helps cut down on wind related heat loss.

I have no interior storage at all so the motorcycle is out in the elements year round. Getting the motorcycle to start at 20F is the hard part. Last winter when I only had the motorcycle for transportation, I used heat wire, the cover and a few pieces of 1" foam insulation for overnight preheat. (It being stubborn means it's smarter than I am sometimes)

Beyond that, I park the motorcycle and get serious.

[LOKi]

For < 40 long ride, bottom up:

Wool socks riding boots. (thinking about heated foot beds)

silk long underwear-polar weight (depending on how cold), sweet paints, first gear over paints with liner in.

Long sleeve shirt, First gear heated jacket, textile winter jacket (no liner the heated jacket is plenty)

Leather gloves (not too thick), Heated grips and hand guards makes any glove warm enough.

If it's really cold I'll throw on a neck gator before dawning the helmet.

For <40 commute (50 miles round trip):

Dress for the office then throw on the over paints with liner, heated jacket, textile jacket, gloves, and helmet. No special layering involved. Only time I have ever needed to turn the jacket on high is when I was riding with the mesh only over it. Stopped doing that when I blew the main fuse for my fuse block when I blew the horn while jacket and grips where on high. The 15amp fuse was not enough for all that. Sense then I have replaced that fuse with a 25amp but still wear the textile instead of mesh, just in case.