My life has done a 180 and ill be working for a company and commuting 80 miles a day now and until I can sell my work truck id like to commute on the 8 through winter as long as its not snowing. temps around my way get to 26 in the morning and about 36ish by the time id leave work. I need some advice from those of those which ride a lot in the cold on what tl wear. id like to have a one piece thermometer suit. I'm looking into heated gloves and socks but its confusing the hell out me with all the controller options. id like to hear some winter set up you guys use.
weekend warrior to commuter need advice
- Thread starter 97audia4
- Start date
I commute in khakis and overpants, my riding boots, a sweater vest under my leather riding jacket, a balaclava and gloves.
The only thing ive ever had an issue with is cold hands...im still working on that one. im thinking a thin wool glove under my leather riding gloves will be enough for me to stay warm
The only thing ive ever had an issue with is cold hands...im still working on that one. im thinking a thin wool glove under my leather riding gloves will be enough for me to stay warm
RoadKill
New member
i ride all year here in brooklyn ny. the only way to go is heated gear and you really won't be happy with anything but Gerbings IMO. i have 4 pairs of non heated winter gloves and they all fail when it comes to cold longer than an hour of riding at 45 degrees. if you don't have an amazing jacket you will need a gerbings jacket liner or jacket too. i have the Alpinestars Bregenz Drystar Pants they work great at those temps if you are wearing pants or thermal underwear underneath. without heated gear though cold will slowly seep through when you get temps that low.
DaKow
All the Saddlesores
I'm a Floridian and rode the Cherohala in freezing temps (about an hour ride from one end to Telico Plains). The gear situation was a t-shirt, a sweat shirt, an Alpinestars Drystars jacket with the cold weather liner in, Freezeout long underwear (pants only), Cargo pants, Wool socks, Alpinestars touring boots (waterproof, full leather), Deerskin gloves, Freezeout glove liners (useless), balaclava, and a full-face helmet. I can say that the only problem found was that my fingers would freeze after about 20 minutes. Had heated glove liners been with me on that trip, everything would have been fine. The digits are the first, and, for me, only things to freeze up. The rest of the gear kept me nice and toasty. :
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**Edit** Look in my Gallery and you'll see a picture of my uncle on that ride. It's hilarious.
:**Edit** Look in my Gallery and you'll see a picture of my uncle on that ride. It's hilarious.
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TorontoAlex
New member
Get good textile touring pants with inside rain liner. Wear long johns under that. Merino wool is better than polyester. Cotton no good.
Snowmobiling gloves. Full leather with liner (ie. thinsulate).
Heated grips have further increased my comfort. I got heat demons, mid price range, took a while to figure out the wiring with a relay etc. I used the taillight wire (blue I think) to activate the relay. Switch is on side plastic cover beside keyhole for passenger seat release.
Teknic Freeway jacket:
Teknic Freeway HP Jacket - RevZilla
Has gotten the greatest reviews and they were right. It is a warm, totally waterproof jacket. Best price for a touring jacket of this quality you will ever pay.
Balaclava x2. One over head, the other at my neck. My helmet didn't come with a chin curtain and they are not out for my model yet. As soon as they go for sale I'm buying it. A simple piece like this prevents wind buffeting under the helmet which causes alot of cold air to free your face off. My CL-17 helmet is not good for wind reduction. It's worse than my 15 year old AGV helmet.
My AlpineStar touring boots are fully waterproof and are just enough to keep me warm, but I will definitely need sole warmers. Heated socks sound good but I doubt they will last long and will get smelly quick.
I would also like to get heated gloves. Gerbing doesn't have waterproof gloves so to me they are useless. I found these and think they fit the bill. Price, quality, and BUILT IN heat controller with 3 settings:
12V Heated Grand Touring Motorcycle Gloves by VentureHeat
Snowmobiling gloves. Full leather with liner (ie. thinsulate).
Heated grips have further increased my comfort. I got heat demons, mid price range, took a while to figure out the wiring with a relay etc. I used the taillight wire (blue I think) to activate the relay. Switch is on side plastic cover beside keyhole for passenger seat release.
Teknic Freeway jacket:
Teknic Freeway HP Jacket - RevZilla
Has gotten the greatest reviews and they were right. It is a warm, totally waterproof jacket. Best price for a touring jacket of this quality you will ever pay.
Balaclava x2. One over head, the other at my neck. My helmet didn't come with a chin curtain and they are not out for my model yet. As soon as they go for sale I'm buying it. A simple piece like this prevents wind buffeting under the helmet which causes alot of cold air to free your face off. My CL-17 helmet is not good for wind reduction. It's worse than my 15 year old AGV helmet.
My AlpineStar touring boots are fully waterproof and are just enough to keep me warm, but I will definitely need sole warmers. Heated socks sound good but I doubt they will last long and will get smelly quick.
I would also like to get heated gloves. Gerbing doesn't have waterproof gloves so to me they are useless. I found these and think they fit the bill. Price, quality, and BUILT IN heat controller with 3 settings:
12V Heated Grand Touring Motorcycle Gloves by VentureHeat
I have the leather gerbing gloves (I believe they are the G3's) and they work great. They are super comfortable and soft. You don't want to wear gloves that inhibit your feel of the controls. I have tried numerous cold weather gloves and found that a) they are too thick to have a good feel of the controls and b) eventually your hands get cold. Heated is the ONLY way to go. It is a game changer.
I have the vest and gloves. The jacket liner jacket is also a good option but costs a little more and draws a little more amperage. Make sure your bike can support the total amperage draw (I think it would be okay). My heated gear is hooked up to my VSTAR 1300. If you buy the jacket liner, the gloves connect right into the sleeves. I do recommend that if you start with the gloves, consider investing in the dual thermostat right off the bat because you will add the vest or jacket liner later. It costs an extra $20 bucks for a dual thermostat.
AND...best of all, gerbing gives you a lifetime warranty on your gear and it's made in America. If your gear fails or wears out, just send it back and they will fix or replace.
You will be amazed how little you can dress with the heated gear.
Good luck. I hope this helps your decision. Be safe and remember cold tires suck.
I have the vest and gloves. The jacket liner jacket is also a good option but costs a little more and draws a little more amperage. Make sure your bike can support the total amperage draw (I think it would be okay). My heated gear is hooked up to my VSTAR 1300. If you buy the jacket liner, the gloves connect right into the sleeves. I do recommend that if you start with the gloves, consider investing in the dual thermostat right off the bat because you will add the vest or jacket liner later. It costs an extra $20 bucks for a dual thermostat.
AND...best of all, gerbing gives you a lifetime warranty on your gear and it's made in America. If your gear fails or wears out, just send it back and they will fix or replace.
You will be amazed how little you can dress with the heated gear.
Good luck. I hope this helps your decision. Be safe and remember cold tires suck.
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Thanks man, its actually up your way more in allentown and Its a good 180 with less stress and I can still keep my trade business on the side.
Thanks for the help guys, looking more into it I'm thinking about heated gloves, heated vest, pants, and socks combined with the one piece suit. My commute invloves all highway from 65 to 75 mph for 38 miles of the trip then two miles of slow twisties. I have the joe rocket street boots and they block the air really well so with the socks I think I'm set there.
Olympia Phantom One Piece Suit - RevZilla
olympia one piece is great with a heated liner.... it is not waterproof like they say... leaks at the vents... but for cold weather riding, it works. I also had to go with a 2xl size because they don't offer a tall choice... I'm 6'1" at 220 lbs and its big on me around, but had to go that big for height. def try one on before ordering online
Rotaryknight
New member
with me being a cheapskate sometimes, when I ride to work, I wear my Alpine jacket with the rain liner, plus my windbreaker underneath it which I wear at work all day, and some work pants like dickies or carhartts. I rode in high 20s and I am warm and toasty, the only problem is my hands. I am tempted to buy heated grips but considering I dont ride everyday to work in the winter time, it would be useless for me.
My friend says that the wind deflectors for the grips helps him out a lot to the point where he can wear perforated leather gloves in cold temps.
My friend says that the wind deflectors for the grips helps him out a lot to the point where he can wear perforated leather gloves in cold temps.