How do you deal with the cold?

I live out in the middle of nowhere in central Virginia. It takes me at least 45 minutes (mostly at highway speeds) to get anywhere. I've learned my limit is 40 degrees. Colder than that is no fun for 1.5 hour round trips.

Just tooling around on short rides I might be OK with colder weather, but it doesn't really sound fun freezing my a*s off.

I do have a small spitfire windscreen that blocks the wind, a textile jacket with quilted liner, and overpants that I wear over flannel lined blue jeans. A scarf or something around my neck, full face helmet and thick gloves. It sounds like a lot, but most of it is just standard riding gear with a few layers underneath.

The weather here has stayed reasonably warm. I rode to work one day last week and probably will tomorrow too.

I don't handle cold weather at all. Riding or not. I got frost bit in Germand many moons ago and now my nose turns black. My hands and feet turn blue then sheet white. I wished I lived is Alabama.

Robwolf wrote: ............I only have a mesh jacket so it breathes great during HOT summer months here in Florida...............

The mesh jacket wont help in cooler weather. Stick a newspaper inside it. Newspaper has lots of layers and is a great insulator. Pretty much windproof too. Will protect the upper body but wont help with the arms though.

No such thing as winter riding here, its impossible - well, except for ice spiked tires :laugh:

Once the snow flies, it gets deep soon after and dont clear out enough till april.
Least its only 4-5 months - aghh! God, what am I saying... its hell!

:sick:

I just bitch and moan a lot and get the daily weather report from my old buddies omr in arizona and ronbo in california.
Then I remind both of them i can afford to be retired in nebraska,while they pay dearly to live in the sunshine states! :woohoo:

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Tim.... you the man! Looks like fun!!

KZ250LTD wrote: Wusses.

CANADIAN! :laugh:

A heated vest works great.

I'm a bit upset this year. It has been beautiful every day, mid 70s and my bike is broke. So I've been getting to work hours early so the wife can get to work. Best riding weather all year and I'm stuck with a car.

If you're going to run heated gear, grips are a better bang for your buck than a vest is. I had a few conversations with the guys on advrider.com [side note, check out some of the trips they've gone on! Around the world on a '48 Indian Chief, around the world on a '62 Harley hard tail chopper, etc!] regarding this stuff. Your extremities loose heat the most, you're better off wearing an extra layer on your torso and heating your extremities than you are to heat your torso and hope your hands stay warm enough.

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