What winter gear do you ride?

[Sport]

My goal is to ride through the winter here in PA and am looking to upgrade gloves and boots. What do you all winter riders recommend?

This is what I have:
A great Frank Thomas winter/rain Aqua Explorer jacket (It's been put to the test at 27F and stayed VERY warm, as well in HEAVY rain, stayed VERY dry).

A Pair of Triumph Explorer riding pants. They're so warm that I've never used the inner linings.

A pair of Joe Rocket summer riding boots. Little insulation and not waterproof.

And a pair of off brand winter gloves. They act like sponges in the rain and like a refrigerator in the cold. :wink:

For winter/rain gloves, has anyone considered These?

How about heated grips? I've seen Heeterz, as well as Triumph's heated grips. Any suggestions?

Finally, what kind of winter boot do ya'll recommended?

Thanks

[SR1]

I just got some Gerbings and what a difference.

The good:
Gerbings jacket liner
Gerbings glove liners
Firstgear Dakota winter gloves
Olympia Sports Airglide pants

The Bad:
Firstgear Kilimanjaro Air (it is good except the zippers, which are awful. otherwise it is dray and warm).

The in-between:
Alpinestars Roam boots. They are really comfy, but they leaked like a sieve! I had to put a lot of sealant on them...hopefully they'll hold now.

[2ndSpace]

I where a Stich all year. In cold weather (below 40) I where long sleeve shirt and a heated jacket, gloves, and socks.

Gore Wind Stopper is a great product. I have socks, pull over, balaclava. I have learned that if it doesn't say Gore-Tex or Sympatex it ain't water proof.

Heated grips are very useful, but when its really cold I like to have the top of my hand heated as well.

I have a lot of rain riding time. My ride at the end of last month was 400 of 1000 miles in the rain. I have tried many "waterproof" products. None work better than Gore-Tex. I will caution you to NOT buy gloves with huge gauntlets for wet riding. If you cannot fit the gauntlet under your jacket the water will run down your sleeve and into you glove.

I gave in to electrics a few years ago. Layering is good but bulky. Add to that my riding suit was ordered without considering the addition of the back and hip pads. Lectrics are easier for me and I can control the amount heat.

[2ndSpace]

Heated grips: I have the Triumph brand on the Sprint. They work and are easy to install, but are pricey. I just installed the Dual Star heaters on the FZ6. They work great, are cheap ( less than $50) but not as easy to install. I spent about 2.5 hours on them I think I only spen an hour on the triumph.

[cyclebob]

I really prefer heated -waterproof gloves, like Widder, over heated grips. Given the road crews here are poor at winter maintenance, if there's any precipitation, black ice is more of a threat than the temperature. Also, lined bibs are nice to make sure your back stays thawed.

[DaveM]

When in snowy NZ I wear:

Tecnik courdura waterproof touring pants with zip out thermal liner
Tecnik Thunder waterproof thermal lined gloves
Arlenn Ness "All Weather" long Cordura waterproof jacket with Thermal liner

All very toastie and dry.

Davem

[JasonS]

I don;t ride on snow/ice and tend not to ride if there is any sand down on the road from morning icing.... I ride if the roads allow.... I have a Widder electric vest/armchaps and gloves... I have an on/off switch but could elect for a thermostat control.

There is a huge difference between a 10 mile commute in rough conditions and a 50+ miles ride in the same. There is a definite cumulative effect when riding in cold weather... what is "toasty" on a short ride could be freezing after 50.

Electrics are the way to go.

Wet is always not fun. I use what ever glove I am using and put on the Aerostich rain glove. It is a three digit affair and packs extremely small. They are easy to put on and are totally wind/waterproof. I have a Roadcrafter suit I bought used on ebay and it is too small ( read I am too chubby) to bundle up underneath.

When I know there is no rain in the forecast I use a bib-overall attachment to the pants of the Stich and layer my top with a long-sleeve shirt, the widder vest and arm chaps, a windbreaker or thin sweater and then my leather jacket with liner.

In the cold i also use a neck cozy rig that came from Triumph. It is designed to velcro inside a Triumph Jacket. The dickie ( for lack on a better name) is thick chamois and sport a tall collar that velcros around the neck.

I also use a balaclava to prevent my helmet from getting too much body oils as well as helping to seal up the drafts around the helmet to jacket gap.

Removing drafts is crucial in staying warm on a long ride. Even a small gap at the wrist gets amplified after enough time. Being able to seal up the gaps around your ankles, waist and wrists is hugely important. Even stopping airflow from pocket zippers etc can make a big difference.

I love the stories about folks using newspaper to create a layers to preserve body heat.

If your hands/feet are cold, what it really means is that your core/brain are cold and the body is saying... we can live without feet and hands, so they don;t get as much blood to keep them warm... this is a sign that you need to stop riding and get warm! having a vest means keeping your core warm and thereby allowing blood flow to the extremities, which in the case of the hands are really key to riding and reacting safely... if the hands are cold and numb they won't get to the brake as fast....

[triumphtimes]

gerbings good :upthumb:

[Doublenikkel]

Anything from Triumph`s line that is waterproof should be good. My personal preference for boots is Sidi. Watch for water resistant or waterproof.

[vinnyf]

I'll certainly second all those who go electric - been using a Widder vest for a few years. When it's sub-freezing and you have miles to go, heat generation beats heat retention, IMO. Just added a set of Oxford wrap around heated grips a couple of weeks ago, so haven't had a chance to really judge, but seems good so far. Probably electric gloves would be more effective...