The other morning rode my tiger to the dealer near me. It felt warm so i didn't bother wearing my balaclava (mistake). I thought the bottom of my chin was going to get frostbite before I could get there. On the plus side it did feel a little ivigorating. Anyway, What's the coldest weather you've ever ridden in?
cold weather riding
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low 20's, but prefer 30+
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Mid 20's but that ice and frost on the roads is not good.
Above freezing no problem.
The key is to dress for it, in layers. If you're too warm you can always take off a layer. Once you start shivering, it's ballgame over.
Ride safe.
Above freezing no problem.
The key is to dress for it, in layers. If you're too warm you can always take off a layer. Once you start shivering, it's ballgame over.
Ride safe.
I used to teach in a prison system. A lot of the guards didn't like teachers coming in to teach. Lot's of threats and harassment, ..., 'til late fall, and the temps dropped into the 20's (Fahrenheit). They thought I was local and a little nuts. Then they learned I rode 70+ miles each way, and were convinced I was very nuts. No more threats, and a lot more respect (at least a comfortable distance).
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Yes, cold is a factor, but how far in the cold? Riding around town is one thing, but riding for hours on the hwy really changes things.
So far I'm ok in the low 30s on hwy riding for hours but I'll have to wait till it gets in the 20's. This year it may not happen.
So far I'm ok in the low 30s on hwy riding for hours but I'll have to wait till it gets in the 20's. This year it may not happen.
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How far? Anywhere from a 10mile blast to kill cabin fever to 200 miles riding the backroads. It just depends on what I have to do. Silverado57 is right, dress is the key. I really don't mind cold as long as I can dress for it. My son lives 100 miles from me and I visit him regularly year round on the bike.
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The black ice and heavy rains driven by 70 km winds tend to put in the cage otherwise I'm good to just above freezing.
23 degrees F, and I love it!
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coldest temp I ridden in bout 14degrees when I left home (western burbs of Chicago I55&Rte83) to ride to Streator Il for a MC club lunch. coming home it was about 8degrees. cold wasn't the real problem. Real problem was snow flurries. At 65 MPH with snow flying in all directions and reflected light as it went over the fairings windshield the problem was keeping balance. just tell yourself Gyroscopic effect of wheels will keep you up, unless you get stupid.
Coldest ride I ever did was from Spartenburg SC to Seymour Ind. We pulled off the road & spent the night in Seymour as my partner was feeling the effects of hypothermia. I was also cold but not as bad as I had a full fairing on my bike.
The temp when we pulled off about 65degrees F. We had spent the previous couple of weeks in 100plus weather in the deep south. It takes about two weeks for the body to adapt to climatic changes.
If one is going to ride in the cold (and that is a relative term)
you must dress for it and learn about the warning signs of hypothermia.
One of my friends used to always wear a sweater when he got back from Nam cause he was cold. It was July and 90 degrees again cold is relative to what you are used to.
Coldest ride I ever did was from Spartenburg SC to Seymour Ind. We pulled off the road & spent the night in Seymour as my partner was feeling the effects of hypothermia. I was also cold but not as bad as I had a full fairing on my bike.
The temp when we pulled off about 65degrees F. We had spent the previous couple of weeks in 100plus weather in the deep south. It takes about two weeks for the body to adapt to climatic changes.
If one is going to ride in the cold (and that is a relative term)
you must dress for it and learn about the warning signs of hypothermia.
One of my friends used to always wear a sweater when he got back from Nam cause he was cold. It was July and 90 degrees again cold is relative to what you are used to.
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Cold weather riding? No thankyou. I'll wait until the afternoon warmup before I go out. It was probably high 70s today after 40s in the morning. I can't imagine it in the 20s.
2018 Indian Roadmaster, 2014 Triumph Scrambler, 2020 Rocket 3R 1980 CB650C in resto
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I've ridden in snow (early storm coming home from a trip in the Colorado rockies; we had three >10,000' passes to cross), which sux, but I've been colder. In '98 I rode about 45 miles to work one December day that was colder than it seemed. I had to stop three or four times to warm my hands. Once I got to work, it was lunchtime before I felt normal again (thermally speaking). That was on an '80 CB650, which was air cooled of course.
Its funny how exteme cold will make a permanent mark on your memory. When I was young, I Iived in the rocky mountains and had a second job delivering oil rig drilling parts. One night I made a delivery to a rig in the mountains.
It was in the depth of winter and snowing hard. The wind was blowing about 40 -50 mph. I had a heavy load on and the wheels chained up and was busting 4' drifts of powdery snow. As the truck would plunge into the drift, a giant curtain of powdery snow glowing white against the headlights would crest over the windshield then darkness again; except for light of the headlights. When I finally made it to the rig, the driller wouldn't snatch the hole opener off the truck so I had to rig up a block and tackle to do it. I had to stop several times and warm up. It must have been 3 am when I finally got home. that was 27 years ago and it seems like yesterday and I clearly remember the bitter cold.
It was in the depth of winter and snowing hard. The wind was blowing about 40 -50 mph. I had a heavy load on and the wheels chained up and was busting 4' drifts of powdery snow. As the truck would plunge into the drift, a giant curtain of powdery snow glowing white against the headlights would crest over the windshield then darkness again; except for light of the headlights. When I finally made it to the rig, the driller wouldn't snatch the hole opener off the truck so I had to rig up a block and tackle to do it. I had to stop several times and warm up. It must have been 3 am when I finally got home. that was 27 years ago and it seems like yesterday and I clearly remember the bitter cold.
Low thirties at least. Along with rain, too.
I was a courier in Houston out of high school. Rode year
round in and out of the city, several hundred miles a day sometimes. In the winter I learned to tuck in behind 18-wheelers to
get relief from the cold, until they exited. Then speed up
to catch another one.
It was tough, I remember. I couldn't afford proper
riding gear at the time. Now I love to get out there in brisk
weather. It's invigorating, but luckily it's also my choice now.
I was a courier in Houston out of high school. Rode year
round in and out of the city, several hundred miles a day sometimes. In the winter I learned to tuck in behind 18-wheelers to
get relief from the cold, until they exited. Then speed up
to catch another one.
It was tough, I remember. I couldn't afford proper
riding gear at the time. Now I love to get out there in brisk
weather. It's invigorating, but luckily it's also my choice now.
as long as it's above freezing I don't mind getting out for an hour or two, much longer than that and it's a little chilly. I have ridden down into the teens before, I think the lowest I've ridden in is 11 degrees which was just too dam cold but I didn't have a car and had to work so there I was.
On my Trophy I got caught in the snow a couple of times when commuting. The morning light rain and temps in the low 40's turned into wet snow and temps in the low 30's for the ride home. Not much fun and not real safe either, I'm more cautious now specially with the unfaired Bonnie. My fingers get cold easier now so my rule of thumb is "above 40 and not raining" .
The biggest danger here is Black Ice, usually if it's below freezing it's clear, that means it'll be foggy for a few hours before the sun comes up, the moisture in the air freezes on the roadway and turns the road into a skating rink for a couple of hours.....I don't even like to drive in it, let alone ride.
On my Trophy I got caught in the snow a couple of times when commuting. The morning light rain and temps in the low 40's turned into wet snow and temps in the low 30's for the ride home. Not much fun and not real safe either, I'm more cautious now specially with the unfaired Bonnie. My fingers get cold easier now so my rule of thumb is "above 40 and not raining" .
The biggest danger here is Black Ice, usually if it's below freezing it's clear, that means it'll be foggy for a few hours before the sun comes up, the moisture in the air freezes on the roadway and turns the road into a skating rink for a couple of hours.....I don't even like to drive in it, let alone ride.
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