Biking during the winter

KamiKazi

Well lads now that our "summer" is over, who's staying on the bike for the winter? I will be unless its really heavy ice or snow, which TBH is pretty unlikely. I've a screen on the way for the bike to keep some of the wind off me, and I'll be ordering some winter gloves and a neck gator. I'm also pondering about buying heated grips or handlebar mittens but can't decide which will be better for the winter. Any thoughts?

KTRIC

Living in South Germany myself and I was asked by herself's mother when does the "biking season" end !!

In Germany most locals tax and insure the bikes for March to October / November. I'm in my second year here and I register my bike for the whole year. Unfortunately I'll have to hang the helmet up for about 3 to 4 months when the snow comes as its far too dangerous to drive in.

So come the end of November , middle of December that'll be me done until March 2010

Unless we get a warm winter then I'll be the only biker on the roads.

J-blk

I drive year round on my V-strom as I only got a car this summer anyway and my excuse is that the car is for the missus so I still stay on the bike 90% of the time. I even drove in the heavy snow/ice one day last year (purely by accident - looked ok in the city center but ice everywhere in Sandyford...) but since I managed to not have a spill, I'll definitely be avoiding that this year .

As for the heated grips, how long is your commute? Most of them would take a good 15-20 minutes to heat up to the point where they really help, so if your commute is only around that amount of time, they're not worth it IMO. The mittens, dunno, I've never liked them... Have to come up with something though, my gloves just don't cut it. At high speeds on the N11, I could feel the frostbite settle in on my fingers .

KamiKazi

KTRIC wrote: »

Unfortunately I'll have to hang the helmet up for about 3 to 4 months when the snow comes as its far too dangerous to drive in.

So come the end of November , middle of December that'll be me done until March 2010

Get yourself a cheap supermoto type bike, great craic on slidy surfaces :pac:

J-blk wrote: »

As for the heated grips, how long is your commute? Most of them would take a good 15-20 minutes to heat up to the point where they really help, so if your commute is only around that amount of time, they're not worth it IMO. The mittens, dunno, I've never liked them... Have to come up with something though, my gloves just don't cut it. At high speeds on the N11, I could feel the frostbite settle in on my fingers .

My commute is about 30 minutes in good weather, up the M4 then onto the M50 southbound. Thats a pain that they take a while to heat up, didn't know that :mad:

Steffano2002

I'm on the 'blade all year around. Nearly highsided on ice last year with the GF as pillion but thankfully never hit the deck! Would love a car for the icy days approaching but can't afford it... Looks like more ice-riding this year...

KamiKazi

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Nearly highsided on ice last year with the GF as pillion but thankfully never hit the deck!

:eek: I'd say that gave her a bit of a fright :P

Cuddlesworth

KamiKazi wrote: »

Well lads now that our "summer" is over, who's staying on the bike for the winter? I will be unless its really heavy ice or snow, which TBH is pretty unlikely. I've a screen on the way for the bike to keep some of the wind off me, and I'll be ordering some winter gloves and a neck gator. I'm also pondering about buying heated grips or handlebar mittens but can't decide which will be better for the winter. Any thoughts?

Heated grips are the no1 priority. I have a set waiting to go on at home.

I like the idea of the neck gator but after getting one I found out they don't agree with glass's.

KamiKazi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Heated grips are the no1 priority. I have a set waiting to go on at home.

I like the idea of the neck gator but after getting one I found out they don't agree with glass's.

Yeah I was thinking about as I have glasses myself, I'll probably order one of these while I'm at it link.

Let us know how you get on with the heated grips

Steffano2002

KamiKazi wrote: »

:eek: I'd say that gave her a bit of a fright :P

Fook yeah it did! Scared me to death too! Not so much hurting myself or ruining my bike. Would annoy me but would get over it... But injuring my GF is a definite no no!

Blitzkrieger

I'm going to be a big girl about it and not take the bike unless the temp is above 7 degrees. Any lower than that and there tends to be ice in the car park at work. I don't want to get all the way there to plant my face in the tarmac at work....

aurin07

not been on the bike long, Van for work.. lost all interest in cars since i got the bandit.. .. ill see how bad winter is.. have a XS650 lying up that im gonna rip apart and street track just deciding on how to do it now.. have a nice cosy big shed to mess about in too.. is it wrong im looking forward to winter


A

Cuddlesworth

KamiKazi wrote: »

Yeah I was thinking about as I have glasses myself, I'll probably order one of these while I'm at it link.

Let us know how you get on with the heated grips

You will have the same problem unless the deflector is skin tight across the cheeks. The easiest way for the hot air to go is through the gap's between fabric and skin at the cheeks rather then the usual out and around. Which happens to be directly onto the glass's. I'm looking at contacts as a solution if it gets too cold.

KamiKazi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

You will have the same problem unless the deflector is skin tight across the cheeks. The easiest way for the hot air to go is through the gap's between fabric and skin at the cheeks rather then the usual out and around. Which happens to be directly onto the glass's. I'm looking at contacts as a solution if it gets too cold.

True, I had a helmet years ago that came with a breath deflector, and it was pretty firm all around your face so it was excellent and stopping those foggy situations :P

KamiKazi

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Fook yeah it did! Scared me to death too! Not so much hurting myself or ruining my bike. Would annoy me but would get over it... But injuring my GF is a definite no no!

Absolutely

Quint

My 2 cents:

• Hand Guards are better than heated grips. (hate those muff things though). I'd get hand guards before heated grips. Get both if you suffer bad. You can get heated gloves if you suffer really bad!
• Get contacts instead of glasses! You can get ones that you change once a month. Glasses problems over! (I wear glasses, pain in the hole on a bike)
• Neck warmers are excellent! Got one in 53 degrees north for a fiver and it's great!
• Don't bother your arse on anything heavier than a 125 2 stroke scrambler in ice/snow! Imagine even a slow speed fall - your bike falling from under you and sticking your foot onto more ice to keep it upright? Nasty! If you do chance, it wear all your safety gear, especially boots. On my old commute the road out of the estate was always bad, but once past that it was fine.

KamiKazi

Quint wrote: »

• Don't bother your arse on anything heavier than a 125 2 stroke scrambler in ice/snow! Imagine even a slow speed fall - your bike falling from under you and sticking your foot onto more ice to keep it upright? Nasty! If you do chance, it wear all your safety gear, especially boots. On my old commute the road out of the estate was always bad, but once past that it was fine.

My bike is a Super4, not too heavy but there's a bit of weight there.

KTRIC

I forgot about the grit and salt on the roads here

Best of luck lads.

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Bunch of nancies!

We live in Ireland not Iceland. Winter temperatures never really get that low here. Snow is rare and most black ice is eliminated by gritting.

Riding everyday all year round for seven years in stormy winds, rain, hail and even snow and I only had one minor slip(black ice).

Temperatures here are around 10'C no matter what month it is.

With a good warm jacket and gloves, and the essential neck warmer, winter riding aint an issue!

Pfft...fair weather riders!:P

Quint

View Profile wrote: »

Bunch of nancies!

We live in Ireland not Iceland. Winter temperatures never really get that low here. Snow is rare and most black ice is eliminated by gritting.

Riding everyday all year round for seven years in stormy winds, rain, hail and even snow and I only had one minor slip(black ice).

Temperatures here are around 10'C no matter what month it is.

With a good warm jacket and gloves, and the essential neck warmer, winter riding aint an issue!

Pfft...fair weather riders!:P

I live in dublin now and ice isn't a problem. But the next frosty day take your bike for a spin at about 7am up the mountains or down some backroads that aren't used much and are heavily shaded:D
Not everyone has a handy commute:cool:

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Actually with my old job I was often based in elsewhere around the country.
Leaving Dublin at 6am in the dark to drive to farms in the back arse of Mayo was entertaining.
Funnily enough the one spill on ice was just off Dorset St.

rameire

am a 365 day a year biker.
came off the bike earlier this year in the ice.
when it snowed i got snowed in, then work gave out so i crawled up to dublin and stayed in a hotel as i was too late for work and wasnt going home.
n78 to m9 to m7 to n7 to m50 south to leopardstown.
the worst part of the journey was the n7.

anyway
ive got bar muffs cost about a tenner on ebay.
also got heated grips that are warm in under 60 seconds and roasting in under 2 min.
they are the heated grips that are desigend for the bike though, maybe thats why sooo good.
together both work very well.

yogidc26

Just started riding and want to say out as long as i can but dont know if ill be able for the wind on the N11 coming up from wicklow, as long as there is no ice dont think the cold will be to bad just wear long jocks to keep everthing warm

seanybiker

Ill be riding me bike all year round again. Why have it lying up, balls to that. Never had any problems riding in icy weather. Few skids alright but that just reminds you you're alive

Dorsanty

seanybiker wrote: »

Few skids alright but that just reminds you you're alive

So long as it's not like last Feb. Snow and Ice all over the place. And I bought me current bike during it. To make matters worse there was a blizzard as I was trying to get her home (was in Wales and was heading to the ferry). That's the sort of 'oh sh1t oh sh1t don't drop her' that keeps you focused.

Still I've been a 365 biker since I started. Just need to keep working the smooth down shifts and nice balanced breaking. Oh and some good winter gloves.

Cushla

KamiKazi wrote: »

I'm also pondering about buying heated grips or handlebar mittens but can't decide which will be better for the winter. Any thoughts?

I'd a pair of oxford courier muffs / mittens on my old sv650s. They're def ugly looking but they are brilliant. I haven't had heated grips yet but I've heard some people moan that they do nothin to heat your finger tips.

mr chips

Have to admit I'm in two minds about riding through the winter - not cos of the cold, but because of all the salt on the roads that ends up all over my pride & joy and is impossible to wash out of every single nook & cranny. It was so bad last winter that even after hosing it down three times, I was still finding salt crystals days & even weeks later when undoing side panels etc - and of course the rust spots to go with it. I'm actually getting my entire frame chopped, lengthened, rebuilt, sand-blasted & resprayed (with coach paint this time) over the winter, as well as fitting a bigger engine, so no riding for me this winter anyway!

Couple of years ago I went for a Christmas charity run on what seemed to be a bright & clear day from the window of my house. However I was living fairly high up a hill, and once I got down onto the main road I was riding through freezing fog for about 30 miles. Brutal visibility and had to ride v slow, so it took me ages. Stopped to get fuel and when I went to open the fuel cap, I thought at first that the chrome was flaking away. Then I looked closer and saw it was loads of ice crystals that had condensed out of the air! It was all down the handlebars & forks too, all over the whole machine - then I looked down at myself and every seam and join in my bike gear was all sparkling silver with ice. You'd swear I was wearing spangles, I looked like the biker equivalent of Disco Stu. Oh yeah! :cool:

thehomeofDob

I'll be riding all year again. I had two slips on the ice last year - and I rode every single day. One was just outta the drive way in front of a load of kids that started laughing. Then one when another bike pulled into my "filter" lane without looking, I dropped the bike into on coming traffic. Your man was nice enough to pull out a bit to stop the traffic so I could get the bike up and running again.

I remember riding through the thick snow down the M50, was feckin loads of fun passing out cars stuck in huge lines of traffic on all the exits. I got home and looked like a snow man, epic stuff.

As far as the neck gator goes, don't get the one in the OP. It's really thick, and it's fleece. I had it and it doesn't work. Your best bet is one of the neoprene ones, they work brilliantly.

I'll be getting heated grips most likely as I can't find bar muffs for clip ons.

KamiKazi

Snow on the M50 :eek: I think I'd be calling sick that day

In other news, I think it almost time to take off my dark visor I'm halfway to work these days before it gets bright.

faceman

I will be biking any day that I can. I had heated grips installed a few weeks ago in preparation!

I wont be biking in snow/ice/heavy rain/wind though. Aside from ice, heavy wind is the biggest challenge!

EvilMonkey

KamiKazi wrote: »

Snow on the M50 :eek: I think I'd be calling sick that day

In other news, I think it almost time to take off my dark visor I'm halfway to work these days before it gets bright.

Yeah but you cant call in sick when your in work and at 4 o'clock the snow starts from nowhere with no roads gritted and the bike your only option to get home :eek:

KamiKazi

EvilMonkey wrote: »

Yeah but you cant call in sick when your in work and at 4 o'clock the snow starts from nowhere with no roads gritted and the bike your only option to get home :eek:

Yea thats true, but if that ever happens I'll be crawling home through the city center and not via the M50