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Many of us are winter riders. Of course, to our southern brethren, that just means nice weather! To those of us further north, it can mean a bit more challenge. Some of us are the hardy variety, and ride most every day, all winter long. Others of us pretty much hang it up, but let nice, sunny days entice us back out. Many more fall in the middle. Regardless of our preference or style, gear can be a real key to successful "off-season" riding.
Our "style" above will help define our gear needs, but time and distance also has a great deal to say about what's appropriate winter gear. For local area rides with temps down into the teens, I find that simply dressing wisely in layers and having good boots and gloves pretty much gets it done. This works for rides up to an hour and a half's duration and in the range of 60-90 miles. Of course, with warming breaks, we can extend this style into a nice, all-day ride. However, if you're into making miles and staying in the saddle, imo, you're in for an all-new experience. At similar temps and 2 - 3 hours of interstate speeds, what was tolerable at the end of an hour can now be entirely intolerable. Pain in the extremities, a reduced core temperature, and quite possibly hypothermia can set in. The message here is that if you've been one of the short jaunt winter riders and the "enablers of the MTF" coax you into longer winter distances, be aware that you will have to step up your gear considerably. There is a step function relating to temp, time and distance that many new winter rides don't well appreciate. Local winter rides just do not extrapolate well to distance riding. Failing to recognize this can lead to hypothermia being right around the corner. How do you recognize hypothermia? In my experience, one of the earliest indicators is that I simply cannot make timely decisions as needed. Things become confused. If you ever feel this, please stop! You're in no condition to deal with the myriad things that we deal with routinely on our rides.
So…, how do we avoid this situation. I think you will find that the vast majority of us move to electrically heated gear if we're going to be serious about cold weather riding. We are blessed with some wonderful suppliers and some wonderful electric gear. I routinely use gear from 3 different sources, so I don't have any supplier "axe to grind." For any serious cold weather ride, I use upper body heat, heated gloves, leg heat, and heated socks. Again there are a variety of ways of doing this. But, I wouldn't be without one of these items for a serious winter ride. We've all heard the vest is most important. The theory is that the vest heats the core, which in turn circulates warmth to our extremities. I can only say that often my extremities seemed totally unaware of this. The key, I think, is to dress for the ride. It's very difficult to adjust if you haven't properly prepared.
Even with electrics, I still find layering a very valuable concept. With electrics, I like a light, wicking layer beneath. This can wick moisture and it can also spread the heat a bit more evenly than the heated garment. I've even seen burns where an electric garment is worn directly over the skin without a layer underneath, especially if moisture finds its way in. Obviously, we still wear our riding jacket, the outer layer that is our "first line of defense" for many of riding's demands. In addition to this, I find an additional, wind-breaking layer between the jacket and the electric gear can greatly extend the effectiveness of the electric gear. This can be quite thin, so that bulk is not an issue, but it keeps the cold, penetrating breezes from creating cold spots in the garment.
As great as electric gear is, one of the better pieces of advice I've ever received is to carry extra gear on the assumption that your electric gear won't work. Today's gear is pretty reliable, especially if given appropriate care, but eventually……! Even if you bring extra gear for the "eventuality," there's a good chance that you will not be able to hold the same schedule as if your electrics were working. Flexibility and the ability to adjust are vital to winter riding. But, if all you've got is a thin riding jacket over electrics, your trip may well end short.
We all know that cold is bad, and we all know that wet is bad! But wet and cold can be the ultimate challenge. I think many of us have learned that true "dry" gear is often more of a goal than a reality. In warmer temps, a leak or two here or there, may be uncomfortable and aggravating, but in extreme temps it can be disabling. The thing that has worked for me is to never rely on or trust a single waterproof layer. By "doubling up," you're introducing a lower stressed layer that can really do its intended job. I've gone to gore-tex type fabrics for my outermost layer (jacket and riding pants), and I'll never go back. But, all of these outer layers have their limits, and winter can often find them. I mentioned layering as a strategy earlier in the article and the advantages of a wind break layer under the outer layer and over the electrics. If you make this layer a thin, gore-tex type layer, it can easily do both (stop wind and moisture), and I find this a real key to staying both very dry and very warm. Something as simple as Frogg-Toggs will do this job. I think we simply ask too much of our gear in winter conditions if we ask one item do it all. This is an "insurance policy" that, imo, pays great dividends!
Now all we've got to do is waterproof the extremities. There are many varieties of gore-tex type boots on the market, and I simply recommend that you find a pair that works for you and that has been 100% "battle tested" before you head out with them in the winter. Being wrong here will simply force you off the road before you wanted while you dry them over the room heater. One caution - be very wary of claims. I often read magazine articles on boots where the test is to put them in a bathtub of water, and the report often is that there was not a single drop of water after 3 hours, yada, yada.. My only comment is that if the bathtub has a water velocity of 70mph, perhaps then it's meaningful. If not, you're not going to find out until you're in a "frog-strangler" at interstate speeds and 33degrees that the stresses of riding are very different from standing a boot in a bathtub. For gloves, with all the stitching and fitting involved, I think it's extremely difficulty to make a truly waterproof glove. Even if accomplished, the concept of an 8-pound, water soaked, leather glove has never appealed to me. This is another area where I think an extra layer can make a world's difference. There are many coated nylon, mitt-type, over-gloves out there. I've got a personal (spock-type) preference, but I think if you want to be truly waterproof you should find one that works for you. In addition to keeping you dry, the extra layer will substantially expand the lower temperature range of your electric gloves.
What has all of this writing on gear got to do with safety? I find that when I'm warm and comfortable, I can give my full attention and concentration to the needs of riding safely. The other side of this coin is that when I'm distracted by issues of personal comfort, it's virtually impossible to do the same. To my way of thinking this is one of the real values of riding gear. I personally give this a higher priority than crash protection. As an example, in the hot summer I'd rather compromise a bit on crash protection with effective mesh gear that keeps me comfortable and at the "top of my game." I believe that comfort is an essential crash avoidance strategy.
Your riding may not require the "full Monty" of all this gear, and that's fine. But, what I find important is that you know your winter riding intentions and that you have a gear plan that supports what you want to do. Hopefully there will be a tip or two in here that will help in addressing a problem area for you.
Once we're fully dressed for the ride, our challenges have only begun but we'll have to save the balance for another article. STFJR (Safer Touring From Judicious Risk) suggests that we back it down a bit and recognize early all the gremlins that are peculiar to this time of year. Bottom line is enjoy the ride! Some of my most enjoyable rides have been in the dead of winter, and I hope too that some of yours have been or will be!
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