HOW TO: Stay warm and dry on your bike

[xwhatsit]

The weather's getting nasty. It'll get better soon, but then it'll get really shit and all the poseur sprotsbikers will run home and get their wheatie-bags and we won't hear from them for a while.

So how do we, the rest of us hairy-chested smart-wristed real man bikers cope with the impending cage-weather-season?


Buy a scooter. No really! With the big silly screen like some of those Vespas. Complete weather protection, even better than a GSXR. You can keep riding in your suit and open-face that way.
Cordura. Cordura is not always completely waterproof, but it's the best thing in changeable Auckland weather.
Take the linings out of your cordura jacket and pants. `Why, I'll get cold!'. Wear a nice warm woollen cardigan underneath, then. The linings, when they get wet, make the jacket take far longer to dry making your life miserable the next day.
Wear long football socks underneath your normal trousers, pull them right up to your knees. Nobody can see, but your legs will be toasty warm, and that's important because they're bearing a lot of wind and weather.
If it's really dire, and your gloves just aren't cutting it, surgical gloves underneath do a lot for warmth. They're waterproof too, but so is your skin of course.
Work our which way you need to wear your gloves -- jacket on top, or gloves on top? If you have low clip-on bars, jacket on top. Otherwise when you stop for the lights the cold rain water will run down inside your glubs. Gloves on top if you have high bars.
I'm told heated grips are marvellous things. Alternatively, a number of adventure-riders tell me that those ugly hand-guard things are reasonably effective at blocking the wind and rain.
Boots are very important, they are responsible for a massive improvement in comfort. Make sure to put your cordura trou over the top of the boot; otherwise you'll have cold rainwater running down inside your boots when you stop.
Oil/wax the boots. They might leak. If it's lunatic weather and you're going to be riding for a few hours, put plastic bags over your boots. And bread-bags on your hands.
Scarf. Scarf is epic win. You can wear it around your neck like normal, or when it gets really cold you can wrap it around your lower face and chin as well. Plus it'll come in handy looking cool and picking up chicks when you change out of your gear.
Stand up every once in a while to get rid of that crotch-pool of water that collects around your nads. It'll eventually seep through and you'll look like you pissed yourself (but it'll be very cold).Please add your own suggestions (I know, I don't need to ask).

[sunhuntin]

i invested in rjays wet weather pants last year just before the burt munro challenge. they kept me dry in hail. just recently, i invested in a jacket also by rjays. keeping me dry so far.
all i need is some decent gloves... mine leak like buggery and i end up with numb fingers. my fingerless gloves are warmer than my full ones once they get wet.

i also have a neck scarf [skivvy neck cut out] and several other proper scarves, along with several pairs of thermal tops and bottoms.

seems its not only the men that ride in all weather. :sunny:

[xwhatsit]

seems its not only the men that ride in all weather. :sunny:

Ahhh, but do you have a hairy chest?

[Subike]

got an old woolen jersy somewhere that mom shrunk?
cut the arm off it, makes a really good neck tube and less bulk than a scarf.

Got caught miles from home, rigging cold,damb, .........
Put newspapers inside your jacket, will give added thermal protection from the cold.
If its raining, put the papers inside shopping bags, with the opening down.

Newspaper can also be rolled around your thighs as added insulation. And under you bum, where it will soak up that water that "pools" in the little hollows of buttoned cruzer seats.

$3 will buy you cheap knee high stockings, put them on under your socks, warmer than you might believe.

[sunhuntin]

Ahhh, but do you have a hairy chest?

why do you think i keep a razor in the shower? :innocent:

[Disco Dan]

The smallest of gaps/openings is worth thinking about as the effects are amplified considerably during bad weather.

For example - I do not normally buckle the very top of my jacket up as the leather pushes hard against my throat, but undone creates a small opening - this after minutes in heavy rain gives me a very wet t-shirt.

Boots- I wear a pair of jeans that I fold around my leg and insert into my boots, then cordura waterproof pants over the top. Always have dry feet. If very cold i'll wear two pairs of socks as the boots are not terribly warm.

Close the vents on your helmet! It takes a while to work in, but a damp helmet is not pleasant.

Long trips in the rain - pack a spare t-shirt, socks and undies in a plastic bag. You will appreciate the dry clothes if you do get wet. Also take two pairs of gloves, most 'waterproof' gloves still let in water and become saturated after several hours (some within minutes) giving your hands that 'clamy' feel.

Elastic bands over the glove-sleeve overlap really helps too.

[MIXONE]

I've got an old" Dry As A Bone" that I've had for years and it still keeps me dry and warm.Even in the S.I. West Coast rain.(and that's REAL rain)

[Disco Dan]

I've got an old" Dry As A Bone" that I've had for years and it still keeps me dry and warm.Even in the S.I. West Coast rain.(and that's REAL rain)

Real rain? Oh so how was England while you was there? :whistle:

[Swoop]

So how do we, the rest of us hairy-chested smart-wristed real man bikers cope with the impending cage-weather-season?

Buy a scooter.
I bloody near sprayed my drink over that one!
A scooter will get blown all over the road on my commute. Also, I would rather ride a Honda and be called ghey, that ride a scooter and confirm it.
A solid lump of metal is better in wet and windy conditions, thanks.

Scarf. Scarf is epic win. You can wear it around your neck like normal, or when it gets really cold you can wrap it around your lower face and chin as well. Plus it'll come in handy looking cool and picking up chicks when you change out of your gear.
A scarf will make you look like an unemployable student and also has ends that can get caught in places.
Buy a neck tube - preferably one of polyprop material. Bloody toasty and warm, plus packs away into a very small pocket.[/QUOTE]

[MIXONE]

Nah it doesn't rain in the UK does it?

[glice]

Im still a little wet after I got off the bike at 8 this morning. But that makes me tough.......Right?

[Luckylegs]

...and all the poseur sprotsbikers will run home and get their wheatie-bags and we won't hear from them for a while...

You might want to post this in the UNI forum, Ive never seen so much spare parking on symonds street (yesterday) at the hint of winters approach.

...twas sad !


For what its worth I ride a sprotsbike (well actually its a sport tourer I suppose, but I digress...) and I didnt run anywhere... Of course, Im leaving work early so I dont have to share the road with too many other motorists in this crap weather... ESPECIALLY THAT DAMM LIGHTNING :crybaby:

[Disco Dan]

Just thought i'd post these pictures of Chatham, England right now... thats my families home. Heck if I was living there still, I would be out there on my bike nipping up the shops and all sorts! :devil2:

Yes those first two are of the garden... dont get much bigger than that unless your living with the Queen.

[MIXONE]

Im still a little wet after I got off the bike at 8 this morning. But that makes me tough.......Right?

Yep until you dry out again and then you are just a mere mortal like the rest of us.

[Oakie]

I LOVE my heated handgrips. :love::love::love:

[glice]

Yep until you dry out again and then you are just a mere mortal like the rest of us.

crap, better run back outside for a bit:rolleyes:

[scumdog]

Got caught miles from home, rigging cold,damb, .........
Put newspapers inside your jacket, will give added thermal protection from the cold.
If its raining, put the papers inside shopping bags, with the opening down.
.

C'mon Subike, get with the 21st century man:p:lol:

Bubble-wrap is the new newspaper - water doesn't soak through it and cheap as chips - of course not so readliy available. (how many rolls of bubble-wrap have you seen sticking out of somebodys mail-bax??):devil2:

[nodrog]

....Please add your own suggestions (I know, I don't need to ask).

take the car, heaters rock!

[Subike]

C'mon Subike, get with the 21st century man:p:lol:

Bubble-wrap is the new newspaper - water doesn't soak through it and cheap as chips - of course not so readliy available. (how many rolls of bubble-wrap have you seen sticking out of somebodys mail-bax??):devil2:

OMG you suggesting I pilfer someone mail box!
lol
newspapers can be found everywhere, not so bubble wrap
I was suggesting this if you are caught out in the rain, not leaving from home

[madbikeboy]

Great post, and you had my attention until you started mocking Gixer riders. For being sensible and leaving our bikes at home. Where they're warm and dry... Ahem...

:rolleyes:

[xwhatsit]

You might want to post this in the UNI forum, Ive never seen so much spare parking on symonds street (yesterday) at the hint of winters approach.

...twas sad !


For what its worth I ride a sprotsbike (well actually its a sport tourer I suppose, but I digress...) and I didnt run anywhere... Of course, Im leaving work early so I dont have to share the road with too many other motorists in this crap weather... ESPECIALLY THAT DAMM LIGHTNING :crybaby:

That's because it's currently uni hols for a week! :apint:

If you learn how to tie a scarf properly, you don't have ends flying around all over the place. Those neck tubes (like wot GiJoe1313 has) look very warm, though. Only problem is you can't wear it with your normal clothes afterwards.

For the record, I am an unemployable student :pinch:

[Ixion]

Neck tube won't go with the Mk VIIIs

[Luckylegs]

That's because it's currently uni hols for a week!...

:Oops: ...Of course it is, sorry !


Although the (albeit embarassed) redneck in me still says...

Fookin Students !!!!

[glice]

cut a hole in the top of a beenie, tada neck tube :cool:

[xwhatsit]

Mk VIIIs

...?<tenchar>

[Hitcher]

Heated handgrips are marvelous! Scoff if ye must, but I reckon that in extreme conditions they make the difference between just being a bit moist and uncomfortable versus full on hypothermia.

I also recommend wearing layers of merino, particularly around one's torso. Rip the zip-in thermal liner out of your jacket. They're pretty useless anyway. Even if merino gets wet, it doesn't get cold

[xwhatsit]

Heated handgrips are marvelous! Scoff if ye must, but I reckon that in extreme conditions they make the difference between just being a bit moist and uncomfortable versus full on hypothermia.

I would, but they conflict with my essential essence (at least in a motorcycling context). DBD34s and Tritons aren't perhaps the best motorcycles for this kind of thing.

Who changed the title of the thread? HOWTO (http://tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/howtos.html) is perfectly cromulent.

[MyGSXF]

I used to wear plastic bags over my socks.. under my boots.. & dubbin'd my boots. That way, even when the rain did eventually soak through my boots, my socks & feet were still dry! Also helps to keep the cold wind off, even if it's not raining! :baby:

Now days I wear a pair of thin rubber over boots, & also bought a good set over over pants & jacket that are slightly padded. They keep me warm as well as dry! :2thumbsup

[sweetp]

If anyone could recomend ulta small (dimention) heated hand grips I would love it! I kept crashing my bike when I first got it till we worked out that the grips were to big for me to wrap my hands around and reach the levers. Also struggled to find winter gloves in ladies XS!

But the best (but uglist) part of my wet weather kit is my glove mittens. They are waterproof (kind of) and at least keep the vast majority of the rain away from my gloves. Picked them up at a tramping store.

I have to say I am lucky as work has a nice hot shower so I can at least defrost after my 35km commute.

[Coldrider]

If anyone could recomend ulta small (dimention) heated hand grips I would love it!
I fitted 'Daytona' hot grips and they are the same size as original grips, Oxford also make one that apperas to be the same (not their velco wrap around type).

[Bonez]

Para Rubber yellows, gumboots, over gloves with woolen clothing underneath.

[FilthyLuka]

take the car

Get out, don't let the door hit you on the arse.

How i stay warm? I just wear decent gear with warm clothes on underneath. I have had the problem of drenching the gloves at traffic lights, i have untill now just put up with it, will try jacket over gloves and see how it works tomorrow :-)

[chasio]

I bloody near sprayed my drink over that one!
A scooter will get blown all over the road on my commute. Also, I would rather ride a Honda and be called ghey, that ride a scooter and confirm it.
A solid lump of metal is better in wet and windy conditions, thanks.


Some scooters ARE solid lumps of metal. My Vespa GT200 is bloody great in crap weather, I reckon. I recall a lot of folks banging on about wind on the Harbour Bridge a coupla months back and I thought they were being a bit soft, to be honest.... :girlfight: She sailed through today as well.

Now, where did I put my mascara? :bleh:

[Swoop]

Some scooters ARE solid lumps of metal. My Vespa GT200 is bloody great in crap weather, I reckon.
My bad. I consider scooters as being "anything under 100cc".
Doh!

[Oakie]

Heated handgrips are marvelous! Scoff if ye must, but I reckon that in extreme conditions they make the difference between just being a bit moist and uncomfortable versus full on hypothermia.

Yep. Rode back to Ch from Greymouth 2 years ago in a downpour on a cold April day. Gloves were soaked after 1/2 an hour but the heated handgrips meant my hands, while wet, were warm all the way back. Just makes so much difference when your hands don't ache with the cold and you can actually feel what you touch. Their benefit is out of all proportion to the amount of body they protect.

[Magua]

With my gn125 came wet weather pants and a very large water proof jacket. Riding in the rain is fine, finding a place for the gear afterwards is my problem.

Not so sure about a scarf.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/member.php?u=1699

[homer]

me and a mate rode from ashy to near mespotamia, (sorry if the spelling is wrong) in the winter years ago .
The day was fine and sunny and just got cold at about 5 in the arvo , as it does .
the road shingle road was frozen hard the whole day and the shingle was actually the same as marbles on top of it .
i drop the trail bike after stopping on about 4 inches of solid ice , the bike wanted to carry on moving , mashing my finger between the break leaver and the handle bar .
way home we stoped at peel forest about 645pm and got fuel
Any ways , it was so cold we had to stop the bikes every 3 - 4 km get off ,actually keep a little throttle on to keep them running , then put the gloves on the end of the exhaust to actually warm them up .
you could put your hands on the motor anywhere and there was no heat ,
It took ages to warm the hands .
I ve never been so cold as that day

Even last winter i went to twizel , sunny and still -2 in the sun from tekapo to twizle . it was still warmer that day

[HungusMaximist]

Extra long dishwashing gloves.

Probably not the most comfortable but it sure works!

I remember also riding with a long scarf in Melbourne and it came loose on the freeway and start flapping everywhere in my face. It was a case of me not tying it on properly but after that incident I decided to ditch the scarf all together and get a neck tube/half face mask thing.

Farking dangerous if the scarf got caught in the chain or something....

[martybabe]

Now days I wear a pair of thin rubber over boots,

I have invented them in my head so many times over the years, can ya really get them? Tell me where Pleeaaase.I love my boots but there crap in adverse weather.Tell me :lol:

[MyGSXF]

I have invented them in my head so many times over the years, can ya really get them? Tell me where Pleeaaase.I love my boots but there crap in adverse weather.Tell me :lol:

yes, ya really can get them hon :yes: I got mine off Trademe.. for $7.00!! :Punk: & they are reeeeeeeeally good! :2thumbsup

try TM.. or ya local bike shop.. or one of the online shops sweets :niceone:

[avgas]

Piss inside your gear to keep warm.
Wait hang on thats something else.

[martybabe]

yes, ya really can get them hon :yes: I got mine off Trademe.. for $7.00!! :Punk: & they are really good! :2thumbsup

try TM.. or ya local bike shop.. or one of the online shops sweets :niceone:

Yay thanks,just for the really dumb amongst me, what am I actually searching for. Rubber over boots?
thin gumboots? kinky pvc nightwear for feet? Never mind I'll find em. thanks babe. :hug:

[MyGSXF]

Yay thanks,just for the really dumb amongst me, what am I actually searching for. Rubber over boots?
thin gumboots? kinky pvc nightwear for feet? Never mind I'll find em. thanks babe. :hug:

lols.. here's a pic of my over boots for ya, they are quite thin rubber boots.. :niceone: & also what happens if you DON'T wear plastic bags over top of ya bike boots in order to be able to get the little suckers on & off <_< had to wear that damn thaaang for nearly 4 bloody months!!! :crybaby:

[xwhatsit]

WTF?! Are you saying you broke your finger trying to get your overboots off?!

[MyGSXF]

WTF?! Are you saying you broke your finger trying to get your overboots off?!

lols.. kinda.. :shutup: the hospital called it a "mullet" finger. Tore the ligaments right out of the last joint.. imagine a very straight finger, with the last segment hanging down & not able to do anything with it.. it wasn't pretty.. :sick:

On the ACC form where it asks 'how did you injure yourself?'... I put "getting undressed".. :rofl:

[xwhatsit]

lols.. kinda.. :shutup: the hospital called it a "mullet" finger. Tore the ligaments right out of the last joint.. imagine a very straight finger, with the last segment hanging down & not able to do anything with it.. it wasn't pretty.. :sick:

On the ACC form where it asks 'how did you injure yourself?'... I put "getting undressed".. :rofl:

Awesome! That's a fantastic injury, if painful sounding.

I like those over-boots, although I'll see the dubbin stands up in the heavy rain first.

[yungatart]

Awesome! That's a fantastic injury, if painful sounding.

I like those over-boots, although I'll see the dubbin stands up in the heavy rain first.

Dubbin rots the stitching.
Try some beeswax,its awesome for waterproofing!

[MyGSXF]

Awesome! That's a fantastic injury, if painful sounding

I have never broken anything, so not sure how painful breaking a bone is :eek5: but this.. was the weirdest "feeling".. :crazy: wasn't a sharp pain.. but a bloody unusual one.. :baby: I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the time.. :lol:


I like those over-boots, although I'll see the dubbin stands up in the heavy rain first.

They are good.. even just to use in the cold.. without the rain.. they keep ya feet from freezing solid!! :cold:

[SDU]

I have overboots too, I always seem to forget to take them:blank: but they are so frinkin hard to get off & they the toes flap around while riding- I'm not surprised you did some serious damage trying to get them off J.

Would love heated grips but find they are bulky even the oxford ones:(

[Livvy]

Friggin good advice most of this. Like the extra long dishwashing gloves idea too, sounds smart enough and definitely worth it on a long run I reckon.

[MyGSXF]

but they are so frinkin hard to get off

Was as simple as putting plastic bags over my bike boots, before putting the over boots on chick!! :niceone: straight on & straight off! :2thumbsup

[martybabe]

On the ACC form where it asks 'how did you injure yourself?'... I put "getting undressed".. :rofl:


bwahaha. Not injured myself getting undressed yet but I'm sure it's on my 101 stupid things martybabe will do before he dies list :killingme

[Livvy]

bwahaha. Not injured myself getting undressed yet but I'm sure it's on my 101 stupid things martybabe will do before he dies list :killingme
Buy a bra. I swear they're the easiest things to injure yourself on out of clothing items. You could wrench a shoulder perhaps? I've never done it but I've seen people complain of similar things before! :D

[scumdog]

Dubbin rots the stitching.
Never had a problem with it - maybe it only rots cotton stitching?

Can't see it affecting nylon thread.

[martybabe]

Buy a bra. I swear they're the easiest things to injure yourself on out of clothing items. You could wrench a shoulder perhaps? I've never done it but I've seen people complain of similar things before! :D

There ya go,I distinctly remember getting twatted in the eye by the wifes bra strap now. I've not worn it since. :lol:

:Offtopic: Sorry