Cccccold

[Hitcher]

Mrs H and I went to New Plymouth for the weekend and returned yesterday via Eight Mile Junction, Taumarunui, Ohakune, Waiouru, Bulls. A great day -- typified by an almost total lack of wind, until (surprise, surprise) Waikanae. Until we got snarled up in ski traffic returning to Wellington we had the roads largely to ourselves.

However my motorcycling "first" from yesterday was getting really amazingly cold. I was nursing a head cold anyway (still got it, bugger) but got colder and colder as the day worn on, noticeably so from Otaki south.

Despite a long hot shower, it took several hours in bed with my thermals on (no prizes for disturbing mental pictures, it wasn't pretty) before I warmed up to something approaching "normal" levels.

One part of my anatomy that I have never been able to keep properly warm while riding in the cold is, dear readers, my nether regions. I was wondering if other riders have similar problems and, if so, whether they have found a satisfactory way of keeping said nethers temperate? Freeze-drying is best left to the experts -- Ah, McCain, you've done it again!

[jrandom]

Even the best of thermal gear won't provide *perfect* insulation. Isn't physics a bummer? Hence, on a long ride in the cold, one would expect your body temperature to eventually drop below the comfort zone no matter how long and woolly your undies.

Sounds like it's time for a 12V plug-in heated vest and trou, Mr Hitcher.

[moko]

As a Brit winter rider and therefore an expert on what "cold" really is rather than the Kiwi version here`s some tips for you.
Wear lots of layers rather than a single bulky layer of clothing.Make sure your feet and hands are kept as warm as possible,that`s where you`ll lose loads of body-heat,heated grips are worth their weight in gold.Wear something windproof over anything with a zip or buttons,riding in low temperatures you`ll find the cold will find all kinds of ways to get in.I`ve got a very light Canterbury showerproof top that I wear on top of everything else,bloody useless on it`s own but it`s windproof and you`d be amazed the difference it makes on a cold day.Unless you`ve got a sports bike off-road control protectors will keep the wind off of your hands,a major cause of cold for the above reasons,might look odd on a road bike but they do the job very well.If you feel cold find a place to stop and have a break,something to eat,coffee e.t.c.,make sure you take all your gear off else you`ll really suffer when you go outside again.If you`re cold your reactions will be slower,a recent Brit mag test showed their guinea pig rider affected almost as much by cold as by drink or tiredness,take it easy and relax,better to arrive 10 minutes late than not at all.As for your nether regions a lot of builders in Britain wear ladies tights in winter,whether male pride gets in the way of this little tip is up to the individual,you could even wear them under your thermals as another layer.

[pete376403]

I need a DC to DC converter, 12 v input, and about 24v / 5amp output so I can use an Air Force surplus flying suit I bought years ago. it has heating wires right through, including boot and glove liners, and hood. Its really old (there was a note in the box saying it was "repacked in 1950" or thereabouts) but it a good touring suit, lots of zipped pockets. Probably hopeless crash protection, though. With a few cans of waterproofing spray it only leaks a little bit.

[Mongoose]

Wear lots of layers rather than a single bulky layer of clothing.Make sure your feet and hands are kept as warm as possible,that`s where you`ll lose loads of body-heat,heated grips are worth their weight in gold.Wear something windproof over anything with a zip or buttons,riding in low temperatures you`ll find the cold will find all kinds of ways to get in.

Yep, coming from the deep south i agree with you Moko, layers rather than one piece of warm(ish) clothing and keep that damned wind ut. It is very sneakly stuff that wind, it gets in ANYWHERE there is the slightest gap.You may not feel it coming in either but at the same time it just saps warmth away from you.
Stopping and re-warming your gear up is good too. Find a place with a fire or exposed heater and turn the inside of your gear to the heat source, it does last quite a while before cooling off.

[vifferman]

I was wondering if other riders have similar problems and, if so, whether they have found a satisfactory way of keeping said nethers temperate?

It's not a factor of the airflow around your fairing, is it? I've now had 3 bikes with variously shaped fairings, and they all resulted in different parts of my anatomy getting cold. Both the VF500 (half-faired) and VFR tended to funnel air up my legs, and under the bottom of my jacket, and also this tended to make my crutch a little cool. I never went on long enough journeys to worry about it, but I think the secret would be not having anything too tight in the crutch. Maybe a woolly "peter-heater"?
Despite also being basically not much more than half-faired, the VTR offers pretty good wind protection, but directs most of the airflow directly at my chest, so I had to add an extra flap to the thermal liner of my jacket, as the liner has a gap about 75mm wide down the centre where the zips and flaps are, and no thermal layer. Now it's good. However, yesterday I neglected to do the top of the zip up properly after we had coffee in Warkworth, and had to undo the flaps and buttons on the move, then refasten them, and it took about 20 minutes to warm up again.

On vacation a couple of weeks ago, we went snowmobiling, and the snowmobiles had heated handgrips with 2 levels of heat. I used to think these were for wussies only (unless you lived/rode in very cold climes), but they were magic! However, the faster the Skidoo was going, the hotter they got, and as tail-end Charlie I spent a lot of time going flat out to catch up after photo ops, and had to switch them off because they got so warm!

[Hitcher]

There has to be a market for a thermal codpiece -- (Peter heater, as eloquently expressed above) should some inspired soul not have already created one!

[Mongoose]

There has to be a market for a thermal codpiece -- (Peter heater, as eloquently expressed above) should some inspired soul not have already created one!

Or if your leathers are not too tight, a piece of sheep skin(well dead and cured) glued to the inside of the crotch area helps, as with on the knees.(dont ask how I know )

[wkid_one]

Electric Nob Togs?? Fucked it I am going to ride in the wet with a 12v power supply connected to my twig and berries - you must be berko! Does anyone else see the recipe for disaster here?

[Hitcher]

Electric Nob Togs?? Fucked it I am going to ride in the wet with a 12v power supply connected to my twig and berries - you must be berko! Does anyone else see the recipe for disaster here?

I was hoping for something that was not only warm but which also tingled...

[Mongoose]

Electric Nob Togs?? Fucked it I am going to ride in the wet with a 12v power supply connected to my twig and berries - you must be berko! Does anyone else see the recipe for disaster here?

Hmmm, well, i dunno, there are probabley folk out there that would pay a lot of money for the *disaster* that you are so worried about.

[scumdog]

The "old" guys use to use newspaper down the front of their jacket to keep out the cold, I have used a torso shaped piece of 'bubble-wrap" for the same purpose - works well and doesn't get soggy if the rain seeps in.

[wkid_one]

The "old" guys use to use newspaper down the front of their jacket to keep out the cold, I have used a torso shaped piece of 'bubble-wrap" for the same purpose - works well and doesn't get soggy if the rain seeps in.

Plus the some added bonuses:

• When you crash, you have some 'extra' protection
• It also helps you lose weight by making you sweat like crazy.
• After you crash you have something to do waiting for the trailer to arrive - burst the little bubble pockets.
• If you ever need to mail a CD when you are on the bike - you don't need to buy one of those expensive bubble envelopes - a standard one will do as you have the bubble wrap covered.

[scumdog]

Plus the some added bonuses:

• When you crash, you have some 'extra' protection
• It also helps you lose weight by making you sweat like crazy.
• After you crash you have something to do waiting for the trailer to arrive - burst the little bubble pockets.
• If you ever need to mail a CD when you are on the bike - you don't need to buy one of those expensive bubble envelopes - a standard one will do as you have the bubble wrap covered.

HEEYYY!! You've been spying on me!

Also gets you funny looks at a rally when you walk past people "a-rustling and a-crackling' '

[AMPS]

It sounds like you wear leathers, try Oxford ChillOut under clothes. We've had rave reports from users. They have a waterproof/ breathable laminate similar to textile riding gear and have a windproof liner on the chest, arms and thighs. $104.00 each for tops and pants.
We can do mail order.
Lou