The Long Way Round Adventure Ride

[Eddieb]

a bit more vid

What happened at 4'30"?

[NordieBoy]

What happened at 4'30"?

Muslims are very religious...

[Shewolf]

What happened at 4'30"?

Olwyn looked at the ditch.

He was a bit sketchy for a spell there, luckily Claire wasn't too far away with the van. A bump to the noggin and a sore wrist but he rode the rest of the day.

[Fryin Finn]

I didn't read my roll chart properly and got a little lost (well a lot lost really) and ended up in this mysterious looking canyon. No harm done found my way back home. Great ride - shame about the cold and I really should have taken heed of the river crossing in the challenge section - I was wet for the next 200km.

[alane]

Was probably the biggest frost & the coldest night/day of the year for the central Nth. Is.

Anybody like to say what clothing & gear worked for them & what didnt.

i.E. anyone have electric vest or heated grips etc etc.

A balaclava would be important ,I would think?


Just Wondering.

Thanks for the reports/pics Guys.

[Shewolf]

funnily enough I've been googling heated clothing since

one more ride (MMMMM) to sort layers out before riding in Bolivia. I put my rain jacket on as the day cooled and it helped...a little. Rain gloves also worked really well keeping the wind off, you look a bit daft wearing rain gear on a beautiful day but hey - I'm all about function not form.

[Gremlin]

Anybody like to say what clothing & gear worked for them & what didnt.

i.E. anyone have electric vest or heated grips etc etc.

A balaclava would be important ,I would think?

BMW has factory grips, they could get a little warmer. The Hornet has Oxford Heated Grips, great quality. For the cold road rides I use a Rukka suit, which pretty much doesn't let anything through, but it costs a fortune. For more dual purpose rides I use a Revit Suit, which lets stuff through, but then the outer is mesh for hot days. Throw a cheap rain jacket over the top to block out wind and rain. The use of a balaclava is certainly good as it stops the wind from sapping heat from your exposed bits.

As for heated vest, I use an Exo2 StormRider. I wear it close to the core (normally 2 thin layers then it) so it's thermally very effective. Exo2 is definitely good quality, OEM for Triumph, was, maybe still is OEM for BMW. When you're riding a lot, staying warm isn't an option. You HAVE to inject more heat...

[bart]

Balaclava can stretch your helmet....well not really...but you know what I mean. When you stop using it in summer, the inside bits are compressed so helmet is loose on your noggin.

[Waipukbiker]

The balaclava I wear is very thin and it makes the helmet a bit harder to get on but its well worth it. Its important to make sure the bottom of the balaclava is tucked well down under the collar of the jacket, I normally put mine on prior to the jacket.
The 2 main requirments to staying warm, 1, Ensure that any heat generated by the body is trapped against the skin and this is done by good quality thermals, Marino is the best because wool dousnt loose its insulating qualities when its wet plus marino wool does not ich like any other wool. 2, Dont let the wind reach any part of your body, On the "Long way round" ride in Taupo I wore a thin windproof and showerproof tramping jacket over my bike jacket and I was warm and comfortable the whole way. It has elastic cuffs on the sleeves and a high collar which can be domed up tight against the balaclava. Its also thin enough to stuff into a big pocket when not required.

My hands suffered a bit because my hands are sensitive to the cold anyway. I will be getting a pair of handelbar gauntlets for winter riding from now on. These have been around for many years and were designed for farmers etc. The local Suzuki shop has them here for $45 and they are Vinyl on the outside and wool lined on the inside. Here is an example of another type. http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...gauntlets.aspx
These would allow you to wear a summer type glove so then you retain a better "feel" on the controls compared to a bulky winter glove.

Many years ago I was lucky enough to spend 2 summer seasons in Antarctica which included riding snowmobiles so wind chill was a major factor for survival and as long as the 2 points I mentioned above were followed, it wasnt an issue.

Cheers

[Eddieb]

My hands suffered a bit because my hands are sensitive to the cold anyway. I will be getting a pair of handelbar gauntlets for winter riding from now on. These have been around for many years and were designed for farmers etc. The local Suzuki shop has them here for $45 and they are Vinyl on the outside and wool lined on the inside. Here is an example of another type. http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...gauntlets.aspx

Before you get those go to RD1 and check out the ones they sell for quads. I use them on the DR, wool lined, really wind proof and a sort of waxed outer like the outdoor coats.

[dino3310]

Before you get those go to RD1 and check out the ones they sell for quads. I use them on the DR, wool lined, really wind proof and a sort of waxed outer like the outdoor coats.

was thinking about those myself... question: do ya hands slip out easy in an off?



sorry for the hijack

[Gremlin]

Balaclava can stretch your helmet....well not really...but you know what I mean. When you stop using it in summer, the inside bits are compressed so helmet is loose on your noggin.

Good point... I use a Revit Balaclava that is thin on the top so takes up very little helmet space then thick lower down to stop wind etc. Here: http://motomail.co.nz/estore/style/rebatrackerther.aspx

I think it's that one... a few are pretty similar... Only annoying thing over the old one is that the eye area isn't elastic so it's a bit loose which lets heat out and up onto the visor...

[Eddieb]

was thinking about those myself... question: do ya hands slip out easy in an off?



sorry for the hijack

Dunno, I haven't crash tested them but your hands come out easy enough while riding if needed.

[NordieBoy]

was thinking about those myself... question: do ya hands slip out easy in an off?



sorry for the hijack

They use them racing in muddy x-countries.

Try them on your bike first though, as the mirrors may get in the way of doing them up...

[bart]

They use them racing in muddy x-countries.

Try them on your bike first though, as the mirrors may get in the way of doing them up...

I've used them on farm bikes. Great on quads, but not for me for 2 wheels. When everything goes to custard, you need your hands and arms for protection. With hands trapped at the bars....head first. There are times you have to get well clear of the bike, real quick.

As for the balaclava, I had a very thin merino one. Still stuffed a helmet. Now I use a neck loop scarf thingy. Does almost as good a job.