As I sit here watching the rain come in sideways and the leaves literally fly off the trees, I figure I might just write about winter riding. Never mind that I am depressed about the lack of 70 and 80 degree days, riding in shirtsleeves, and working on my “biker’s tan”; I am instead trying to ignore the doomsayers who insist that this winter is going to be blizzards and snowdrifts. But, the rains are here, and it’s not exactly balmy in the mornings. For those of us who DO ride year-round, raingear is a necessary evil, and heated gear is always a good thing to have. I always carry an extra sweatshirt in my saddlebag year-round, but when the weather turns cold and the rains come, it’s time to load up the saddlebags.
Raingear: In the Pacific Northwest, raingear is something some of us have available, and sometime carry with us, almost all year. I have tried many types of raingear over the years, from the $39 vinyl to the two-piece PVC and Gore-Tex kind. The best thing I have found, however, is a one-piece insulated riding suit, made by FirstGear. This suit is fully waterproof (believe me, I know!), and the nice thing about a one-piece is, water cannot get in between the pants and jacket, plus it’s much easier to get on and off. My one-piece is warm---I’ve ridden in early mornings with the temp hovering 40 degrees, and under the suit I have jeans and a sweatshirt. In the colder weather I can put my heated jacket on underneath. This suit is zippered up the front and fully zippered on both legs so I can unzip from the bottom, but also from the top for access to my pockets. A “flap” of nylon secured by Velcro covers the zippers to keep the water from sneaking in. The price is reasonable for quality gear too…less than $200. I have a couple pair of waterproof gloves for winter riding; wet, cold fingers suck! One pair is also made by FirstGear; they were a bargain for cold weather gloves, about $40. I have since found out that model is no longer made (I’ve had mine for a couple of years), but the new ones are a little better and only about $70. My other pair is made by Harley-Davidson (OK-- made FOR them, but branded as H-D), and do a great job of keeping my hands dry, but they are not very warm.
Raingear: In the Pacific Northwest, raingear is something some of us have available, and sometime carry with us, almost all year. I have tried many types of raingear over the years, from the $39 vinyl to the two-piece PVC and Gore-Tex kind. The best thing I have found, however, is a one-piece insulated riding suit, made by FirstGear. This suit is fully waterproof (believe me, I know!), and the nice thing about a one-piece is, water cannot get in between the pants and jacket, plus it’s much easier to get on and off. My one-piece is warm---I’ve ridden in early mornings with the temp hovering 40 degrees, and under the suit I have jeans and a sweatshirt. In the colder weather I can put my heated jacket on underneath. This suit is zippered up the front and fully zippered on both legs so I can unzip from the bottom, but also from the top for access to my pockets. A “flap” of nylon secured by Velcro covers the zippers to keep the water from sneaking in. The price is reasonable for quality gear too…less than $200. I have a couple pair of waterproof gloves for winter riding; wet, cold fingers suck! One pair is also made by FirstGear; they were a bargain for cold weather gloves, about $40. I have since found out that model is no longer made (I’ve had mine for a couple of years), but the new ones are a little better and only about $70. My other pair is made by Harley-Davidson (OK-- made FOR them, but branded as H-D), and do a great job of keeping my hands dry, but they are not very warm.
In the rain, I do wear a full-face modular helmet made by Fulmer, about $160 or so. It’s lightweight (as much as a full face can be) and comfortable…which is quite a recommendation considering I HATE wearing full face helmets. I added a face shield insert made by Fog City (about $20) to keep the inside of the face shield from fogging up, and it works great! I no longer have to lift the shield if I’m stuck at a light; the shield stays nice and clear even in the heaviest rains.
Heated Gear: Gerbing makes the standard for heated gear; in fact, Gerbing makes Harley-Davidson’s heated gear for them. Gerbing’s world headquarters is in Olympia, Washington, and they run an outlet store from their location. They make jackets, vests, gloves, pants, even insoles! I use a pair of heated gloves ($170) and a jacket liner ($200). The gloves will plug into the sleeves of the jacket liner is, so both will run off the same power source on your scoot. The heated jacket liner allows me to wear a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt underneath, leaving me toasty but still having freedom of movement. I have ridden in bitter cold (the lowest was 18 degrees F), and while I was not “toasty” at that temp, I was comfortable. A sweatshirt or Under Armor thermal shirt help when it gets into the teens, but the heated gear allows me to ride longer with less fatigue.
In cold, dry weather, when I am not wearing a full-face helmet, I use a fleece neck warmer (unless I have my heated jacket on!), and a bandanna folded into a triangle to cover my face. Neoprene facemasks also work well for keeping frostbite at bay on those frigid days.
In cold, dry weather, when I am not wearing a full-face helmet, I use a fleece neck warmer (unless I have my heated jacket on!), and a bandanna folded into a triangle to cover my face. Neoprene facemasks also work well for keeping frostbite at bay on those frigid days.
If you’re thinking that all this gear costs some serious money, you’re right. But, riding in cold and/or wet weather is no fun if you are the one who’s cold and wet. In the Northwest, we can (and do) get rained on anytime of the year---spending a few bucks on appropriate riding gear makes all the difference. Just figure what you have spent on your scoot---a couple hundred bucks for gear is well worth the investment.