How to stay warm

ucandoit · Post by **ucandoit** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 6:40 pm

Was 36 degrees this morning (MN) and my hands froze as I rode to town. Am new to scootering and just beginning to get gear. How/what do riders wear to keep their body core warm and their hands, without losing the feel of the throttle and brakes?

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:06 pm

ucandoit wrote:Was 36 degrees this morning (MN) and my hands froze as I rode to town. Am new to scootering and just beginning to get gear. How/what do riders wear to keep their body core warm and their hands, without losing the feel of the throttle and brakes?

Layer layer layer.

Silk glove inserts.

Heated grips.

Lap blanket (or Prima Scooter Kilt).

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 8:22 pm

ucandoit wrote:Was 36 degrees this morning (MN)

Watch for frost on the road, even at temps that are "above freezing". Near-freezing moisture on the road can also reduce traction, so be careful on any pavement that looks wet (dark). Pavement with ice or snow on it... is trouble, because making a simple turn requires leaning, and leaning requires traction.

and my hands froze as I rode to town. Am new to scootering and just beginning to get gear. How/what do riders wear to keep their body core warm and their hands, without losing the feel of the throttle and brakes?

I wear a leather jacket with an insulated lining, and leather gloves over my armored gloves, which keep me comfortable enough in early/late winter.

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 9:17 pm

Better yet, move to Kalifornia where its 86 today.

I use grip warmers when it gets cold and they really help.

gr8dog · Post by **gr8dog** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 9:27 pm

Leather jacket with thinsulate liner, lined pants over my regular pants and snowmobile gloves.

ravenlore · Post by **ravenlore** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 9:30 pm

ucandoit wrote:Was 36 degrees this morning (MN) and my hands froze as I rode to town. Am new to scootering and just beginning to get gear. How/what do riders wear to keep their body core warm and their hands, without losing the feel of the throttle and brakes?

This morning I wore:

-A funnelneck fleece pullover with the neck zipped up under my
-GoGo Gear hoody
-my usual modular helmet (have not busted out the balaclava yet)
-River Road Ordeal gloves

I won a Termoscud a couple years ago, but i've never installed it. Nor have I thought about installing heated grips, because by the time it gets THAT cold, we've got snow on the ground, and that's a risk i just don't take. I'm not going to bet myself or my bike that there isn't a random patch of ice OR sand left by the salt trucks.

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:27 am

A windshield usually helps keep you warm. The windshield diverts the wind blast above your neck, which is sensitive to the cold.
They make big winter mitts that attach to your handlebar grips.

ucandoit · Post by **ucandoit** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 1:45 am

Thank you for all the info. Never would have imagined a scooter kilt. Am considering a windshield. Also, the warning about frost on the road is appreciated.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:37 pm

Any commute over 30 min then heated grips are amazing. I bought them for my motorcycle and haven't installed them yet.

The rest of the time I wear heavy jacket with underlayers top/bottom, heavy gloves, and a neck gaiter. I'd like to get heavier boots for the winter.

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 3:07 pm

+1 on the heated grips.

When it get really cold I usually just pee my pants to stay warm.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:05 pm

The chill factor and length of commute can make a big difference.

My wife does not ride below 40 degrees yet with if she rides on a calm day at 40 degrees, she is getting a chill factor of 26 @ 45 mph.

I have ridden just below 20 degrees and that is a chill factor of -2 @ 45 mph.

Short rides are one thing, then note the frostbite times show we could be in trouble if we rode beyond 30 minutes at those temps - again assuming it is a calm day.

Rhuebott5947 · Post by **Rhuebott5947** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:30 pm

Dewalt Camo Heated Jacket. Powered by a rechargeable Dewalt power pack the same ones that power their tools. Got mine for just under $200.00 on Amazon.com.

bluebessie · Post by **bluebessie** » Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:31 am

#1 thing for me is my Tucano Urbano muffs
http://www.urbanrider.co.uk/bike-access ... eight.html

Totally worth the price I paid for them. I've ridden in 30-40 degree weather with high winds with my summer gloves and it's fantastic. I do plan to find something to put on the break levers to keep the cold metal from touching me but otherwise I cannot complain at all. I'm sure if it gets really cold I'll need liners for my gloves but these are great.

Loved them too when it started to unexpectedly pour rain (when it was 40 degrees out). I was warm and covered all at once.

I layer with my jacket and have various boots appropriate for riding I can use. My legs are the last to get cold so I kind of just go with whatever. But the one thing I could not live with out are those muffs I linked to above.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:47 pm

Did you say 36 degrees was cold?

snoozy · Post by **snoozy** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:35 pm

bluebessie wrote:#1 thing for me is my Tucano Urbano muffs
http://www.urbanrider.co.uk/bike-access ... eight.html

Totally worth the price I paid for them. I've ridden in 30-40 degree weather with high winds with my summer gloves and it's fantastic. I do plan to find something to put on the break levers to keep the cold metal from touching me but otherwise I cannot complain at all. I'm sure if it gets really cold I'll need liners for my gloves but these are great.

Loved them too when it started to unexpectedly pour rain (when it was 40 degrees out). I was warm and covered all at once.

I layer with my jacket and have various boots appropriate for riding I can use. My legs are the last to get cold so I kind of just go with whatever. But the one thing I could not live with out are those muffs I linked to above.

What are the bar end weights for?

Yesterday it was clear, sunny and very cold, and I thought I'd go to Seattle and see what a cold weather ride was like. I had on a turtleneck, a flannel shirt, a thick fleece jacket, a Go-Go hoodie over that, and a hi viz vest. I also had on thermal longjohns. And a thick fleece scarf wrapped my neck and jaw up good. My core and neck and face were warm, but my arms and thighs got awfully cold. But my fingers! They were so insensate from cold when I got home that I had to wear my helmet into the house because they couldn't undo the strap snap.

Yalzin · Post by **Yalzin** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:27 pm

I wrote a blog post about this just last week for the Scooter Shop I work at

http://www.wickswheels.com/blog/?p=21

bluebessie · Post by **bluebessie** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:04 pm

snoozy wrote:
bluebessie wrote:#1 thing for me is my Tucano Urbano muffs
http://www.urbanrider.co.uk/bike-access ... eight.html

Totally worth the price I paid for them. I've ridden in 30-40 degree weather with high winds with my summer gloves and it's fantastic. I do plan to find something to put on the break levers to keep the cold metal from touching me but otherwise I cannot complain at all. I'm sure if it gets really cold I'll need liners for my gloves but these are great.

Loved them too when it started to unexpectedly pour rain (when it was 40 degrees out). I was warm and covered all at once.

I layer with my jacket and have various boots appropriate for riding I can use. My legs are the last to get cold so I kind of just go with whatever. But the one thing I could not live with out are those muffs I linked to above.
What are the bar end weights for?

Yesterday it was clear, sunny and very cold, and I thought I'd go to Seattle and see what a cold weather ride was like. I had on a turtleneck, a flannel shirt, a thick fleece jacket, a Go-Go hoodie over that, and a hi viz vest. I also had on thermal longjohns. And a thick fleece scarf wrapped my neck and jaw up good. My core and neck and face were warm, but my arms and thighs got awfully cold. But my fingers! They were so insensate from cold when I got home that I had to wear my helmet into the house because they couldn't undo the strap snap.

The bar end weights are for styles of bikes (scooters and motorcycles alike) that have a certain type of handlebar - like the Vespa GTS 300 has metal on the ends and they make a muff to fit that.

It's a cooler day again and had no issues going for a longer ride with my summer gloves still. I actually ordered from the site I linked to and it arrived from the UK in about 3 days.

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:53 pm

+1 on the:
-silk glove liners
-handlebar muffs
-lap cover
-windshield
-neck muff/warmer/balaclava
-smartwool socks
-thermal under layer/jacket lining

I, personally, am a big fan of Tucano Urbano for handlebar muffs and lap covers... esp the latter. They are heavy duty, warm, wind and water proof. They also run 100-150 plus shipping, but you get what you pay for. The muffs are pretty cheap... maybe 20-30.

If you ask me, you can layer all you want, but adding the wind chill of riding to freezing or near-freezing temps means that no matter how many layers you have on, the wind will get you (and so will water if the sun has run away) IMO keeping yourself wind and waterproof are the best things to try and do.

If you're looking for a lightweight water/windproof jacket to wear over your other stuff, I recommend the brand XeroXposure (sp?) It's reasonably priced and has excellent weather protection (I think they originally were a snowboarding gear company and have expanded). Find them at places like Kohl's or Sears.

srbbnd · Post by **srbbnd** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:27 am

Could someone recommend a pair of heated grips for the Stella? I was hoping to find some aesthetically pleasing ones with a metal switch.

evPocket · Post by **evPocket** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:16 pm

I just made my first 9 mile trip to school on the new Buddy and OH MY GOD my hands!! Following this thread closely because I have to drive on a stretch of road that hits 40mp for a little bit and that was brutal.
Other than that I wore, warm coat, zipped. Tshirt, sweatshirt, scarf wrapped around face/ears, jeans and I was good. I had gloves on but they are just wayyy too thin. Will look into silk liners.

Thermometer says 28 winter hit the day after I bought my scooter.

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 10:05 pm

evPocket wrote:I just made my first 9 mile trip to school on the new Buddy and OH MY GOD my hands!! Following this thread closely because I have to drive on a stretch of road that hits 40mp for a little bit and that was brutal.
Other than that I wore, warm coat, zipped. Tshirt, sweatshirt, scarf wrapped around face/ears, jeans and I was good. I had gloves on but they are just wayyy too thin. Will look into silk liners.

Thermometer says 28 winter hit the day after I bought my scooter.

Meet your new best friend.
http://scooter-wear.com/accessories/sco ... Gpw5_nF80x

bluebessie · Post by **bluebessie** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:28 am

evPocket wrote:I just made my first 9 mile trip to school on the new Buddy and OH MY GOD my hands!! Following this thread closely because I have to drive on a stretch of road that hits 40mp for a little bit and that was brutal.
Other than that I wore, warm coat, zipped. Tshirt, sweatshirt, scarf wrapped around face/ears, jeans and I was good. I had gloves on but they are just wayyy too thin. Will look into silk liners.

Thermometer says 28 winter hit the day after I bought my scooter.

Definitely check out the tucano urbano muffs. I have them on my scooter and have ridden in 20s now with no issues at all.

Even rode in the snow today (that was fun). Never need liners, but for the colder temps I did like my leather gloves a bit more than my summer gloves.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 3:27 am

I very much agree with the windshield recommendations.Cutting down the wind hitting you directly is a biggie.

Some will disagree due to "image" reasons but the warmest I have ever been while riding,sledding or doing any cold outdoor activity is wearing a one piece snowmobile suit.I simply have never been cold in the least.

Hope this helps a bit.

Tim

Neurotic-Hapi-Snak · Post by **Neurotic-Hapi-Snak** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 3:57 am

Although it may require this

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:34 pm

Neurotic-Hapi-Snak wrote:

Riding with your hands in your pockets instead will keep you warmer ... and safer.

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 9:01 pm

I keep it OEM and go with Honda part #232700-KM1-489. Fits all model years.

bluebessie · Post by **bluebessie** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:47 pm

BuddyLicious wrote:I very much agree with the windshield recommendations.Cutting down the wind hitting you directly is a biggie.

Some will disagree due to "image" reasons but the warmest I have ever been while riding,sledding or doing any cold outdoor activity is wearing a one piece snowmobile suit.I simply have never been cold in the least.

Hope this helps a bit.

Tim

For me it's been down jackets on top of everything else. It was 13 degrees when I rode last week and after that I decided to get an even longer down coat to cover my knees. Beyond that I was super warm everywhere else.

During night time though I'd rather be a little cold and just layer up under my riding jacket with reflective piping on it. Much safer than my darker down coats, but for daytime riding the down is amazingly warm.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 2:46 pm

I picked up the Scootr Logic handlebar mitts on Amazon. If I work up the nerve, I'll give 'em a try. Right now we've got a lot of wet leaves on the road, but if things clean up, I'll get on the road.

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:47 am

Base layers. I like Terramar and Columbia's Omni-Heat line. Moisture wicking is important.

The Corazzo Underhoody is great as well.

Leather is good at stopping wind, but not so great at locking out the cold air everywhere it can creep in. A really good technical textile jacket will do this better, IMHO.

My Rev'it has tons of adjustments and drawstrings and attachments to lock out air and water and it all works really well.

My gloves were a weak point riding in sub-freezing temps. Again, leather with silk liners. Just not (nearly) enough to lock out cold. They did okay in at-freezing temps riding slower, in city. (Chicago, not LA!) But on a long, high speed ride at colder temps, with wind whipping in, they were almost useless. Again, go for textile, good, warm lining like Thinsulate, drawstrings to keep out air.

And, finally, I got a helmet with a pinlock insert for anti-fogging and it's the best solution I've used. Keeps me from having to crack open the shield to de-fog.

In general, remember that circulation and blood flow are important to staying warm. Change positions occasionally. Flex your hands often. And if you need to, pull over and do jumping jacks on the side of the road. Please leave your gear on and make sure someone is there to get video.

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 1:51 pm

snoozy wrote: What are the bar end weights for?
.

Adding weight to the end of the bars helps reduce vibration to your hands

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:32 pm

The windshield and full face helmet are my most successful weapons against the cold.
The winsdhield keeps my core warm by directing the wind blast above my chest and neck.
Full face helmet keeps my face warm.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:00 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJyCV7omY0c

Everyone saying layers is spot on, and don't be afraid to invest in some specific ( and sometimes pricey) cold weather gear.

bluebessie · Post by **bluebessie** » Sat Nov 29, 2014 10:38 pm

PeteH wrote:I picked up the Scootr Logic handlebar mitts on Amazon. If I work up the nerve, I'll give 'em a try. Right now we've got a lot of wet leaves on the road, but if things clean up, I'll get on the road.

I'll be honest I bought those first and then returned them. I could have gotten them to work with some alterations but for the price it wasn't worth it to try. A lot of air got in and with the turn signals it just kind of didn't fit at all on the Buddy. I wanted to like them but...

KrispyKreme · Post by **KrispyKreme** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:32 am

wheelbender6 wrote:A windshield usually helps keep you warm. The windshield diverts the wind blast above your neck, which is sensitive to the cold.
They make big winter mitts that attach to your handlebar grips.

I

I would love to tear that off you. Mittens.

pugbuddy · Post by **pugbuddy** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 1:41 am

Hippo Hands! I've found nothing else that will keep my fingers from going numb in the cold.

Side note: the temp was in the mid-70s all weekend--high for Monday is 31.

"OOOOOOOOOOOklahoma!"

Modern Buddy

How to stay warm

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