How cold is too cold?

How cold does it need to get before you decide it's too chilly to ride?

For me, 45°F, or 7°C, is getting as cold as I care for. If I had a pair of leather chaps, I could probably go a few degrees F colder comfortably. I have absolutely no desire to ride in freezing weather, or when there is snow on the ground - regardless of how clear the roads may be.

Never---dark/ice/wet can be dangerous. Get professional quality riding gear/rubber boots/proper mitts----you are into trikes, so falling down not factor.

Seems Givi adjustable windshield cuts down odd drafts and buffeting better than other windshields on SilverWing

I like feathers ---real cold feather vest as well as feather jacket----this covered by big rain jacket seems to work well....when it gets wet,too.

Chaps=joke for trailer bikers----I have pr of Stone Lake leather bibs, work pretty good, rain pants over when gets wet.Arthur Fullmer has new snowmachine pants. Might try them.

As far as the motorcycling world goes today----it is full of wimps and trailer bikers. Go to Daytona----winter trailer biker center!

Have made several mid winter coast to coast both solo and sidecar. Hondas start at last down to zero F, my Suzukis crap out at around 20F---I survived by taking battery out, warming in sink of hot water and away we go.

As long as the roads are clear and there isn't a chance of snow in the forecast or icing I will ride down into the teens. I do have full Tourmaster heated gear though (under-jacket, gloves, chaps, and insoles), Tourmaster textile jacket and pants (size XXL to wear over my heated gear, fleece pullover and base layer) and a tall windshield. I will also usually wear a balaclava under my helmet below 30 degrees. I rode all this winter, practically every workday, my 90 mile round trip commute and saved a bundle compared to the cost of taking my SUV (45mpg compared to 17mpg). I really needed the full heated gear in the mornings, but usually just the gloves in the afternoon when it reaches the 50s.

Jesse in Atlanta

We don't get snow here maybe once in a blue moon probably not that often, so I managed to ignore the weatherman after he said we might get some late at night and went out for a short ride to get out of the house it looked so nice outside. Managed to get about 5 miles from the house and you guessed it! It started snowing so I turned around and that was the scariest 5 miles I've ever rode, people in South East, Texas do not know how to drive in the snow. Plus my helmet does not have wipers so you have to wipe snow off as fast as it comes down, not something I would do on purpose. Just didn't have a choice at the time.

I'll second not doing the ice or possibility of ice. But anytime above freezing, I ride regardless of weather as my primary transportation. I wear mesh gear with good liner systems all year round (Tour Master jacket, First Gear pants). I wear a neck gator and heated gloves in winter. Always wear a full face helmet. Haven't yet been cold ever, even when the temp is down to the 30's or we get our strong winds. I won't ride colder than that because one frozen puddle can ruin your day.

Any weather I wouldn't take a walk in, I wouldn't ride in, unless I had a timetable to keep or no other choice.
But of course I'm a Floridian. We don't tolerate a lot of cold.
We are used to driving in wet weather though, but I have a car for that.

I am fortunate that most of my riding is recreational.
When I do go on long trips (a ride from Miami to Daytona for instance) I do what I have to do. I push on thru the rain/cold/both. I'm not afraid of them. I just don't embrace them either. I respect the demands of both and alter my riding accordingly.

for me its too cold to ride when "spit freezes before it hits the ground " LOL , I rode mostly all winter , but then again I don't even own a 4 wheeled vehicle ....

Winter is natures way of telling you to polish . ST

Sknrdtec, by polish do you mean,

to make smooth and glossy usually by friction : burnish. 2. : to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition. 3. : to bring to a highly developed, finished, ...

Or do you mean,

Polish may refer to: Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe. Polish language · Poles, people from Poland; Polish (chicken) · Polish cuisine ...
The Polish people, or Poles (Polish: Polacy [pɔˈlat͡sɨ]; singular masculine: Polak, feminine: Polka), are a nation and an ethnic group of predominantly West ...

If i can fin a good used rear wheel , I have a new 175 70 13 snow gripe DS ready to have it studded so i can use with my Trigg trike this winter.With all my snow mobil clothing and helmet ,all I need is a plug in for my heated visor and I am good to go.With my AF ,UK wind deflectors,and heated grips, I will be warm as toast.

tinman, a local shop has one and he wants $100 for it. It is in good shape but it needs a break disk.

With my Gerbings jacket liner and gloves I can stand to ride in pretty cold weather (prefer not but will) down to the lower 20F range. Seems funny that I didn't mind riding my snowmobile at -15F back in the late '60s but not any more. I've got a bad case of A. G. E.

I also have a bad case of A.G.E. but winter cabin fever can be worse . My Precious Is well equipped for cold wind buffeting and we do have some warmer -5C whether I could ride to go get my favourite Tim coffee some 45kl away taking the back road at a 60kl speed and a warm coffee when I get there.

I've tried riding in 40 degree weather just to see what it's like, and I can do it if I wear special gear and don't mind being miserable.

But then I realize, I OWN a car, with heated seats no less. Why be miserable just to prove I can ride in cold weather when I can just jump in my car and turn on the nut roaster?

So yeah, I don't ride below 50. Life is too short to freeze your legs off for no good reason.

My cutoff is 45 degrees. That's where my gloves stop working. I have Freeze-out glove liners from Cycle Gear, and Bilt Demon leather armored gloves. But any colder than 45, and my fingers start going numb.

The rest of me could stand much colder temps. My cold weather gear is a heavy fleece jacket worn under a Joe Rocket armored jacket with a waterproof jacket liner, and Bilt amored overpants with an inner quilted liner, and Freeze-out long johns. And two pair of socks under my mid thigh boots.

DuggleBogey wrote:

So yeah, I don't ride below 50. Life is too short to freeze your legs off for no good reason.

If I wouldn't ride below 50 degrees I mite have to take the battery tender off my car drive it a couple times a winter. Your only 45 living in Tennessee you should be able to ride all year down here.(it will get below 50) That takes the bragging rights away from living in Florida, hurricanes maybe but too cold no that may scare away tourists. And everyone knows we love tourists.

model28a wrote:

That takes the bragging rights away from living in Florida, hurricanes maybe but too cold no that may scare away tourists. And everyone knows we love tourists.

Especially with fava beans and a nice Chianti.

If its called tourist season, why can't we shoot them?

model28a wrote:

DuggleBogey wrote:

So yeah, I don't ride below 50. Life is too short to freeze your legs off for no good reason.

If I wouldn't ride below 50 degrees I mite have to take the battery tender off my car drive it a couple times a winter. Your only 45 living in Tennessee you should be able to ride all year down here.(it will get below 50) That takes the bragging rights away from living in Florida, hurricanes maybe but too cold no that may scare away tourists. And everyone knows we love tourists.

oh it was cold in TN this winter , not many joy rides , just trips to town when I had too , snowmobiling gloves and many layers of insulated hunting clothes helped some, but I had to make a few 18 degree jaunts that was just pure misery and borderline insane , 40 to 50 degree weather is a walk in the park , I have rode in hurricanes , tornados , blizzards, floods ,ice storms and various other acts of god in my 35 years of riding , andi will say the cold hurts more than it use too ..

How cold is too cold isn't just about who goes riding in winter with or without heated clothing. You should also be aware of the effects of wind chill riding in damp or wet gear, and be able to recognise the signs and symptoms for early stage hyperthermia in yourself and others.

Meldrew wrote:

How cold is too cold isn't just about who goes riding in winter with or without heated clothing. You should also be aware of the effects of wind chill riding in damp or wet gear, and be able to recognise the signs and symptoms for early stage hypothermia in yourself and others.

If you're suffering the early stages of hypothermia, or even just feeling the effects of the cold, then you are not devoting 100% of your attention to riding. Time to park the scooter, put your feet up in front of the fire and sip a hot beverage containing your favorite spirits.

When I lived in San Diego, I owned a motorcycle, but no car. I sometimes rode in miserable weather, not always by choice, when I should have either stayed home or took public transportation. Sunny Southern California? Yeah, except when it's cold & rainy...

As long as the weather forcast is decent and the roads aren't snow packed or icy I will ride down to about 20F. I have good insulated and armoured riding gear and can add more layers and a neck gaiter if needed. A little rain is no problem and I have ridden my route so many times I know each spot where water sometimes freezes on the road, so I slow down before I cross those spots. You just need to excercise a bit of extra caution.

Gyro wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

How cold is too cold isn't just about who goes riding in winter with or without heated clothing. You should also be aware of the effects of wind chill riding in damp or wet gear, and be able to recognise the signs and symptoms for early stage hypothermia in yourself and others.

If you're suffering the early stages of hypothermia, or even just feeling the effects of the cold, then you are not devoting 100% of your attention to riding. Time to park the scooter, put your feet up in front of the fire and sip a hot beverage containing your favorite spirits.

Rapid warming of your body core in front of a fire, and sipping hot drinks laced with alcohol aren't recommended ways to treat even mild hyperthermia.

Meldrew wrote:

Gyro wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

How cold is too cold isn't just about who goes riding in winter with or without heated clothing. You should also be aware of the effects of wind chill riding in damp or wet gear, and be able to recognise the signs and symptoms for early stage hypothermia in yourself and others.

If you're suffering the early stages of hypothermia, or even just feeling the effects of the cold, then you are not devoting 100% of your attention to riding. Time to park the scooter, put your feet up in front of the fire and sip a hot beverage containing your favorite spirits.

Rapid warming of your body core in front of a fire, and sipping hot drinks laced with alcohol aren't recommended ways to treat even mild hyperthermia.

I'm sorry. That's the biggest 'wink' emoticon the site has. I'll be sure to preface any future similar comments with CAUTION! This is not actual medical advice... for those who do not understand Yankee humor. (sheesh, WT*)

Humans are indeed a diverse and complicated species.

Gyro lad, it's bad enough Americans can't spell humour correctly, as for what Yankee humor is I've no idea.

To foreigners, a Yankee is an American

To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner,

To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner,

To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander,

To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter,

And in Vermont, a Yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast.... or still uses an outhouse!

EB White

As I mentioned previously:
Humans are indeed a diverse and complicated species.

but let me also add "uniquely" before the word "complicated".

Meldrew wrote:

Gyro lad, it's bad enough Americans can't spell humour correctly, as for what Yankee humor is I've no idea.

American humor is a lot like British humour, but funnier.

(btw: humour gets my spelling checker annoyed. It draws a red line under it and tries to respell it without the u.

Well this all depends:

If it is really cold I usually don't just wear a speedo if it is under 40 degrees F.
If it is under 40 degrees F I will then wear a scarf.

Pictures to follow !!!

Meldrew wrote:

Gyro lad, it's bad enough Americans can't spell humour correctly, as for what Yankee humor is I've no idea.

To foreigners, a Yankee is an American

To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner,

To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner,

To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander,

To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter,

And in Vermont, a Yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast.... or still uses an outhouse!

EB White

And the best Yankee of all is a screwdriver!


Gyro - Once we have finished teaching you Americans to speak English correctly, rather than talk American, we will start on the written word. You could do some Self Help in the meantime and learn which words should have a 'u' after an 'o'.
Cheers,

JeffR_
Please keep the pictures for your own viewing I'm not sure that anyone here would enjoy viewing them! It's bad enough just imagining the view much less seeing it, also most people would quite visiting the site after viewing them.

tarmacburner2 wrote:

And the best Yankee of all is a screwdriver!

A yankee is what a girl gives a man when she is inexperienced in handling his private parts.

So the man is the yankee and the girl is the yankor?

Its the opposite of a quickie

crahar wrote:

JeffR_
Please keep the pictures for your own viewing I'm not sure that anyone here would enjoy viewing them! It's bad enough just imagining the view much less seeing it, also most people would quite visiting the site after viewing them.

Oh Ok.... you guys just aren't any fun. Who wouldn't want to see a guy like me riding his SWing in a speedo and scarf.

JeffR_ wrote:

crahar wrote:

JeffR_
Please keep the pictures for your own viewing I'm not sure that anyone here would enjoy viewing them! It's bad enough just imagining the view much less seeing it, also most people would quite visiting the site after viewing them.

Oh Ok.... you guys just aren't any fun. Who wouldn't want to see a guy like me riding his SWing in a speedo and scarf.

There's a couple of parades I can think of where you would be welcome....

Gyro wrote:

There's a couple of parades I can think of where you would be welcome....

Like Key West?

model28a wrote:

Gyro wrote:

There's a couple of parades I can think of where you would be welcome....

Like Key West?

Dunno about Key West. I was thinking San Francisco.

here is a link to my pic:

www.guywearingspeedoonSwing.com

JeffR, you broke my browser and burnt my retinas. I sure hope everyone else has enough sense to not go there.

JeffR_ wrote:
crahar wrote:
JeffR_


Oh Ok.... you guys just aren't any fun. Who wouldn't want to see a guy like me riding his SWing in a speedo and scarf. Cool

Next thing we know he'll be doing time in jail for indecent exposure!
:lol!:

How cold is too cold- in the fall 10°c is too cold to ride but in early spring 10°c is a welcomed riding day to ride after a cold a snowy winter. Same temp but different ideals. Funny but true!

I wonder how many of you actually tried to use the fake link I posted.

Cold as such is not the problem here in the UK, it is the wet that usually seems to accompany it.... I reckon 10C is good riding temp as I can wear simple gear and just add.subtract layers as the day changes.

As long as the roads are clean, dry and no salt around to damage the alloy on the machinery, I will go down to 0C or less on a sunny day, heated grips/gloves are a must though and a heated vest is nice for more than a 30min run. The scoot is much better than a m'bike as the legs are so protected and I was happy to ride in wet and cold on the Swing!

As others have said, good riding gear is a must, the eedjits you see riding in a pair of jeans and trainers make me shudder.

I have been getting kick out of what wimps people in south US are on cold Live in MT, ND, MN, WI,Canada...that is cold.....FL,GA, TN aint cold.

Wet--Europe/UK can be very wet and cold in winter. Rode 20 years in thta weather.

Rubber over boots can keep feet dry and most important warm.

Probably warmest I have used----Aerostich one piece, feathers under, Barbour Wax jacket over---1966 Harley mitts-----early spring ride to North Cap in Norway. SilverWing not bad cold weather machine with Givi adjustable windshield.....but not good in fresh snow------best scooter in snow/ice/slush/mud---P series Vespa, my machine of choice for the Elephant rally, also for Stella Alpina rally in summer, where if you ride to the end, there is mud/rocks/snow/left over ice...ride slow and the Vespa went.

I think the real clue is professional quality riding gear, not mesh! I have had electric under stuff---no thanks...it stops working you freeze---this happened to me in Montery MX---south of TX, but I almost frooze to death, mid winter.

john grinsel wrote:

SilverWing not bad cold weather machine with Givi adjustable windshield.....but not good in fresh snow------best scooter in snow/ice/slush/mud---P series Vespa, my machine of choice for the Elephant rally, also for Stella Alpina rally in summer, where if you ride to the end, there is mud/rocks/snow/left over ice...ride slow and the Vespa went.

I think the real clue is professional quality riding gear, not mesh! I have had electric under stuff---no thanks...it stops working you freeze---this happened to me in Montery MX---south of TX, but I almost frooze to death, mid winter.

Vespa... Stella! Respect

Froozing to death sounds unpleasant indeed :D IKWYM about a reliance on technology, but it makes a ride pleasant as opposed something to just be suffered. I usually have proper thermal gear with me too.... just in case!

john grinsel wrote:

I have been getting kick out of what wimps people in south US are on cold Live in MT, ND, MN, WI,Canada...that is cold.....FL,GA, TN aint cold.

Wet--Europe/UK can be very wet and cold in winter. Rode 20 years in thta weather.

Rubber over boots can keep feet dry and most important warm.

Probably warmest I have used----Aerostich one piece, feathers under, Barbour Wax jacket over---1966 Harley mitts-----early spring ride to North Cap in Norway. SilverWing not bad cold weather machine with Givi adjustable windshield.....but not good in fresh snow------best scooter in snow/ice/slush/mud---P series Vespa, my machine of choice for the Elephant rally, also for Stella Alpina rally in summer, where if you ride to the end, there is mud/rocks/snow/left over ice...ride slow and the Vespa went.

I think the real clue is professional quality riding gear, not mesh! I have had electric under stuff---no thanks...it stops working you freeze---this happened to me in Montery MX---south of TX, but I almost frooze to death, mid winter.

You can claim that yours is bigger than mine, but until we whip them out and measure them, I ain't necessarily gonna believe you.

Ever see a documentary on chimpanzees where they go on and on about how smart chimps are, yadda-yadda, but when it starts to rain, the chimps just sit there in the open looking wet, cold & miserable. That's the biggest difference between humans and apes - apes are too stupid to get out of the weather...

I've been caught in the rain on a motorcycle, but I never deliberately left the house on a motorcycle when it was raining.

hotwings wrote:

How cold is too cold- in the fall 10°c is too cold to ride but in early spring 10°c is a welcomed riding day to ride after a cold a snowy winter. Same temp but different ideals. Funny but true!

Funny you should say this. Last night I told a friend I don't like cool nights in the fall as they tell me cold is coming. But I love cool nights is the spring because I know in a few weeks it will be hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk.

If the topic has now moved from cold to rain, riding in the wet is just part of the game. As long as you've invested in good rain gear, preferably in a breathable fabric you'll be fine.

Last summer I remember posting on here about a ride from Mühlhausen in Eastern Germany to the ferry port in Rotterdam in heavy rain with just a rain jacket over my summer riding suit. I didn't bother with the rain pants or gloves because the combination of autobahn speeds, Airflow, and leg wind deflectors was very effective at keeping the worst of the rain off. I actually enjoyed the ride which was about 330 miles from hotel to ferry.

Not all wet rides are like that or enjoyable, I was in Northern Ireland on a 650 Burgman about six months before I bought my Silver Wing and it started raining a couple of hours after I got off the ferry. Then almost continuously for the next three days. The fine rain droplets over there stick to your visor like **** to a blanket! (and yes I treated my visor and screen with Rain-X, and it doesn't work.) The Burgman doesn't have as good wet weather protection as the Silver Wing either, and those big mirrors channel raindrops down into the footwell. Moisture even misted up the inside of one of the Burgmans headlights and took months to clear.

I went for a 250klm ride last evening. I took the long way to my brothers cabin (150klm) and enjoyed the day time ride at a balmy 23°C. I stopped and visited a while at the cabin then left as darkness was setting in. I had to travel a 100 klm to home. The temperature had dropped to 14°C in some of the valleys but would rise to a welcomed 17° on the hills. I was only wearing thin jeans and a light shirt and jacket. As darkness set in i felt myself hugging closer to the Swing trying to tuck my legs in as far as i could. I finally made it home feeling like i was in the final stages of hypothermia . As i rode i was thinking about previously reading this post and thinking this ride is toooo cold for me! I know some of you guys ride in -15°C in a raging blizzard on an icy road in only a T shirt and a thong, but not this guy

14 C Is good riding weather here with my UK wind deflectors.I always carry a pair of wind pants and a hood y and 3 finger winter mitts .The temperature changes fast when the sun goes down. Don't wary grass hopper it's a lesson learn.