Winter Tips and Tricks

[high_tower]

I'm fairly new to biking and especially new to winter commuting. was hoping i could get a thread going on the do's, dont's and the you might want to give it a go.

first thing i've learned - decent winter bike kit is essential. no half measures will work. good gloves, good trousers and jacket and a decent buff

second thing- corrosion supressant (acf 50, fs 365)

third thing - ride on tip toes, the bike slides whenever your not smooth

[twodear]

Heated hand grips are nice to keep the mitts warm, if you don't have them already.

A heated seat pad. You'll almost feel guilty for being so comfortable when the weather is miserable.

[Harry]

Oxford muffs - though it's hardly been cold enough to get them out of the box this year.

Fogcity stick-ons beats cliplock visor inserts or fancy sprays.

'wee willie' finger wiper blade - works for me.

ride easy, stay safe.

harry.

[Ruffy]

I agree with you harry about the fog city but not so sure about the finger wipes though,and also don't skimp on your choice of clothes and gloves coz you'll only regret buying cheap stuff in the end.I think a trip to Hein Gericke beckons!

[Harry]

There's a good HG in Northampton. How close are you?

[Adski]

I've got myself a Kwak KL600...now if I could only get used to kick starting the motherf'er.
Roads are very greasy this time of year thanks to salt and lots of moisture coating everything - so be extra careful. Of course it does mean that getting the rear wheel spinning up while overtaking happens more regularly...which is a good thing in my book.

[BockingBandit]

Keep out the draft and you'll keep warm. Mostly via the 'neck', so neckwarmers that go up inside your helmet and extra velcro around the neck fastners of your Cordura Jacket. Muff's stop the drafts going up your sleeves and allows you to wear sensible gloves.
A lot of 'Slippery Surface' worries,.. where you feel that your bike is just not 'handling', .. are more to do with the rider being stiff and immobile from the cold and less to do with mechanical tyre grip. Keep warm and dry and relax. It's more essential to be smooth in Winter than Summer.
Never panic,.. if you think you've 'out-braked' yourself, or entered a corner too quickly for the wet road surface, .... 99 times out of a 100,... the bike will still make it,... Never Panic, .. you've got more grip than you think.

[bigblackfalco]

Keep out the draft and you'll keep warm. Mostly via the 'neck', so neckwarmers that go up inside your helmet and extra velcro around the neck fastners of your Cordura Jacket. Muff's stop the drafts going up your sleeves and allows you to wear sensible gloves.
A lot of 'Slippery Surface' worries,.. where you feel that your bike is just not 'handling', .. are more to do with the rider being stiff and immobile from the cold and less to do with mechanical tyre grip. Keep warm and dry and relax. It's more essential to be smooth in Winter than Summer.
Never panic,.. if you think you've 'out-braked' yourself, or entered a corner too quickly for the wet road surface, .... 99 times out of a 100,... the bike will still make it,... Never Panic, .. you've got more grip than you think.

I'll ditto all that.It's so important to really plan ahead in winter riding conditions.Ride very progressively ....no harsh throttle , no harsh brakes, smooth and well thought out gear changes.Always leave more gap between you and the next vechile in front.
Ensure that you have plenty of tread on your tyres and change them early rather than later as you need lots of tread to clear water from the contact patch.Check tyre pressure at least once a week......maybe up to daily if the temperature fluctuates.A few psi pressure imbalance will give poor bike handling and may even induce a slide.

My tips:
Heated grips with muffs....yeah it looks crap but your hands stay warm !

Thinner gloves....you'll find it's easier to 'read' the bike and controls.Only use heavy gloves when in extremes of cold when you are in the countryside.

A taller wider screen.....you can always change back when the weather is warmer.

Use lots of layers of clothing.Merino wool is an excellent base layer.Always try to maintain an air gap between outer garments and insulating layers as this is what keeps you warm.If your layers are too tight, the cold will be transmitted more easily....think of cavity walls and double glazing!

The Hein Gericke winter jackets with extra wrap around neck piece are a god send.......they keep everything out...wind, rain, and snow.

Don't try and be a hero....if you are freezing cold and are feeling crap....pull over at a service area get a hot drink and warm up a bit.


Bailey.

[Jason M]

Yep - all that..

and put your gloves on the pots when you fill with petrol. and don't be afraid to grab the pots at traffic lights etc if your hands are cold - there is a big heater just underneath you And always jacket over gloves. When I'm going a long way I'll wear those diesel plastic gloves under the others cos the gloves will always pack in eventually, even if that isn't for 100's of miles of rain, and putting a shiny plastic pair of gloves on first makes getting wet gloves on a whole lot easier.

Lights too - better bulbs and keep them clean

[cc mac]

I put my visor wiper on my thumb. They cut off the blood too easily when used on a finger. Hein Gericke Shoeller kidney belt helps keep your core warm, and Cold Killers neck/chest warmer, windproof if slightly bulky. I have a BMW Sport Integral helmet but haven't found the ideal visor misting solution. The visor curves both ways so I can't fit a Fog City.

[RiceBurner]

NEVER* touch your visor with your gloves.

use a polish (i use PLEDGE furniture polish) before each ride to ensure that any water will slide off.







* for a given value of "EVER" sometimes it's necessary, but hold off from doing it for as long as yo possibly can - a wiped visor will smear up FAR worse, FAR quicker after the wipe.