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Winter is coming

Traxx

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Joined
May 29, 2016
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Location
Ft Worth
First Name
Carl
I did the search and came up with nothing.
What gear is suggested for North Texas winters.
I currently have a bmw Boulder II jacket. Do I just layer up or will a better jacket be needed? Water proof may factor in.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
 
I ride mostly during the winter. Don't ride in the summer cause gear is too hot for this old man, especially in traffic, and I don't ride without it.

My gear for cold to cool weather is First Gear Kilomenjaro jacket, heated liner, full face helmet, ballistic over pants, good boots and unlined gauntlet track gloves big enough to get heated liners in. Have ridden in 9F temps at 80mph with this setup for long miles.

Of course, an individual's tolerance to the cold may not be the same as mine...

Oh, all of it is water proof. You get wet, no gear will keep you warm.
 
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Not sure where you are from but 20's and 30's are normal for DFW winters. Usually it's just in the 40's but the temps do dip down, especially in the mornings. Bout once every other year we get an ice storm, so watch the weather, lest you find yourself at work with a freezing rain storm going on. I run my electric gear when it gets down around freezing, but you really could get away with layering, especially if it's not a long ride. I find that adding heat with electric gear works well if you are on an extended ride.
 
It's not unusual to see mid 40s first thing in the morning and mid 70s that afternoon.
Taking a liner in and out is a ****, so I layer up.

Long sleeve Tee base
short sleeve Tee
button down shirt
zip up hoodie
then my normal riding jacket

Leggings base
jeans
riding pants

knee high thermal socks (and pack normal socks)
Boots
 
It's not unusual to see mid 40s first thing in the morning and mid 70s that afternoon.
Taking a liner in and out is a ****, so I layer up.

Put on liner, put on suit. Don't bother zipping it in. Works well. I have a stuff-it sack that the liner goes in so I can store it in my saddle bag for the blissful afternoon ride home..
 
Great stuff guys.
My tolerance is a no more than cart hart jeans a flannel or button up long sleeve and chore coat. Rainy weather the chore coat gets changed out for a oilskin drover. This is my first year of riding so I am not sure about what is needed.
My winter riding will be all for fun, between ft worth and the Ranchito for chores and hunting.
Keep the advice coming in and thanks.
 
Good advice here..from these folks....the only thing Id add is that a high quality wool WILL keep you warm, even if wet. But, you've gotta keep that wind off of it. :sun:
 
Mitch, I'm just using my Olympia stuff with the liners that came with them. Dunno.

Traxx, if I were you, I'd look into some of the stuff to layer up that's made out of thinner material. A good undergarment (long johns have come a long way if you look into the stuff out there now) and some kind of lightweight warm sweatshirt layer, like poly pro or something. You'll end up spending a little more money but will end up with thinner lightweight layers.

I suggest this to you because you can turn around and probably wear the same stuff under your hunting gear and get extra use out of it and stay warm on the bike or in the blind, or wherever you happen to be hunting.
 
... My winter riding will be all for fun, between ft worth and the Ranchito for chores and hunting. ...

Which means if the weather is crappy, go in the truck/car. There's no "honor" in being miserable, on a bike or otherwise.
 
Very true, Garfey. So right now I am looking into a over jacket/pant and layer up underneath.
What about gloves? Gauntlet winter type? I do have heated grips and bark buster storms.
 
You might look into Hippo Hands. I don't use them but many folks love them. You should be good with regular gloves with those. Hippo Hands and heated grips and they'll be roasty toasty.
 
Modular helmet
Balaklava under it when it's really cold
T-shirt
Regular shirt
Sedici mesh jacket with liner
Underwear
Pants
Sedici mesh pants with liner
One or two pair of socks
Hightop sneakers or work boots. Looking for proper riding boots.
Spartan leather gauntlets. They're about worn out. Will be looking for new soon.
Freeze Out (I think that's the brand) glove liners
 
And it's my hands that suffer the most. Especially my fingers. Really considering brush guards.
 
What about gloves?

For Christmas of 1980, my new bride surprised me with a set of lined leather gauntlet gloves.
I was POed she spent $100 on a pair of gloves, but I got over it the first time I used them.

Still have them both and they look and work great. :trust:
 
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Keeping my torso and legs warm is the easy part. I have a pair of Tourmaster jackets. My Flex III waist jacket covers a wide temperature range. As the temperature hits 50 and even toward 40, I wear a sweatshirt and/or fleece (or hoodie) under it. I also have a Tourmaster Saber coat length winter jacket. I've simply never been cold underneath it, and with panels zipped open, it can get me through moderate (up to mid 70s) afternoons without overheating.

For my legs, I zip the panels onto my Tourmaster pants. Rather than mess with bulky pant liners on cold days, I'll either wear long undies under my jeans, or pull my Coleman waterproof ducks over my Tourmasters.

Like others said, keeping the extremities warm is the harder part, and I've never quite mastered it. Full disclosure - I don't have heated gear, and that would certainly help. What goes a long way for me is wearing glove and sock liners under good gloves and wool blend socks. Watch for Cycle Gear's periodic sales; they're a good source of glove & sock liners, balaclavas, and long undergarments, and they're quite cheap when being sold as loss leaders. You mentioned gauntlet style gloves, and I prefer them to gloves that cinch around my wrists - but that's purely a personal preference.

One thing you just have to deal with is this: very few riders find a one-size-fits-all solution. Most of us end up with an assortment of jackets, pants, and gloves, plus a collection of layers, that we've worked out through trial and error.

As for the Boulder II jacket, you'll have to find out if it works for you. I've never looked at one in person, certainly never worn one. I did look at some online reviews, and they were less than enthusiastic about it in cold or wet weather.
 
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On the Boulder II it is not waterproof crept a little pocket on the inside. I'll let y'all know as the temps drop. In the 90s I don't notice it much when moving and start to sweat down when stopped.
Thanks again all
 
Speaking of long undies, SILK is warm, light, and un-bunchy, and it's cheap from Land's End (or was last time I bought a set). Also, a pair of silk glove liners are worth far more than their weight - insignificant - in gold for keeping fingers warm.

I have a long-sleeve "under" from Klim that's amazingly warm, and looks good enough to wear it "out." But, as you likely know, Klim don't give their stuff away!
 
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If you go gear shopping, there's no substitute for seeing it, feeling it, and trying it on in person. If you're an online shopper, check out Motorcyclegear.com's website. They're a family owned outfit in Lubbock. They personally test all the gear they sell and give their own impressions of it, be that good, bad, or ugly. They're also very helpful over the phone, and will help steer you toward the function you need, as well as proper fitment. I've heard similar good things about Revzilla.
 
North Texas winters????? WTH is that? Shorts and a Tshirt most days.... unless riding, then mesh and mesh.... LOL
 
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