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[NoiseBoy]

This is a bit of a wishy washy topic but I'm after tips and experiences of those that commute by Zero or other bike. I used to commute daily year round but I have been using the car for the past 18 months and will have to return to pure biking in January due to another office move.

This morning it took 10 minutes to leave by the time I had put on overtrousers, boots, coat, leather jacket, backpack,  neck thingy, helmet and gloves plus removing and putting away the bike cover. Unless the traffic is particularly bad it's actually quicker in the car.

How do you guys cope? I was thinking of streamlining by getting a warm touring jacket with goretex or similar so I can just leave a coat at work and ditch the neck thingy. I have a top box now so don't have to find somewhere to store my helmet. Storing gear in the office will also be a problem as i'm going from having my own office to hot desking with a small locker.

Has anyone found waterproof pants that can be stepped out of whilst wearing boots?

Any wisdom greatly appreciated!

[Richard230]

If you can afford one, an Aerostitch riding suit is the way to go.  Mostly waterproof, you can get one that fits over warm clothing, or buy an electrical jacket liner, and nothing is easier to get into or out of.  But they are expensive.  My daughter has been using her one-piece Aerostitch suit for 20 years and loves it.  Order one of their catalogs and check out all of the interesting things that they sell for committed motorcycle riders.   

[Doug S]

My method of coping is very simple: I live in San Diego.

Sorry if that's not gonna work for you but it's great for me.

[benswing]

Maybe go with long underwear if it doesn't make you too hot at work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Erasmo]

It all depends on the outside temperature and time spend in it. With a good jacket an trousers you almost never need to put on thermo and stuff unless it is 2+ hours or you're in near Artic temperatures. Saves you a lot of time when dressing.

Oh and heated grips or gloves are a must have.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I've been happy riding year-round in Firstgear's TPG line (goretex gear with strategic vents, works great up to 90F or so), but I hear that the Aerostitch lifestyle is amazing, since you just slip on the entire suit at once over whatever you need to wear at work.

[Burton]

I commuted in temps down to 10 F last year with 100% no plastics on the bike (less the tank of course)

I wired up a plug or two for my jacket / gloves and on really cold days I wore my rain outer layer to better block wind.

This year I plan on getting my Last vetter fairing on the bike before it gets really cold so I have it to block wind as it makes a huge difference in perceived temperature when you can fully block the wind.

[CrashCash]

I live in Florida, so I'm probably not allowed to talk here.

I have some First Gear riding pants with zips that come up to the hip. No model label on them except "Hypertek"

I also second the Aerostitch, as not only is it warm, but it's built to get in/out easily. It does require practice though.

I found Alpinestar "Drystar" gloves to be AWESOME cold weather gloves w/o bulk but the assholes discontinued them after ONE season.

Gerbing has improved their electric gloves quite a bit, but I haven't actually ridden with the new ones, just tried them on at AIMExpo.

I might end up riding the FJR a lot as it's got a full coverage fairing and a 1300cc space heater  :-/

[NoiseBoy]

Thanks for the ideas all. The aerostich suit looks like a good idea but I wouldn't want to pay $1200 for something I can't try on. I was hoping to avoid the expense of heated grips on the new SR and I bought some new very warm gloves but I think the heated grips may still be needed. I must have poor circulation in my hands or something because I really feel the cold these days.

Do you all wear full length motorcycle boots or are you riding in more casual footwear? Boots are one of the things that take longest to take on and off plus a lot of space needed to store them in the office.

[Richard230]

When it comes to keeping your hands warm, nothing beats electric gloves.  The ones that hook up to the bike's 12V on-board system work the best, but there are a number of gloves marketed to both motorcycle riders and skiers that use rechargeable Li batteries that are housed in the glove cuffs.  Also, you can buy electric motorcycle gloves and power them with a rechargeable 12V Li pocket battery for a couple of hours, provided that the batteries have a 12V port with a capacity of at least 10 amps.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

When it comes to keeping your hands warm, nothing beats electric gloves.  The ones that hook up to the bike's 12V on-board system work the best, but there are a number of gloves marketed to both motorcycle riders and skiers that use rechargeable Li batteries that are housed in the glove cuffs.  Also, you can buy electric motorcycle gloves and power them with a rechargeable 12V Li pocket battery for a couple of hours, provided that the batteries have a 12V port with a capacity of at least 10 amps.

Good point. I moved on to heated grips because someone posted a used add-on kit for my Zero, but prior to that, heated glove liners were the best. In my case, I had glove liners that were powered from the 12V socket which meant running a cord through my sleeves for a few months per year. Not the most convenient in that case, but I was riding between Seattle and Portland through the winter every week or two (3 hours each way).

[MotoRyder]

Don't know about your work attire, for working in the office environment there, however one thing not mentioned are boots that can be worn for cold weather motorcycling, and also fit in at the office.

I have a couple pairs of TCX Motorcycle boots, and really like them. 

A favorite pair is my TCX Urban WP motorcycle boots, which are very nice looking mid-height boots that can look good with slacks and dress shirts, and are quality built leather motorcycle boots that are sturdy and durable.  Their durability means they last a long time and provide good comfort while riding in colder temps.  I use mine for commuting during the winter in the greater-Seattle area where the temps can be in the low-40s to mid-50s, using them in the wet conditions that Seattle is known for, and they keep my feet both warm & dry.

If interested, you can find them here:  http://uniongaragenyc.com/shop/motorcycle-boots/tcx-chelsea-moto-boots
The sizing is European; my foot size is between 9 - 9 1/2 in American shoe sizes, and my TCX boots are size 43

[Burton]

The biggest thing to remember with cold weather commuting is block as much wind as you can. It seriously makes a huge difference. On my ninja 250 I made what I called "winter wings" which went from my knee down to my foot on both sides and I had a huge 19" touring shield and hippo hands installed. After my first season of winter I quickly realized the importance of these extras.

Now that said I commute at higher speeds than most likely do, around 75mph. On extremely cold days I dropped my speed down to reduce the wind heat-sucking effect I would get when riding. Outside of 100% heated gear and 100% wind blocking you are going to have some level of discomfort when it gets really cold. So long as it doesn't impair your ability to control the vehicle safely it is fine just deal with it.

I go with Gaerne G12's for my boot ... I went down in some really nice Sidi On-road boots and they got tore apart at the seams ... so I said no more, and went with MX boots. Without wind blocking my feat would get cold after an hour of riding in winter. So if you plan on going longer distances, even at slower speeds, you might want to look into heated socks or inserts.

[kingcharles]

Or try the Tucano Urbano Gaucho

[CrashCash]

Thanks for the ideas all. The aerostich suit looks like a good idea but I wouldn't want to pay $1200 for something I can't try on.

Yes, I had to wait 30+ years from when it was founded in the '80s until they finally did a Florida "pop-up" sale last February.(where they rent an empty store for a weekend at a mall) I sure as hell will never be anywhere near Minnesota, and I don't buy apparel online either.

Do you all wear full length motorcycle boots or are you riding in more casual footwear? Boots are one of the things that take longest to take on and off plus a lot of space needed to store them in the office.

Well, I have Aerostich Combat boots, which have the motocross style fast laces, so they take less than a minute to put on, or take off. Spread the opening, put foot in, pull up laces and slide down slider, then close and clip the fast-buckle.

This will be the first winter I've worn them so I don't know how they'll do.

Edit: they're made by Sidi for Aerostich, and Sidi is a top brand of MX boots.

Normally I wear highly ventilated high top sneaker boot things I got at Bass Pro Shops because I have a serious problem with sweaty feet. They cover a bit above the ankle and don't protect against crushing the feet/twisting the ankle. I haven't had any ankle injuries in my dozen or so crashes/drops over the decades.

However, the only time I have dropped my Zero was a couple months ago when I got off the bike and pivoted to swing my leg off. I didn't raise my heel, so my foot didn't pivot, however my knee did, and it went *pop* and I dropped like a rock. Fortunately the bike landed on top of me, so it was ok. People heal, but bike parts are expensive.

If I'd been wearing the Combat Boots, that wouldn't have happened.