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[CrashCash]

The biggest thing to remember with cold weather commuting is block as much wind as you can

YES  I can't agree with this strongly enough. My hands are the hardest things to keep warm.

I put the "barkbusters" from my Suzuki V-Strom on my FJR and it made a HUGE difference in the performance of either electric gloves or standard warm gloves. Look at http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php?topic=3354.0

I have mine set up so it's one bolt to put them on.

[NoiseBoy]

Jersey is 9 miles by 5 miles but very busy and slow (40mph speed limit) so although I am rarely on the bike in winter for more than 30 mins at a time I do really suffer the cold especially in hands and feet.  Ex-cyclist with extremely low body fat is probably the reason.  Electric gloves are no good because it takes too long to plug and unplug.  I'm after ease of use more than anything.

I do have some nice Sidi boots with gore-tex and they are fantastic but they take forever to take on and off.  Dress for work is shirt and tie and I leave a suit jacket in the office.  I will have to see if I can find a one piece suit locally to try on I think as that looks like the best solution for keeping core temperature up but still being easy to get in and out of.

San Diego would work for me Doug if you can sort out the visa!

[PhreaK]

Given, where I live doesn't get near as cold as some of you guys (drops to 4 degrees C or so in Winter during the day), I tend to prefer layering things rather than something like the Aerostitch. This makes it a little simpler to adapt across seasons / weather changes, which we get a lot of. My only requirement with this is it all needs to be as lightweight / packable as possible. I don't have side cases or top box so anything I'm not wearing or need to stash (apart from jacket / helmet) has to fit in a backpack along with my normal work gear.

My main kit / selection is a combination of:
 - Alpinestars tech touring jacket (seriously, you could go scuba diving in this thing and stay dry)
 - Icon Basehawk jacket (for when it's a little dryer - zips up nice and high though so no need for neck warmers)
 - GoGo gear kevlar base layer pants w/ removable CE2 knee armour.
 - Outlier pants - awesome work pants. Made for cycling so super comfy to sit in. Also hydrophobic.
 - Mammot Goretex overpants for when it's really crappy weather (double as part of my trekking kit - designed to fit over boots without issue and have a high waste so makes a super waterproof seal with jacket over the top)
 - TCX X-Rap WP boots (non-power ranger styling means I can wear them throughout the day, but still fully armoured and waterproof)
 - Mammot merino mid layer (again, part of my trekking kit)
 - Icebreaker merino base layer

As with others, hands are always the part that sucks. I've promised myself that I'll be picking up a pair of heated glove inserts before next winter.

[Killroy]

I was bundled up today (40-50 degrees F) and I still got cold hands and feet today with winder gloves.

I have ridden in the winter before, but on a gas sport bike, so there was a little wind protection and a little heat from the engine.  On a gas bike, when you stop, you can heat your gloves and your hands by the engine.  Not with a electric bike. 

I'm contemplating warmer gloves, heated liners or handlebar muffs like HippoHands since the hands need the most fixing.

All have some drawbacks that I gather:
1. Warmer gloves- might not be warm enough for riding in 32 F to 45 F
2. Heated Liners or Gloves - expensive and you have to mess with plugging in the wire or recharging little batteries.
3. Handlebar muffs- harder to install, can be expensive, look funny, and highway speeds my push the muffs into the brake lever and handlebar buttons.

[Burton]

All have some drawbacks that I gather:
1. Warmer gloves- might not be warm enough for riding in 32 F to 45 F
2. Heated Liners or Gloves - expensive and you have to mess with plugging in the wire or recharging little batteries.
3. Handlebar muffs- harder to install, can be expensive, look funny, and highway speeds my push the muffs into the brake lever and handlebar buttons.

My first winter without hippo hands I rode down to 35 before realizing I needed to do something (I had Revit Phantoms on) I ordered heated grips and hippo hands and installed them on my sport bike. It was just enough for my hands not to freeze when the temps were above 25.

The next season I got battery powered gloves (T5's) and found without the HH I had to run the gloves on HIGH down to 30 degrees to stay warm but with hippo hands on they were on medium for the same temperature.

This year, since I have enough amps for nearly anything I want, I bought a pair of warm and safe gloves and they are great ... much better than the gerbings as far as build quality is concerned. It hasn't been cold enough yet so these have only seen temps down to 35 on medium again. My HH were replaced with a LVF Turret

I also wear a air-vantage heated kanetsu ... this only gets fully inflated when temps are 35 or lower or else I sweat going into work. It doesn't get plugged in less the temps are 32 and lower and with a heat troller as having it always on will make you sweat.

Gear (both on bike to block wind and on you) makes a huge difference. And the question you have to ask your self is not if it will work, because it will, and not if it will make your bike look silly, because it will, but how badly do you want to ride?

For the HH I will suggest you buy a 1" x 1/8" x 3' bar and create a bracket with it for each hand to keep the HH off your controls. It is dirt cheap, easy to work with, and works! Just form them to the inside of the hippo hands then mark where you need to install them, drill a hole in the HH and the bracket and you are good to go.

Here is my old ninja 250 (Rest in Pieces) with full winter gear on ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/71805301@N05/albums/72157629374581805 ... leg protection, massive touring shield, HH, heated grips, Heated Carbs, Airhawk 2 seat all kept me warm when riding it

[LeftieBiker]

   I currently do most of my Winter riding on an electric bicycle, but since I also have terrible circulation (Cardiovascular disease) and have ridden motorcycles in Winter when I was young (and will be doing so again, shortly!), I can offer a few tips.

   First, I third the suggestion for electric gloves. My experience is with lithium powered Venture heated gloves - older generation than the ones for sale now, but they still work. If your commute is less than an hour, battery gloves that will run at least 1 hour on High are much more convenient when riding than 12 volt versions. Just keep in mind that you will have to keep them charged both during the Winter (charging at work and at home) and at least once every two months over the Summer as well - the batteries have phantom drains from the BMS.

   Second, I also stress that you have to block the wind, both with a windshield and hand protectors (crucial!) on the bike, and covering virtually every millimeter of exposed skin. A good, thick balaclava is a must unless you have rubber skin, even though it may mean using a larger size helmet for Winter riding. You need a really tight knit to block the wind.

   Finally, and this is the only thing I haven't seen mentioned: pre-heat. Pre-heat as much of your clothing as you can, especially gloves and shoes, but also your pants and shirt if you can. I use an electric radiator for everything except my shoes, which I place over a hot air vent in the floor. I sometimes also use a ceramic heater set to Low (750 watts) if needed for the shoes, but that's a setup you have to watch like a hawk, even with the lower temp ceramic heating element. Preheating is so much more effective than just relying on the heating elements and your body heat to counter that initial blast of Cold!

[LeftieBiker]

"Electric gloves are no good because it takes too long to plug and unplug."

   Warm them on a radiator first. See my post above.

[Killroy]

   Warm them on a radiator first. See my post above.

My Zero does not have a radiator.

[Burton]

   Warm them on a radiator first. See my post above.

My Zero does not have a radiator.

He isn't saying the zero has a radiator or that his bike does either He is saying to preheat your gear with one before riding.

[Ashveratu]

I live in Maryland and make a 15 minute commute to work year round, unless it snows. Here is the list of my gear that keeps me in relative comfort and allows me to survive in temps down to about 20f. Once temps start hitting the teens, I wus out and drive.  (It's not the best gear out there, but it's what I happened to buy a few years ago and I have not needed to replace it yet)

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/oxford-handlebar-muffs-for-motorcycles


http://www.twistedthrottle.com/oxford-heaterz-premium-heated-grips-touring-style


http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/spidi-voyager-2-h2out-hi-viz-textile-jacket


http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/spidi-superstorm-h2out-pants


http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-web-gore-tex-boots

[Killroy]

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-web-gore-tex-boots

I have those boots and my feet have been getting cold at in the 40's F.  I have a nice Olympia 1 piece suit, so my legs seem warm enough.  I just got some wool socks and sock liners, but I think it was too much volume and the snug fit made it the insulation worse, so I am going to try the just the socks.

Based on the forums recommendation, I got some cheapo plastic hand guards and some some of the warmest Tourmaster Gloves coming.  If that does not work, I'm going to get some heated grips.  This time of year its in the 40's in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Silicon Valley.  It can dip into the high 30s and freezing is rare.  If the gear I bought is any good, I will share it.

[NoiseBoy]

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/spidi-superstorm-h2out-pants

These trousers look perfect for when I'm moonlighting as a stripper. I could climb off the bike and walk straight on stage!

[mrwilsn]

Pinlock shield is an absolute must when the temps get really low.  Even with pinlock my shield was starting to get fogged around the edges by the end of my 18 minute commute this morning with temps at 18deg F.  Having to put up your shield at a stop to defog lets in too much cold air.

But I can't really recommend that others are as crazy as me to ride in temps that low.  Ice can be lurking around and you can easily lose traction on a patch of salt even if the roads are bone dry.

[ctrlburn]

There is the "Zero Below Zero" Project further north of me in Duluth:

http://www.aerostich.com/blog/zero-below-zero/


Will an electric motorcycle work for everyday transportation all winter long in frozen Duluth Minnesota? We’re putting together a lightly winterized Zero FX, and some brave (or foolish) volunteers to find out. Subscribe at right for weekly updates by the test riders.

We're going to leave our Zero outside overnight, every night, and outside at work all day. No sleeping inside nice warm garages, so the battery will sometimes require an added experimental warmer during the coldest periods. It may get down to twenty five below zero on the very coldest nights. (NASA uses Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for deep-space and Mars exploration vehicles to keep it's batteries warm. These generate heat through the decay of a low-grade isotope. We don't have anything radioactive-warm available, so the small experimental 'electric blanket' wrap is going to do this job.) The battery warmer will connect to household current as will the Zero's battery recharging system. Other Zero modifications involve the tires, which will be equipped with about 500 special low-profile carbide tipped ice-studs, and the saddle and grips, which will be warmed by conventional resistance wiring.

Riders will also be evaluating Aerostich gloves, scarves, electric and fleece mid and base layers, and variety of helmets and boots. Also helmet anti-fog solutions. even at surface street commuting speeds the risk of frostbite in these temperatures is significant, so learning to dress quickly, easily and correctly will be essential. We are going to learn just how much of a pain-in-the-ass all the extra gear rigamarole becomes, and what it feels like to make it part of our routine. The test commute routes range between three and fifteen miles via surface streets through urban traffic grids and on some high speed two lane highways.

[Richard230]

ctrlburn, you guys are nuts.  But I am glad that someone is trying stuff like this and that it is not me.