It’s not a fashion thing. Standing naked at the window this past Saturday morning as the world begins to appear from the darkness I touch the glass as if that will supply any useful information beyond it’s cold outside. No new snow on the ground is a plus. But I don’t know what I should wear for my ride to work. As I startup the computer I jump into the shower. I didn’t feel like making a picture at the window so I used one taken the next morning by my friend Gordon Harkins that shows how things look when I am geared up for cold weather.
18 degrees Fahrenheit. I rely on Accuweather to point me towards the right gear selection. Still don’t know where I’m going but at that temperature I pretty much need everything if I want to stay warm. And I like being warm. And it’s a lot of stuff. Just think about what I put on for a cold morning ride — from the skin out:
- Underwear
- Polypropylene long underwear
- Cotton/wool blend shirt
- Blue jeans
- Wool sweater
- Windproof jacket
- Tourmaster Overpants with armor
- First Gear Kilimanjaro IV jacket with fleece and armor
- Lycra balaclava
- Ear plugs
- Electric gloves
- Heavy wool blend socks
- Boots
- Fulmer full-face helmet
I’m finally ready to ride but it’s a lot of stuff. It transforms you into a patient person or you put the scooter away in September and watch TV. It takes time to get ready and if you are going to commute daily and run errands in this kind of weather you better turn this gearing up into a ritual. One you can do with your eyes closed. Everything in its place. Or just get frustrated and go insane or freeze alongside the road because you forget some things.
I left the house with two plans; ride twelve miles at 60 MPH or so to see how I did in the cold, and then ride to Starbucks for something warm to drink. I rode down Route 45 towards Pennsylvania Furnace at a brisk pace and was pleased that I was pretty much airtight except for one small knife of air piercing the left side of my neck. I didn’t want to stop though so put up with it until I got off the road and headed up towards Tussey Mountain. Didn’t venture too far though once I realized that there were still quite a few deer hunters out in the woods. I did manage the above picture without taking off my gloves. Patience and being careful how my big gloved fingers were placed on the little camera meant I didn’t have any cold hands to deal with.
On across the valley towards Starbucks, another 10 miles or so away. I stopped in the middle of the valley to stand in the wind and feel how hard it was pushing me around. In my riding gear I felt I was protected from anything like an astronaut on the moon.
In the cold it is always nice to stop somewhere warm and have a snack. This morning is was Starbuck’s Signature Hot Chocolate and a warm roll with butter. Enjoyed driving both into me while reading the comics and making some notes for this post.
I made one more stop at the grocery store before heading home. I’ve gotten pretty good at estimating how much I can fit on the Vespa. A surprising amount fits under the seat or in the rear bag. Another big pile can be attached behind me with bungee cords and any delicate things hand on the purse hook. A real utilitarian vehicle.
Through trial and error I have come up with very similar outfits for cold weather riding. My commute only takes me about 15 minutes, so even If my gear is not the best, I figure I can stand it for a few minutes. Couple of questions though, If you don’t mind me asking. 1) how important is the armor ? And 2) what are the earplugs for?
cpa3485: I have fallen one time in the snow at a very slow speed without armor and I realized then how vulnerable elbows and knees are. They are hard and seem to bang the pavement first. So now I almost always wear armored clothes top and bottom.
I wear earplugs because I don’t like wind noise in general and because I want to keep my hearing intact so that I can continue to hear the birdies tweet…
I use the 32dB foam plugs that you can pick up at Lowe’s or Home Depot. They are the ones that contractors use to protect themselves from the wailing of table and circular saws.
With them in my ear I have a nice serene ride.
Steve, is that polypropolene long underwear Under Armour or something like it? I’ve been looking at buying something a little warmer.
Brent
My morning riding gear is very similar, although at times I feel like Ralphie’s little brother from “A Christmas Story.”
“I can’t put my arms down!”
(I put my arms down at work…)
I just couldn’t stand the polypropylene long underwear, so I don’t wear it, and my balaclava is not Lycra (another kinda fabric I could never suffer) but thick cotton now that’s cold, and pure silk for warmer but not-so-warm season.
Then, I wear a cotton t-shirt under my shirt.
I just don’t need electric gloves here in Italy but I like a good scarf to airtight my jacket at the neck. Unwanted air can be a real pain.
Riding in the cold is nice, after all, and these days I’m experiencing mostly riding in the rain; that’s why I’m still grateful to my girlfriend who gave me a pair of gloves with a rubber strip on the back of my left thumb to wipe my visor from rain drops. Great thing.
Earplugs are forbidden here, forget about them if you ever come to Italy!
Ale-
L’Insetto Scoppiettante
I want a picture of you stepping out of your long johns inside the store before you go shopping. Then stepping back into them after you’ve finished shopping. And people gathered round to watch.
Brent, Ale: Actually the long underwear is Patagonia Capilene 1. I call it poly but it is actually something different. Thin and light and very warm. I’ve not had silk but Kim has some and it is nice too. I buy it at a local outdoor store.
ScooterGuy40: I can barely get my arms through the sleeves of my First Gear jacket. And my range of motion is limited. I can’t scratch my back. Luckily for me I’m not the kind of person that freaks at being bound up like that…
conchscooter: I don’t take anything off. I shop as I ride. People will see me in the grocery store as this big, stupid looking guy in a yellow and black suit. The only thing I do to help explain why I look so stupid is I bring the helmet along. People do look and chuckle though.
thank you for leaving the picture of you looking out your window before showering…. I’m ok with seeing you suited up, rather than birthday-suited.
Good show!!
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I am lucky enough to live in Albuquerque, New Mexico where you can ride just about all the time. We have our cold whether too and you have to gear up for that but most days here are sunny and dry. Its been nearly 60 degrees the first week of December. But yeah in the mornings better bundle up here too. Interesting how a full face helmet, which can be a bit of a drag in the summertime is a lifesaver for keeping out the cold winds in the winter.
Dave
http://scooterschool-gnh.blogspot.com/
You know you sort of look like an astronaut on the moon too. We are impressed with your conviction to ride in winter weather. And also with how much you can carry on your Vespa. Really enjoy your blog
GNH: The forecast here for tomorrow says it may hit 60 degrees. A record for the beginning of the third week in December.
Heinz & Frenchie: I thought I was just a stylin scooter rider….
It’s not so much the cold that I worry about as it is the random patch of ice that I might encounter on a road. If not for the fear of slippery stuff I believe I’d be riding in all but sub-sub-zero temperatures.
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Came across your blog because I doing searches on heated gloves. Really enjoyed your comments. I live in Atlanta and we don’t get that many really bone chilling days but today I struck out for my daily commute in 18F weather this morning. My new winter gloves with “Anti-freeze” liners could not do the job. A few miles into my 48 mile commute and my fingers were freezing! Another 5 miles and it was like needles. A few more miles and I was loosing feeling in my fingers so I quickly pulled into the first exit and planted myself in McDonald’s for a cup of coffee! After 10 minutes inside I could finally feel my fingers and used my Blackberry to page my boss to let him know I would be working from home today!
I couldn’t do my nearly 50 mile commute on Atlanta freeways on a Vespa so I ride a BMW R1150RT but I can absolutely relate to your cold weather gear blog. My usual cold weather garb is a Tour-Master Cortec jacket with liner and convertible pants with liner, Joe Rocket boots and Cortech by Tour Master Scarab Winter Gloves with Anti-freeze liners.
The gloves are the week link! By my calculations they are good to some point between 20 and 25 degees F. After that, forget it. I don’t think you can find a “passive” insulated glove that can help you. Not and still be able to feel the grips and control the brake and clutch with any dexterity!
Thanks for the info. I think I will be looking into Gerbins very soon!
Rick in Atlanta
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