What do I need for a long winter ride?

[DucatiGuy]

Hey Guys,

I need some help getting gear for a ride I am making this week. I am picking up a bike in VA and riding it up to MA or CT. I don't have any cold riding gear except for the basic stuff, so I wanted to know if the experts had any advice on must buy gear.

Since I am picking it up in a week or so, I'm not sure if I'll have time to buy anything online.

[Chippertheripper]

A truck, or a car and trailer.

Edit: maybe even a van.

[MattR302]

Layers top and bottom, warm gloves, warm socks, and a non-fogging visor. Balaclava for under the helmet and neck area is good too.
Heater gear helps too, but depending on the bike, could drain the battery. And you don't really want to rely too much on he heated gear, since if you have a problem with them on the road, you'll be freezing the rest of the ride.
Cabelas sells some battery powered heated gloves which I've heard good reviews on. Those heat pack things in the back of your gloves would help too.

[jasnmar]

Depends a bit on what you have...

I'm a leather guy, so I tend to go with heated liners. At a minimum I'd say a heated vest, and heated gloves. I've tried heated hand liners and hated them, so recommend heated gloves.

I have some "touring boots" that do a reasonably good job at keeping my feet warm. I also sit behind a huge fairing and my legs don't usually get cold. With heated gloves and a jacket liner under my leathers I can ride in 20 degree temperatures for about 3 hours before having to stop. In single digits I can ride for about an hour in the same setup. You will want a variable temp controller to manage the heated gear. Many people go with cheaper switches, but in my experience going from full on to off cuts riding time considerably.

My heated gear has mostly come from gerbing. The gloves that finally made me happy with a combination of comfort and heat I can't remember the manufacturer of, but if you need it let me know. nhbubba probably knows... I copied off him.

[butcher bergs]

Snowmobile gear. It's fricken 5° outside!

[reks95]

Heated jacket (liner) and heated gloves with a dual controller.
Balaclava under the helmet.
Pinlock, double-pane shield, or snowmobile helmet.
Double up on the socks and as many thin layers as fits comfortably under your normal gear.
Temperatures vary by up to 30 degrees between high and low.
Try to plan your trip around daytime between 10-3 when it is warmest.

Jansmar is thinking of warm & safe, which is also sold under First Gear branding now.
Their stuff is a solid value choice, but not as nice as the Gerbing stuff.

I commute all winter, but I honestly wouldn't do this.
Riding for an hour around town at 40mph is really no problem even as low as 15-20F.
Riding for 7-9 hours at highway speed will be quite uncomfortable.
Any weakness in your gear could leave you with patchy frostbite.
For example, that strip of cheek right under your eye that isn't covered by
the balaclava, but gets hit by the vent keeping your visor from fogging.
I'm also not comfortable going for that long in freezing conditions on roads I don't know well.

U-Haul rents Transit Vans now. I vote for that.

[jasnmar]

Yep. First gear carbon is what I ended up with. They seemed to offer more protection than the gerbing, but with enough heat to be comfortable. Thanks.

I agree, a trip from VA would probably be a 2 day trip for me. You'll need to hydrate and eat very often to give your body enough energy to warm itself (says a fat guy). Camel back full of hot water / tea / coffee would also be advantageous.

[Rambunctous]

What kind of bike did you get?

[DucatiGuy]

What kind of bike did you get?

Ducati 998

[Not Sure]

You'll need a mechanic for the valve adjustment, and a masseuse.

[Garandman]

Take a look at the long-term weather report. #1 equipment recommendation might be a UHaul trailer.

[golden chicken]

I rode my naked SV from Boston to DC and back a few years ago when it was in the low-mid 30s in New England. I had a full-face helmet, fleece balaclava (which I wore more like a scarf), Rev'It CR textile jacket, Columbia fleece jacket, UnderArmor Coldgear baselayers, Power Trip insulated leather gloves, Castle insulated textile pants, and Sidi Cobra boots. I also brought a pair of summer gauntlets for when the temps finally rose over 60.

I was stopping every 30 minutes or so for 5 minutes at a rest stop to thaw my hands and face, but I made it.

I strongly suggest seamless underwear.

[jasnmar]

Ohh. FFS, yeah... No wind protection. Turrible body position for a long distance ride. I'm a bit of a winter grinder (not like RandyO, but not unskilled) and I'd say get a trailer / van / truck.

I'd revise my estimate. Now I need 3 days.

[DucatiGuy]

I rode my naked SV from Boston to DC and back a few years ago when it was in the low-mid 30s in New England. I had a full-face helmet, fleece balaclava (which I wore more like a scarf), Rev'It CR textile jacket, Columbia fleece jacket, UnderArmor Coldgear baselayers, Power Trip insulated leather gloves, Castle insulated textile pants, and Sidi Cobra boots. I also brought a pair of summer gauntlets for when the temps finally rose over 60.

I was stopping every 30 minutes or so for 5 minutes at a rest stop to thaw my hands and face, but I made it.

I strongly suggest seamless underwear.

I was reading that and hoping you were going to say how easy it was.

I'm starting to second guess this, but I really don't have many other options at the moment.

[golden chicken]

It wasn't impossible. I just listened to my body (as opposed to risking hypothermia) and stopped as necessary. 30 degrees is about as cold as my non-heated gear allows, and zipping down the freeway didn't help.

I don't think I'd want to do that ride on a bike with clip-ons or one with sport bike tires. Sport bike tires really don't like temps under 45, so if the Duc has them, it might be riskier than if it has sport touring tires.

Looking at the forecast, if you left VA on Saturday and stayed overnight in like, Philly/NJ area and moseyed home mid-day Sunday, you'd be wet, but not terribly cold. After that you're kind of screwed as far as weather goes.

[butcher bergs]

I would definitely rethink my approach if I were in your shoes. I did a fly-n-buy for an FJR some years ago. 6 hours of riding in 40° was my learning experience.....didn't get any better in the fog.

Maybe ride as far as you can stand then rent a van for the rest of the trip. Either way, you are in for a world of pain in this type of cold if you think you're riding all the way back.

[Imbeek]

Trailer or van, begged borrowed or rented. Have you considered having it transported for you?

If you insist on riding, don't even consider it with any skin exposed, especially your neck or any part of your face or hands

[Rambunctous]

I rode all year in my twenties. Winterminter rat car or beer. I went with the beer.

[Dmitry]

998 is a fine bike but it's over a decade old (2002?) and they do need occasional maintenance, being a testastretta the motor is more reliable than 9*6, but still cams are driven by rubber bands, and they do get old with age. Unless you are sure that belts are new and tensioner bearings have been checked it's a big gamble to take. bent valves cost a whole lot more than rental van charges

[burnham]

I have a dainese two piece textile suit with liners, as well as a full gerbings suit with gloves and socks, and with a heat controller. Fits someone 6' 175 ish pounds. I'd sell it all for $750. Even with all that gear, I still wouldn't attempt that ride. You can do it (if the bike can run the heated gear) but it's going to suck.

[klp]

Freezing your ass off and being uncomfortable aside - do you really want winter road grime and salt all over your new Duc?

I bet you could have it shipped to you for less than $300.

[Dmitry]

If you hellbent on riding I would suggest one piece suit as the waist would be where the cold air gets in. I use crappy Tourmaster, rode from here to Deals Gap and back (it leaked) also 25ºF ride to Gettysburg, kept me warm.

Aside from fingers being cold and not really being able to move freely I recall the visor fogging up, and then my face freezing every time I cracked it open, now I use Pinlock.

Also Neck gaiter is a must!

[nhbubba]

Jasnmar rides a gold wing. Don't know if that was common knowledge. But those have fantastic wind/weather protection. You sit behind an immense fairing, behind the engine heads and side-mount radiators. There are vents in the back of the fairing that pass air vented from the radiators onto your thighs. There is virtually no wind from the road. Basically the polar opposite of a sport bike.

Heated gear is great. But don't forget you need the bike wired for it as well.

Firstgear Carbon is the heated glove jasnmar and I use. I bought a Tourmaster "touring" style glove at first and returned it straight away in exchange for the Carbon. The Carbon is more of a sport-bike style glove. The touring gloves are very thick, insulated and very difficult to work controls with. The Carbon glove gives up some insulation in favor of better dexterity for the controls.

There is nothing you can't do with layers. Back in the day I rode in 400 layers including wool base layers, wool sweaters and windproof outer layers. I have a couple pairs of Thinsulate branded gloves with so much insulation you can barely work the clutch lever. Electrics makes it soooooo much more comfortable and convenient.

I'm all for being a badass winter rider. But no fucking way are you catching me doing a multi-state interslab ride this time of year. Fuck that. Life is too short. Rent a truck/van/trailer.

[DucatiGuy]

I hear you guys. Luckily the shipper who was supposed to pick up the bike said he might be in VA. But if he can't get it, I'll have little choice but to go down.
Heated gloves would be great.

Belts and valves are fine on the bike. Fluids changed recently.

[TheIglu]

Rent a truck or trailer. Anything is else just a bad idea this time of year. You don't want to trash a bike like that with road crap in the middle of the winter, nevermind how little those tires will stick on sub zero pavement.