After being a fair weather rider for years, it looks like I'm going to be commuting by bike through the winter. I've recently moved to a village and my daily commute consists of a 20 min ride to the train station. After a couple of cold damp morning I'm thinking I need to get some decent kit, any recommendations?
I'd normally go for treated leather jeans and textile jacket, but as you're commuting the jeans would have to be re-thought. Something like this 1-piece winter oversuit might be ideal, just whip it off when you get to the station.
The best bit of winter kit I ever owned were Daytona Roadstar GTX boots. Warm and waterproof and comfy. Literally as waterproof as wellies. In any condition.
I ride during winter. A few years ago I kitted myself out with a Gerbing heated jacket (goes under my leathers) and heated gloves that plug into the sleeves of my heated jacket. I connect them via a temperature controller that enables me to adjust the heating in jacket & gloves independently & the result is superb. Having tried heated grips,my own preference is the heated gloves with even heat distribution around all fingers, palm & back of the hand. There are other manufacturers of heated clothing, I've stuck with the Gerbing kit because it has worked so well for me.
The MCN guy Andy had an interesting 1 piece kit yesterday, like a boiler suit, reckon you could wear a suit under that
I use the El Nino Alpinestars one piece rain suit, which annoyingly is bollox if you have a speed hump (cant do the neck collar up). Has kept me dry and warm thou. If you want the full monty and want the best its textile Rukka, followed by Hein Gericke's own brand and Halvarssons
Remember, this kit is for commuting; it's gonna get filthy and it really doesn't need to be a fashion statement. Also it would be better to have something with armour, linings, etc, that you can just pull off at the station to reveal your day clobber, rather than have to wear leathers underneath.
That's very true, so its a one piece nylon suit..Awesome Piss taking aside, if I get this Duke 200 im looking at, that could be perfect for me too :tongue:
I used to do a 1hr commute.....heated grips and handle bar muffs were theonly way to stop the pain in the frosts
As shite as they look, there's a good reason why couriers use bar muffs. They work, and work well. When I was dispatching there was no such thing as cordura; waxed cotton got just as cold and wet as leather, so the only option was piling on layers topped by a sweaty plastic oversuit, the bar muffs kept me sane.
My money will be on hand quards and heated grips. I know all too well what its like riding in sub zero temps....f-ing horrid :-(
I've got a Rukka jacket and trousers with Dainese Goretex gloves and Sidi Goretex boots. As a backup I've also got heated grips and I've just put handlebar muffs on the Elefant, toasty! I know Rukka is dear, but it'll last years and is great kit.
I've yet to find cheap (sub £200 jacket price point) kit which is actually waterproof. Don't know how they get away with claims they are
I know what you mean, but there's so many products on the market that will make them waterproof it opens up the chance of staying completely dry to all budgets. I swear by a product called Daytona water stop; it's primarily for leathers but works on most things. A £10 can will last you a couple of years and it works a treat. I don't feel the cold so much, so it has to be freezing cold before I resort to textiles; the problem is finding unvented leathers these days...
