Posted on Oct 03, 2019

Your Guide To Cold Weather Riding Gear

While many riders choose to only bring their bikes out during the summer months to enjoy the best weather from behind the handlebars, many others still choose to keep riding even into the colder months of the year. Should you decide to keep riding when temperatures continue to drop, we encourage you to take the necessary steps to keep yourself warm while riding.

Cold air rushing over you can easily decrease your blood flow and numb your body making riding very difficult as you are much more prone to tensing up and much less able to make quick movements and reactions. The best way riders can beat cooler temperatures and stay in peak riding form is to layer up. Starting with a base layer that will both insulate your core temperature and wick moisture will ensure that riders can maintain comfort even on cooler days. Layering your clothing also allows riders to easily shed pieces as needed, should they get a bit too warm, and add more if they need a little extra protection.

Keeping your hands warm is essential to riding safely in the cold. Numb hands can’t easily feel the controls and often can’t make the precise moves necessary to the rider safely and efficiently. When simple riding gloves don’t do the trick, we encourage riders to invest in hand warmers or even heated gloves to help keep their fingers nimble at the controls.

The same goes for your feet. Thicker socks can do wonders to ensure you maintain proper feeling in your feet. Should you need a little extra help, there are a variety of choices including heated socks, heated boots, and heated soles. Make sure to check that any heated items you invest in are truly waterproof so that you can still use them through inclement weather and wash them as needed without worrying about ruining the electronics and heating elements.

Keeping your head and face warm is another key consideration. Using a moisture-wicking balaclava or another face wrap will keep your head warm and dry. Should you pair these accessories with a visor helmet, cracking the visor open a bit will help prevent it from fogging up during your ride and ensure that you can see clearly.

Finally, keeping your legs and torso warm is key to riding safely in cold temperatures. Layering windbreakers over thermal tops and bottoms can often be enough to keep you comfortable. Heated jackets, vests, and pants also do wonders for keeping your body temperature at a reasonable level. As stated with gloves and socks though, ensure these heated items are waterproof if you intend to use them in the rain or other wet environments.

The decision of how to combat the cold ultimately comes down to rider preference – if there are certain products that work better for you over others, we encourage you to do what best fits your needs and riding habits.

For more relevant news and tips for bikers, check out our Current News for Riders page on hupy.com.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.