Thanksgiving Travel

[mkmd555]

2002 R1150R 63000 mi
Dear All: First of all: Happy Thanksgiving.

I am planning to visit my younger brother this Thanksgiving, travelling from Princeton, NJ to Williamsburg VA. I have never ridden in November, but I want to.

Today I took a 25 mi test drive to check my gear in about 39F. My gear included:
Under Armor shirt and underwear. LL Bean Snow Pants (Love ‘em), finally, Joe Rocket pants w armor.
Socks, Harley shoes.
Shirt, Joe Rocket jacket with armor, and on top Lands End -20F Parka.
Joe Rocket Gloves
Balaclava, eyeglasses, full face Helmet

The adventure was short lived because after 20 miles I felt cold in upper fingers and toes. On the other hand, the lower limbs, upper limbs, torso
and the head were comfortable. I decided to stop the torture and stopped at Dunkin Donuts to help myself with coffee and donuts. While drinking hot coffee I decided to return home. Riding back I thought of solutions, but being a newbie didn’t come with good ones. Therefore this post!

What is a good protection for feet and hands?

Do you recommend a windsheild?

I beleive some of you ride during inclement weather. Please give your pearls for winter riding.

I could take my car, but the traffic on the Beltway, in general, but especially during this time of year is horrible. Sometimes you may have to stand for hours. At least the bike can weave through the traffic.

Regards

M Khan

[marine dad]

hi. i will try to give you my input on what works for me. i dont have any heated clothing ( although it's next on my list ) but i try to ride regularly most of the year. sounds like you are layering pretty well. i didn't catch whether you have heated grips or not, but whether you do or not a set of gs handguards will make alot of difference for your fingers. ( if you cant get them or dont have them, try using a thin wool glove insert from an army surplus store, it will help ) as far as layering clothing, i have found that cotton is horrible for keeping in warmth. i have a some cabela's expedition weight wool long underwear that i start with, then i can actually wear shorts and a sweatshirt, with a thin dress sock underneath a good medium weight wool sock. my outergear is frank thomas
( available at cyclegear.com ) lined and armoured waterproof/windproof pants and coat. motoboss insulated waterproof riding gloves, turtle fur balaclava, full face helmet, and good waterproof riding boots. i can ride for a couple of hours at hiway speeds with this setup down to around 30 degrees with no problem. hope this helps
mike

[hawkdad]

I usually don't ride when it's under 30... but do so when it's around 39-45. I do know from skiing experience that the toes are the hardest part to keep warm... especially if you're not moving them or bending at the ball of the foot.

When I ski in temps around 15 below or lower.. i put in those little toe warmers... you know the kind that you open the package... one time use thing..? They work GREAT. If you're thinking about 1 time use type riding... then these may be the most economical solution.

[GypsyRR]

...................... I decided to stop the torture and stopped at Dunkin Donuts to help myself with coffee and donuts.

M Khan

That's the answer!

[iowabeakster]

The GS handguards will help with the hands. Those little heaters mentioned above do help.

If doing significant miles in the cold...splurge and get yourself a heated vest/jacket. It will keep your torso warm. This is most important. Your body's natural defense for cold is to pull the blood into the torso from the extremities...the first sign is cold fingers and toes.

[Ves]

Bottom: Underwear, thermal underwear, pants, ski pants, rainsuit bottom
Top: T-shirt, thermal shirt, sweatshirt, leather jacket, rainsuit top
The rain suit is really important because it is both water and wind proof... otherwise the wind will get in and you will get cold.
Feet: Normal pair of socks, roadrace boots (they have like a foam lining and are designed very much like ski boots) (suprisingly my feet never get cold)
Hands: Mittens (you laugh?) I found that even a cheap pair of mittens work much better than cold weather insulated riding gloves. It gives your hands much less area exposed to the cold, and allows your fingers to exchange heat (think of it like four naked bodies wrapped up in a big sleeping bag... can you say warm?).
Face: Balaclava (they make them multi-layered (wind and water proof) or old knit hat with top cut off and pulled down over my neck, usually a bandanna also.

As was said, heated gear always works.

[Rockosmith]

2004 R1150R with heated grips, GS handguards, Gerbings heated jacket liner, Gerbings heated gloves and for really long or cold rides, Gerbings heated socks. Full face helmet with a balaclava and good waterproof riding boots. With this setup, I can be comfortable down into the low 30's. I hesitate to ride in colder conditions than this due to ice/frost on the road surface.

[wncbmw]

I won't go into electrics since it is a significant investment and you made no mention of 'money is no object' .

For me the weak point for me is always the hands, specifically, the end of the fingers first. Heated handgrips and GS handguards certainly help but since most of us ride with the brake and/or clutch covered, some fingers don't have access to the heat. Or, as in my case, when you do wrap you hands around the grips, the bulky winter gloves cut off the circulation!

As Ves said, if you can find some mittens with enough 'feel' they would help. Or try some of those 'lobster claw' three-fingered rain mitts over your winter gloves for an extra layer.

Or the warmest options, Hippo Hands over the handlebars. I know a guy who uses those. He rides in 25-degree weather with no gloves and heated handgrips! Not that I approve the no-glove option but he stays warm!

[lionlady]

That's a long distance to ride without ridden/tried/proven cold weather protection. Grew up in Alexandria, live in Baltimore, I'm very familiar with the route you're likely planning. Don't do it.

The thing about riding in the cold is that hypothermia happens so gradually (and insiduously) that you'll be dangerously impaired without even realizing it. As with alcohol consumption, the first thing to go is your judgement. Don't try it this year... get yourself some heated gear. You're gonna need some way to maintain the inevitable heat loss from your core for the long period you'll be on the road. Cold hands and feet are miserable, but loss of core warmth will kill you. By the time you FEEL cold in your core, you're already in danger.

It goes kinda like this: "Hmm, I'm getting a bit chilly. I should probably stop and take a break at the next exit." But you get to the exit and talk yourself into making another exit, then another... by the time you do stop, you could be shivering, or worse so impaired you can barely unbuckle your helmet. When you do stop, you might realize that you're in BIG trouble, but you're now halfway from home or your destination. What do you do then?

P

[stilldking]

Here in NoDak, forty is my normal temp cut-off. I can get away with riding down to mid to low thirties, but prefer to not push my luck. (Snow and ice are scary on two-wheels!!!)
However, when I do ride at the lower temps, I wear an Aerostitch Darien (3/4 length) jacket with heated liner and Aerostitch Darien Light pants. For hand protection, heated grips and the GS handguards with the spoilers from Touratech. Not cheap, but VERY nice to block the wind. (I also found I needed the mirrors for the K-bike to fit the spoilers.)
Footwear and gloves would be dependent on your personal tolerance for cold. I've found that most rain-resistant gloves work well behind the hand-guards and silk liners help-out a lot more than you might think. For boots, I choose ones with at least 400 grams of thinsulate. YMMV

I have to concur with Lionlady on her warning you off from this trip, but if you do choose to make the trip, have a back-up plan in case of inclimate weather and most of all, Good Luck!!!

JC

[macx]

Don't know if this will help, but just in case -

I spent my first 40 years in central MN and lots and lots of time on snowmobiles
at way below zero and often 50mph and way more.

You seem to have your body taken care of, it's just your extremities.

While snowmobiling I always used regular snowmobile mittens and, if it got
extremely cold - like 30 below plus the wind chill from 50mph to sometimes
close to triple digits - I'd put a thin pair of insulated gloves inside of them.

for the feet, snowmobile boots always did the trick. Bck then at least they
had a thick felt liner in them. I would imagine ski boots or anything like that
would also work. Or even work boots that have thinsulate insulation and are
large enuf to get either a real thick pair of socks or layer 2 regular pair inside.

good luck and enjoy1

[lionlady]

Okay. You're looking at 5+ hours on the road WITHUOT Thanksgiving traffic to deal with.

Taking the motorcycle so you can "weave through traffic" may just invite someone to open an SUV door on you, or worse. (In MD lane splitting is illegal, as is using the shoulder.) Remember folks will ALL be on edge, and nothing sets people off worse than the thought that someone else is getting an unfair advantage. There's big construction on the north side of the Baltimore Beltway, so you're likely to run into backups before you even get to White Marsh.

Once you hit Baltimore, chances are you're gonna be in a slowly moving Parking Lot for the rest of the trip, and that trip may stretch to 8+ hours.

... just saying even though it is frustrating to sit/creep. At least you won't be in danger of hypothermia in the car.

P

[Airman]

2004 R1150R with heated grips, GS handguards, Gerbings heated jacket liner, Gerbings heated gloves and for really long or cold rides, Gerbings heated socks. Full face helmet with a balaclava and good waterproof riding boots. With this setup, I can be comfortable down into the low 30's. I hesitate to ride in colder conditions than this due to ice/frost on the road surface.

I think you're on track here. I have the Gerbing heated gloves and a heated vest. Those are key I think. My hands stay toasty even without the hand guards. I think a touring windshield is a necessity, but there are some who disagree. Balaclava, real waterproof MC boots like Sidi OnRoads. I live in a high humidity climate, so I am also reluctant to ride when it's below 30.

[roadglide]

Bargain Outfitters sells fleece lined jeans these are really warm and much better than flannel lined. I use these all winter long. Widder Electric is retiring in December and his electric gloves can be had pretty inexpensively on EBay for about seventy five to eighty dollars for me these are a must my hands get cold it’s all over. I tried Tourmaster Synergy gloves wast of money sent them back.I use Turtle Fur Fog Free Balaclava for under the full face helmet very light and very warm. The jacket I use is a Harley Davidson FXGR armored and lined with Primaloft lining warmest jacket I have, I have a electric vest but have not had to use it as of yet. Boots I use Chippewa insulated logger boots or on really cold days HMK Cruiser light snowmobile boots. I ride pretty much all winter long

[wncbmw]

Even though I offered my 0.02 cents in advice, lionlady may have given the best advice of all. I have been in the situation where getting off the bike and taking off the helmet were extremely difficult due to the onset of hypothermia. Very dangerous. Obviously, I survived but easily could have made a fatal mistake due to the mind-numbing affects of hypothermia.

Not to say it can't be done but perhaps some discretion would be better until you have a proven cold weather system that you know will keep you alert and warm. If you do the trip, don't be afraid to use a backup plan, such a credit card and Holiday Inn!

And if it snows, then you have to deal with that plus salt and sand or whatever they put on the highways up there! Plus all the other drivers sliding at you!

Good luck!

[rdsmith3]

I don't usually tell someone not to ride, but I think LionLady is absolutely right. Many years I have driven from NJ down to my brother's house near Annapolis, MD. So I also know a lot of the roads you will be on. Thanksgiving traffic is horrible. There are many aggressive, edgy, (and perhaps intoxicated) drivers. There are also many cops out. On top of that, you will have the cold weather issue.

[mkmd555]

Thanks for the posts which have helped me on two ways: First I was able to make list for things to have for winter travel .

Second : LionLady's advice is sound. It is true that the traffic can be blocked up for miles around that area. I did not realize that weaving through the traffic has its own pitfalls.

I will drive a car, instead and keep winter travel for another day when the traffic conditions are favorable.

M Khan

[Disco Stu]

Hippo Hands work great. I can ride in 30 degree weather with my light summer gloves and the heated grips on low.

[marine dad]

m khan,
i realize i am posting this to late to help you now, but for future reference you might consider picking up highway 301 right when you cross into delaware and running it all the way to I-95 in virginia. i've made this trip many times, its a nice scenic route, and a lot less traffic. also. it bypasses batimore and dc, which is always a good thing traffic-wise.
mike

[Buckster]

+1 on marine dad's advice. We use that route all the time.