Stayn warm, how do you do it & where ya live?
 

Let's share some ideas on what we each do to stay warm to stretch the season, and saying where your at helps too. I dont think Miami's advice would be much help in Chicago.

I live in central Va, typically 35-40 degrees this time of year, but the lowest I'll deliberately ride in is 30 with no humidity and I wear a set of Under Armor thermals, then a union suit (like the old timey 1 piece cotton pajamas, but without the feet) fleece lined jeans with chaps & the tallest thermal socks I can find that stay up. Up top I have whats called a soft shell liner (common among hikers & skiers) I'll wear that over a long sleeved t shirt (thermals under) and standard riding coat with liner, neoprene facemask and 3/4 helmet with faceshield & gauntlet gloves with liners. My bike does have a heated seat, full winshield and lower farings but the lowers arent much help.

Anyone use heated gear? if so what brand do you have & are they worth the cash? My biggest challenge is cold feet & hands, otherwise I'm pretty much OK. I try to make sure my gear isnt binding around the wrists so I have good circulation but still go numb in the fingers & toes.

I hope this helps some of yall & please share your ideas.

And I have one of the leather neck wraps that go from coat to helmet, but I find its only practical on the superslab, if in town I do a head check, I end up with air leaks that the neoprene wouldnt've, but it is warmer then the neopreve even though it don't actually cover my face.

I live along the Delaware seashore. Temps are similar to yours (maybe five degrees warmer). I commute year-round. Ice is the main thing that hampers my riding.

Up to about 40 degrees:
I wear my normal clothes underneath, rarely do I use thermals. Typically, I will wear: cotton t-shirt, button down long-sleeve shirts, long sleeve sweater (cotton or wool), motorcycle jacket with liner, neck gaiter (aka. fleece "turtle") and winter gloves. Below: full length socks, boots, khaki pants or denim jeans, overpants with liner.

Below 40 degrees:
I take out the thinsulate liner and replace it with my heated liner for my jacket. Don't forget the anti-fog for the faceshield plus everything above.

Below 27 degrees:
I wear Craft base layer thermal top and my bicycling tights plus everything above. Bicycling layering clothing works great as a base layer.

I have a Gerbings heated liner, works well with the rheostat they provide. My Uly also has heated grips standard. I have a taller windshield, but rarely use it in the winter. I have two different thickness neck gaiters made of fleece. They are long enough for me to tuck into the top of my jacket and pull up across my face (up to my nose). Then, I strap my helmet on and the strap keeps the gaiter in place. I do have a balaclava, but I rarely use it.

This guy can help you: Heated Clothing - Authorized Gerbing Dealer. He sells Gerbings over near you.
Something like this might also work: Cabela's -- PolarWrap™ Exchanger® Facemask or these Schampa Neckgaiters

Utah. 10-25 degrees most of the winter which runs from November to March. Park it. If you ride on ice you will fall down... or lay 'er down in sarnali's case.

When it's above 32 I ride a GL1100 with lowers and wear overpants, a thick sweater under the JR Ballistic and snowmobile gloves. The GL's heads act as foot warmers.

Buzglyd quits riding when it's under 50 degrees. He wears an electric vest when it drops below 60.

Many miles North of Miami is the City of Fort Lauderdale, where temperatures can easily drop into the 50's and 60's. Three weeks ago we were in the low 40's, and I had to (ok, wanted to) ride my bike to the Suzuki dealer for a major tune up. It was raining on top of the cold temps. On the way there, I wore pretty standard gear; kevlar jeans, long-sleeve tee under a cotton shirt. I put a cotton pullover hoodie over that, then my rain suit on top. Two places got cold, the back of my neck and my hands. When it was time to pick up the bike, the temperature had gone down to just above 30, and it was still raining. I have a ski suit I got when I was traveling a lot, so I threw that on. I added the chin-seal gizmo to the helmet, and put a wool/leather bandanna around my neck. With that, I stayed pretty comfy for the 15 mile ride. I have some pretty heavy-duty riding gloves with big gauntlets; I didn't use them on the way there, but was glad I had them on the way back.

The Vee comes with handguards, which are one feature I never expected to like so much. Not only do they make a huge difference in keeping my hands warm, they also keep the wind from getting up my sleeve and "inflating" my jacket. Any bike I have in the future will have them, or something that provides the same protection.

Wasn't it kind of hard to ride with those skis and poles dangling about?

It was the fireplace and bear-skin rug that really cramped the bike.

One word: guantlet gloves. (Okay, that was two words.)

I have a great pair of Firsrgear gauntlet gloves but either Im more sensitive then I once was or the insulation is breaking down, so I wear another pair of cotton liners under them sometimes but still cold hands under 40 if out more then an hour or two. Someone in my riding club has hand shields (by switchblade I think) that mount on the bar end and clip to the bar, I'm sure they help by blocking the wind blast, and Im sure cheaper then heated grips or gloves.

Thanks yall for some ideas, I thnk I may get another pair of (taller) boots and possably heated socks, maybe gloves. The overpants I've seen before, but they all seem really bulky. Also the 1 piece heated suits seem nice (if you have $1,000.00). Everytime I buy another piece of gear I think "now I'm set" but I never am.

20's and below I usually drive, not being a fool like some we could mention in Utah.

30's on up I wear my Aerostitch Darien jacket with the fleece liner in over a cotton dress shirt and tank top and this swanky Italian wool scarf my g/f bought me. I wear the Aerostitch fleece pants over my boxers, and the Darien pants over them. Wool socks under my work boots or Combat Tours and a pair of Lee Parks Elkhide gauntlet gloves with my Modular Shoei helmet. Owing to a pretty solid layer of subcutaneous insulation and thick Anglo Saxon blood I really don't feel the cold much.

Once it's consistently above 55 or so I wear the Darien pants over my boxers or just wear a pair of jeans and take the lining out of my coat. The batwing and windshield keep a lot of the weather off me and the Aerostitch suit is waterproof so I don't bother with any special rain gear. I have a pair of cheapo Pakistani gloves in my bags so I don't get my Elkhides all wet.

The only time I don't ride is if it's a chance of snow or if it's near freezing and foggy or monsoon like rain