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Hot Hands pack warning: they produce heat by exposure to oxygen. If your put them somewhere they're in direct air flow (pockets of your pants, for example, or against your skin inside your gloves with breathable gloves and no grip guards) they can get hot enough to cause severe burns. I learned this the hard way.
Strongly suggest you do not wear cotton socks on your feet and then wool socks over top. Cotton holds water (sweat). You want to wick the mosture away from your feet. I have found that wearing wool socks with toes helps as well. Recoomed you try a pair of lite/medium weight (e.g., Injinji) toe socks and a pair of wool socks (e.g., DarnTough) over top. Effectively bulletproof. Cheers!
The Golden Rule of staying warm while riding in sub-freezing temps:. Absolutely NO exposed skin. Wear a neck gaiter to add some bulk between your jacket and helmet. Make sure there's no airflow by your wrists (gloves - jacket sleeve point). Air getting in at speed will make you very cold very fast. NO airflow inside your gear! Trap that air!
Cotton gear = cold. Some people probably already know it, but this is for those that don't: Cotton gear retains moisture. First you'll be warm, then sweat, followed by freezing. Ditch the Cotton for Merino Wool, or synthetics. Skivvies included...
Good stuff! Some of these are applicable to any fun, outdoor activity in cold weather! Remember: You can always add more layers. You can only remove so many articles of clothing before somebody calls the cops. Plan accordingly.
Hippo hands are absolutely outstanding!! I have had them for 2 years - heated grips with these AND you can use less bulky summer gloves inside the heated cave for better comfort & control. Great quality.......my other tips: Neckwarmer, and also scarf - keeps the heat from escaping your jacket & keeps the rain & snow from running down your neck!!
My winter, down to 30f, gear is Aerostich one-piece (two piece in the past), windproof (actual Gore Windblocker) zip up jacket, whatever my street clothes are underneath. Shoes are simple, touring boots with "expedition weight" hunters' socks. Gloves are a challenge in my naked bike but under an hour, nice waterproof insulated riding gloves. Over an hour, heated glove liners under my normal 3-season gloves...with 5 bikes and only two having heated gripsand one having handgaurds this option is more versatile. Down to 18f, all the same except: Heavy long underwear bottoms, wicking top plus electric vest (under the windblocker jacket). I can do 10 hour days this way.
One thing that's been great for me in the winter is taking one of those long wind blocking face masks, chopping the top off, and Velcroing it to my helmets chin area. Then tuck the rest of the material behind your jacket zipper. Blocks vents, keeps wind out of your jacket, and effectively replaced a breath box. Which for me was great because I wear glasses when riding
When I was a kid riding power line trails all day in the UP Michigan, if it got real cold we would stop at a gas station and get a newspaper. Leaving it as thick as possible and put it over the chest/abdominal area, over base layers and under the jacket. This stopped wind and held warmth. Not waterproof but a quick down and dirty emergency cold weather hack.
rain suits and rain jackets (i have oxford onepiece suit, and husqvarna transparent rain jacket) as final layer is the best thing ever. doing highway speeds during days when it is -5c or less, it is by far best wind-stopper/heat preserver. did 4 winters like this.
Re: layers, back when I had one summer jacket and one set of summer pants, and short riding boots, and summer-ish gloves, wind blowing on your ankles, or on your waist, or wrists, or on your neck is a problem. Neck gaiters are obvious, but you can 'gaiter' those other areas as well. The cheapest (and largest) women's slimming belts, or any similar tall strip of material on your waistline/belt/hip area will protect your waist and kidneys from wind, and 'dance gaiters' on your ankles and on your gloves will keep you warmer, without spending big bucks on warmer motorcycle gear. Obviously combine that with proper layers as well.
If you've never run a heated dual pane visor, for God's sake get one. They're not expensive, it feels like a sunbeam on your face, and will NEVER ice or fog. It's wonderful even in the Pacific Northwest on cold rainy days.
Good info, ever since I tried heated gear I’ve gotten spoiled. It’s such an amazing feeling being nice and toasty on a cold ass day on a motorcycle. But your hacks are a good back up just in case the gear goes out.
@@Robosan4000 I went with the heated gear from Cycle Gear " Hot wired "I use only the jacket liner but also have the pants liner. They go on sale this time of year and you can get a great deal... I had the gloves but were too bulky for me...
Super Good info !!! Just got my first set of Hippo Hands and they are amazing. I did notice a draft coming in where all the cables enter the Hippo Hands. My solution was to use some cotton wash cloths in a zip lock bag, zip tie them around and throughout the cabling and zip to the cables. Then reinstall the hippo hands of which cover my makeshift wind dam for a nice clean looking install. The test before riding was to put a flashlight in the Hippos and look for light coming out around the cables. NADA ! Then for the ride at 39 F degrees / 85% humidity @ 70mph for about 2 1/2 hours. My hands never got a chill much less getting cold. I can't say enough good about the Hippo Hands. They are Fantastic!
Ben, this is probably my favorite hacks/tips video, yet! As I've blathered on before, I'm in the process of getting out of debt AND saving up for my Honda Africa Twin! All things being equal, I should be buying my AT this time next year, plus or minus 2 months. One of the main reasons I am getting an Adventure bike is for Winter riding. I live in a heavy-snow state, and I plan on buying some excellent riding gear. But I was extremely curious about what to do if the gear doesn't keep all of the cold and wet out. This video pretty much answered my questions. One hack I was thinking about is top-of-your-thighs wind/cold protection: If your gear isn't blocking enough of the cold wind for the tops of your thighs, a SUPER GHETTO (and cheap) trick is to cut a piece of cardboard in the shape of a wedge, so that it will wrap around the top of your leg, and can fit under your pants. It should be long enough to reach the beginning of your knee, but just short enough to prevent binding, where your thigh meets your hip. It's a cheap fix until you can afford better gear.
I need a pair of those Hippo Hands. First time I saw them was on your channel shortly after the September 2021 Touratech Rally video you did where you talked to those guys at their booth.
Great bunch of tips Ben. I don't have the hippo hands but I use to have some thing like that for my bicycle and wow what a difference they make. Toe warmers work pretty good for keeping feet warm.
Thank you for informative content. Helped me a lot prepping for this winter ride. For me, I always bring a pair of surgical glove in addition to liner and riding gloves. If my fingers start to get numb despite of wearing inner layer, I simply wear surgical glove on top of inner lining glove then wear the riding glove. Not much but it sure helps keeping warm air from the wind. May not be a solution for day long rides but I find it good enough for chores around town. Cheers
As kids we'd use newspaper in the jacket and trousers, plastic bags over ya socks for leaky boots. When at a petrol ststion, the plastic gloves provided at the pump would keep ya hands dry inside ya gloves.
I actually keep a xxl pair of disposable gloves with me that fit OVER my riding gloves, that aren’t waterproof, and at least I can keep my hands and gloves dry if it rains. It may help keep warm when it’s cold, but I’ve never tried...
⭕️did the trash bag hack... works like a charm... jus the legs were a bit more difficult... duct tape was required... so pack a 1 inch wide role of gorilla tape... i looked like a trash bag on a bike, yes... but i was dry .
Riding on the street allows me to bulk up a bit more. When the temperature gets around freezing I use my snow boats. I love the heated gloves/jacket/seat/grips. In a pinch I'll dawn my rain gear on longer rides below 25 F.
Glove liner option that's extremely effective: cheap nitrile gloves. Keep a couple pairs on your bike year round, throw them on if your hands are cold or particularly if it's wet - keeping your hands dry is huge, and because they're wholly waterproof they trap air inside. It's easy to stuff them into odd spots on the bike and they make an enormous difference.
HOT HANDS saved me one night over an hour away from home when it got cold, fast and I found out the "winter gloves" I had didn't do diddly OR squat to stop cold.
Thanks a ton for the video! I went out in 49F temp weather with no sun on my CRF 250 Rally and by the time I was done I was a popsicle. Just bought the glove liners and baclava on cycle gear. Hippo hands will be ordered a little later. I had no idea glove liners were a thing till I saw your video.
The hippo hands look awesome, but for folks on a really thin budget there are a ton of other handlebar muffs/gloves out there, too, even a super cheap pair off of Amazon did the job for me last year. Biggest note is to make sure you know where all of your controls are before you put them on, but I guess you should know all that regardless. Also be super careful trying to put your hands back in if you take one out to open/close your visor or something. Last part is probably just me, but I found them a little distracting because they're so bulky and such an eyesore. Great video, appreciate all of your tips and all of your other content, too.
I don't have hippo covers but bought a pair of hand covers on line for $20 which were lined and water/windproof and were fantastic on my run to Tuk in -4C temperature that combined rain, sleet and 10cm of snow. They are ugly but made the ride so much more enjoyable. I'd turn the grip heaters on to 40% and my hands and forearms were dry and toasty warm.
My favorite winter writing accessory is my truck. I am a wuss, I’ll ride in the rain but I’m just not going to put on tons of gear to ride, I’ll just do short rides on warmer days. I admire your dedication and resilience but I would only do it if it was a special occasion adventure like snow camping or something like that but I’m way too much of a wimp for that. Lol
Fantastic tips! We absolutely LOVED our Gerbing heated gear when we lived up in Maine. Granted we rode Harleys, but even in late Spring or Fall, they elongated our riding season. At least get the gloves and then work on getting the jacket liner. They do sell the battery packs for you guys who seem to love to slip and slide and fall down. (Humor) But, they are a game changer for serious riders. Also, those 'hot hands' - same company also makes toasty toes which are fantastic; especially for those steel toe boots that seem to turn your toes into icicles in no time.
1) remove chin padding. 2) put padding in the center of a scarf and fold scarf in half. 3) replace chin padding. Now you have a doubled over scarf hanging from the chin of your motorcycle helmet. When you out the helmet on, zip the scarf into your coat. Does an excellent job of keeping wind out and your face warmer
I have a snow riding story I need to share one of these days. Me and a friend did a ride in mid to late November and intentionally went snow riding over a mtn pass. Keeping my feet warm was the hardest part of the ride.
Simple tip that makes wonders : whenever you have the chance, stick your gloves against the engine. They'll be warm when you put them back on and it's not only a good feeling, it'll help you going for long rides. :)
Be careful doing this as it can ruin gloves in a hurry. Synthetic materials can melt easily. Leather gloves will hold up to the heat better but still use caution. I have used the warm air from the exhaust to dry and warm my hands and gloves before while atv riding. Basically it comes down to a do what you have to do to make it where you need to get sometimes.
Great tips Ben! As a rider with Raynaud's syndrome in my hands and feet I'm more susceptible than most to cold and I'm looking to move to the PNW and keep riding! 👍😎
Legs (down to -25C, well below freezing): you've got good tips there. An easy way to go is if you've got riding overpants (any kind really) that have waterproof liners, slap that in. Makes a huge difference. Like you said at the beginning, it's all about trapping air.
Nice but a few things. I commute all year long on the bike, yes I'm from Vegas but this am it was 30°F. Like you I remove the liner of my jacket, the reason been is with it you can't really layer up. If your jacket (or pants) are tight you will be cold. I use an over the jacket / pants rain gear (very cheap) it will block the cold wind. I still use my summer gloves (I installed heated grip) I do have some (battery operated) gloves but they warm up only the top of the hands (no bueno) I tried very warm (and bulky) gloves but they were so warm that my hand were sweaty and because they were not windproof I ended up with cold/sweaty hands.. "neck warmer" works great (cycle gear have them on sale right now for like $13 (I paid I think $20) I also have a heated vest (battery operated) I use once in a while (from amazon) combine with a t-shirt, pull over made of Moreno wool, vest, jacket and rain "jacket" on top I'll be very warm for about 2.5 hrs.
This may sound stupid but it's a tip I learned from working on oil rigs in the winter time get yourself a pair of panty hose and I promise your legs will stay warm
Nice tips. currently in the middle od a cros country strip and snowed in :/ I've been tempted to try the snowmobile visors, so now I will. I was surprised you didn't mention my achilles heel since we have it in common; Glasses. Even when the pinlock is at the edge of its effectiveness, occasionally letting air in to unfog it, often leaves my glases against my face fogging. It's a. constant struggle back and forth. Do you get this? Any tips?
Thoughts about batteries when parking overnight in 20ish degrees? Have had to get towed a few times because the bike won't start after being out in the cold
Merino wool is one of the best base layers (socks too) I've found when I lived in the PNW, didn't like riding on the winter months though, rain and cold just sucks, I also have a Revv It rain suit and it is fantastic! Has a removable hood that can fit up on your helmet to keep the rain from running down the back of your neck. I'm just so glad I'm in Arizona now so I don't worry about this now 🤘. Don't miss WA weather at all 😂
Wearing eyeglasses can be dangerous in the cold. You have to be ready to crack your visor to let are in to un fog them quickly If you don't want a beard, you can get a thick neck warmer to go around your neck. I can usually position mine where it will block wind coming into the helmet around the chin
I can't recommend the snow mobiles shield on the Scorpion AT950. I thought it'd be a great idea but the first time I was in heavy rain water seaped through the foam that seperates the two layers at some time during the day. And it seems impossible to clean out without destroying the foam so I've just been living with it for a while now. I think it happened when I cracked my visor to let some extra air in since it was still a fairly warm day. It rained on us for a few hours that day. I'll be switching to a pinlock and just dealing with it as those seem to be removable?
nitrile gloves under riding gloves keeps hands warm and dry, also i know it sounds weird but cheap pantyhose as a base layer and deodorant on your feet keeps them from sweating and dry. I thought it was insane but it works
Some bikes don’t have the electrical capacity to support heated riding gear… my DRZ doesn’t even run my GPS and heated grips all day before killing the battery.
Cotton is terrible for one. As someone who has been a ski patroller for years , we would see a lot of people with frozen feet due to too many socks. I would go with one pair of good socks and not a ton of pairs of socks. Wool is king.
@dorkintheroad - I'm buying Scorpions new EXO-960 modular helmet. I thought about adding the snowmobile shield because it's heated but what can you recommend to keep my eyeglasses from fogging up all the time?
@@DorkintheRoad ahh. I WISH I could wear contacts. Haven't had them since I was in my twenties. I'm 61 now. Since I ride year-round, I may have to try them again.
What will be your tips for combating cold just above the waist of the pants at the lower back? Longer jacket and long under shirt dont do it completely
Boots not waterproof? Slip a plastic bag over your socks to keep rainwater out. Your feet sweat so eventually your socks will get moist (plastic is a vapor barrier). A good hack to get you home when your boots leak. Also, use duct tape to seal the gap between your motocross boots and riding pants.
Why so much hassle ? I am an old dude and from somewhere 1975 been riding the whole year around. I always used Pekelfietsen. A Dutch name for a cheap old motorcycle that we use during wintertime while there is salt on the road. Somewhere from 1985 started to use heated clothing. The gloves, a jacket and insoles. And lets be honest. The last ten years these have made a great jump up. I will never go back to building up layers. You only have to buy it ones and it will last you years. When making a three month trip i take an air jacket and the heated jacked from Gerbing's. And also take the heated gloves and insoles with me. In my topcase i have build a 12 Volt Makita battery charger. That can charge a 18 volt lithion BL1850 battery. Makita has a special slide adapter that can be used for their own heated jacket. But i use it for the Gerbing's heated clothing. Because it is 12 volt out. When it is cold and i am of the bike then i can power the heated clothing with that battery. Also i can use that same battery as a powerbank for USB. And also you can use that battery as a jumpstarter for your bike when in an emergency. When i am in my sleepingbag and it is getting cold i throw in the Gerbing's heated insoles. They get warm and toasty. With this i only have to take a light sleepingbag. While riding and i need to use the heated clothing i will power it ofcourse from the main battery of the bike. But that BL1850 Makita battery gives me also the ease of mind that when you have bike trouble and it is cold then you can still stay warm for 10 hours. When on the lowest setting. At that moment you do not experience the riding wind. Also that same battery can charge your laptop if you are carrying one. So when going on a long trip and do the minimise thingy with some heated gear and light bike clothing you can overcome all sorts of weather. You can not charge Gerbing's own batteries while riding but you can use it the same way when you go this route with the Makita BL1850 batteries and their 12 volt car charger that can charge the Makita 14.4 and 18 volt Lithion batteries. And for obvious reasons the 18 volt batteries are the right choice to make. So when on a long trip take two of these batteries and then you are ensured of heaving enough juice for all your electrical stuff. On Y.T there are video's on how to use a BL1850 battery as a jump start battery. When going that route it will spare me taking along a lot of bulky stuff. And i will never experience cold. Not even if you have bike trouble and can not use the main battery to power up your heated gear. For me going this route has proven itself many times as a lifesafer also. And with it you can go around the limitations of Gerbing's itself because it is not possible to charge their own (very expensive) 10 Amp and the two seperate 1 , 2 or 3 Amps batteries while riding. The weight of those 2 batteries and the 12 volt car charger are way less then all the other gear combined that you have to bring along on your trip. A few years ago in winter i was heading down a highway back home on my bike. It was late in the evening and it was dark. Suddenly it started to snow. A lot of snow. It was sticking at my viser constantly and i felt my front tire going in every direction but not the one i wanted it to go. I had to stop. Until the next morning.🙈 Cars were driving madly. So when i would have tried to ride on i was riscking my life badly. When i would have chrashed a car or a truck would not have had the time to stop. Took out the BL1850 and hooked it up to my heated clothing. Stayed warm until the next morning. Ok, after a couple of hours i felt miserable and was tired. But how miserable would i have been at that time almost freezing to death. Cause it was minus 16 degrees Celsius. But still with the lowest setting i was not cold. But when turning it off i got cold withing a few minutes. Did not needed it at that moment for the gloves. They were warm enough on their own. Only for the jacket and once in a while i switched the heated insoles on so my feet stayed also warm. I was so happy with that setup. Go to the Makita site and look up that 12 volt car charger for yourself and the slide adapter for their own Makita heated jacket. You can purchase that seperate from their heated jacket. Allready a lot of you guys own a few Makita machines and have those 18 volt batteries laying around. On my wishlist is to do some experimenting with a few meters of wiring at the inside of my visor. And with that trying to maintain a better visability. Cause a pinlock sometimes only goes to far. And what you will do at those moments is to keep riding on with the visor up. So the bloody cold wind is getting directly in your face. With or without snow or rain. Will try to 3d print a two 18650 case that i can attach on the side of the helmet. Will try that first on some polycarbonate because i do not want to damage my Klim or Shubert visor. But if one of you allready has some experience with that do not hold back the information please. Greetings from the Netherlands. And keep riding safe.Also in cold weather. And mr. Dork. Thx for your video and your insights.🙏🙏
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Socks: nylon sock/ merino ski sock. Nylon dress sock gives air pockets but no fabric for sweat. I stole this idea from an army vet.
Hot Hands pack warning: they produce heat by exposure to oxygen. If your put them somewhere they're in direct air flow (pockets of your pants, for example, or against your skin inside your gloves with breathable gloves and no grip guards) they can get hot enough to cause severe burns. I learned this the hard way.
Yes. Perforated gloves with hot hands stuffed in on the backs of my hands got unbearably hot. Valid PSA.
Strongly suggest you do not wear cotton socks on your feet and then wool socks over top. Cotton holds water (sweat). You want to wick the mosture away from your feet. I have found that wearing wool socks with toes helps as well. Recoomed you try a pair of lite/medium weight (e.g., Injinji) toe socks and a pair of wool socks (e.g., DarnTough) over top. Effectively bulletproof. Cheers!
The Golden Rule of staying warm while riding in sub-freezing temps:. Absolutely NO exposed skin. Wear a neck gaiter to add some bulk between your jacket and helmet. Make sure there's no airflow by your wrists (gloves - jacket sleeve point). Air getting in at speed will make you very cold very fast. NO airflow inside your gear! Trap that air!
Cotton gear = cold.
Some people probably already know it, but this is for those that don't: Cotton gear retains moisture. First you'll be warm, then sweat, followed by freezing.
Ditch the Cotton for Merino Wool, or synthetics. Skivvies included...
That joke following the Hippo Hands was perfectly delivered. Bravo sir!
Good stuff! Some of these are applicable to any fun, outdoor activity in cold weather! Remember: You can always add more layers. You can only remove so many articles of clothing before somebody calls the cops. Plan accordingly.
Hippo hands are absolutely outstanding!! I have had them for 2 years - heated grips with these AND you can use less bulky summer gloves inside the heated cave for better comfort & control. Great quality.......my other tips: Neckwarmer, and also scarf - keeps the heat from escaping your jacket & keeps the rain & snow from running down your neck!!
Love the snow footage. Lots of great riding in Oregon.
Love those hippo hands they kept me warm on a recent MABDR ride! Thanks for the tips and great content.
Thanks for watching!
My winter, down to 30f, gear is Aerostich one-piece (two piece in the past), windproof (actual Gore Windblocker) zip up jacket, whatever my street clothes are underneath. Shoes are simple, touring boots with "expedition weight" hunters' socks. Gloves are a challenge in my naked bike but under an hour, nice waterproof insulated riding gloves. Over an hour, heated glove liners under my normal 3-season gloves...with 5 bikes and only two having heated gripsand one having handgaurds this option is more versatile.
Down to 18f, all the same except: Heavy long underwear bottoms, wicking top plus electric vest (under the windblocker jacket). I can do 10 hour days this way.
One thing that's been great for me in the winter is taking one of those long wind blocking face masks, chopping the top off, and Velcroing it to my helmets chin area. Then tuck the rest of the material behind your jacket zipper. Blocks vents, keeps wind out of your jacket, and effectively replaced a breath box. Which for me was great because I wear glasses when riding
That's a very innovative solution
Grip heaters are a must.
When I was a kid riding power line trails all day in the UP Michigan, if it got real cold we would stop at a gas station and get a newspaper. Leaving it as thick as possible and put it over the chest/abdominal area, over base layers and under the jacket. This stopped wind and held warmth. Not waterproof but a quick down and dirty emergency cold weather hack.
rain suits and rain jackets (i have oxford onepiece suit, and husqvarna transparent rain jacket) as final layer is the best thing ever. doing highway speeds during days when it is -5c or less, it is by far best wind-stopper/heat preserver. did 4 winters like this.
Thief of heat, down under heat is the thief. Summer is here.👋🏻👋🏻
Re: layers, back when I had one summer jacket and one set of summer pants, and short riding boots, and summer-ish gloves, wind blowing on your ankles, or on your waist, or wrists, or on your neck is a problem. Neck gaiters are obvious, but you can 'gaiter' those other areas as well. The cheapest (and largest) women's slimming belts, or any similar tall strip of material on your waistline/belt/hip area will protect your waist and kidneys from wind, and 'dance gaiters' on your ankles and on your gloves will keep you warmer, without spending big bucks on warmer motorcycle gear. Obviously combine that with proper layers as well.
If you've never run a heated dual pane visor, for God's sake get one. They're not expensive, it feels like a sunbeam on your face, and will NEVER ice or fog. It's wonderful even in the Pacific Northwest on cold rainy days.
That's a new one for me, never heard of such a thing, gonna check that out 👍
Good info, ever since I tried heated gear I’ve gotten spoiled. It’s such an amazing feeling being nice and toasty on a cold ass day on a motorcycle. But your hacks are a good back up just in case the gear goes out.
Heated gear is a game changer as far as I am concerned.......!
@@DJPTEXAS Any recommendations for good/best heated gear?
@@Robosan4000 I went with the heated gear from Cycle Gear " Hot wired "I use only the jacket liner but also have the pants liner. They go on sale this time of year and you can get a great deal... I had the gloves but were too bulky for me...
@@DJPTEXAS Thanks!
Super Good info !!! Just got my first set of Hippo Hands and they are amazing. I did notice a draft coming in where all the cables enter the Hippo Hands. My solution was to use some cotton wash cloths in a zip lock bag, zip tie them around and throughout the cabling and zip to the cables. Then reinstall the hippo hands of which cover my makeshift wind dam for a nice clean looking install.
The test before riding was to put a flashlight in the Hippos and look for light coming out around the cables. NADA ! Then for the ride at 39 F degrees / 85% humidity @ 70mph for about 2 1/2 hours. My hands never got a chill much less getting cold.
I can't say enough good about the Hippo Hands. They are Fantastic!
Excellent additional tips!
Ben, this is probably my favorite hacks/tips video, yet! As I've blathered on before, I'm in the process of getting out of debt AND saving up for my Honda Africa Twin! All things being equal, I should be buying my AT this time next year, plus or minus 2 months.
One of the main reasons I am getting an Adventure bike is for Winter riding. I live in a heavy-snow state, and I plan on buying some excellent riding gear. But I was extremely curious about what to do if the gear doesn't keep all of the cold and wet out. This video pretty much answered my questions.
One hack I was thinking about is top-of-your-thighs wind/cold protection:
If your gear isn't blocking enough of the cold wind for the tops of your thighs, a SUPER GHETTO (and cheap) trick is to cut a piece of cardboard in the shape of a wedge, so that it will wrap around the top of your leg, and can fit under your pants.
It should be long enough to reach the beginning of your knee, but just short enough to prevent binding, where your thigh meets your hip.
It's a cheap fix until you can afford better gear.
Thanks for the tips Ben! The hill hands look so warm but look so 😂. I power through.
I'd rather ride a stupid looking bike than stay home because my hands were too cold to ride 😉
I need a pair of those Hippo Hands. First time I saw them was on your channel shortly after the September 2021 Touratech Rally video you did where you talked to those guys at their booth.
Biggest change for me for extending my riding season, love them
Great bunch of tips Ben. I don't have the hippo hands but I use to have some thing like that for my bicycle and wow what a difference they make. Toe warmers work pretty good for keeping feet warm.
Planning on getting hippo handss should help
Thank you for informative content. Helped me a lot prepping for this winter ride. For me, I always bring a pair of surgical glove in addition to liner and riding gloves. If my fingers start to get numb despite of wearing inner layer, I simply wear surgical glove on top of inner lining glove then wear the riding glove. Not much but it sure helps keeping warm air from the wind. May not be a solution for day long rides but I find it good enough for chores around town. Cheers
As kids we'd use newspaper in the jacket and trousers, plastic bags over ya socks for leaky boots. When at a petrol ststion, the plastic gloves provided at the pump would keep ya hands dry inside ya gloves.
I actually keep a xxl pair of disposable gloves with me that fit OVER my riding gloves, that aren’t waterproof, and at least I can keep my hands and gloves dry if it rains. It may help keep warm when it’s cold, but I’ve never tried...
⭕️did the trash bag hack... works like a charm... jus the legs were a bit more difficult... duct tape was required... so pack a 1 inch wide role of gorilla tape... i looked like a trash bag on a bike, yes... but i was dry .
Good advice!
Nice timing as I’m about to jump on again on my day off. Been riding in the mtns of NC and it’s been cooold.
Thanks for the content.
🏍💨
Thanks for watching!
Riding on the street allows me to bulk up a bit more. When the temperature gets around freezing I use my snow boats. I love the heated gloves/jacket/seat/grips. In a pinch I'll dawn my rain gear on longer rides below 25 F.
Glove liner option that's extremely effective: cheap nitrile gloves. Keep a couple pairs on your bike year round, throw them on if your hands are cold or particularly if it's wet - keeping your hands dry is huge, and because they're wholly waterproof they trap air inside. It's easy to stuff them into odd spots on the bike and they make an enormous difference.
Sounds sweaty
@@Double_U083 yep. But it works really well, and beats the hell out of frozen fingers.
@@Double_U083 except your balls nobody sweats in cold
Unfortunately this did not work for me on Friday 😞
Strong recommendation for OBR ADV 3/4 grip mitts. Easy access to controls, keep your hands warm and dry.
HOT HANDS saved me one night over an hour away from home when it got cold, fast and I found out the "winter gloves" I had didn't do diddly OR squat to stop cold.
I rode to work this morning, it was in the low 20's. I would not have been able to without my new heated visor for my Scorpion 950.
I have a fleece neck gaiter that is my favorite piece of winter riding gear. Its that or my merino wool base layer.
I've been using the bushwackers for a while, they do real well for packing totally flat.
Thanks a ton for the video! I went out in 49F temp weather with no sun on my CRF 250 Rally and by the time I was done I was a popsicle. Just bought the glove liners and baclava on cycle gear. Hippo hands will be ordered a little later. I had no idea glove liners were a thing till I saw your video.
The hippo hands look awesome, but for folks on a really thin budget there are a ton of other handlebar muffs/gloves out there, too, even a super cheap pair off of Amazon did the job for me last year. Biggest note is to make sure you know where all of your controls are before you put them on, but I guess you should know all that regardless. Also be super careful trying to put your hands back in if you take one out to open/close your visor or something. Last part is probably just me, but I found them a little distracting because they're so bulky and such an eyesore.
Great video, appreciate all of your tips and all of your other content, too.
Oxford makes a similar product, a bit cheaper I think. Tried them on Saturday, they did the job.
I don't have hippo covers but bought a pair of hand covers on line for $20 which were lined and water/windproof and were fantastic on my run to Tuk in -4C temperature that combined rain, sleet and 10cm of snow. They are ugly but made the ride so much more enjoyable. I'd turn the grip heaters on to 40% and my hands and forearms were dry and toasty warm.
Waterproof socks, it was a game changer for me
I'm lucky to be able to ride my snowmobile for a few months!!
My favorite winter writing accessory is my truck. I am a wuss, I’ll ride in the rain but I’m just not going to put on tons of gear to ride, I’ll just do short rides on warmer days. I admire your dedication and resilience but I would only do it if it was a special occasion adventure like snow camping or something like that but I’m way too much of a wimp for that. Lol
Fantastic tips! We absolutely LOVED our Gerbing heated gear when we lived up in Maine. Granted we rode Harleys, but even in late Spring or Fall, they elongated our riding season. At least get the gloves and then work on getting the jacket liner. They do sell the battery packs for you guys who seem to love to slip and slide and fall down. (Humor) But, they are a game changer for serious riders. Also, those 'hot hands' - same company also makes toasty toes which are fantastic; especially for those steel toe boots that seem to turn your toes into icicles in no time.
1) remove chin padding. 2) put padding in the center of a scarf and fold scarf in half. 3) replace chin padding. Now you have a doubled over scarf hanging from the chin of your motorcycle helmet. When you out the helmet on, zip the scarf into your coat. Does an excellent job of keeping wind out and your face warmer
I have a snow riding story I need to share one of these days. Me and a friend did a ride in mid to late November and intentionally went snow riding over a mtn pass. Keeping my feet warm was the hardest part of the ride.
Good tips
Simple tip that makes wonders : whenever you have the chance, stick your gloves against the engine. They'll be warm when you put them back on and it's not only a good feeling, it'll help you going for long rides. :)
Be careful doing this as it can ruin gloves in a hurry. Synthetic materials can melt easily. Leather gloves will hold up to the heat better but still use caution.
I have used the warm air from the exhaust to dry and warm my hands and gloves before while atv riding. Basically it comes down to a do what you have to do to make it where you need to get sometimes.
Great tips Ben! As a rider with Raynaud's syndrome in my hands and feet I'm more susceptible than most to cold and I'm looking to move to the PNW and keep riding! 👍😎
Thank you for the great tips & ticks for cold weather riding ! Winter weather hit us early so this was on my mind already . 👍
Legs (down to -25C, well below freezing): you've got good tips there. An easy way to go is if you've got riding overpants (any kind really) that have waterproof liners, slap that in. Makes a huge difference. Like you said at the beginning, it's all about trapping air.
I love the Racer FHH. Great dexterity and work great with heated grips.
Great video and very helpful…maybe another video of the top ten things to carry in any motorcycle bag that will help you keep going down the road.
Nice but a few things. I commute all year long on the bike, yes I'm from Vegas but this am it was 30°F. Like you I remove the liner of my jacket, the reason been is with it you can't really layer up. If your jacket (or pants) are tight you will be cold. I use an over the jacket / pants rain gear (very cheap) it will block the cold wind. I still use my summer gloves (I installed heated grip) I do have some (battery operated) gloves but they warm up only the top of the hands (no bueno) I tried very warm (and bulky) gloves but they were so warm that my hand were sweaty and because they were not windproof I ended up with cold/sweaty hands.. "neck warmer" works great (cycle gear have them on sale right now for like $13 (I paid I think $20)
I also have a heated vest (battery operated) I use once in a while (from amazon) combine with a t-shirt, pull over made of Moreno wool, vest, jacket and rain "jacket" on top I'll be very warm for about 2.5 hrs.
This may sound stupid but it's a tip I learned from working on oil rigs in the winter time get yourself a pair of panty hose and I promise your legs will stay warm
layers, man. They work!
Nice tips. currently in the middle od a cros country strip and snowed in :/ I've been tempted to try the snowmobile visors, so now I will.
I was surprised you didn't mention my achilles heel since we have it in common; Glasses. Even when the pinlock is at the edge of its effectiveness, occasionally letting air in to unfog it, often leaves my glases against my face fogging. It's a. constant struggle back and forth. Do you get this? Any tips?
8:52 do ski goggles prevent a stone flinging into your eye?
Thoughts about batteries when parking overnight in 20ish degrees? Have had to get towed a few times because the bike won't start after being out in the cold
Merino wool is one of the best base layers (socks too) I've found when I lived in the PNW, didn't like riding on the winter months though, rain and cold just sucks, I also have a Revv It rain suit and it is fantastic! Has a removable hood that can fit up on your helmet to keep the rain from running down the back of your neck. I'm just so glad I'm in Arizona now so I don't worry about this now 🤘. Don't miss WA weather at all 😂
Wearing eyeglasses can be dangerous in the cold. You have to be ready to crack your visor to let are in to un fog them quickly
If you don't want a beard, you can get a thick neck warmer to go around your neck. I can usually position mine where it will block wind coming into the helmet around the chin
I can't recommend the snow mobiles shield on the Scorpion AT950. I thought it'd be a great idea but the first time I was in heavy rain water seaped through the foam that seperates the two layers at some time during the day. And it seems impossible to clean out without destroying the foam so I've just been living with it for a while now.
I think it happened when I cracked my visor to let some extra air in since it was still a fairly warm day. It rained on us for a few hours that day. I'll be switching to a pinlock and just dealing with it as those seem to be removable?
nitrile gloves under riding gloves keeps hands warm and dry, also i know it sounds weird but cheap pantyhose as a base layer and deodorant on your feet keeps them from sweating and dry. I thought it was insane but it works
With those hippo hands… can you still get to your controls, like d pad, lights, signals, horn?
I've got a fleece dickie...its the beez kneez in the winter.
It's been stupid cold here for the last few days. My bike is mothballed.
Some bikes don’t have the electrical capacity to support heated riding gear… my DRZ doesn’t even run my GPS and heated grips all day before killing the battery.
Hey Dork, How would you comment on how good heated base layers are? just bought some.
Cotton is terrible for one. As someone who has been a ski patroller for years , we would see a lot of people with frozen feet due to too many socks. I would go with one pair of good socks and not a ton of pairs of socks. Wool is king.
Old trick I learned from snorkeling, toothpaste works better and longer than any anti fog spray
@dorkintheroad - I'm buying Scorpions new EXO-960 modular helmet. I thought about adding the snowmobile shield because it's heated but what can you recommend to keep my eyeglasses from fogging up all the time?
Contacts.
Seriously that's what I do.
@@DorkintheRoad ahh. I WISH I could wear contacts. Haven't had them since I was in my twenties. I'm 61 now. Since I ride year-round, I may have to try them again.
What will be your tips for combating cold just above the waist of the pants at the lower back? Longer jacket and long under shirt dont do it completely
I tuck my upper base layer into my lower one 😂
@@DorkintheRoad Teach me how haha. I am pretty all and the upper one always seems to find its way up
Any suggestions for boots and feet ?
I love my Alpinestars Corozals
Boots not waterproof? Slip a plastic bag over your socks to keep rainwater out. Your feet sweat so eventually your socks will get moist (plastic is a vapor barrier). A good hack to get you home when your boots leak. Also, use duct tape to seal the gap between your motocross boots and riding pants.
Very surprised nobody has mentioned an electric vest. Assuming your electrical system can support it.
Yeah, I run an electric jacket. Game changer.
@@russellborn515 Absolutely.
@@russellborn515 What brand/model? Thanks
Which model of the Hippo Hands do you run?
These are the Alcan
Why so much hassle ? I am an old dude and from somewhere 1975 been riding the whole year around. I always used Pekelfietsen.
A Dutch name for a cheap old motorcycle that we use during wintertime while there is salt on the road.
Somewhere from 1985 started to use heated clothing. The gloves, a jacket and insoles. And lets be honest. The last ten years these have made a great jump up. I will never go back to building up layers. You only have to buy it ones and it will last you years.
When making a three month trip i take an air jacket and the heated jacked from Gerbing's. And also take the heated gloves and insoles with me. In my topcase i have build a 12 Volt Makita battery charger. That can charge a 18 volt lithion BL1850 battery.
Makita has a special slide adapter that can be used for their own heated jacket. But i use it for the Gerbing's heated clothing. Because it is 12 volt out. When it is cold and i am of the bike then i can power the heated clothing with that battery. Also i can use that same battery as a powerbank for USB. And also you can use that battery as a jumpstarter for your bike when in an emergency.
When i am in my sleepingbag and it is getting cold i throw in the Gerbing's heated insoles. They get warm and toasty. With this i only have to take a light sleepingbag. While riding and i need to use the heated clothing i will power it ofcourse from the main battery of the bike.
But that BL1850 Makita battery gives me also the ease of mind that when you have bike trouble and it is cold then you can still stay warm for 10 hours. When on the lowest setting. At that moment you do not experience the riding wind. Also that same battery can charge your laptop if you are carrying one. So when going on a long trip and do the minimise thingy with some heated gear and light bike clothing you can overcome all sorts of weather. You can not charge Gerbing's own batteries while riding but you can use it the same way when you go this route with the Makita BL1850 batteries and their 12 volt car charger that can charge the Makita 14.4 and 18 volt Lithion batteries. And for obvious reasons the 18 volt batteries are the right choice to make. So when on a long trip take two of these batteries and then you are ensured of heaving enough juice for all your electrical stuff. On Y.T there are video's on how to use a BL1850 battery as a jump start battery. When going that route it will spare me taking along a lot of bulky stuff. And i will never experience cold. Not even if you have bike trouble and can not use the main battery to power up your heated gear. For me going this route has proven itself many times as a lifesafer also. And with it you can go around the limitations of Gerbing's itself because it is not possible to charge their own (very expensive) 10 Amp and the two seperate 1 , 2 or 3 Amps batteries while riding.
The weight of those 2 batteries and the 12 volt car charger are way less then all the other gear combined that you have to bring along on your trip.
A few years ago in winter i was heading down a highway back home on my bike. It was late in the evening and it was dark. Suddenly it started to snow. A lot of snow. It was sticking at my viser constantly and i felt my front tire going in every direction but not the one i wanted it to go. I had to stop. Until the next morning.🙈 Cars were driving madly. So when i would have tried to ride on i was riscking my life badly. When i would have chrashed a car or a truck would not have had the time to stop.
Took out the BL1850 and hooked it up to my heated clothing. Stayed warm until the next morning. Ok, after a couple of hours i felt miserable and was tired. But how miserable would i have been at that time almost freezing to death. Cause it was minus 16 degrees Celsius. But still with the lowest setting i was not cold. But when turning it off i got cold withing a few minutes. Did not needed it at that moment for the gloves. They were warm enough on their own. Only for the jacket and once in a while i switched the heated insoles on so my feet stayed also warm. I was so happy with that setup. Go to the Makita site and look up that 12 volt car charger for yourself and the slide adapter for their own Makita heated jacket. You can purchase that seperate from their heated jacket. Allready a lot of you guys own a few Makita machines and have those 18 volt batteries laying around.
On my wishlist is to do some experimenting with a few meters of wiring at the inside of my visor. And with that trying to maintain a better visability. Cause a pinlock sometimes only goes to far. And what you will do at those moments is to keep riding on with the visor up. So the bloody cold wind is getting directly in your face. With or without snow or rain. Will try to 3d print a two 18650 case that i can attach on the side of the helmet. Will try that first on some polycarbonate because i do not want to damage my Klim or Shubert visor. But if one of you allready has some experience with that do not hold back the information please.
Greetings from the Netherlands. And keep riding safe.Also in cold weather. And mr. Dork. Thx for your video and your insights.🙏🙏
Resist the urge to go easy and use cotton, wear a form-fitting nylon sock under the wool ones.
Best hack - don't ride in the cold. Brrrr & slippery.
Lol truer words were never spoken
Great TIPS. Hacks are for computers 😅
and UA-cam keywords
lol, wool is the WORST!