The predicted afternoon high for yesterday was a windy 43F. Without checking the temperature I suited up around 1:00 PM and went for a spin. My latest experiment in clothing layers kept my torso warm enough but just barely. And my hands could not have handled prolonged upwind riding.
I rode about 20 miles on slow back streets and made several "warm-up" stops. I was so well insulated that I warmed up quickly when I wasn't moving. The ride was fun but it sure seemed colder than 43F. I turned toward home sooner than I wanted to and immediately checked weather.com for the current temperature.
It was 35!!
Considering I'm not yet acclimated to cold weather, I was very comfortable for 35F! Apparently my latest clothing experiment was a thermal success.
I was wearing a T-shirt, long-sleeve work shirt, jeans, thermal overalls, sweat shirt, cloth-lined nylon "windbreaker" jacket and a Perfecto style motorcycle jacket with liner and pocket bags removed and duct tape over the pocket zippers on the inside. I wore a polyester scarf around my neck and over my chin. and a full coverage helmet with visor. I wore lace-up over-the-ankle boots and lined black leather gloves.
I need better insulated gloves. And the combined pressure of all those layers around my neck was too much. The experiments continue. But not today. The streets are below freezing and I don't risk ice.
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I've been riding in the same weather, my effective 'get up' is, from the top down:
ReplyDeleteone of those peek-a-boo type bala clavas that allows you to lower the chin portion to clear your mouth should you want to. This model has very long wide 'flaps'front and back, front one covering your top chest and same for back. These balaclavas really keep your ears/neck/chest warm under the 3/4 helmet.
I then pull a white 'neck tube' down over my head/balaclava so that it too covers the ears and mouth and neck. I then wrap a beautiful Arabian scarf(shemagh)around my neck with it draping down my chest. Over this I wear the key ingredient, a 3/4 length 1950S era German motorcycle jacket, the 3/4 length really makes a big difference.
Underneath all of this I wear a long sleeve tee shirt plus a regular long sleeve cotton shirt. On legs I wear a pair of jeans with a blanket lined pair of jeans over them; if its really cold I wear long johns which gives me 3 layers.
I have a set of 5 inch deer skin gauntlets (Churchill Gloves) which even though are not lined are suprisingly warm. I suspect that it might have something to do with the gloves being deer skin.
Anyway it all keeps me toasty down to 34 degrees. I don't have a windshield on my Bonnie.