Cold Weather Gear
COLD WEATHER GEAR
On Bundling Up for Life in the Frost Lane
Sally Tatom
Winter has a charm of its own. The first actual day of winter is not until December 21, but the feeling grabs you a month or two earlier than that. Starts with that crispy clear brisk mountain-type air that heralds the beginning of football season. Then comes Thanksgiving which brings the wind and an occasional snowfall. By Christmas the pattern is pretty well established—icy cold weather sets in for another few months.
In other words, for the motorcyclist the weather goes from bad to w'orse.
How bad the worst is depends on your location. In the sun belt, say from southern California to the southern Atlantic coast, winter means an occasional dip to freezing. In the higher altitudes and inland, across the Midwest and along both coasts, zero isn’t rare. Into the true northern U.S. and it’s —40 F.
Point is, there are some places where no human being can ride a motorcycle in the winter, while in all parts of the country, cold weather either limits riding or requires extra planning and equipment.
Hence this combination of equipment testing and catalog.
Paraphrasing the old saw about it isn’t the heat, it’s the humidity, cold weather riding can be painful not because of the cold, but because of wind chill.
The correct name is Wind Chill Factor. The term was invented by scientists who did a series of experiments in the polar regions. Wind chill is simply the fact that wdnd draws heat from warm-blooded creatures. The more wand, the more heat loss. Wind chill is expressed in terms of equivalent degrees. If the air temperature is 30 deg. F., and the wind is blowing at 20 mph. the equivalent temperature is 3 deg. F.
Which explains w hat every rider knows: It’s colder riding a motorcycle than it is standing still.
How much colder depends on several things. Both work in our favor, although sometimes it’s hard to tell out on the highway.
First, the warmer the air, the less wind chill. This is because as the temperature gap closes, the heat exchange becomes less efficient. With a 10-mph w'ind. you lose 22 deg. from zero. 19 deg. from 10 F. 18 deg. from 20 F. and so forth. In short, w ind chill isn’t as bad on a warm winter day as it is on a cold winter day.
Second, the study which developed the wind chill charts shows that winds of more than 40 mph have little effect. In fact, most charts don’t go beyond 50 mph because of this. Science or not. it’s hard for an experienced rider to believe that riding through the cold at 60 mph isn’t colder than riding at 40 mph.
But that isn’t the point. We began the cold weather gear evaluations with a reversal of the standard wind chill factor chart. The chart assumes a person standing still, in air at 30 deg. or well below zero, with a wind of 40 mph or so.
A wind chill equivalent of —24 deg. puts a normal human being in considerable danger of freezing. The danger point is reached at 14 deg. F. with a wind of 25 mph. Therefore, riding a motorcycle at an ambient temperature of 20 deg. F or below requires special equipment. (We’ll have something to say about that later.) For now we were testing normal w'inter riding equipment, so we needed a repeatable equivalent to riding in 20-50 deg. F. at the legal maximum of 55 mph.
Actual winter riding wxis impractical. We’d have needed to wait until winter which would mean we’d have all the inside stuff on cold weather gear in print about the time of the spring thaw.
So we chose still air. We found the correct temperature span at Southern California Refrigeration Service. Inc. in Long Beach. California. The company was kind enough to allow' the testers use of two rooms, one a storage room at 30 deg. F.. the other an actual frozen meat warehouse, at 0 deg. F. Because the wind chill doesn’t work in a straight mathematical progression. and because the charts don’t show air temperatures at which a motorcycle rider can be comfortable, we had to make some estimates.
The 30-deg. storage room would be close to riding 55 mph on a 55-deg. day.
The 0-deg. freezer warehouse would be fairly close to 20-25 deg. of still air. at 55 mph.
There’s one other factor. Each person has a different tolerance for hot or cold. To allow for that as best we could, the testers were three basic types. A. a man who doesn’t like cold at all. B. a man who reckons himself as fairly average, and C. a man who doesn’t feel cold much.
The morning of the test, our man A rode to the office at 55 mph in 65 deg. weather wearing a T-shirt, long-sleeved cotton shirt, leather jacket. Levi cords, regular socks and boots. Thurlow lined gloves and full-face helmet. At the end of the 30minute jaunt he reported feeling quite comfortable.
For our first test he w'ore exactly the same clothes, although we had him change into a pair of Damart thermal socks. After 30 minutes in a 30-deg. climate he reported being chilled all over, except for his feet, which were just beginning to feel the effects of the cold.
The thermal socks evidently helped some, as the hands and feet are the first parts of the body to feel the cold. This is because w hen the body begins to get cold it reserves its warmth and keeps it where it is most vitally needed—in the torso area. The warmer the torso is kept, the more heat the body has to circulate and the warmer hands and feet will be. This is why it is important to dress from the outside in. rather than the inside out. Better to try not ■to allow the cold in at all.
A rider wearing thermal long underwear under his normal clothing (trying to hold bodv heat in) will be colder than a rider wearing normal clothing under a riding suit (trying to keep cold out).
Our man B approached the 30-deg. room wearing Damart thermal long underwear. a long-sleeved shirt, w'ool cardigan sweater, corduroy pants, a Full Bore two-piece riding suit. Harley-Davidson gauntlets with Damart liners, and rag socks inside his engineer boots. After 30 minutes he said he was reasonably com-> fortable except for a slight chill on his shoulders which he felt after the first 15 minutes. The thing he complained most loudly about, however, was that his hands were “roasting!”
Mr. C claims to have a good tolerance to cold anyway, but dressed as he was in a golf shirt and Levi denims under the HarleyDavidson one-piece riding suit, with Yamaha snowmobile socks. Full Bore boots. Bates lined winter gloves, and helmet with an Apple Warmer, it is no surprise that he was perfectly warm in the 30 deg. locker. He claimed that because his helmet had no face shield he felt colder all over when he faced the fan they have in the locker to keep air circulating. (As purely psychological as it may be. you'll understand if you have felt warmer riding in 60-deg. weather on a sunny day than you did riding on a 60deg. overcast day.)
Taking our evaluations one step further, w'e joined sides of beef, mackerel, and shrimp in the freezer warehouse. (One of our testers stated that if the cold didn’t get you the smell w'ould.)
Our low-tolerance-to-cold man (A) wore everything he had on in the 30-deg. room and added 100-percent cotton long underwear and a Califia Magnum II riding suit. He lasted 30 minutes and was the first of the three to emerge from the 0-deg. climate. Poor dear was cold through and through—aching hands and feet his loudest complaint except for the fact that no one had thought to bring along any Kleenex.
Misters B and C appeared about five minutes after A. They seemed glad to rejoin the hot and smoggy normality of the September afternoon. Mr. B looked a bit like Dr. Zhivago after his trek through Siberia as there were icicles dangling from his moustache and beard. Eyeglasses steamed over and the frost on helmets began to melt. Both B and C had survived the zero temperature wearing exactly what they had worn in the “warm” atmosphere of the 30-deg. locker. The results were a bit different, however. B’s hands weren’t roasting. for one thing. In fact, the first thing he complained about was cold fingers. Shoulders were chilled again, though the chill had crept down the back even further than in the first test. He grumbled about cold feet and said that if he had to ride a bike in temperatures like that he would probably place a Sunday paper close to his body. Had it not been for cold feet and hands, though, he said he could have stood the cold for a while longer.
Sir C, who claims not to be as affected by cold as most people, emerged from the zero degree temperature griping mostlv of ice cold feet (tips of the toes, especially) and cold hands. The place he felt cold first was the area between the end of his glove and the beginning of his riding suit. Longer gauntlets would solve this.
What did we prove? First, that there are limits. The limits seem to be extremities, that is. hands and feet and perhaps face and ears. By piling on more layers around your torso, you can reduce heat loss and keep hands and feet w-armer ... up to a point.
Second and vital, a good insulated riding suit with thermal socks, gloves and mittens, neck warmer and thermal underwear. will keep the average rider comfortable in 20 deg. F. or so. Below that depends on the individual’s thermostß and of course the w'eather. Cold snaps liéan ice and snow, which means better Tul fake the truck or stav home.
Now. an equipment survey:
ELECTRICS
The easiest way to keep war is to conserve heat. The other way. ich is more complicated and expensiv is to produce heat, or rather, to have the otor cycle's electrical system plug into g~ ments which convert electricity into heat which forms a barrier between the rider nd the V cold.
This isn't a n4 idea. The latest equip ment. though. it improved in t at the wiring is tough and the efficiency high.
We have lots of firsthand exp menee with the Widder Lectric-Vest. Oie has been owned by thé staff for a yeai and is used on long rides in cold weath :r. The vest comes with W'iring and plugs, although you have to hook the plug section onto the bike’s battery. There’s an on-off switch and a rheostat. The vest fits beneath a road jacket and folds into a compact bundle when not in use.
The owners of the cold storagé warehouse wouldn't let us use electrical:equipment there, so we couldn’t do ar\ iii-house evaluation of the vest. We dôÜ kliow it works. / ! ^
Widder also, makes a set of electrical chaps. Same idea as the vest and the chaps have wiring which connects to the;vest, so you only need one connection to the bike. Oh, once the wiring is done th^ere are connectors so you can connect andjdisconnect without fooling with the battery, seat, etc.
The chaps should be considered an option because they’re not comfortable beneath street clothes. They work fine between slacks and a riding suit.
The VisA-Therm jacket is a new offering and one we weren’t able to evaluate. It’s a normal-looking enduro style jacket, fully lined, so it serves well as riding jacket. When the temperature drops below comfortable for just the jacket, you can hook up to the bike’s batfery and keep on riding.
LOCKHART APPLE WARMER
We did a full evaluation of the Apple Warmer for our May issue. It’s a quilted muffler that fits around the bottom of a closed helmet or an open helmet with a shield. It fastens to the helmet w ith velcro tabs and the lower edges tuck inside your jacket for the most cold-weather protection.
It seals out wind and keeps the rider warmer, and we w?onder how' dedicated riders ever managed without it.
You can buy one for SI2.95 at your local dealer, or order directly from the manufacturer.
Lockhart Industries 15707 Texaco Ave.
Paramount, Calif. 90723 (213) 774-2981
FULL BORE RIDING SUIT
Full Bore has really done it with its welldesigned riding suit. It is made from a material called Trailex that took three years to develop. It is water-resistant, and claimed to be seven times more abrasion resistant than nylon.
T he pants of the two-piece suit have fulllength plastic two-way zippers on the outside seams, and reinforced seat, crotch and knees. The back of the waistband is elasticized and fastens to the front with an adjustable velcro tab. We wish velcro had been used at the ankle closures instead of heavy-duty snaps.
Velcro would have been our choice for the collar and wristband closures also, but other than that, it's hard to complain about the jacket. If you own a riding suit you wish had more pockets, you’ll envy the ow ner of one of these.
This coat has four large pockets—two on the outside and two on the inside. The outside pockets are well hidden under the pleats.
Other features are an elastic inner waistband and zippered and waterproof shoulder vent across the back of the jacket. VI an B who wore this suit complained of a chill across the back of his shoulders. We're wondering if this vent was unzipped—it’s so well hidden we didn't notice it was there until after the evaluation period.
The Full Bore Trailex riding suit is available in dark blue, blue or gold and sells for $98. The jacket alone costs $59.50 and the pants are $46.50. Visit your Full Bore dealer or write:
Full Bore West 13712 Alina Ave.
Gardena. Calif. 90249 (213) 532-9129 or
Full Bore East P.O. Box 36
Schenectady. N.Y. 12301 (518) 355-6015
BATES WINTER GLOVES
As are all the gloves Bates offers, the 100-percent leather Winter Gloves are smart-looking. Warm. too. because the top of the glove is lined with polyester pile and the palm with acetate foam. There is an elastic band around the wrist to help keep the wind and cold out.
The gauntlet could be a bit longer, as the man w ho wore these gloves in our evaluations noticed cold between the end of the glove and the beginning of his riding suit.
Available in XS to XL sizes from Bates dealers and by mail-order. Price is $23.95.
Bates Industries. Inc.
701 W. Cowles St.
Long Beach. Calif. 90801 (213) 435-6551
HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDING SUIT
This suit was worn by our test subject C who did not complain of his body being cold in either test. Mr. A wore it home and back and claims he has never worn a riding suit he liked better than this: “Just like those snuggy sleeper suits with feet." The arms and legs close with two-way zippers, and the velcro closure at the neck helps prevent wind leaks. The only gap Mr. A found was that w ith street clothes on underneath. the left cuff rode above his boots. A higher pair of boots, however, prevented air from sneaking in. Actual cold-weather insulation is excellent, as witnessed by the freezer tests.
The pockets met with approval too— there are two large pockets in front where gloves can be stowed and a smaller pocket over the left breast. The styling of the suit is impressive and complete with epaulets.
The suit is available from vour local Harley dealer and comes in regular sizes SM-L-XL-XXL for $71.95. Long sizes LXL-XXL cost $77.95.
DAMART DOUBLE FORCE LONG SLEEVE TOP AND LONG PANTS
Long underwear has come a long way from the prickly kind Pa Kettle used to wear. This set of thermal unders from Damart is made of a material called Thermolactyl (85 percent vinyon and 15 percent nylon). It’s a soft and almost cushiony material that kept our man feeling warm and sunny.
The top costs $26.95, the long pants $25.95.
Available through mail-order only.
Damart Thermawear, Inc.
1811 Woodbury Ave.
Portsmouth. N.H. 03801 (603)431-4700
WIGWAM GENUINE RAGG SOCK
Our test man B wore these wool socks for our evaluation. While the other two testers complained bitterly of cold feet after the first test, Mr. B casually mentioned that his feet were a bit cold on the tops.
These are good all-around outdoor socks. A bit bulky, but if it’s warmth you want, these may be the best bet.
We bought ours at Ski Mart and they are available from almost any sporting goods store. Price is $3.50.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FULL MITTS
Far and away the warmest gloves we tested are the full gauntlets with sheepwool lining from Harley. Test subject B's hands were piping-hot wearing glove liners and these mitts in the 30-deg. storage room.
Warm, yes. Bulky, definitely. Two of our testers thought them to be uncomfortably bulky, but Mr. A, who hates cold, would cheerfully deal with the clumsiness if it meant having hands as warm as toast.
You can buy a pair at your Harley dealer for $23.80.
DAMART DOUBLE FORCE GLOVE LINERS
Glove liners can make the difference between having warm hands and not. These from Damart are made of the same material as their underwear we evaluated— Thermolactyl. The liners are warm and soft and fit snug so there’s no problem fitting your riding gloves over them.
Worth the $7.95 price.
Damart Thermawear Inc.
1811 Woodbury Ave.
Portsmouth. N.H. 03801 (603) 431-4700
THURLOW LEATHERWORLD THERMAL GLOVES AND OVER MITTENS
Thurlow Leatherworld calls this combination its Glove System. Gloves from Thurlow are made of deer skin or from the skins of animals in the deer family. They are beautifully styled and do a good job of keeping hands warm without being as bulky as those from Harley-Davidson. One of our staff members wears these gloves exclusively and vouches for their durability.
Gauntlets are available in 3‘/2 in. length ($34) and 5'/2 in. length ($35). The over mitten also comes in two sizes: 6-in. above wrist for $30 and to the wrist for $25.
Available through dealers particularly in the San Francisco Bay area and in Texas, or directly from the factory.
Thurlow Leatherworld 4807 Mercury St. '
San Diego. Calif. 92111 (714) 279-9004
HIPPO HANDS
Probably the most sure-fire way to keep your hands warm while riding is to start with glove liners, add riding gloves, and then slip your hands inside a set of cozy Hippo Hands.
Hippo Hands are mitten-like contraptions that fit over the handlebars and controls of your bike. The outside is made of vinyl and the inside has a nice thick woolly lining.
Lace the narrow end down inboard of the controls and put your hands in the large end.
Whether you’re going over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house or on the expressway to the office, if you must go out in the coldest of weather, don’t go without your Hippo Hands.
Price is $35.90.
Vetter Fairing Company Rantoul. 111. 61866 (217) 893-9300
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MAGNUM II TOURSUIT
One of our staff members wore a Magnum II Toursuit by Califia last winter and gave his impressions in our February issue. He liked it. To recap:
The suit is cut and tailored for sitting on a motorcycle. The seat and knees don’t ride up and the back doesn't flap or balloon.
The suit's three belts, six zippers and 10 velcro fasteners or straps assure there are no drafts. The outside layer is water-resistant, and portions of the inside are waterproof. The suit is made of an abrasionresistant fabric of reflective silver: the makers say a rider is visible for one city block.
In our cold storage evaluation the man who can stand cold least of the three testers was able to stand zero-degree temperatures for 30 minutes wearing the Magnum IF
Available from some accessory shops or from the following for $162.
Drager's Motorcycle Co.
1207 Dexter Ave. N.
Seattle. Wash. 98109 (206) 285-2660
Califia Industries Inc.
540 W. Lambert Rd.
Brea. Calif. 92621
(714) 990-2777
DAMART DOUBLE FORCE SOCKS
These warmies are made of the same material as Damart’s long underwear and glove liners. Nice and soft and snuggly— kept our man A warm during the first test.
Available for S8.95.
Damart Thermawear. Inc.
1811 Woodbury Ave.
Portsmouth. N.H. 03801 (603) 431-4700
YAMAHA RIDING AND SNOWMOBILE SOCKS
These heavy terry cloth knee socks sure feel good on! Nice to pad around the house in, but they don't seem to quite do the job in keeping feet as warm as a biker (or snowmobiler) needs.
Aside from the different name and slightly different packaging, we could find no difference between the Riding Sock and the Snowmobile Sock.
Wash them separately the-first time or two. as they are not colorfast.
Available at Yamaha dealers for S4.95.
