Cold Weather Bike Gear
So yesterday I had that 240 mile round trip to make in really cold conditions: so cold, in fact, that one the return journey, the gritters were out.To make the journey tolerable, I'd added a pair of proper winter gloves to my wardrobe: Belstaff Thermosport winter gloves - these are Pittards leather with Kevlar knuckle protectors, extra leather and abrasion resistance on the palms, Thinsulate (to keep the heat in) and Porelle lining (breathable but waterproof) in case of rain. This was the first time I'd worn them, so they still need to soften up, but they worked really well, aided by two things:
- A stop each way at the BP Garage on the A505 at Sawston - don't ever think that those coffee shop things they've put in are a fashion accessory: when your hands and body are getting cold, a hot cup of coffee really helps.
- The radiator shrouds on the ZRX1200R make handy heated glove racks when you're filling up with petrol!
So other than the gloves, I also wore a vest-style T-shirt, roll-neck T-shirt, ZRXOC sweatshirt and my lined Rukka jacket. On the legs, a normal pair of bike leathers worked fine, especially as they zip together with the Rukka jacket to help keep the draughts out and the heat in.
If I were commuting this distance regularly, I'd still invest in some proper electrically heated clothing, but for the occasional winter foray, the kit did the job well.
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