Advice: Winter road gear guide

Staying warm on the bike can be the difference between an enjoyable ride and one to forget. But it’s not always a matter of getting the thickest pants, jackets and gloves you can find. Here’s why.

Having cold fingers and toes while riding in winter is a pretty common complaint from motorcycle riders. But it’s not always because they’re relatively exposed and moving at speed through cold winter air.

If your core temperature begins to drop, your body’s defence is to take heat away from your extremities in order to keep your organs warm and functioning well. It’s entirely possible for you and your riding buddy to be wearing the same pair of winter gloves and the same boots, for example, but if your mate is also wearing a quality base layer under his jacket, there’s a good chance his or her fingers and toes will be warmer than yours.

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Base layers – or thermals – not only do a great job in keeping you warm, but layering your clothing also allows you to remove it incrementally as the weather warms up. Base layers come in all sorts of fabrics and, as a result, all sorts of prices.

Because the base layer is almost always directly against your skin it also performs the duty of managing moisture. And while we don’t always associate sweat with winter, it doesn’t take long to get really warm once you’ve peeled off a freeway and hit the twisties.

While less-expensive polyester or nylon base layers might have an advantage in terms of wicking moisture away from your skin and the time they take to dry, natural fibres like merino, cotton or silk have superior breathability, better odour resistance and will keep you far warmer than their manmade equivalents.

A mid-layer is also worth considering if you’re spending lots of time on the road. They replace your jacket’s removable liner and can be cheaper way to improve the thermal properties of your jacket without having to purchase a replacement. The other handy thing is they are often designed to be worn as an outer layer when you’re off the bike, which means you don’t need to carry as much with you if you’re touring.

While it goes without saying that a full-face item is the warmest, helmets can be tricky in really cold weather because you need to balance keeping warmth with the availability of fresh air. Allowing too much fresh air in and you’ll get really cold really quickly – there’s lots of blood close to the surface in the head area which will cool quite fast – but close everything up and not only will you become fatigued quicker than you should, but you’ll be more likely battling with vision issues as your breath and body heat combine to create condensation on the inside of your visor.

Chins curtains are an inexpensive and easy-to-fit addition to reduce the amount of cold air blowing inside your helmet, breath guards can be added to reduce the fogging of your visor and many helmets are supplied with these accessories. A helmet which offers varying levels of ventilation is a good choice, too, that way you can cover your neck and the opening of your helmet really well for warmth and have your visor tightly closed, while still allowing a small amount of fresh air in to keep you both alert and fog free.

Spend a small fortune and you’ll probably be able to find a jacket that, with very little else on underneath, will keep you relatively warm in all but the most extreme winter weather. But if you’re clever with your layers and their materials, a winter jacket that doesn’t cost the earth can still keep you warm and dry as long as you prioritise its features.

Keeping wind and water out is imperative to staying warm on the bike, so it’s better to opt for a textile jacket over a leather one which will absorb water and become incredibly heavy and take a long time to dry.

Adjustable closures at the collar and cuffs will reduce the amount of cold air finding its way inside your jacket, as will built in layers both behind and in front of the main zipper. Zippered vents may appear to make your jacket more practical over more months of the year, but be aware they often act as potential entry points for wind and water and that your chest does bear the brunt of the majority of the wind blast.

Even if it’s not raining, a high-quality waterproof membrane like Gore-Tex will dramatically increase your comfort levels in really cold conditions due to its breathability levels. Anything waterproof is also going to stop piercing wind, so another good tip is to pull plastic waterproofs on over the top of your outer jacket if it’s particularly cold.

And if all else fails, you can do worse than shoving two-dollar’s worth of hot chips down the front of your jacket.

While your legs are generally a little bit more protected from the wind and rain compared to your torso, similar principles apply to buying dedicated winter riding pants as they do to a jacket.

Depending on what style of bike you ride, you might find a removable thermal liner can become restrictive if quite thick and you might find a similar level of warmth can be achieved with a high-quality base layer.

Look for a high cut at the rear to stop any wind or water creeping in on your lower back and you may want to go as far as having the provision to zip them to the back of your jacket, which many winter riding pants feature. Because of the sitting nature of motorcycle riding, it’s not uncommon for water to pool in the crotch area, so it’s advisable to opt for a waterproof pair to increase long-term comfort.

And think twice before you tuck your pant legs into your boots. If it rains, the water will run down your pant legs and fill your boots with cold water. If they’re over the outside of your boot, you will have a higher chance of your feet remaining dry and warm.

Unfortunately, when controlling a motorcycle, having good feel and movement in your hands is more important than having warm hands and it’s a compromise often made by motorcyclists.

Look for a high gram content of the insulative material called Thinsulate when you’re making your winter-glove buying decisions. Anything around 150g of Thinsulate insulation is at the toasty-warm end of the warmth spectrum, but tend to be quite thick, while gloves with up to 60g will still claim to be winter options while allowing more movement in your hands. The trick is going as high as you can in terms of grams of insulation, while still being able to find and use all controls without consciously thinking about it.

Look for a glove with no venting, a reliable wrist closure and, while a longer cuff or gauntlet might seem like a warmer option, make sure both cuffs of your jacket can be secured snugly once you’re wearing both gloves – often it’s not as easy as it sounds.

You might also consider fitting handguards to your bike to deflect the wind from hitting them directly.

There are two important things to look for in a winter boot. One is that they’re waterproof. Your toes are not only very exposed and leading into the icy cold wind, but they’re very close to the ground which means even if it’s not raining, a wet road can be enough to see you end up with wet socks if they don’t boast a waterproof membrane.

The other feature to look for is a membrane or envelope which stretches between both sides of the zippered boot opening. This closes up any entry points for water or wind and will keep your feet warmer. The longer the boot, the warmer you’ll be, and don’t discount the thermal improvement of a base-layer worn underneath your winter socks.

Heated riding gear – from gloves, vests, jackets, pant liners, even socks – is becoming more and more common these days and, while it sounds like a quick and practical solution to keeping warm on the bike, there’s a few things you need to consider.

The first is the power source; it’ll either have an independent battery which you’ll need to keep charged, or it’ll be powered through your bike’s battery either through a cigarette-lighter style 12-volt outlet or by connecting a wiring harness directly to the terminals of the battery.

There are pros and cons to both, depending on your individual situation, but you’ll also need to check the draw said gear will have on the battery and, if you’re using an accessory outlet, making sure the amp capacity is equal to or higher than the total of the garments.

Of course aftermarket heated grips are effective alternative solution and, in some cases, less expensive than heated gloves.