Cold Weather Riding…How Cold Is Too Cold?

How Cold Is Too Cold To Ride?

There’s been a lot of posting on Google+ lately about cold weather riding.  Most of it focused around, “How cold is too cold to ride?”  Living in Central Texas where the average annual temperature is 69.2° F, I’d never given it much thought.  But for some reason I couldn't get the question out of my head. 

My thoughts turned to a ride I made from San Angelo to Odessa when the early morning temperatures were in the upper-40’s.  I wore a thermal undershirt, long sleeves, and a textile jacket but by the time I got to Midland I was chilled to the bone.  My teeth were chattering and I was shivering almost uncontrollably.  I stopped at a McDonalds to warm-up…after two cups of hot chocolate I finally stopped shivering.  Given this experience and the buzz on Google+, I decided to do a little research and find a definitive answer.  Here’s what I found…

There is no definitive answer.  There’s no magic temperature below which it is unsafe to ride.  Our bodies are quite remarkable and with proper insulation and protection can withstand frigid, well-below-zero temperatures (think snowmobile in the Antarctic).  In the end, it comes down to rider preparation and preference.

Preparation

You need to understand the hazards of cold weather riding like hypothermia (a decrease in core body temperature to a level at which normal muscle and brain functions are impaired) and frostnip/frostbite in order to prevent them.  I discovered on my ride to Odessa that you can suffer from mild hypothermia  even when the outside temperatures are in the upper 40’s.  I had neglected the effect of moving through the air at 70 mph and the resulting wind chill.  If the temperature is 47° F and you’re travelling 70 mph without a windshield, it can effectively feel like 34°.  No wonder, I was shivering! 

Learn from my mistake and dress in warm layers to insulate yourself from the cold.  If the temperatures are in the 40’s and you’ll be riding at freeway speeds, you should also make sure to cover all exposed skin paying special attention to your ears, nose, chin, and fingers, as they’re the most susceptible to frostnip/frostbite. Remember to consider the outside air temperature, your planned speed, and trip length when preparing for a cool/cold weather ride. These considerations will help gauge what you need to wear to stay warm and hopefully, comfortable.

Preference

Only you can decide when it’s too cold to ride.  Everyone has his or her own opinion…and everyone is right.  After all, it is your ride.  Just keep in mind that you can extend your riding season by carefully selecting your gear.  There are lots of choices of leather and textile to build insulating layers and you can even choose heated gear to minimize the bulk.  You don’t have to dress like the Michelin Man to stay warm during a cold weather ride.  :-)

So, what temperature is too cold for you?  What types of gear/clothing do you use to extend your riding season?  Leave a comment and let’s see what we can learn from one another.

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Learn more about Speed and Temperature

Learn how to calculate Wind Chill

Learn more about Hypothermia

Learn more about Frostnip and Frostbite

Learn more about the Science of Cold

First Clasics Prima Leather Motorcycle Vest Video Review

Last month I posted about my First Classics Prima Leather Motorcycle Vest from motorcychouse.com.  I promised a video review in December, and here it is.

I discovered making a product review video isn't as easy as it sounds. But it was a lot of fun.  I hope the lessons I learned making this video will help me make better product review videos in the future.  
Constructive criticism is appreciated, so leave a comment and tell me what you really think.

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Learn more about motorcyclehouse.com
Learn more about the First Classics Prima Leather Motorcycle Vest

Get Your Heart On

One of the things I’ve discovered over the past couple of years is that bikers have big hearts.  Most people don’t realize this fact and many have some pretty bad misperceptions about the biker community.  Yes, some who ride motorcycles are downright scary, but under that tough exterior is generally a heart of gold.  In my community and many other communities across our nation, bikers are in the front of the line when it comes to supporting great causes.  Whether it be to help raise money for children with cancer, another biker who has been in an accident, or supporting our troops…bikers are always there.

I witnessed this on Saturday when over 115 bikes from all over San Antonio converged at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery to pay tribute to our nation’s heroes during the Wreaths Across America wreath laying ceremony.  It was a heartwarming sight.  Bikers from various clubs and chapters stood side-by-side, forming a flag line to serve as a patriotic backdrop during the official ceremony.  Afterwards, bikers joined others in the community to honor and remember those who served by placing over 16,000 wreaths on the tombstones of the fallen.

As a 21 year veteran of the Air Force I’m proud to be a part of the biker community. I’m thankful for the opportunity to ride with men and women who understand the feeling and meaning of freedom…and who are willing to give their time, talents, and treasures to support it.  It’s my wish during this holiday season and throughout the coming year that we, the biker community, will continue to look for ways to be of service and support the communities in which we live. 

Let’s get our hearts on!

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Learn more about Wreaths Across America

Learn more about Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

One Last Ride

What would you do if you could ride only one more time?  I imagine many have never given it a single thought.  I know I hadn’t.  Thinking about our own mortality is difficult.  We think we’re invincible and that tomorrow will always bring another day. But the cold-hard truth is, we aren’t invincible.  Eventually time catches us all.

If you knew, you had only one more day, one more week, one more month to live, what would you do?   Whatever it is, I hope you do it with the same courage, tenacity, and spirit as a Long Distance Rider named, Jeff Parker.  I never met Jeff but what he wrote about his USA Four Corners Tour on the LDRider List profoundly touched my heart. 

On Saturday, November 30^th, Jeff wrote:

“I have returned from my four corners ride. I'm sorry that I have not posted updates as I promised, but I have been very ill. Leaving the northeast, I started to feel very ill. I made it to Florida, and spent a week there, just recuperating, or trying to anyhow. I ended up being admitted to the hospital where several tests revealed that my cancer had spread. No surprise there. I was told by my doctors that I should be connected with hospice, if I so desired, so I could rest comfortably, and that there was nothing else left for them to do.

Hospice wasn't an option at the time, and while the doctors may have had nothing left to do, I sure as hell did! I had to ride to San Ysidro, CA to finish my four corners ride! The doctors advised me that I should not ride a motorcycle, because that would be hard on my health. Knowing I was dying of pancreatic cancer, I asked myself how much harder on my health could riding a motorcycle really be? So against medical advice, I departed and headed to the Florida Keys, then westbound.

I rode only 50 miles some days, and 500 miles on other days, depending how I felt. I made it to Texas, and felt reasonably ok. Reaching New Mexico, I started to feel just awful. I spent two days there trying to get well, and just couldn't. I powered through and rode to Arizona, where I again rested two days. I was done. I knew I was no longer able to ride; I wasn't safe any longer. The pain was intense. My mental alertness was gone, as pain is all that I could tune into. So close to finishing my four corners ride, yet unable to do so. What am I to do? I picked up my BMW MOA anonymous book and called a few people, and invited them to coffee. I explained my plight, and humbly asked if any of them would be willing to ride two up on my bike, me on the back, and ride me to San Ysedro so I could finish my four corners ride? They all were delighted to, and the schedule worked for one of them.

We left for our ride, and seven hours later, arrived in San Ysedro. Since I didnt do all of the riding, I am not sure if it truly counts as a four corners ride, but in my mind it does. I had the time of my life! I made it! I bought Daniel an airline ticket home, hugged him good bye, said thank you, and off he went. Thank you Daniel, for making my dream come true.

I am now enrolled with hospice and am comfortable. Should I not have the opportunity to write here again, I bid all farewell, and will be watching you from above. Ride on folks, ride on!”

Jeff’s words struck a chord. Through unthinkable challenges and pain, Jeff’s love of riding kept him going.  Even after realizing he could no longer pilot his bike safely, he found a way to reach his goal.  His determination and grit allowed him to complete an epic ride around the US and realize a dream.   Jeff never gave-up.  

One of the lessons I took from Jeff’s experience is to live more in the moment, to enjoy the here and now, and to make every ride an epic ride regardless of its length.  We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so we need to make the most of today. At its core that’s what living free and riding hard is all about. I’m grateful to Jeff for helping me see things more clearly and motivating me to think about my “last” ride.  I hope he motivated you as well.

Prologue

Sadly, on Tuesday, December 3^rd, Jeff Parker lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.  I’d like to believe Jeff is riding hard in heaven and smiling on all who share his love and passion for motorcycling. Ride on Jeff, ride on!

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Learn more about the USA Four Corners Tour

Learn more about the LDRidersList