Winter riding gear & tips

Kimbo

Active Member
I bought these heated hand grips that get really warm and just run off a power bank. They don't fit very well over the original handgrips but one can use rubber bands or zip ties to hold them on temporarily. My model has no temperature control so I just plug them in or unplug them as I need heat.

 

Here is a vest I use that runs off a powerbank. The vest expands to fit almost everyone and can go from warm to very hot with 5 heat settings. I paid a lot less than this for mine but it is the same model, probably good to check out Aliexpress for similar models even though Amazon will ship in one day.
 
One thing I always carried in my bag when I commuted by bicycle was a simple paper grocery bag. It folds up to nothing and takes up no space in your bag, costs nothing and when it gets cold or windy you just unfold it and insert it under the front of your jacket to stop the wind from coming through. Of course it offers no insulation but it will stop the wind from cooling off your core but still allows your back to ventilate so you don't overheat.
 
For me gloves have always been key. You want something that allows the dexterity you need, but that also blocks the wind.
I've seen some people cut up a 2 liter pop bottle and turn it into an effective hand wind block.
But I don't ride in the cold much any more, so am not sure what is available.
 
A safety tip for rain: If you have disk brakes and are riding downhill, remember to tap the brakes regularly every 3-4 seconds. This will keep the discs hot and will cause water droplets to evaporate. If you don’t do this, the discs will get humid and when you try to stop it will multiply your stopping distance considerably. I’ve had wet discs with Shimanos, Tektros, Maguras.... They all lose efficiency in prolonged rain. By tapping the brakes the discs stay so hot that water evaporates almost instantly. Just to be clear, don’t touch your discs physically right after a long downhill ride. You’ll most likely burn your hands.... I’ve been there.

Try it in a safe place, when rain is moderate. If it’s pouring bucketloads it works less well.

Considering that you're not supposed to be riding this eBike in the rain, this point is pretty moot. I suppose it is a good tip for riding on damp roads but I don't see the rotors getting wet from that really.. Anyone who has driven in the rain and tried to stop quickly when the rotors are wet can experience what JayVee is talking about here, takes a bit for the brakes to bite hard once they wick all that moisture off the rotors.
 
Considering that you're not supposed to be riding this eBike in the rain, this point is pretty moot. I suppose it is a good tip for riding on damp roads but I don't see the rotors getting wet from that really.. Anyone who has driven in the rain and tried to stop quickly when the rotors are wet can experience what JayVee is talking about here, takes a bit for the brakes to bite hard once they wick all that moisture off the rotors.
Lectric say light rain no puddles and the bike should be fine.
 
A safety tip for rain: If you have disk brakes and are riding downhill, remember to tap the brakes regularly every 3-4 seconds. This will keep the discs hot and will cause water droplets to evaporate. If you don’t do this, the discs will get humid and when you try to stop it will multiply your stopping distance considerably. I’ve had wet discs with Shimanos, Tektros, Maguras.... They all lose efficiency in prolonged rain. By tapping the brakes the discs stay so hot that water evaporates almost instantly. Just to be clear, don’t touch your discs physically right after a long downhill ride. You’ll most likely burn your hands.... I’ve been there.

Try it in a safe place, when rain is moderate. If it’s pouring bucketloads it works less well.
I do the same thing for all disk breaks.
 
All good tips you guys.I rode out of here this morning,lite snow on the ground.I had hand warmers in my gloves and toe warmers for my feet.I was dressed in layers.It wasn't untill about 2 miles out my face was too exposed and I reallized I forgot my face mask.Toughed it out and I was fine.I like the idea of the snowbording helmet,will look into that.Will also look at battery heated gloves.When it gets down around 25 deg f I have a problem wearing glasses and my breath fogging them up because of the face mask.
 
Love my ski helmet and balaclava for winter riding. It does get a bit nippy around here over the next few months.

And I’ve never had a problem riding in the rain. Maybe just lucky or stupid, whatever. Neither my Trek or my Giant has been bothered by a little water flying all over the place so far. Of course, the Trek had fenders, and that was a little bit more civilized than the ToughRoad, but hey, we’re here for the adventure, aren’t we?
 
I'm with the always prepared crew here. I'm just saying, ignoring the weather reports, or getting stuck too far away from where you need to be and having a downpour on an eBike would surely be a treat to deal with. I think I'd park out somewhere where I had cover and either wait it out, or lock it up and come back and get it later. Obvs in light rain or damp roads it would be ok to trek back home, but total downpour, yikes.
 
The real winter has not come here yet but I seem to be prepared and have ridden into cold gusts of wind already. My winter bike got Continental Top Contact Winter II Premium tires which are not studded but very good. And proper lighting from CatEye and Knog. As for myself, sets of clothing (a lot of Gore-tex included) of which the most important seem to be boot warmers, gloves, warm snowboarding helmet and matching goggles. My first cousin who is a skier told me I should buy goggles from the same manufacturer as the helmet so they would fit. So, together with Cairn I-Bird helmet I got me Cairn OTG (Over The Glasses) goggles and I am fine. Fast ride with my Vado 5 into frosty wind was just pure pleasure.
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