Whats your warm weather riding gear?

[rob650]

Curious what other experienced riders use to keep their legs warm on the road...excluding electric wear.

Winter here in South SF is about low 40's +,  but my jeans and thermals don't do the job very well on the road.

Thanks everybody.

Rob

[balibeemer]

I don't use it now (obviously!), but when riding in Norway, it was as follows:
1st layer: Cellular Underwear
2nd layer: Silk tracksuit
3rd layer: Leathers
4th layer: Rain suit
That kept me on the road until the temperature got to 3 degrees celsius - Then I would take a bus!

I looked like a Nigerian Michelin Man!

I remember from my military days we were told to use the acronym C O L  D
C - Your gear must be CLEAN
O - Avoid OVERHEATING
L - Use lots of LAYERS
D - Keep DRY

Later, I will post a pic of Christmas riding gear in Bali

[MrRiden]

Years ago riding in Maine in March [still chilly] I used a pair of inexpensive [good will] pull over bib ski pants. They worked rather well and were easy to get on and off.
rich

[Justin B.]

Being that I ride an RT in the winter I don't worry much about the waist down!    When temps fall under about 45 degrees I pull out the Joe Rocket Ballistic 4 coat, full-face helmet, and my Marsee gloves.  I can stay comfortable until it gets down below 35 degrees and then after about 20 miles I'm ready to crawl in somewhere warm...

[Ed Miller]

Curious what other experienced riders use to keep their legs warm on the road...excluding electric wear.

Winter here in South SF is about low 40's +,  but my jeans and thermals don't do the job very well on the road.

Thanks everybody.

Rob

With those temps, leather pants over your jeans should be fine.  Unless it's raining.  My Olympia one piece suit is fine for those temps without the liner.  I put the liner in last week, but now there's so much snow and ice I doubt I'll ride this week.  13 degrees (predicted for tonight) would be a real test of the suit though.

Not to mention my sanity.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Try UnderArmour, or something like it.
http://www.underarmour.com/

Not cheap, especially the cold-weather gear, but good stuff without the bulk.


I just saw on the local bike show last night that someone has come out with a line (from the U.K.) specifically for bikes, but it looked exactly like the UA stuff I have.  I went to the show's website, thinking they might post the products they demonstrate, but no, we will have to wait 7 days for the show to get old enough that they will post it...  
http://www.myndytv.com/subindex/steel_horse

[drewboid]

It might be hard to find skiing or snowmobile gear in Florida but years ago a pair of skiing overpants with the jeans and thermal undies worked for me. This year I'm trying out the Alpinestar Drystar pants with the liner in. I'll see how that works.
You might try a pair of leather chaps over the jeans and thermal undies - that has also worked for me.

[rob650]

Thanks for everybody's input.  I was looking for something that wouldn't involve removing boots to get them on and off.  

Sounds like thermals or an UnderArmor product under the jeans, and chaps over might do the job?  

I'm going to the motorcycle show in San Mateo this week, i'd expect to see a few riding gear vendors there.  I'll see what they've got to offer.

[Semper Gumby]

I have a set of 1997 vintage Firstgear overpants.  They have Thinsolate inside and are water proof (or they were when new).  Then I usually wear a pair of Draggin' jeans and some thermal underwear.  Wool socks go on the feet. No heat for down under.  This keeps me warm down to about 25'f.  I have found that you need to be careful about making things too tight.  Especially in the boots - wool socks yes but not so much sock that you can hardly get your foot in the boot.  A snug but not tight fit will help keep the circulation going and helps you stay warm.

TTFN,

[Yikes]

On my list of things to get, maybe next winter, is an insulated coverall made by Carhartt.  It has long sleeves and ankle to waist side zippers which allows EZ on and off over pretty much anything you want to wear.  Its outer layer is a cotton duck material which may not be the greatest in the wet, but should stand up well against the hot mufflers of our r65's.  (I have had three different pairs of nylon fabric pants melted at the ankle from close encounters with the mufflers.)  Although I haven't owned a pair, my retired neighbor worked with a motorcyclist who rode a bike all year and when winter came, he would break out the insulated coveralls and just zip them off when he arrived, work the day in his normal clothes, zip them back on, helmet and glove up and be on his way.

[aussie]

Well I find the best riding gear to use when cold, is ......the car  

But seriously, I'm fortunate - it doesn't really get all that cold here - if it hits 6 or 7 degrees C and it's not raining cats and dogs (if it is - I really will be in the car) then I'll usually wear a pair of jeans and waxed cotton overpants together with my leather jacket and a waxed cotton jacket as well. Of course I'll always wear my Buff (had to throw that in guys!) and lined gloves which have covers that can go over them. I can remember when I used to live 400kms to the north of Adelaide. I rode up and it started raining quite heavily after about 100kms. Well I was OK until I hit a place called Pt Augusta  still about 100kms to go, but the rain started to seep down my back. It was utter misery for the next 100kms. When I finally got home, my next door neighbour opened up my door - turned on the shower and left. I literally spent the next hour or so just thawing out.....

Just as a matter of interest people - I have the chance to purchase a pair of leather pants by Spyke with armour in the knees (and sliders - though I'd remove them if I purchased) for A$300 (reduced from A$615) or a pair of Draggin' Jeans for A$209. Because it's supposed to be summer here I'm thinking that maybe the leathers are going to be a bit hot......what's the general consensus out there as to which is the better buy?

[Ed Miller]

Leather is hot, especially if you're in traffic.  Out of town it's not too bad.  But I'm a gear junky:  I have a leather jacket and pants, I have my Olympia 1-piece, and I have armoured mesh jacket and pants for hot weather.  

[Semper Gumby]

I like my Draggin' Jeans and a set of Chaps on a Lady is one of the sexiest things going.  But when it gets really hot (38'c+), I wear Marsee Mesh pants that have armor in the knees and the seat with shorts on underneath and the boots.  Always wear the boots winter or summer the same Tourmaster Rain boot.   8-)

If its not too hot I wear the Draggin' jeans under the Marsee Mesh gear.  Can't have enough gear.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

 Always wear the boots winter or summer the same Tourmaster Rain boot.   8-)

Is this the boot you are talking about?  (I need a new pair)

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Tour_Master_Mens_Solution_WP_Road_Boots--601878.html

I have been SO happy with my BMW boots - TOTALLY dry, even when the stitching started to fall apart on the outer layer!  But they messed up the design with their current offering, so I am looking elsewhere.

[Melena]

I'm finally catching up on reading the posts here, now that I finished making my Christmas gifts.  (whew)

Anyway, I love my First Gear overpants for cold weather riding.  I just wear them over my jeans.   The zippers go all the way up the outside of both legs; in fact they are 2-way zippers so they can be zipped down from the top to get into the pockets of your jeans if you need to.  They are too warm to wear when it's hot though.  

Rob650 - did you get to the motorcycle show in San Mateo?  It's just a bit too far away now to make a day out of it for me.  Plus being the weekend before Christmas made it impossible for me to get there.  One of these years I'm going to get there.  How was it?  Did you find anything good?  Give us the story.  I'd love to hear about it.