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Who has heated gear? (Read 304 times)
Paraquat
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Who has heated gear?
08/29/12 at 09:30:55
 
Fall's coming quickly and it's already rather brisk on my morning commute. My typical Fall attire consists of zipping up my jacket and switching from fingerless to Mechanic's brand gloves.

I'm thinking about getting a heated jacket though.
Some of these Gerbing's are 350 dollars!? Nothing but good reviews, but jeez. Then I looked at some of the knock off brands which are offered in 65 or 90 watt and have backup battery packs so you can dismount and still be warm! Those are in the 150-170 range but are 300 denier. I've read that people are burning through the 5-600 denier range and have heard that a 1150 denier is offered now.

I don't know what I should get. I usually park it by October and I don't want to this year.


--Steve
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Cavi Mike
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #1 - 08/29/12 at 10:10:02
 
Heated jacket isn't necessary unless you're riding in the winter and even then a few layers will be fine as long as your jacket isn't a textile. It's your hands and feet you should focus on, your extremities will get cold long before your core.

Also, you shouldn't be wearing any type of gloves that don't have a wrist strap. In a crash, they'll slide right off. My roommate wears Mechanic's brand gloves as well and I don't know where this really bad idea came from. They protect your hands from cuts and abrasions under the hood of a car, not road-rash.
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #2 - 08/29/12 at 11:18:19
 
I both agree and disagree with Mike. Yes, the hands and feet are going to get cold first and the extremities should be your priority, but from what I've heard, a heated vest or jacket liner is luxury when the cold comes. It's all about being comfortable and enjoying the ride, right?

Personally, I'm buying from Gears - it's a Canadian company. I'm looking at a jacket liner and glove liners, and I think I'm going to go with the battery pack because the gear will likely draw too much current for our bikes (at least, that's the sense I have from other threads on here).

JF
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justin_o_guy2
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #3 - 08/29/12 at 11:54:34
 
Insulated coveralls, thermal underwear, Balaclava, snow mobile gloves w/ liner( brown cotton are good)
How far is that commute? How cold you expect to see?
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Johnny57
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #4 - 08/29/12 at 13:26:34
 
Mad Bomber Hat; Columbia Artic Rated Jacket; Sorel Boots; Thermal Underwear and Snomobile gloves.
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #5 - 08/29/12 at 15:45:57
 
The commute isn't far. It's the Sunday morning rides when I can see my breath that are killer.

As for how cold:
New England in November~ish. I won't ride with the white stuff on the road. Had to do it in a snow storm once and kind of ruined it for me.

As for the gear I have:
The Mechanic's glove idea originated in my drawer. I needed gloves, opened it, and they were there.
I have thermals or long johns or whatever you'd prefer to call them.
Long johns, jeans, wool socks, boots, thermal shirt, shirt, and jacket didn't cut it last year. The winter's must be getting colder. I'm definitely not getting softer...

As for the gear I desire:
A helmet is on my Fall shopping list so that covers the noodle.
It really is more of a luxury to get a jacket or vest.

I used to be able to fit a sweatshirt under my leather jacket but the darn thing must've shrunk over the years. It especially shrank around my gut.


--Steve
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #6 - 08/29/12 at 16:29:47
 
Does carrying a flask in your boot qualify? Huh
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ZAR
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #7 - 08/29/12 at 16:45:41
 
Steve I rode to work most all this past winter. Anytime the temps were above 38*F when I leave at 7:00am. My commute is 45 miles each way. I have a good leather jacket with full liner,a pair of all season/all weather riding pants from CycleGear(their house brand...BiLT I believe)that are waterproof and have the thermal zip-out liner. For gloves I have a very good pair of waterproof and insulated gloves with the long cuff,also from CycleGear. I wear wool socks inside insulated/waterproof work/hunting boots. I won't claim to be cozy but I don't freeze to death! And I'm an "Old Fart" of 58 years old.

The good stuff from CycleGear I catch when it's on 50% off sales so it's a real deal. I do use a baclava(?) under the helmet for colder days to keep my bald head warm and have found that goggles work best for me to keep my eyes from watering.

Larry
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Paraquat
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #8 - 09/10/12 at 05:36:02
 
Maybe it was just the loss of heat from my noodle...
It's 60 degrees now meaning it was mid to high 50's when I rode in to work today.
Following advice I took out my wool balaclava that is usually reserved for when I'm using the snow blower and switched to my Mechanic's gloves. I was fine on the ride in. These gloves are a bit thinner so by the time I arrived I could feel it in the tips and my knees but otherwise my core was fine.
I'm going to get some full finger leather gloves this weekend and I might look at some chaps.
I found the Scorpion EXO 700's on sale for 110. Seriously considering those right now.


--Steve
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #9 - 09/11/12 at 04:48:52
 
I'm going to replace the stock headlight bulb with an HID setup to get more light, but mainly to reduce the load on the electrical system to get some capacity back for the heated grips (yet to be installed) and for the Gerbing jacket I have already.
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« Last Edit: 09/11/12 at 08:46:02 by Gyrobob »  

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Paraquat
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #10 - 09/11/12 at 06:15:51
 
I can't get over the prices of that Gerbing stuff.
All my digits were cold up to my hand today and more than just my knees. When I got to work I checked weather.com
It was 46 degrees this morning.
Thermals under my jeans and thicker gloves and I should be fine.
I might still consider a heated jacket or vest for luxury.


--Steve
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #11 - 09/12/12 at 05:58:34
 
50's last night. Just hit 50 when I got to work so assume very high 40's.
Last night was a "warm" 50 if that makes any sense.
Thermals, jacket, Mechanic's gloves, balaclava and I was fine. I was actually super comfortable. That was going down a mountain so maybe the lower I got the warmer I felt and that's why I didn't notice it?

This morning I was a little chilly. The Mechanic's gloes aren't cutting it and I definitely need something with a cuff.


--Steve
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #12 - 09/12/12 at 08:22:13
 
I went for a ride this morning and it was maybe 45 degrees out. I used my old 1$ small rubber hot water bottle like those you put on your chest with a cold. Stuck it down the front of my coat and it kept me toasty warm. Good hand warmer also, and I can even make hot chocolate with it on the side of the road.
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #13 - 09/12/12 at 08:33:44
 
I bought a pair of grip heaters from e-bay, and rigged one of them to a scarf...
Wrapped around my neck,.. I can move the heated patch around under my coat to warm chilly areas,.. usually center torso where the jacket tends to pooch and get a slight draft....
Anyway,... $6 for the pair,.. low draw,.. and basically, an electric hot-water bottle...(without the water)...
Plugged in to a fused battery tap between the tank and seat...
Huh...
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Ludicrous Speed !... ... Huh...
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srinath
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Re: Who has heated gear?
Reply #14 - 09/12/12 at 08:53:42
 
2 words for you ...
Magnet wire ...

Get 100 ft, like 20 bucks ... sew it in, done. Google it.
Cool.
Srinath.
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