Cycling In Winter

Everyone’s body is made of meat. No matter how strong a tough man is, he is afraid of the cold when riding in winter. Obviously, please try to travel in sunny and windless weather with slightly higher temperature. Temperature is not the only indicator. Just looking at the temperature, it may be “killed miserably”. The weather forecast also has a temperature of 5 ℃, bright sunshine and heavy haze, which is not a bit worse; A sunny day and a force six gale between four and five are definitely not a concept. Cloudy, foggy and windy weather, especially in winter, are not suitable for travel.

Motorcycle tour mainly depends on the weather.

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The second is: vehicle equipment

Let’s start with the vehicle. The role of windshield is obvious. If you feel ugly (it’s really inappropriate for street cars and sports cars to install a windshield), at least install a hand guard on the handle to prevent the wind. Because the hand is at the end of the limb, the blood circulation at the vascular endings is poor, the heat generation is slow, and the heat is lost quickly when the “hand” is flushed when riding, so the hand guard can reduce at least a considerable part of the heat loss. Of course, it doesn’t work when the vehicle is stationary in the moving state. If possible, install electric handlebars or wear electric gloves. In short, hand warmth is very important, because a series of important driving actions, such as grasping and releasing clutch, oil supply and collection, front braking, turning signal, whistle, etc., all rely on both hands. Electric heating seats are only available on some high-end imported cars. In addition, electric heating boots are currently used by fewer people, cumbersome installation and expensive. Conditional can be considered, but it is not necessary.

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The third is:  equipment

Whether helmets, motorcycle clothes, gloves, or motorcycle pants, boots and knee pads, try to make better use of them when economic conditions permit. There is no problem with regular domestic brands. The comfort and warmth keeping effect of imported brands may be better, but don’t expect too much improvement. Special attention should be paid to the gaps at some interfaces, such as neckline, cuffs and trouser cuffs. Careful and effective measures must be taken to prevent the cold wind from drilling in during driving. As the saying goes, “a big hole at the tip of a needle, fighting a big wind”, that’s what it means. Fleece neck cover can better solve the problem of “neck air leakage” between helmet and collar. It is easy to buy and the price is not expensive. The selection of gloves should not be ignored. Generally, wind proof and warm gloves of 100 ~ 200 yuan in winter can meet the basic requirements. If you run a long way into the mountain, it is recommended to wear a pair of cashmere gloves inside. Don’t underestimate this thin layer. It has a very obvious warming effect. Electric gloves are also a good choice. In addition to being slightly less protective than professional riding gloves, the heating and warmth preservation effect is the best, but 12V DC power supply is required, so cigarette lighter socket should be installed on the vehicle as power supply. Finally, when it comes to boots, the winter high helper boots produced by regular military factories have good thermal insulation effect, at least much warmer than special motorcycle boots. Be sure to choose pure leather and wool. But then again, foot warmth has always been a problem in winter. Because the feet are farthest from the heart, the blood circulation is the slowest and the heat generation is the least. Therefore, in addition to choosing boots with the best warmth retention and “warm baby” on the sole pad, the most effective and thorough method is to move frequently and more activities on the feet to make up for the lack of heat.In short, you must wear more clothes and cover them strictly in winter, or not too much. If you wear too much, you can take it off when it’s hot, and if you wear less, you can only carry it when it’s cold.

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The fourth is: Driving mode

The winter motorcycle driving mode I suggest can be summed up in eight words – control the speed and rest regularly.

In winter, the most taboo is to run foolishly. “On the road” riding is not recommended in any season, let alone in winter. Don’t run foolishly. There are two meanings here. First, you can’t run right as fast as you want in summer. There are potential safety hazards. The faster the speed, the greater the wind and the more intense the heat loss. Therefore, I suggest that under good road conditions, the long-term cruise speed in winter should not exceed 60km / h. practice has proved that this is a compromise speed that takes into account “cold or fast”. Second, we can’t rest once an hour just like when the weather is warm. Cars can’t stand running for a long time in summer (I mean air-cooled cars, except oil-cooled cars and water-cooled cars). Similarly, people can’t stand running for a long time in winter. I suggest riding for half an hour and resting for 5 ~ 10 minutes. Parking, moving hands and feet, taking pictures, drinking hot tea, even stamping your feet and jumping for a minute are all effective ways to keep out the cold. Of course, “60km / h” and “half an hour and five minutes” are not invariable. They should be adjusted according to the actual situation and personal feelings.

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Finally: the driver

First of all, we must ensure that we are “full and full” before departure. The reason why motorcycles can only go by burning oil, and people can only be warm by eating. But don’t ignore the meal before you go out. It’s absolutely not advisable to “eat two bites” like in summer. I have suffered similar losses. When I find it hard to bear the cold, I still feel warm about how to slow down and stop for rest activities. Later, I found a restaurant to have a full meal and found how important that meal was.

Secondly, if you feel empty in your stomach on the way, you should replenish food in time. It’s better to simply eat a snack with you or go to a restaurant for a serious meal. Eating is better than not eating. One truth – keep the fuel tank full at any time during a long-distance motorcycle trip! Winter motorcycle tour – keep your stomach full at any time!

Third, we must have a good rest the night before. If you don’t get enough sleep, try not to ride a bike for a long distance in winter. When people are “lack of sleep”, the body automatically enters a state of self-protection – sleepiness, chills, slow response and lack of concentration. These conditions will appear in varying degrees, which are not only uncomfortable, but also dangerous.


Post time: Jan-13-2022

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