Good morning all, It is hard to think about cold weather on a 100 degree day, but I am going to have Wayne at Motoport retrofit my rain liners with the electric gear to keep a guy warm this winter. My question is whether the jacket is enough, or whether I need to fit the pants as well. Most my winter riding is above freezing--lots of days in that 45-50 degree range. Any of y'all have an opinion? Thanks.
I think it depends on the individual. As long as my upper body and hands are warm I'm good to go. My legs and feet seldom get cold even around freezing, good boots help. I would invest in heated gloves if you don't already have them but even at the temps you mentioned I'm fine with a decent pair of winter gloves. Below 40 degrees I start looking for the heated gloves. So you see it really depends on the individual and how much cold they can tolerate.
I have both the jacket and pant liners (plus the gloves). I can control them seperately....so I usually put them both on and away I go. I ride as long I don't see ice or snow on the roadway. Tend to turn down the pants to the lowest setting unless it gets dark...
Thank you both for the advice. I think, for now, I will just go with the jacket. Winter gloves and the heated grips worked well last winter. My legs--and feet with heavy boots--stayed comfortable. But, the core got cold. I appreciate the input.
I don't have motoport, but I do ride year round with my Aerostich gear and have never needed heated liners for pants. I have a Gerbing jacket liner, gloves, and socks, though I rarely use the socks. In Maine, I see the teens a lot, I've ridden down to -4F, though that was before I had a jacket liner (just gloves). I do wear thermal underwear for the colder days (usually when the temps drop below 40). Make sure you have some kind of waterproof liner around your electrics as the Motoport is a little different and electrics don't like water. . .
I really like my Powerlet heated glove liners, they are super easy to pack even in a pocket so you have them when you need them. http://www.powerlet.com/shop-by-product/heated-clothing/HEATCLTHNG
Heated vest and occasionally grips worked for me to the low 20's, but I try to avoid electrics as much as possible. Good windblock and insulation can go a long way, and electrics to counter a draft on your lower back or similar is the wrong way to go about it imho. I can fit the vest under my jacket liner, even in my FG rainier (which has a very snug fit), so very little juice is needed. Then again, it can be a pain to eliminate cold spots with two pieces. Looking forward to trying out the roadcrafter this winter, though I expect I'll still layer a liner over the vest.
I bought a down-filled jacket at Target for $35 and wear it under my regular bike jacket. Packs small, expands to fill the space between layers when worn. Mandarin collar, elastic cuffs. Warm as toast.
