Winter in the UK and effect on motorcycling

[Mr Bignall]

yes i know most of you probably front out the winter, especially those that commute but it isn't always the nicest ride, spray from other vehicles, cold hands having to be warmed on the cylinders at traffic lights and the shorter days with blinding headlights from newer cars or people who leave their spotlights on. Any experiences? I knew a bloke who used to pack out his bike gear with old newspapers on a long winter run that he used to do, for insulation of course. Me, I tend to go through protracted withdrawal symptoms, after all, the opportunities for leisure rides become more limited and less fun - on getting to your destination things are often that much more bleak in the winter period with less bikers to talk to.

sorry i haven't got the hang of image size edits, any advice appreciated.

[Mitch9128]

For me, it's about enjoyment not necessity , i don't enjoy winter riding at all, car is THE solution.

[RobLee]

I only started riding in August (a little 125) and I made it to Christmas before the bike went away and she didn't come back out again until March.
Even then it was rather cold in the mornings and did take some of the fun away from it but boy did I miss it!

I will confess, the bike did spend an evening in the hallway just don't ask how that happened...

[WR6133]

I ride all year round, going by MOT certs about 55k miles on the current bike in the last 2 years.

Some conditions are and always will be crap, ice and 40+ mph wind gusts spring to mind, as they are unpredictable and force you to be on guard all the time (I have a video somewhere of me getting hit by a gust on the seven bridge strong enough to put me across 2 lanes). However with the mostly mild winters we've been having you can remain comfortable and enjoy yourself. Stupidly bright headlights/fog lights/always on full beam/etc........... I could write a 10 page rant about that and still not be satisfied but that's not a condition of winter it's a condition of thoughtless amoebas sat in tin boxes, probably the same ones that SMIDSY bikers come summer.

Alot of it is prior prep.

For the bike it gets a really deep clean before Winter and everything gets layered in ACF50, other than wiping down the fairings/wheels and regularly blasting out the calipers with brake cleaner it doesn't see another deep clean till end of Winter. I like to think this approach works, for a 26 year old hack about to go round the clock my bike has very little corrosion, I often see bikes a 1/4 of it's age and mileage that look far worse.

For me it's about the correct kit to stay warm/windproof. Little things like wearing a thin pair of cotton gloves under your bike gloves can be the difference between miserable with cold fingers or happy with warm hands.

From a enjoyment riding perspective roads during the winter are emptier, less tits with speed guns and the cafes are quieter. Obviously you need to pick your days based on the weather but there's fun to be had.

[Mr Bignall]

Good replies there - thanx keep them coming

[shiftyblake]

My winter ride enjoyment is proportionate to the gear i wear and confidence. I ride all year (but prefer Spring) 10 - 14 degrees, but I have heated gloves to use, thermals if needed etc. I always wash my bike and check tyres etc. I wear very decent rain proof textiles, gloves and boots. I feel as happy cornering in the wet as I do the try. Rain cleans my kit !

[BugsyB]

I commute each day to North Bristol. 25 miles each way, all year round. The car comes out in ice, snow or fog. VFR800 is the all-year round bike. Others (classics and hyper sports) are fair weather only. -6 and sunny was coldest this Winter. Many mornings sub-zero. Very good kit + thermals and glove liners make it possible. Tips of fingers can feel unpleasantly cold on the worst mornings. Must get round to fitting heated grips, which I had on an RF900 I sold last year. Quite effective. Tyres are like concrete for much of the winter, particularly in the wet or on motorways. Just go slower and compensate. It's not rocket science.
If I feel cold I just look at the car drivers sitting in jams as I serenely glide past. That warms me up. If the bike sees salt on the roads it gets buckets of rainwater thrown over it before putting away each time. I've see bikes of mine really fall apart from salt.
In past years when HM The Wife and I only had one car and one bike, I commuted into Bath from Corsham every working day. She had the car as we had kids. Come what may, -10 I remember one year. I was on an MZ with a cable front brake, which was frozen. That made 15 bhp feel really scary.
I've worked in Canada where winter biking really is a no-no. We are in 'in between land' here in Southern England. California is paradise, Canada in Winter is not nice. Wiltshire's somewhere in-between. Go for it!
By the way, I'm nearer 70 than 60.

[Toph]

I ride all year round..I use the bike not only for recreation..I love riding the bike..but also for the work commute.
I have a car, but my wife works too and she has first "bagsy" as she doesn't ride.
I use base layers, and have a waterproof oversuit if it's wet. It's only 3 miles each way though... so not a real hardship!

[Mitch9128]

3 miles?! Get a push iron.

[wasted_ace]

Winter never stops our group.
We do just as many rides in the winter season as we do in summer only the rides are somewhat shorter...