Winter in the UK and effect on motorcycling

[Aidbox]

I've got a work van and my only other transport is my bike. I do the same with the ACF50 at the end of summer.

Only passed my test last year but was doing a 160 mile round trip on a YBR 125 every weekend right through the winter last year. I did stop occasionally and warm my hands on the engine.

I did North Yorkshire this January which I think was a 300 mile in a day ride. Coming back was torrential rain and 70mph winds, took me nearly 10 hours but the heated grips and the gear I've got were great. It tended to be idiots not dipping their lights that made the last 50 miles so much more difficult. Having the right gear makes such a difference.

Also, riding in the winter makes me appreciate the summer more

[Mr Bignall]

It's a funny old business, every two to three weeks I travel to Kent, invariably on my bike, although pouring rain or exceptionally cold then I plead with the Mrs to borrow her car. However the car isn't much fun as I can get clanged up in traffic unless I go the long way round, ie: the m25.

Hard to to recall now but there have been summer days when really I was too hot, all the gear all the time being a mantra I follow - just yesterday I saw a biker in thin trainers. Generally though, for me, winter is a bit of a drag and that's mainly due to the shorter days.

[Aidbox]

It's a funny old business, every two to three weeks I travel to Kent, invariably on my bike, although pouring rain or exceptionally cold then I plead with the Mrs to borrow her car. However the car isn't much fun as I can get clanged up in traffic unless I go the long way round, ie: the m25.

Hard to to recall now but there have been summer days when really I was too hot, all the gear all the time being a mantra I follow - just yesterday I saw a biker in thin trainers. Generally though, for me, winter is a bit of a drag and that's mainly due to the shorter days.

I've seen people in shorts and t-shirts, frightening !!

[Jed]

I think the mantra should be amended slightly to all the right gear all the time, eg thermal and waterproof in the winter and vented gear in the summer. I think being too hot and dehydrated in summer is equally as dangerous as being cold and numb in the winter. I ride all year round but mostly for pleasure as I don't need to travel to work so more miles in summer but still riding every month in winter. This last year I've also been a volunteer rider for a blood bike group which means I have to go out when there's a call irrespective of weather; the service is overnight and at weekends so it's been good for maintaining poor weather riding skills!

[Mr Bignall]

You tend to forget the summer issues - plagued by flies is one haha, coming back from somewhere or other I took a break in wantage one summer evening and met a guy there on a yam 800 naked type machine and he was absolutely covered in dead flies, the fairing keeps the worst off mine but I probably don't do the speeds that bloke did.

[QB1]

I ride all year - just for pleasure.

I'd go mad locking the bike away for months.

I dont tend to go quite so far when its really cold (which for me is below about 5 degrees) thats the only difference really.

Sometimes I actually prefer it with the roads being emptier

[tomearp]

I'm a pretty new biker; passed DAS in October 2015 with limited previous experience.
I much prefer riding over driving and only drew the line if it looked really horrible outside of the window so that meant plenty of riding over the winter.

Some things I have learned about winter riding...

Ice or heavy fog is bad. Take the car.

ACF50. I did mine just before the salt trucks started to come out and play. I didn't bother cleaning it again until they stopped, just an occasional go over with the hose pipe to keep the worst of what Wiltshire roads have to offer off. Everything cleaned up nicely (and have reapplied it) and no progression of existing corrosion, so it seems to work.

Tyres and brakes are important. More so in the winter. Previous owner of my bike didn't take very good care of either, overhauling them all in one hit was costly but it made a massive difference (especially one day when the wildlife decided to come out of the hedgerow and join in the fun).

I didn't notice too much difference between dry and wet riding. It's mostly common sense really, accel/decel more smoothly, try to avoid the vast quantities of heating oil on the Wiltshire roads, don't be a tit etc.

"Waterproof" is a relative term. I did get caught in the occasional downpour which meant sometimes having a wet jacket/trousers despite the bold claims of the sales blurb. To be fair I was always dry underneath (separate waterproof and thermal linings) but there were times when I was putting damp gear on the next morning which isn't pleasant. Cheap thermal t-shirts keep you toasty on the colder mornings.

Heated grips are awesome.

I was finding I was getting condensation on the bike in the garage and the beginnings of mildew on grips etc.
I bought a cheap oil filled radiator, started on minimum and adjusted it upwards each day until the condensation stopped.

In terms of differences between summer/winter riding...
I was very lucky with the weather when learning in the September. On my limited number of rides to/from the test centre I was preoccupied with controlling the seemingly monstrous bike I was riding but I remember sunshine and dry roads being a lot of fun, even though I was still a bit scared. I also remember there being wasps

I'm glad to have ridden over the winter, even if the learning curve was steep at times. It has taught me how to (and how not to) approach riding in a good mixture of weather and road conditions. I have also learned a lot about maintaining my bike.

[Vulcanboy]

Winter riding is not for everyone. Last week, whilst up in the French Alps, I saw a bike (with lady pillion) coming up the mountain whilst snowing! Years ago I used to ride to work in Northfleet, Kent, over the winter, through snow ( legs apart to act like skis !) and through dense fog up Wrotham Hill only to find that the fog had gone ... but my goggles were still misted up! Would I recommend it now ... No! So, why did I do it ? The answer is simple ... I had no choice , as a poor student!