How cold is too cold to ride?

39 degrees this morning on the ride into work. I usually ride until snow stays on the ground and they start salting the roads. I leave early for work in the morning (03:45) so it usually is one of the coldest times of the day. I will only ride when it's below 32 degrees if the roads are dry. Up here in the Adirondacks you will see these temps up until late June and again in late August. This reminds me that I need to hook up some heated grips My r1100rt has factory heated grips and vents that blow warm air onto your arms from the oil cooler.

The longest coldest ride I did was 2 years ago around Columbus day to Conroe Texas. It was raining and 35 degrees when I left NY. Didn't warm up considerably until half way through Tenn. On the way back it was spitting snow flakes around Scranton Pa. Glad I brought my wool longjohns and my down vest.

Sounds like we need another coldest ride thread, with no rules...

Here in South Dakota I stop my Sunday rides when it gets below 10°F, Won the coldest ride one year at -25°F and that was 20 miles of fun.

When my road gets slick and the snow falls, I'm done for the year. Usually that's around December 1st. I start riding again in March when snow is off streets. Temperature wise I stop riding at about 25°F. The earliest I've ridden is 21° on February 21st, but -22° with -40° windchill is insane.

the Ferret said:

I can ride down as low as it gets here, as long as there isn't ice or accumulating snow on the road.

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or white with salt.

I grew up in Saskatchewan, and I have lived in the arctic, and "to cold to ride" is a relative term. I learned by trial and error that you can go out and have fun riding down to about -40f. You can ride (sleds, bikes or quads) at colder temps, but the fun part gets pretty minor.
None the less, there are plenty of people who do ride at very cold temperatures (trappers, hunters, etc.) Many people make their living out there, and they cannot simply hole up for months on end. There are practical matters, like not losing body parts, and ice on the road surface, but once you go more than a few degrees below freezing, its just a matter getting your gear right, and being careful.

I now live and ride in the Memphis, TN area, and I can tell you that hot weather has its challenges also. While you can dress to stay warm, it becomes practically impossible to dress for heat/humidity combinations. I ride in mesh gear, and find that cooler than riding without gear as the gear protects you from direct sun. In the very hot and humid time of the year, I often have to stop to cool off. Heat is no less deadly than cold, only it doesn't give you a warning pinch. Just like cold, you have to be careful to monitor yourself, and know when to stop and take measures. If you wait to long, it can cost you your life.

Dry heat is just as deadly to people used to humidity, as humidity is to people used to dry heat. Likewise, when I lived in up-state NY, I had to learn how to deal with a lot of wet snow. Not the same as the dry cold we had in Saskatchewan. Takes different gear, and there are different dangers.

Not a polar bear here I don't ride when it's cold. When I worked my commute was maybe 25min at 40-45ºF in 'winter'. My hands got bone chill in just a few minutes regardless of 'winter' gloves.

On my two rides to MT we had some low 40s weather in the morning but when the sun was higher the weather was great. Still bone-chilled hands though.

I went for a ride on my GL (with Vetter faring and Eclipse heated vest) up somewhere in NorCal and the vest stopped working (loose connection in the On/Off switch) and got near-proper hypothermia. Hugged a wall heater for an hour before I could get to a warm shower.

Years and years and years ago I rode my 305 (CL77) down through Kings canyon and was so cold that when I stopped at a KOA or some such the bike and I tipped like a Laugh-In trike.

So 55º± was my 'too cold' to ride limit for years. Now with a Warm and Safe liner and Heat-Troller it'll be 45º±.

garwil said:

I learned by trial and error that you can go out and have fun riding down to about -40f.

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That's not a ride— that's an adventure!

When it gets below my threshold of a bone-chilling 55ºF (now possibly 45ºF) it's time to head indoors and roast marshmallows on the stove. Or blow them up in the microwave.

3 Celsius ( 37 F) this morning in Newfoundland, Canada. I took my super cool minivan to work today. I am getting soft in my old age. So 3 C or 37F is apparently my threshold now at 49 years old!!!

Seems there's a fair amount of interest in this cold riding thing so I started a new Coldest Ride thread in the Games forum. Take a look here and post up! Suggestions welcome.

My coldest ride was before my ST days. It was an 18 degree commute home from work on my F4i(13 miles). I had Macna heated gloves. The coolest thing was that I could see ice crystals forming on the outside of my helmet visor. . Her is a pic that shows the setup up my F4i. . The pic was from an much warmer day. . Lol. I don't think I've ridden below 40 on my ST yet. . . But we'll see what this winter holds.

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When it is cold enough for black ice to form, then that is too cold , add a few degrees to that , that should be your cut-off temp for riding safely ; remembering hypothermia issues also.

ST Gui said:

That's not a ride— that's an adventure!

When it gets below my threshold of a bone-chilling 55ºF (now possibly 45ºF) it's time to head indoors and roast marshmallows on the stove. Or blow them up in the microwave.

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LOL just got in from a 55 mile pleasure ride. It was 52 when I got in and dark as inside a cave. No electric gear, in fact jeans, textile jacket and deer skin gloves. Some of you guys must have thin skin!

Too cold? NAAA (this wasn't today it was back in January)

That photo was before I had the ST1100 (2008 I think and the foot prints were when I walked back out to take the photo). I started riding all year on my commutes some years before this when I rode a GL1500. No electrics and down to mid 20s*F back then. This photo was mid 30s*F. I don't consider it "cold" until below freezing. Just add a few layers and turn on the electric gloves after that. The gloves are my only electric heat. Otherwise I've found layers are my friend if using the right "kind" of layers. Again, it's about the right gear. Before The Dan won the contest at -25*F and -18*F before that I went 60 miles at just under -15*F. It doesn't get down there very often around here, usually we only see a few degrees below zero F if that low at all. As long as no ice/snow on the pavement I'll ride to work. As long as my gloves are working I'm still having fun. Did ride once with no heat and right at zero F. The fingers got cold so I stopped every 10 minutes to warm them from the engine, but otherwise I was warm due to the proper layers. I'm 62 and this year I think finally I may reconsider temps below zero F... well, maybe not ride at -10*F or lower.

Monday was right at 41*F starting out on my ride to work. Just one layer in the jacket and no heated gloves, only the winter TM Polar-Tex gloves, and I was warm and comfy. Likely be after mid November before I hook up my Gerbing variable controller since this year, even still, is warmer than usual.

Most years I qualify for all ratings and ranges at both ends (from hot to cold) on Year Round Riders. Check it out for some cold weather riders. A few of those guys/gals ride in some deep snow at colder temps than recorded in our past Coldest Ride contests. I've been both a Red Hot Rounder and a KHOF Rounder, and all in between, in the same year a few times. I think some of us on this forum would qualify as well.

TourNut said:

When it is cold enough for black ice to form, then that is too cold , add a few degrees to that , that should be your cut-off temp for riding safely ; remembering hypothermia issues also.

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Your choice, it's all your choice.

There is a guy around here with a KLR that has studded tires mounted in the winter. The Green Mountain BMW club I used to belong to had a lot of hardcore year round riders. The secretary for the BMWMOA is an elderly lady that rides year round. She has brought several f-650 BMW's over 100k.

I've ridden down to 19* with heated grips and heated vest. I won't ride if there's a decent chance of ice.

rjs987 said:

Most years I qualify for all ratings and ranges at both ends (from hot to cold) on Year Round Riders. Check it out for some cold weather riders. A few of those guys/gals ride in some deep snow at colder temps than recorded in our past Coldest Ride contests. I've been both a Red Hot Rounder and a KHOF Rounder, and all in between, in the same year a few times. I think some of us on this forum would qualify as well.

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I used to follow that site but it was pretty dead. Seems like it still is.

Yep the brass monkeys would certainly not be happy on that ride.