Kinda fed up - Gyde heated products

[FONT=&amp]Hey everyone![/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]I have a Gyde heated jacket liner, gloves, and a temp controller mounted on the bike. This morning I lost heat in the left glove yet again. The gloves were already repaired under warranty and the company said that the next time this happens they will have to charge. The second issue is that when everything does work, I find that the gloves are still pretty cold when it's below 35 degrees. Thank God I just installed heated handgrips.[/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]I want to believe that with a temp controller I should be able to roast my hands if I want to by going to 100%. I should NEVER complain about cold hands with heated gloves. My ST1100 has plenty of juice electrically. The liner gets pretty hot too, where I want to turn the liner down but the gloves up. In temps above 40 degrees and when everything works, life is good.[/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]So, I'm thinking about replacing all of this with another brand. I'm leaning towards "Gordon's" as I love their lifetime warranty on all cords. I do like the Gyde stuff because they have a nice array of products and I wouldn't have to install a different temp controller on the bike, but I need everything to last longer than just a couple years. I really like Aerostich Kanetsu stuff but it's pretty expensive and I'd have to switch the controller, as I said. I know Widder is pretty good brand but I haven't seen their stuff lately. Are they still around? [/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]Does anyone have experience with more than one brand? Anyone have issues with Gyde as well as me? Anyone switch brands and regret or be satisfied he/she did it? Any other brands I haven't mentioned that have happy customers?[/FONT]

Thanks!

Yes, I just started reading other threads in heated clothing and saw many people mention them. I didn't see on their website, are they made in the USA?

Are you connecting the gloves through the jacket? I find that if I run each piece of heated gear through its own control I can regulate everything much better. Now if the glove doesn't work at all that's another issue.

bikerdrumr said:

Yes, I just started reading other threads in heated clothing and saw many people mention them. I didn't see on their website, are they made in the USA?

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Not made in USA, but they stand behind whoever is building them under contract. Company is based in Oregon. Great customer service and still offering lifetime warranty on the electrical part of the gear. I had one glove die two years ago, no questions asked, replacement pair shipped once they got mine back to verify I didn't tear, shred or abuse 'em.

Made in USA here:
http://www.gordonsheated.com/index.html

If I were looking it would be between Gordons and W&S.

I have a Gerbing liner and a Warm&Safe liner. Both are old, both are excellent. The W&S is hotter, but is the old style that is not windproof. The Gerbings is more versatile, but does not get quite as hot, but that is relative because both will roast you at their highest settings. I wear the Gerbing's 90% of the time. However, as I understand, there have been changes within both companies within both companies since I bought these liners at least ten years ago. AFAIK, Gordons is the only made in USA company, it seems like W&S at least used to be.

Do not settle for any other temperature controller other than the ones sold by Warm&Safe. Personally, I do not see any advantage for a remote/wireless controller since you are dealing with wires anyway - just something else to malfunction and put batteries in IMHO.

SteveST1300 said:

Are you connecting the gloves through the jacket? I find that if I run each piece of heated gear through its own control I can regulate everything much better. Now if the glove doesn't work at all that's another issue.

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I've thought about running the cords that way. Maybe I'll give that a shot. But something is up with the glove. Whether it is in fact the glove or the cord from the line remains to be seen.

SteveST1300 said:

Are you connecting the gloves through the jacket? I find that if I run each piece of heated gear through its own control I can regulate everything much better.

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bikerdrumr said:

I've thought about running the cords that way. Maybe I'll give that a shot.

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And depending on the jacket...

On the W-n-S (and I think the Gerbins) you can use the cords in the jacket for the gloves but disconnect the gloves from pulling power off the jacket. A little internal pocket has teh cables hidden and lets you unplug the glove extension from being run parallel with the jacket. Then you feed the gloves separately off their own controller.

This is the only way to go, the gloves will be cranked up much more then the jacket if you are wearing a windproof outer garment, ie motorcycle jacket.

PS Do the same thing for pants. I rarely use the heated pants for heat, but I will use the socks. The pants make a nice extension cable instead of fishing a 3' Y cable down my legs.

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely look into the W-n-S products. I'm rooting for Gordon's as a company, but they need to expand their products IMHO.

You don't have to match controller and gear... You can use a WnS dual controller (gloves and jacket separate) with Gordon's gear.

If you have an 'old' style Gerbing jacket, one of the plugs is for the liner, the other is for pants. I went into my liner and fixed the wiring so the gloves would be on a separate circuit. I don't know about the new Microwire jackets and how they are set up. I also converted a older Gerbing Jacket that had the SAE connectors over to the COAX connectors and separated the circuits. My Gerbing T5s failed twice, they repaired them twice, then the plugs failed again and I fixed them myself. I just bought a pair of WarmNSafe gloves and their heat output is similar to the T5s when the T5s are working correctly. Funny thing was when I replaced the right angle, broken plugs on the T5s with some good straight coax connectors from some other Gerbing harnesses I had, they heat better now than they ever did before. Go figure ... And I use the WarmNSafe with the Gerbing Jacket liners and a Gerbing controller and a WarmNSafe controller. The gear doesn't care. ;-)

My Synergy jacket liner only had one wire controlling the jacket and the gloves. When I converted it over to a Warm-N-Safe wireless controller, I ran another wire through for the gloves, so I can control the gloves separate from the liner. The gloves still don't get as warm as I would like, but it might be the way I have things hooked up. I have a Synergy dual direct connect controller on my tankbag that controls my heated saddle and runs to the jacket to run the wireless controller to run the liner and my gloves. So I'm heating three items at the same time.

Although below 40F, my gloves are a bit cooler than I would like, at least they aren't ice cubes, like they use to be!

I went the cheap(er) route with cycle gear stuff. Jacket liner and gloves work fine. Got a set for the girl as well. I love that the glove controllers are on the gloves. The jacket controller hangs in a handy spot off your left hip. Made in God knows where, but the story is it's a factory that makes heated gear for many manufacturers, whoever they are.
Gloves are a ***** to break in but no controller needed. Also the jacket controller comes supplied. ALSO the kid who waited on my girl gave her HIS military discount. Pays to be a female sometimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwuBGV7wExw

jmcarruth said:

If I were looking it would be between Gordons and W&S.

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That's how I'll roll. It's ixnay on the remote heating control for me too.


+1 on separate cables for the liner and gloves. And I'll consider getting some 'lectric socks, too.

I'm about to order those ATV 'hippo hands'. A good deal for a $40 stop-gap measure.

JimGregory said:

I went the cheap(er) route with cycle gear stuff. Jacket liner and gloves work fine. Got a set for the girl as well. I love that the glove controllers are on the gloves. The jacket controller hangs in a handy spot off your left hip. Made in God knows where, but the story is it's a factory that makes heated gear for many manufacturers, whoever they are.
Gloves are a ***** to break in but no controller needed. Also the jacket controller comes supplied. ALSO the kid who waited on my girl gave her HIS military discount. Pays to be a female sometimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwuBGV7wExw

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I bought the cyclegear as a backup. Can't beat the warranty. Just swap it with a new one off the shelf. I couldn't deal with the gloves though...too thick. I like the T5's the best, although I do have a pair of firstgear as a backup.

ST Gui said:

It's ixnay on the remote heating control for me too.
+1 on separate cables for the liner and gloves. And I'll consider getting some 'lectric socks, too.

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I don't know if the 'new' Gerbing/Gyde still makes them, but at one point they made heated intersoles which I like better than the heated socks (I have both).

kendoo said:

I bought the cyclegear as a backup.

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Can you do a brief comparison Ken? Despite riding through the 30's, I've never needed heated clothing due to the 'art of layering', but admit to wondering about it from time to time. This Hotwired jacket (Revzilla, Cycle gear) looks like an affordable stab at it for occasional use if the quality is ok.
I like the idea of no separate controller as well.

kendoo said:

I bought the cyclegear as a backup. Can't beat the warranty. Just swap it with a new one off the shelf. I couldn't deal with the gloves though...too thick. I like the T5's the best, although I do have a pair of firstgear as a backup.

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I had to wet the gloves and roll them up. Then when I wasnt using them roll them up again. Longest break in ever but they are fine now.

Uncle Phil said:

heated intersoles

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I'd forgotten about those. Any irritation from the cord running up the shoe/boot from the soles?

Given that I'm in Northern CA and don't ride in real cold weather insoles might be just the ticket. My feet don't tend to get nearly as cold as my hands in shorter rides. I attribute that to the heat of the bike and solid shoes/boots and my hands being in the air stream with my Heli risers. My hands have always become bone cold easily.

ST Gui said:

I'd forgotten about those. Any irritation from the cord running up the shoe/boot from the soles?

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No, unless your boots are really 'snug' on your calves and on your feet. I wear 'cow kickers' which are comfortable all day and waterproof so it's not an issue for me.