Outfitting the bod

[IAMOXIE]

I thought it would be interesting to hear about how we women outfit our bods for riding.

What is your setup??

Here's my cold weather setup from top to bottom:

RF1000 Shoei helmet
Lightweight merino wool or silk base layer
First Gear heated jacket liner
BMW Santiago jacket
Lee Parks Deer Tours PCi gloves
BMW Comfort Shell pant
BMW Allaround boots worn with Smart Wool socks

Considering: a Buff for neck warmer and hiding helmet hair!

[womanridge]

I like wearing a Balaclava (hooded dickie type neck warmer) and I just heard of 'smartwool' socks and swear by them. Both items of course are for cold weather riding.
I do like my aerostich heated vest for cold weather and my new Veskimo cooling vest in hot weather.
And thank you Iomoxie, for starting this new thread.

[sudani]

I thought it would be interesting to hear about how we women outfit our bods for riding.
What is your setup??
Here's my cold weather setup from top to bottom:
RF1000 Shoei helmet
Lightweight merino wool or silk base layer
First Gear heated jacket liner
BMW Santiago jacket
Lee Parks Deer Tours PCi gloves
BMW Comfort Shell pant
BMW Allaround boots worn with Smart Wool socks
Considering: a Buff for neck warmer and hiding helmet hair!

Not being a cold weather person I've tried to be prepared after not being prepared for that first ride this past Spring. So this is where I am now..

Balaclava
Full Face Arai Helmet
Long sleeve coolmax shirt
Gerbing heated jacket liner
Gerbing heated G3 gloves
Tourmaster Transition 2 (with quilted liner)
Tourmaster air pants with Two-Stage AquaTherm® liner

Might need to upgrade boots and socks should I really get into this cold weather thing. I also carry air activated Grabber Heat Warmers that I could put in my boots if the tootsies get cold.

Helmet hair? I've given up on trying to hide it. It is what it is.

[IAMOXIE]

I am loving the smart wool socks, too. They were recommended to me by Gina of Gina's BMW and now I'm wearing them constantly! It's cooler than normal here in Iowa right now and they keep my feet nice and toasty.

My gear setup is relatively untested so I'm curious to hear about what works for others, especially in the cooler weather.

I am brand new to motorcycling - The complexity of outfitting oneself is more complicated than I had imagined! Which is why I love these forums. I've learned so much from everyone here!

[sudani]

IAMOXIE,

Always nice to run into (no pun intended) another newbie. I consider this past summer to be my first full season of riding. I'm still pulling things together, too. I'm going to order the smartsocks and give them a try. Thanks for the tip!

I met Gina in June at the Pure Stodge rally. That was my first interstate rally ride.

Cooler? How about a toasty 38 degrees here in the Chicago area. The sun popping in and out is only a tease. Brrrr!

After getting wacked on the neck a few times with bugs I started wearing a summer buff. Took care of it.

Nice connecting with you!

[Crow18]

My wife wears a buff or a bandana around her neck in both cold and hot weather. When it's hot out, she soaks it at every stop and it keeps her head cool. She's also recently started wearing one of those leather ponytail protector things, and seems to like it.

She wears an Olympia jacket and pants (we both wear the mesh pants with the waterproof insulated liners, and they've been perfect in all weather so far), and says she likes the way the Olympia fits her girl curves better than my Darien.

Smartwool socks: check. She packs a few microfiber shirts and also carries 2 or 3 pairs of tights (silk, maybe, I dunno) as a base layer. She installed heated grips on her FZ and really likes them, but neither of us has any heated gear. She has a wool sweater she made for riding (tall collar with an offset closure, thumb loops to keep the sleeves from riding up), and that seems to work pretty well for our winters.

[womanridge]

My wife wears a buff or a bandana around her neck in both cold and hot weather. When it's hot out, she soaks it at every stop and it keeps her head cool. She's also recently started wearing one of those leather ponytail protector things, and seems to like it.

She wears an Olympia jacket and pants (we both wear the mesh pants with the waterproof insulated liners, and they've been perfect in all weather so far), and says she likes the way the Olympia fits her girl curves better than my Darien.

Smartwool socks: check. She packs a few microfiber shirts and also carries 2 or 3 pairs of tights (silk, maybe, I dunno) as a base layer. She installed heated grips on her FZ and really likes them, but neither of us has any heated gear. She has a wool sweater she made for riding (tall collar with an offset closure, thumb loops to keep the sleeves from riding up), and that seems to work pretty well for our winters.
Good to hear from you Crow. Let your wife know she's more than welcome to visit the forum as well.

[iRene]

Here's the cold weather setup for me:

Arai Quantum helmet
Sliks helmet liner
Aerostich fleece wind triangle fastened inside the suit collar
(It is Gore-tex lined, and is OUTSIDE the suit collar in wet weather)
Aerostich Darien/Darien pants or Aerostich Roadcrafter
Patagonia Exedition Weight Capilene longjohns and Mock Tee
(this weight has the fleecy flocked interior surface)
Gerbings Electric Jacket with heat controller dial (rather than simple on/off)
Frei Daytona Gore-tex boots/fleece socks
Held Gore-tex raingloves (even if dry weather, these are lined and quite warm)
gauntlet UNDER suit cuff if raining. I do have heated grips.


The mental game I play with the Gerbings is never to dial to 10, because then you have no more heat.
And it might get colder! I like to know I have something in reserv e. :deal
(It isn't like the speakers in the movie Spinal Tap where the dial goes to 11...)

http://mutually-inclusive.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/brownamp.jpg

[Bullett]

We made the "mistake" of riding from SLC to Death Valley last January. I was on the RT, so had good wind protection. Heated grips and seat as well.

I wore medium weight smartwool shirt and longjohns, wool cycling tights;

Olympia AST liner and Jacket

Olympia Ranger pants and liner

Gerbings G3 gloves

Gerbings "comfort" socks with a thin liner sock

Warm and Safe heated jacket liner

BMW Coolmax balaclava with windblock for the neck

BMW Santiago boots

Arai Profile II helmet

It was about 20 degrees F when we left Salt Lake and we expected it to warm up during the day. Funny, we never noticed before that there are some low valleys along I-15 headed South. At one point, near Utah Lake, we suddenly had frost coating our bikes and visors. Low temp: 9 degrees F according to the bike computer.

I was reasonably comfortable, the socks are definitely worth it. I don't use them much, but when you get caught out in freezing temperatures they really do keep your toes warm. I wear smartwool socks year round.

I also like to wear the lightweight smartwool shirts under my mesh gear in the summer (they don't develop unfortunate odors like polypropilene).

I wear travel underwear by Ex Officio. I prefer tights under my gear, so I wear either LD comfort tights or running tights in summer.

I just picked up some lightweight fleece first layer shirt and pants marked "Paradox" at Costco. Wore them under the AST and Ranger for a short ride in the lower mountains today (around 60 to 65 F) and found them to be pretty comfortable on the bike.

I have also had good luck with my RevIt H2O gloves... they have been waterproof for about a year so far. Wore them in a torrential downpour in Michigan and Wisconsin in August. I don't think the G3 gloves are really waterproof--I've only gotten them wet in a brief (maybe an hour) snowstorm, the electrics kept my hands warm regardless.

[wezul]

OK so what are your favorite non-heated heavy gloves?
I need to look into a pair.
Well not actually look into them, ya twits, it's dark in there!
But I do have the Kanetsu heated liner that I use but not in my Darien. Never have gotten to like the Darien much with the 3/4 length thing so it gets a lot of closet time. I use the Kanetsu inside a Tourmaster jacket.
The things I don't really like about the whole winter gear action is 1) it takes like an hour to suit up and 2) when I'm done I look like a tick about to pop.
"I can't put my arms down . . . I can't put my arms down!" Waaaahhhhhhhhh!
:D

[Crow18]

Good to hear from you Crow. Let your wife know she's more than welcome to visit the forum as well.

Thanks. I've extended the invitation. Her response: "But... I don't like BMWs." Since she has more mileage than me, and got me into this motorcycling thing in the first place, I have to respect that.

We all make concessions in relationships: she's learned to actually like hockey, I've learned to find tiny grasslike plants on the edges of clearcuts for her dissertation, but for now the MOA is a bit of a non-starter for her.

[wezul]

Good for you, man.
Life is a minestrone.

[dancogan]

OK so what are your favorite non-heated heavy gloves?
I need to look into a pair....
Take a look at the BMW winter gloves with Gore Tex. They are very warm, not too bulky, and designed to allow the warmth from heated grips to come through the palm area. I wore mine in 27-30 F Sunday morning and they worked very well.

[IAMOXIE]

OK so what are your favorite non-heated heavy gloves?
I need to look into a pair.

I purchased the Lee Parks Deere Tours PCi that are insulated. They claim that they work with the heated grips, distributing the heat rather than blocking the heat. I haven't used them yet since the pair I ordered are too big. But they seem great - not bulky. If they work like their supposed to they might be perfect for you.

Anyone use these??

[warredon]

I am loving the smart wool socks, too. They were recommended to me by Gina of Gina's BMW and now I'm wearing them constantly! It's cooler than normal here in Iowa right now and they keep my feet nice and toasty.


Several years ago I had never heard of Smartwool socks until I read a posting on a forum. I searched the net and found that they were around $15 per pair, so I held off on buying any at that price. There is a local company about a mile from me that manufactures socks for many name brand companies. A couple of years ago they opened a small room in a corner of their building and this is where they sell their seconds. Most of their socks sell for 50 cents a pair.

About two years ago I went in there to stock up on a few pairs of socks and was surprised to see a table with Smartwool socks. They were not 50 cents, but $3 a pair. They had a few different lengths, thickness, etc, so I picked up a few pair to try them. I found that I really like them, they sure work well for riding in the colder temps.

[iRene]

I was just watching "Jesse James is a Dead Man"- the episode where he rides the ice road to Tuk
from Yellowknife, Canada.
Needless to say, he leaves the ape-hangers custom chopper at home.
For this one, serious occasion he pulls out a BMW R1200GSADV.
I guess that speaks volumes. (As it has enough alternator to run electrics.)
Of course, he immediately slaps on a cheezy custom flames paint job...

Oh! And my point! He is wearing Gerbings gear, and is thankful for it.

And a helmet.

An interesting episode to watch, considering this thread.

[sudani]

Having high hopes that I'll get to try out the new Gerbing gear this weekend. *fingers crossed*

[AKBeemer]

I was just watching "Jesse James is a Dead Man"- the episode where he rides the ice road to Tuk
from Yellowknife, Canada.
Needless to say, he leaves the ape-hangers custom chopper at home.
For this one, serious occasion he pulls out a BMW R1200GSADV.
I guess that speaks volumes. (As it has enough alternator to run electrics.)
Of course, he immediately slaps on a cheezy custom flames paint job...

Oh! And my point! He is wearing Gerbings gear, and is thankful for it.

And a helmet.

An interesting episode to watch, considering this thread.

At Dust-2-Dawson in Dawson City last June I was chatting with some folks from Inuvik about Jesse James' show. They were on the set while he was filming some scenes and said he had a heated van available at almost all times and that they felt the entire show was a shame. These are people who make the Tuk run regularly.

[Voni]

Speaking of Gerbing, they have an outlet site with great prices.

Just check the sizing since their size numbers don't mean what they usually do.

http://heatedclothingoutlet.com/index.shtml

Keep looking. Sizes change.

Voni
sMiling

[k75karol]

I was just watching "Jesse James is a Dead Man"- the episode where he rides the ice road to Tuk
from Yellowknife, Canada.
Needless to say, he leaves the ape-hangers custom chopper at home.
For this one, serious occasion he pulls out a BMW R1200GSADV.
I guess that speaks volumes. (As it has enough alternator to run electrics.)
Of course, he immediately slaps on a cheezy custom flames paint job...

Oh! And my point! He is wearing Gerbings gear, and is thankful for it.

.

That's good to hear :wave

[bmwgsrider]

I skimmed over this thread and I did not see any Hippo Hands mentioned as they work wonders.

Also, I did not see a Foggy mentioned either as it works really good too.

I always have issue with my feet getting cold. I have not looked into heated socks or heated insoles yet but I will.

[womanridge]

I skimmed over this thread and I did not see any Hippo Hands mentioned as they work wonders.

Also, I did not see a Foggy mentioned either as it works really good too.

I always have issue with my feet getting cold. I have not looked into heated socks or heated insoles yet but I will.

I recently learned about "Smartwool" socks. I like them. I even bought 2 more pair this past weekend. REI sells them.

[bmwgsrider]

I recently learned about "Smartwool" socks. I like them. I even bought 2 more pair this past weekend. REI sells them.

I've tried them as well as ski socks and still have problems with my feet getting cold.

Thanks.

[12bswayed]

Hello everyone! I'm glad there's a women's only area now...very cool. I don't get online much and I thought I'd use this thread to stop by and say Hi and make a small contribution...

In the summer, I wear an Air Mesh kevlar suit from motoport. I always carry merino wool long underwear from Minus 33. It packs light.

In the fall, winter and spring, I just purchased a riding suit from Teiz Motorsports. I know alot of you already have gear, but for thoes of you that don't, check this company out. Sadly, I won't get to test it out because it appears surgury is in my near future...

For thoes with cold feet, I've used toe warms with great results.

Gerbings just came out with new jackets, pants and gloves with micro wire technology...I tried the gloves on, and you can't feel the wires...at all! So, if you're in the market for heated clothing, this would be awsome!

Take care everybody!

[Voni]

Be sure to drop by during your recovery. There will be lots of people weather bound who would love to have you share your wisdom.

Heal well and quickly!

Voni
sMiling

[12bswayed]

Be sure to drop by during your recovery. There will be lots of people weather bound who would love to have you share your wisdom.

Heal well and quickly!

Voni
sMiling

Thanks Voni!

[mvscorpio]

Another vote for the Smartwool socks - big difference in comfort.
I do have Gerbings jacket liner and gloves, and for the coldest riding I've done I had an Under Armour base layer, and a thermal shirt with mock turtleneck collar.
One great addition I found 2-3 years ago? Under Armour makes a cold weather helmet liner (intended for football helmets). Basically a thin material ski mask that does wonders for keeping air off my throat and keeps my face warm without too much bulk.

[iRene]

... For thoes with cold feet, I've used toe warms with great results.

...Take care everybody!

I've been wondering for a few days about the "toe warms" to which you refer-
are those the dry chem packets
you squeeze to activate that cost a couple of bucks apiece that you buy at outdoor outfitters?
I imagine you tuck them into the toes of your boots?

[DeeG]

I always wear a Roadcrafter. What goes on under it depends on what I feel like wearing that morning.

Day before yesterday, it was 44 and raining.

Under the 'stich was a pair of thickish tights, a camo skirt, long sleeve t-shirt and that BMW zip front thermal jacket liner thing. "Liner" socks, Sidi boots, Rev'it H20 gloves and a modular helmet. Was fairly warm.

Today it was 42 and not raining.

Long sleeve T and flannel shirt, cords, BMW thermal thing again but this time under a thinish REI jacket made with the Schoeller wind block material, BMW zippered neck warmer, same type of sock, gloves, boots. I was cold 5 minutes after I left the house and the almost useless heated grips on the baby GS were now totally useless. I couldn't get warm to save my life.

I have been known to wear an Aerostich "Unobtanium" heated vest or a Gerbing jacket liner from time to time.

And on my Honda Rebel, I use the Givi "Covers", which are just like Hippo Hands. they work GREAT!!!! If I use those, I can leave the Rev'it gloves at home and wear my thin summer Held gloves.

[12bswayed]

I've been wondering for a few days about the "toe warms" to which you refer-
are those the dry chem packets
you squeeze to activate that cost a couple of bucks apiece that you buy at outdoor outfitters?
I imagine you tuck them into the toes of your boots?

Thoes are the ones! With adhesive on the bottom. I just wear a normal pair of cotton crew socks. If it's really cold...say 35, then I wear smartwool hiking socks. I carry an extra pair of socks just in case my feet get really sweaty to change out.

[drsales]

Costco is selling smartwool knock offs for $9/ for 3 pair. Or it might be 4. So far so good.

[IAMOXIE]

$9 for 3 pair is an awesome deal! If they work and feel just like Smartwool, I'd better stock up!

[Hotspice]

Both Amy and I stick with smartwools as much as possible. Their Ski-Socks work out great for riding because they are nice and high which works out great for our riding boots.

We almost always buy from Sierra Trading Post (http://www.sierratradingpost.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?allwords=smartwool&searchdescriptions=True) because of the prices.

In fact, I think it was July when Christmas came early and we stocked up on about another 25 pair because we had a coupon for an additional 20% off . :D

[iRene]

In fact, I think it was July when Christmas came early and we stocked up on about another 25 pair because we had a coupon for an additional 20% off . :D

Thrifty Yankees! :bow