Cold Case?
Having to heave yourself out of bed in the morning, only to be greeted by buckets
of rain, a mini tornado and ice-cream cold air is unfortunately what we as Irish
Bikers have to endure on a constant basis; welcome to the joy of Ireland�s winter.
When many a fair-weather Bikers machine has long been laid to rest, and the sun
along with summer replaced by a mass of cloud and hail, many of us still commute,
travel and work on as the days grow shorter and traffic-jams longer. There are a
few tricks to the trade when it comes to riding through winter however, so gearing
both you and your bike in prior preparation are essential for the modern day biker.
What you�ll need:
Necktubes:
Necktubes are perhaps the greatest invention since sliced bread; an accessory I
won�t leave the house without. For those who don�t know, necktubes are those things
that make you look like a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle, and can be seen in the image
alongside to your right. As suggested by the name, they fit on placed around the
neck, and usually cover up the mouth and chin below your nose. Slip it on before
getting your lid on, tuck the lower part into your jacket and off you set!
Waterproofs:
There�s no ditching it, you can�t beat a pair of good quality waterproofs. Ok not
the most trendsetting approach, though you�ll be laughing when the heavens have
opened whilst you are out on your bike, you�re protected by a set of shiny new waterproofs
and Joe Bloggs on a Superbike next to you in traffic is getting completely soaked
altogether, having opted to keep his jeans and leather jacket for the sake of looking
the bizz! Trust me in saying make sure to buy a set of
good quality ones,
even if the pricing may be a little higher than a pair on sale at the local Supermarket.
Having worn many a cheap pair of Waterproofs only to find they really have teabag
qualities by soaking water in, take the advice above, for the sake of an extra 20
quid you really can�t go wrong.
Electrical Clothing:
Yes ok, it may at first sound a little Star-Trekky, but believe me the
stuff really does work. Nowadays everything from heated gloves and vests are available
on the market so those who�ve given up hope in piling on the Aran Jumpers under
your jacket may like to give these accessories a try. Most units operate direct
through a lead from the battery terminal.
Heated-hand Grips:
These things do come optional with a lot of new bikes nowdays, but can also be purchased
after market to fit nearly everything from a Suzuki Vardero to Honda Goldwing, and
Kawasaki ZX10R to a sewing machine. Bulky gloves are just downright annoying, and
even a little dangerous too, with the great thing about heated grips that you can
wear the thinnest of gloves and still keep your paws warm, no matter how cold it
is. Things are no even going wireless too, with most heated gloves being powered
by AAA batteries.
Panniers:
Only purchase a set of panniers if you
know your going to use them.
The convenience of throwing your luggage in and out of rains reach is really great,
as opposed to wearing a restricting back-pack that�ll still let soakage through
anyway. Panniers are pretty pricy however, and again investing in a good quality
set is strongly advised. Not only will they increase your bikes value when the time
comes to move her on, but give you a good excuse for not bringing a pillion along
too!
Windproof/Waterproof Gloves:
Be careful when buying this type of glove, as most won�t provide adequate protection
in the event of a fall. One can invest in everything from Deerskin insulated to
wool lined examples though do insure you get a pair that come with padding and preferably
carbon or Kevlar knuckle guards.
Anti-Fog products:
Its quite annoying to find your helmet fogging up, and a thing that�ll
sometimes require you to have your visor fully-up to clear. Foggy masks just don�t
work, trust me as I have tried and tested them on many a windswept or rainy day.
Visor spray is top notch stuff, and lasts for a day or two.