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How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:25 pm
by flyingzonker
I am trying to upload a pic but I don't know if it will appear in this message. If not I will come back later and get it in some way.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 1:40 am
by flyingzonker
It is obviously a pro tem arrangement. I have taped the wires to the fuselage of my little red rocket.The operative component of this system is made up of some Gerbing heated glove liners stuffed into a pair of mittens. I have the battery I recently replaced under the seat for power. I keep a battery tender on this little Yuasa YTZ7S 12 volter and all goes well with it so far. It is getting old but "it's not dead yet".
I Find that wearing this power gloves I can ride for hours in the coldest weather with the greatest of ease. The only constraint my winter riding is under anymore is bad traction.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 2:37 am
by Lafree
Hi , I have the same gloves but use a different supply method a fused wire from bike battery under seat plugs into wire that goes up the back of jacket and down each sleeve I have stitched the lead at bottom of my jacket so I can find it easy, hands warm as toast, how do you lift your visor etc if the gloves are wired on the bars ?.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 10:32 pm
by flyingzonker
I like your idea of sewing the wires into a jacket--it is an elegant solution but I usually wear a bright yellow windbreaker over another padded windbreaker instead of wearing a jacket. This get-up doesn't lend itself to needle and thread. As I said, it is a pro tem alignment of wires and battery, and tape. It works for me and I can't give a damn how it looks; If I were 15...or even 35 it would surely make a difference. But it's been a long long time since I was young enough to care. As for reaching my helmet...the wires are slack enough to allow easily for that. I have no trouble at all with this set up

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2017 9:14 am
by Mel46
There's always duct tape. :-)
If all else fails, put duct tape inside the jacket to hold the wires... and you can get the duct tape in all sorts of colors!
Ho, Ho Ho. Merry Duct Christmas!

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 3:16 am
by flyingzonker
Duct tape? Are you kidding? I've still got some pride....besides, I have to use up my Gorilla tape before I invest in a roll of duct tape. You can't be too frugal in times like these.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 9:04 am
by montliz44
Gorilla Tape is the best tape ever of all time.

That's documented.

Johnny

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 2:55 pm
by PCX150Rider
Gorilla Tape is the best tape ever of all time.
It's all I buy now for general use (not a substitute for electrical tape though IMHO). Good stuff. Lasts. . .. 8)

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:33 pm
by flyingzonker
Gorilla tape has saved me more than once...but duct has too. Come to think of it, scotch tape ain't half bad either...and once or twice I have even used masking tape in a pinch to good effect....but yes, the prize goes to Gorilla for holding power.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:06 pm
by WI_Hedgehog
I've posted a few places about my cold weather (14°F) adventures, and list the gear and how-tos.

One thing you most likely don't want to do is sew the wires into the jacket in a manor they cannot be easily removed, as everything goes bad fairly quickly with heated gear due to the constant flexing. It's also nice to be able to pull extra wire out of the jacket, plug the gloves/liners in, then stuff the extra wire back on the jacket.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 3:30 pm
by Gil
Interesting windshield arrangement you got there flyingzonker. Would you mind sharing a pic of your scoot that highlights the windshield position.

Gil

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:21 pm
by you you
WI_Hedgehog wrote:I've posted a few places about my cold weather (14°F) adventures, and list the gear and how-tos.

One thing you most likely don't want to do is sew the wires into the jacket in a manor they cannot be easily removed, as everything goes bad fairly quickly with heated gear due to the constant flexing. It's also nice to be able to pull extra wire out of the jacket, plug the gloves/liners in, then stuff the extra wire back on the jacket.

True. Washing the jacket was my first thought.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 9:58 am
by WI_Hedgehog
Sewing 1“ wide x 2-1/4" long pieces of material on the outside of a soft vest or jacket liner should work. Sew around the perimeter of each side of the material 1/16" from the outer edge forming a 7/8" square, then connect the corners of the square forming an X. That makes a 1" square on each side of the tab and 1/4" in the middle to put the plug through. These tabs will securely hold the wire without tearing, between the liner and jacket so it's comfortable to wear. The liner will let the wire slide around so you can move freely and the wire isn't under stress. Hook-and-loop material can be sewn/glued to the jacket and vest to hold the vest in place. (Don't do this with a full-sleeved liner, that needs to be easily removable for putting it on or it will tend to twist when taking the jacket off and not straighten when putting the jacket on.)

I like synthetic waterproof bicycling jackets as liners because they cut the wind inside a jacket, add thin insulation, and slide around easily so my clothing moves with me. Any wind inside your main jacket is a huge problem; we easily generate enough heat to stay warm, conduction and circulation remove it--stop those and start out warm and we're fine.

Heated liners are also available, Gerbing for instance will zip into Gerbing jackets and velcro attach several places also. They have well designed products, but like everything have a limited lifespan, so see if the price fits your budget.

Re: How I ride in Northern Illinois winter

Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 2:15 pm
by flyingzonker
Gil wrote:Interesting windshield arrangement you got there flyingzonker. Would you mind sharing a pic of your scoot that highlights the windshield position.

Gil
I will post a pic when I can find one...if I can't find a pic I will dig out my camera--no biggie since I have 6 of them and carry them everywhere.
The windshield, a SlipStream, I bought 3 or so years ago on Amazon. It cost about 100$ then or a little less. I like it. It's cheap and does the job. The Givi tall screen that is made for the PCX has this advantage: It forms an unbroken barrier between rider and wind. The SlipStream, because it attaches to the mirror posts on the handlebars rather than to the body of the bike, allows wind to come through between the bottom of screen and the handlebars. This is not an issue for me. As long as I don't get the blast on the chest and the front of the helmet, I am a (relatively) happy man. Also, in summer, the extra "underwind" is actually welcome.
Before I had this windshield my face, even with the helmet visor down,would freeze in cold weather.
I can't really say a thing against this windshield. As long as you make sure to tighten the set screws every so often it has no downside. It does everything the Givi screen does, except, depending on your taste, look as good. But it tries hard to make up for this by costing greatly less and by being more comfortable in the summer by dint of allowing better ventilation.

Here is a link to the Amazon page where this device is listed: https://www.amazon.com/Slip-Streamer-Sc ... hield+tall