Frost bite sucks

[Tweek]

I decided to ride to work today. D@mn near gave myself frost bite on my fingers. IT was so bad that I pulled in to the Kawasaki dealer that happens to be on my way to work.

Basically, my gloves sucks.. I've been fighting this all winter. This time I got some help and they sold me a pair of Joe Rocket Blaster 3.0 gloves. The guy recommended against leather b/c it gets too cold. The gloves worked well enough for the last mile or two. We'll see how they work for the ride home.

Going in the shop hurt physically. I actually got a little light headed from the blood rushing back in to my fingers.

Everything else was fine - my legs are nice and toasty inside Under Armor cold weather pants, jeans and Firstgear over pants, a jacket, etc. Just my freaking hands freeze.

[Tod]

Yeah it was like 18 degrees this morning at my house when I was taking out the trash.

Leather is just fine, but it has to be lined, thinsulate works well. Just a single layer of leather won't do much good in the cold.

[r2kool4u]

Thats stinks I dont think Id ride in any weather below 40 degrees.

[darkwolf29a]

Originally Posted by r2kool4u

Thats stinks I dont think Id ride in any weather below 40 degrees.

I rode to work in 34 degrees. Good gloves are important though, since your hands tend to stay in one place.

[ontwowheels]

I rode this morning, was 30, but I only have about 5 miles to go.

Stay warm brother.

[Tweek]

Overall I like riding in the cold. I don't mind the heat, but hanging out in 105F temps isn't as fun as it sounds. In the cold I can layer up and be relatively comfortable. It has just been a struggle to find gloves that can handle below freezing temperatures. I doubt anything will keep them warm, but I can live with just cold.

[pitchinguy]

Thought about any plug-in electro scald ya azz heated gloves??!

[Calamarichris]

If you don't have a lot of money for electrics, Gore-tex or Hippo-hands, you can get trigger-finger mittens at any military surplus store. They'll probably fit right over your gloves, and while they're bulky they're snuggly. And they're still not as bulky as ski gloves or mittens.
And Tweek: it sounds like you suffered from chilblain which is actually more painful initially than frostbite, but at least it doesn't have long-term consequences. Kinda like sprains usually hurt worse than breaks, but heal much more quickly. When you have frost-bite injuries, they are more susceptible to reinjury later.
Chilblain is the suck. Needle-sharp throbbing, pulsing that takes forever to go away.
-Chris

[Tweek]

Chris - thanks for giving a name to my pain. It really hurt. My finger tips are still sensitive.

The JR gloves worked pretty good. The temp was probably 20degrees warmer, but even so I didn't have any of the cold numbing sensation this time around. Even at 80Mph.

even so I, given my desire to ride full time I need to invest in some electric gloves. Or I could just cut some holes in two milk jugs and slide those over the grips. That would keep my hands out of the wind.

[taro]

Tweek, this might not sound right, but believe it or not, staying tucked in behind the windscreen will help keep your hands warm. From what I understand, when you're in the wind stream, your torso may not feel cold, but if it is losing heat, your body will stop supplying heat to the extremities to keep your organs warm. Staying tucked will help your torso keep more of its heat. Good luck.

[jukief]

Big ouch!!!

When I was in college, I rode my bicycle to campus one day (a four-mile ride) when it was 11 degrees. Most of me was alright, but my feet were really cold. When I got to school and went to get off my bicycle, I fell over because my feet were completely numb. It took a while for them to warm back up again, and boy did that hurt!

[Tweek]

That actually makes a lot of sense. The problem is that the blast up the freeway is actually pretty short - maybe two or three minutes. The rest of the time I'm on surface streets. I guess I could do a full tuck there as well. Won't look any crazier considering that I'm on a bike and it is freezing cold.

[bamavulcandave]

Tweek, I know what you mean about your finger tips getting really cold and hurting. That's the only part of me that gets uncomfortable in 25-35 degree rides. I have insulated gloves but they work well.
I have to check those Joe Rocket Blaster 3.0 gloves out. What is the price there at your dealer?

[Tweek]

$8000 - and they threw in a ZX6 for free!

[Plato]

Originally Posted by Tod

Yeah it was like 18 degrees this morning at my house when I was taking out the trash...

Yea I experienced that same 18 degrees here in East TX. Its the first morning I actually wimped out and left the Nomad at home for the trip to work.

I've done it at 25, but when I saw the temp on porch at 18 I had to take the helment off, go back in the house, and grab the car keys

[Tweek]

I just hate doing that. I like riding too much and I'm getting the hang of traffic. Keep the mindset that you are walking in the lions' den wrapped in steak.