People remember the obvious things such as wearing a warm jacket, thick boots, a quality pair of gloves, and a defogged helmet when going out for a ride. Unfortunately, only a few will remember the importance of keeping their legs warm, especially when riding in the cold. Many people prefer wearing a simple pair of jeans but that is not adequate protection. So, how can you keep your legs warm when riding a motorcycle on a cold day?
A better way of keeping your legs warm during the cold months involves wearing a quality set of pants and a set of waterproof, wind-resistant pants over them. Apart from doing an excellent job when it comes to protecting your legs from the wind, the pants are easy to stuff under your socks because are tight around the ankle area. And if you are among the people who mostly ride a motorcycle to their workplace, the pants will not affect your business because they are very easy to take off after you finish riding.
Furthermore, you can use calf wraps if the pants do not offer adequate protection. Calf wraps were originally designed for people suffering from tight muscles but today motorcyclists use them to keep their legs warm during cold rides. They come with separate pads which you can microwave for a few minutes to heat up, and place inside the wrap. After that, they will provide enough warmth for 1-2 hours.
Preparing For a Ride during a Cold Day
In addition to wearing the right riding gear to keep your body and legs warm during a cold day, you can do several other things to avoid the problems or discomfort expected on a cold day. Here are some of the things to do.
Ensure that Your Legs are Warm
Starting a motorcycle ride after spending several hours outside on a cold day is bad for your health. That is for the reason that your body temperature will drop further after you start riding the motorcycle, therefore, affecting the comfort of your legs. If possible, enter your house and warm up before you start riding.
Do Leg Exercises
If you already know that your motorcycle ride will be cold, getting the blood circulation in your legs pumping is a perfect idea. That means you should do a few leg workouts to improve the blood circulation in your legs and prevent the formation of cramps. The best workouts include jumps, lunges, and squats.
Drink Water and Eat a Balanced Meal
Drinking enough water and eating a meal with high carbohydrate and protein content is another important step to keeping your legs warm during a cold motorcycle ride. Water, carbs, and fresh protein circulation in your body will increase the blood flow and help keep the legs warm.
Check the Weather Forecast Before You Start Riding Your Motorcycle
While riding in winter can be a dumb idea, adequate preparation will make it less dumb. For example, preparing for inclement weather, mechanical failure, navigation errors, and packing extra pants is a good idea. Additional pants will keep you warm including on the coldest day.
A 10-degree Fahrenheit drop could make a big difference and therefore checking the weather forecast every day is an important step. People who leave their homes very early in the morning will tell you that a difference between 55 degrees and 45 degrees Fahrenheit means that they are ready for a ride or freezing. When you have a short distance to cover, leaving later and allowing the temperatures to rise is the best thing to do.
Stay Dry to Stay Warm for a Longer Time
The styles of motorcycle celebrities on Instagram and other social media platforms are likely to sway you. The celebrities mostly flaunt bubble visors, three-quarter helmets, cushion soled boots, and skintight leather pants and jackets, which are bad for cold weather motorbike rides.
When riding across the country during cold weather, waterproofness and warmth should be your priority. How you pack the pieces of clothes you are not wearing also applies to the logic of keeping yourself warm and dry. A roll-top dry bag will help you keep everything dry, including in the harshest weather. Several bags (one inside another) will work wonders. Remember to separate anything that gets wet from the other things.
Be Mentally Prepared for a Cold Ride
Preparing mentally for a cold motorcycle ride is as important as preparing physically. Whenever you are cold, particularly in the extremity, a small task can become a monumental achievement. Therefore, changing miles into milestones will help you get from point A to point B when the temperatures are very low. Knowing that something is awaiting you will create a semi-euphoric feeling and relieve the pain associated with falling temperatures.
Know When to Stop Riding
Knowing when to stop riding during a cold day is important for your safety. You will turn hypothermic when your temperature hits 95 degrees Fahrenheit and your body will start shivering to generate more heat. At this point, you will find it hard to do anything. If your body temperature drops further, then you will encounter muscle stiffness, confusion, and involuntary contractions. Awareness of the symptoms is a vital step to protecting yourself. While motorcyclists will try to be tough, being cold can easily kill you.
Which are the Dangers of Motorcycling with Cold Legs
Riding a motorcycle with freezing legs is inconvenient and uncomfortable. However, there are several health and safety problems you might not be aware of. Here are some of them.
Your Legs will Respond Slowly
The first thing you are likely to notice after your legs get cold during a cold motorcycle ride is that they will respond slowly to everything you want them to do. So, if you get to a point that requires you to slow the motorbike or put your left foot down, the legs will be very slow and you might take time to stop.
Slow Blood Circulation
When any part of your body is exposed to cold, it will have slow blood circulation. In other words, if your legs get cold, blood circulation to your feet will be cut off. Adding cold toes and feet to the mix will make motorcycle riding miserable. You are likely to start shivering and this can cause occasional spasms in your body. One result of spasms is loss of balance.
High Risk of Hypothermia
The risk for hypothermia during a cold motorcycle ride will be high if any of your body parts are exposed. Your core body temperature will start lowering and blood will automatically start flowing to your major organs to protect you. Therefore, blood circulation to the cold legs will reduce heightening the risk of frostbite.
What Should You Do If Your Legs Get Very Cold During a Cold Motorcycle Ride?
Motorcyclists find themselves in unexpected cold weather riding situations many times. You might have checked the weather forecast and left your home after the temperatures rise but end up dealing with an unexpected storm. So, what should you do if you find yourself in such a situation?
If possible, you should stop riding and go to your home. But if that is not possible, find the nearest stop, such as a gas station, and buy a few items to help you stay warm. Drink enough fluids, eat a meal packed with protein and carbohydrates, and remember to do several leg exercises. Alternatively, you can find a convenience store and buy hand warmers.
Conclusion
Riding a motorcycle in cold weather is safe if the temperatures are above the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit). You are likely to encounter wind chills and cold starts but that will not affect your safety directly. Temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius will result in ice formation and that can make the loads slipper and reduce the traction. You may also encounter fog which can reduce visibility. To keep your legs warm, wear several layers of pants and a set of waterproof, wind-resistant pants over them. Also, drink enough water and eat a balanced meal.