How Cold is too cold?

[flesh]

As I wheeled the bike out of the garage for the first time in a week (due to the street being iced over) and looked at the -1 on the thermometer I wondered how cold is too cold.
Fair enough about snow, as riding a bike in those conditions is just daft, but how cold would you go?

[spoonlamp]

I judge by the condition of the road as I walk up to the garage, which is about 30m away from the house. If the road between is icy (frosty I don't mind) I'll do an about turn and get the car warmed up.

[ghostbiker]

Cold isn't an issue with me, but snow or ice is. A nice cold but dry day is fine
I have risen in some appalling weather and temps including a 400 mile ride one Xmas eve that resulted in a 2 ltr bottle of coke being a solid block of ice. Was freezing fog to, bloody nasty ride that was

[Aegis Bearing Mel]

Snow is fine as long as you plan WAY ahead, as long as I can get the back from the garden to the road I'll give it a shot.

[Lawrence]

I had a go in the snow last week.  I did about 100 yards up the road (of my 60 mile commute) and gave up.  It was like riding a speedway bike, but in a straight line     Cold isn't a problem, but I don't think I'll try snow again   

[His Dudeness]

if its slippery underfoot then i'll leave it at home. trying to get onto a main road in icey conditions is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Grahamm]

If there's a risk of icy roads then I won't ride but anything else (except for high winds and rain combined!) is ok.

[D4Delta]

I learnt to ride in the winter of '63 - '64. A good training ground. Not so sure I would chance snow now. It can be fun though.


David.

[AdieR]

I've done snow / ice, albeit with smaller and less powerful bikes than the Fazer. Worst bit was brain dead cagers who insist on the usual stupidity, and blissfully unaware of the care needed on a bike in icy weather.

[Slaninar]

I ride motorcycle for fun - hobby. So it's no use riding when roads are wet and cold. Then I have to take it slow, easy. On those days I just ride bicycle.

If I really had no transport alternative, I could ride motorcycle down to -10 celsius and warmer. Below that - only bicycle. Pedaling creates enough heat so I don't get cold riding in the snow.

I ride bicycle with studded winter tyres for snow and ice. Motorcycle for snouw could be old 125cc naked Suzuki GN. Anything heavier I wouldn't be able to handle in case it slipped.

[Rebuilt]

I wont ride out if theres any ice about atall ... its not if the bike can handle it ... its wether the rider can handle the bike to handle it that is the question .... im on  big ass varedao 1000 now but wont even take that out 
Wouldnt have taken ye  olde fazer out either 

 Be sensible ... dont  bother .... i know for half the people here its tricky being sens... sen... sens...i you know what i mean  ( inc me ) but be catefull 

[Rocket88]

I ride all year round.  have done so for the last 5 years.  i rode my little 125 to work and back in 3inches of snow (very scary, but so much fun at the same time).
 
i have ridden my FZS600 in the snow too.  i dont have a car to its my transport so i ride in all weathers all year round.  if i can get the bike out of the garage and off the drive i will give it a go.
 
i think it all comes down to judgement, if the weather is really cold i make allowances, i leave bigger gaps take conering more sedatly and avoid using the brakes.

[DryRob]

The ally that our garage opens onto doesn't get gritted and neither does my street so I usually have to stop before the worst of it.

Worst part is I don't own a cage so have to borrow or get lifts, I hate it.

[locksmith]

Saw a bike this morning, I kid you not he was wearing jogging suit bottoms and trainers. i looked at the outside temp guage in my nice warm van and it was -2.

[Jamieg285]

As with the majority, I won't do snow or ice.  I use my bike mainly for commuting, because the cage is thirsty and costs 5 times as much to run.


This morning was very frosty and I had a bit of a slide on the side road, but after that it was fine, no different to the last few weeks of crap weather.

[Lawrence]

Saw a bike this morning, I kid you not he was wearing jogging suit bottoms and trainers. i looked at the outside temp guage in my nice warm van and it was -2.

I went out a couple of weeks back (just down the road, about 2 miles in 30 limits) in jeans with bike jacket/boots/gloves but no thermals underneath and I was bloody freezing!

[stevierst]

I call myself a hardcore biker, bit this morning I left the Fz1 at home and stole the wife's car . It's too easy to het a tyre washout on a patch of ice and destroy your pride and joy. Sometimes it just ain't worth it.
I've ridden in -7, but it was dry and ice free at the time. That was cold enough for me!

[fireblake]

Back in about 86 I was a courier and rode in all weathers but one of the worst scenarios  was when I took a parcel to Bristol. On the way home I got to Yeovil and the snow started to get heavy. I stopped at a set of lights and promptly fell off when the front slid out from me. The biggest problem was trying to pick the bike (Honda VT500)back up, as I pulled up at the bars the tyres just slid away on the ice. After 10 minutes of slowly pushing the bike away from me and being totally knackered. Eventually a card river stopped and helped me get it back upright so I could finish my journey home. A ride that took another 10 hours. I nearly gave up riding after that.


Mickey

[GringoRojo]

look left and guess where that came from.

[ZiggyCol]

Condition of the road is the defining factor not temperature. If its dry even freezing temps can be OK. Last evening it was wet and this morning -3C and my local road which doesn't get gritted was a sheet of ice. So the Fazer stays in the garage. Last winter I was caught out riding to work by a localised snow storm - fine when I left home - snowing like hell before I got to work 19 miles away. Don't want to experience underfoot conditions like that again!

[Hodge]

It's not the cold that bothers me as I've done -5 on my commute in previous years but it stays parked up if it's snowy or icy.

[Kosmic Kartman]

10 Degrees is too cold but i'll add I have to ride in all wethers. It was -1 when I got my bike out the garage this morning and to me that's cold. As mentioned road condition is a deciding factor and it has to be unridable before I'll choose other modes of transport. And even then I'll try the bike first.

Snow and ice... best advice... think twice. I have riden on the pavement before (soory that should read: walked my bike on the pavement) when the road became a sheet of ice.

I feel the cold a lot more now than in my younger years. I rode to a rally in Wales once... in the snow, from London. The snow was so deep when I got to the rally site that I was able to leave the bike on two wheels without falling over.

 

[wezdavo]

The cold doesnt bother me, the conditions do though  
If you love your bike, theres no enjoyment to be had while riding on ice or snow, take the car or catch the bus, its just not worth smashing the bike up for..
Cars can drive much faster than bikes in adverse conditions, and for me thats where most of the problem lies, i dont fancy having a slide then getting nailed off some knacker in his car who is running late for work.
No grip, No joy

[taylor]

i used to enjoy the snow on my old honda tl 125 trials,   bu no way on the fazer, so take the transit van with two boys to push me when i get stuck. it keeps them warm/

[Lawrence]

Just got in from work, I have ice patches forming on my jacket and my feet have got to the point where they don't feel cold any more     My hands were toasty warm the whole way home though