New Buddy! A few cold weather questions...

[Moosy]

I am now a proud owner of a red Buddy 125 (you've heard what they call it Taiwan, right?) and I couldn't be happier! I filled up yesterday for the first time and calculated 91mpg! Only cost me $4.45 (and that's for premium!). I was being pretty paranoid about breaking it in, but I'm guessing by that mileage number, I'll have nothing to worry about.

However, I have some questions for you cold-weather riders... well not questions so much as I just need some advice. It's June here and it should be in the mid-sixties in the morning - but no, it was 42 while I was riding to work. Pretty chilly! Anyway, my hands got pretty cold. I thought my leather thinsulate gloves would be enough but I'm starting to think not. Any recommendations for warm gloves that are still ok for riding? What about pants? Jeans don't provide enough insulation and one thought is to just wear my ski pants over my jeans for extra warmth but I'm open to other ideas!

[kcbuddy50]

I wear thin leather driving gloves, and water proof pants. Anything that stops the wind will do the trick. Look for windproof stuff in thin materials. Northface makes lots of good stuff like that. I ride to work in Kansas city in the winter, and this works for me. I am going to be putting a windshield on before this winter though.

[jfrost2]

Back when it was late winter/early spring and the weather was anywhere from 25-40 degrees I rode my scooter around. I wore 2 sweat jackets and 1 wind breaker. It kept me warm. For my legs, I just wore sweat pants and jeans over it. Then my gloves, I got a cheap pair of black cotton winter gloves and wore those under my riding gloves. All that kept me warm, but I'd say my hands were cold after a while, not freezing cold, but I started feeling a chill.

[scullyfu]

many people wear silk gloves under their regular gloves; they are thin & add warmth.

as for legwear, i use first gear overpants. we can get some damned cold weather here in seattle (not to mention, wet) and they have kept me toasty and dry on many occasions.

[xtetra]

I filled up yesterday for the first time and calculated 91mpg! Only cost me $4.45 (and that's for premium!). I was being pretty paranoid about breaking it in, but I'm guessing by that mileage number, I'll have nothing to worry about.

Moosy...congradts on the new scoot! Maybe someone else will correct me but I don't think you really need to use premium. I've always put in regular and she seems to be fine. (Unless the specs are different for the 08...mine is a 06'.) Also, if you're mileage drops off a bit don't worry, it'll go back up again. At least mine did and a lot of other's on this site say the same thing. Part of the break in process I guess. My cage (car) did the same thing.

As far as gloves go, my biggest mistake has been wearing ones that are too tight and not allowing good circulation in my hands. Wind pants help, although I usually go for poly-pro long underwear which I take off at work if need be.

Scoot in good health, enjoy, and welcome to the club!

[Moosy]

Thanks for the info and the welcome! I thought it seemed kind of funny to be putting premium in the tank, but I figured I'd be safe and do that until I knew better. From what I'm reading now, I think I'll be switching to regular and just throwing in some of that cleaner stuff every now and then.

Today, I wore a Tshirt, a light fleece and my leather jacket and was plenty warm up top. My legs were chilly but fine in jeans, but when it starts dropping to 20s and 30s, I'll start reconsidering. I may try the long underwear option but I'm still thinking the powder pants over my jeans are a better option. My biggest concern is that my hands will be too cold. I don't know if it's poor circulation or what, but my hands have always been a problem for me (temperature-wise). I know my gloves aren't too tight, so I might try that silk glove option. I have a silk shirt I can wear in the winter (when necessary) but it didn't occur to me that the idea might translate to my hands as well. I was even considering buying hand warmers in bulk and putting them in the backs of my gloves!

[sargelee71]

For winter, or any cool day for that matter, has anyone tried the Corazzo Under Hoody thingy? Does it help for insulation? Is the hood meant to be warn under the helmet?

Another Corazzo related question: Up to how cold a temp have you warn your Corazzo jacket and which model?

[johnny_buddha]

I ride all year long in the Seattle. Winters get down to around 35. I have a Corazzo hoodie (same material as the Max, just with a hood). Underneath the jacket, I wear a polartec fleece vest which helps a lot. Keeping the torso/core warm helps a ton. I also have waterproof/windproof overpants that I paid around $30 for at the local scooter store.

As for cold weather gloves, I have insulated, waterproof Olympia gloves that work great. Bought them at the local motorcycle shop.

[iinigma7]

The coldest I've ridden in here in SC was 22 degrees last December. I wear a cheap pair of thinsulate mittens, jeans, usually a sweater, a North Face parka over top of that with the hood up under my helmet, and sometimes I throw a scarf around my neck.

The longer you ride, though, the harder it is to keep out the cold. I live pretty close to work, so that combination of gear gets me there fairly warm...except for the legs. But I can handle that. Cold hands are the worst!

[Moosy]

Does it strike anyone else as funny that I'm asking about cold weather gear in June?

[MarsR]

Hi Moosy! It's June here in Utah Valley, too! I had the same problem last winter with trying to keep warm. I found a nice rain suit at Costco that has been very helpful. I layer on top and the rainsuit blocks the wind which keeps me warm. The rain pants are easy to throw on over my jeans and the fold up into a very compact little ball that I can keep in my helmet when I get to work. I also bought some ski gloves at Costco that keep my hands toasty.

I have since bought a Cortech armored jacket with wind/rain/thermal liners that I really like. But I still use the rain pants on the bottom on cold days. They are great!

[Moosy]

Quite the June we're having here eh?

Do you happen to know what brand that rain suit is, or perhaps have a link?

[sotied]

Right now is the best time to be shopping for winter gear. Hit REI and EMS and look for their windproof cycling gloves or snowshoeing gloves.

I have a pair and they're wind and water resistant and great. On my first ride - in 45 degrees and mist and chill - I used them and they performed admirably.

[illnoise]

Get some motorcycle gloves with kevlar stitching, armored knuckles, abrasion resistant fabric, etc. They make different versions for cold and warm weather, lots of different styles, they're the third most important safety gear, after a helmet and good footwear, you should wear 'em year round, protect those hands, they're, um… handy!

For really cold weather, there are gauntlets, or "L" shaped quilted covers that wrap around your hand and the handlebars (made for snowmobiles). Or if you want to wire 'em in, they make heated grips.

Bb.

[MarsR]

Quite the June we're having here eh?
Do you happen to know what brand that rain suit is, or perhaps have a link?

It's the Kirkland Signature (Costco) brand. I can't see a link for it anywhere. I think it was about $30. But any good quality rain suit would be good, especially if you find a bright reflective one (mine is just gray and black). I got mine just a little on the big side so it fits easily over anything else I wear.

Looks like we're in for a nice weekend!

[scullyfu]

i forgot to say that when its windy and/or wet, i wear a gortex windbreaker over my armoured jacket. its lightweight, easily crushable and stashable when not being used, and it works like a charm to keep me warm and dry; and of course, my jacket is dry so when i get somewhere i don't have to shake water off it.

[mandyscoots]

First of all I'm fruggle...but I wear leather gardening gloves, and I wear long underware under my jeans, I tie and bandanna around my chin and neck...under my FF helmet, I have a winter jacket that has bungee sinch downs around the waist (amored jacket/pants would be better but I can't afford right now).

I stay pretty warm. But at 42 degrees it can still be a little chilly with all these items though.

[BuddyLove]

I'm in Minnesota and you don't get much chillier than that. Anyway, when it's cold out I will throw the snowpants on over the jeans. Heck I was still wearing snowpants on my scoots into work just a few months ago still. Another option would be to get Carharts. They are pretty durable if you do take a spill.
Happy Scooting.

[ryder1]

the gear you plug-in and wear...ask redcass about her experience with heated gear....not so good with the Buddy.

[Susie Q]

If your hands are still cold with gloves on you may want to try the wind deflectors for your hands that I have seen on motorcycles. They are clear plexiglass like a windshield, about 3 inches high by ten inches wide, and have a metal bracket where you simply take your mirrors off and slide the bracket on, and then reattach the mirror. The deflectors then sit a few inches in front of your hands and keep the wind from hitting them. I think National Cycle has them for around $70 but I am not sure.

[Moosy]

If your hands are still cold with gloves on you may want to try the wind deflectors for your hands that I have seen on motorcycles. They are clear plexiglass like a windshield, about 3 inches high by ten inches wide, and have a metal bracket where you simply take your mirrors off and slide the bracket on, and then reattach the mirror. The deflectors then sit a few inches in front of your hands and keep the wind from hitting them. I think National Cycle has them for around $70 but I am not sure.

This sounds like another idea worth considering, though I might look at the silk liners first - cheaper.

Carhartts... there's something I hadn't considered!