JUST IN TIME FOR THE TOY RIDES are two of a riders’ worst enemies--cold weather and wet leaves. I’ll start with the weather.

 There is no worse ride killer than being cold.  So think about the day when you start out just because the sun will come up in an hour, don’t be fooled.  You may never have a chance to feel the sun at 55 mph.

Starting at the bottom, boots are not all the same. You need good leather boots in the winter to cut the cold wind.  If your toes always seem cold, think about getting a pair of boots with a composite toe. They are like a steel toe boot but instead of cold steel, they are made of a fiberglass toe that stops the wind from coming through without retaining the cold.

Next would be pants or chaps. I find chaps to be a pain when you get to where you are going or even worse if you have to stop for a bathroom break.  Regular jeans are too light.  Thermals and chaps are just a pain in the ass. That’s why I like fleece lined jeans. They are very warm, cut the wind and breathe when you’re indoors at the end of the ride.

Moving up the body on the way to the part that we tend to make all the wrong decisions with is the upper body.  It’s sometimes tough to keep warm, especially if you don’t have a larger jacket just for winter.  Layers, layers, layers, that says it all.  It’s a lot easier to take off one light layer if it gets warm than to be stuck with one heavy one. Of course, if you can afford it and it’s your style, just go out and buy a heated jacket, vest or liner with a thermostat. Me, I still like to rough it, but you all know that by now. (P.S. I FIXED THE LIGHT SWITCH, Ha! Ha! Ha!)

Now, how about your hands?  What’s more important than good gloves? The answer is nothing!! Saving $10.00 on gloves that look cool is wasted money when you can’t feel your fingers half way through a ride.  Even though I like to rough it, this year I may break down and buy the heated gloves myself because it’s getting harder and harder to find good gloves that will not let the cold wind rip right through the light leather.

Last but not least, your head and face. I think this has a lot to do with personal preference, not what style winter headgear you wear. I like a hood because it keeps my face open and goes inside my jacket so the wind won’t blow down my neck. A lot of others like the neoprene full or half masks, or a fleece lined leather bib. Whatever your choice, make sure you have it with you this time of year. Still on your head, now is the time of year to buy a pair of foam-lined glasses. The foam will keep the cold plastic or metal off your face and stop those hideous ice cream headaches. While you’re at it, don’t forget to spray them with a good anti-fog product. There’s nothing worse than pulling up to a traffic light and fogging out!

OK enough already!  After all that information smoking your brain, you might just want to get back in bed and forget the ride!  BUT just in case you haven’t had enough, I’ll move onto safety and driving conditions.

Ah!!! The beautiful fall leaf, or in my opinion that wet soggy reason to go down on your ride and wreck a $1000.00 in parts that you can’t afford to replace. I’ve heard all the good reasons it happened, and used a couple of them myself. “I really wasn’t going that fast on the turn”, “ They looked pretty dry to me!”, “I never saw anyone slide on just a couple of leafs”. They all sound good until you’re sliding on your now broken leg, thinking about your crunching bike parts while saying to yourself “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS… MUSTACHE JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS IN HIS LAST ARTICLE”

So look, listed and learn, because other riders tell war stories about rides gone bad for a reason, TO  KEEP  YOU  SAFE !!                                     

Johnny Mustache