Thirty years ago, when I started riding on the road, my only concession to proper biking equipment was a helmet. Doc Martens, an anorak, jeans and a pair of old ski-ing gloves completed the kit. In the winter it was cold and wet, in the summer it was...er cold and wet. The reasons for this lack of basic comfort and protection were mainly financial; leathers, boots and all the other essentials of today were way beyond my reach. Enough cash for petrol to carry me to the pub and buy fags and beer was the priority.
Today there are no such excuses, biking gear has improved beyond anything we could have imagined in the 70’s. Last winter I installed heated grips for the first time, easily the best £50 I have spent. However for total, all weather, arctic conquering comfort, heated clothing is the last word in winter kit. I have been using a pair of Gerbing heated gloves to see if they really work and are worth the investment. Now these aren’t cheap, £130 for the gloves and connection to either the battery or auxillary power outlet.
Also available are battery operated pairs but the cost goes up to over £200 with charger and spare battery, even more if you want a temperature controller as well. As gloves on their own they appear very well made, completely leather and very comfortable in their own right, waterproof and even having a built in visor wipe on the left thumb. Once wired in however, they really come into their own.
Do they work? Absolutely...the advantage the gloves have over heated grips is that they heat the back of the hand including the finger tips so if you need a lot of front brake and clutch, there’s no chance of your digits cooling. They give you the confidence to take on any journey, knowing your hands will stay toasty, come what may. The one small niggle of the pair I used was the wires need connecting before you start off, it brought back memories of having my gloves attached by elastic under my anorak at school. This is a small price to pay, however, for the advantage they offer. The kit is designed to be wired together and controlled through one link and can be expanded to include heated liners, outers, fleeces and insoles. The latest version features a web of micro-sized stainless steel fibres to give greater flexibility and strength.
Who’s it for? Anyone for whom the worst part of a long journey is the slow build up of cold in the extremities. Couriers, instructors, all year round commuters plus anyone with poor circulation would all see the benefit. I went out for several two hour trips over the arctic christmas period and the colder it became, the more the gloves performed. It’s expensive kit, but, for not a huge amount more than a decent pair of race gloves, you can extend your riding season to twelve months, now that’s got to be a good thing.
All we need now are heated roads!
We all (mostly!) clean and look after our bikes. Only sensible, as they are expensive pieces of equipment and regular attention not only helps them hold their value but keeps them maintained to a safe standard. Plus, of course, most of us like them to look the part down the pub or riding up the high street. However, expensive kit often gets neglected but can benefit from the same kind of care.
Leather in particular needs and deserves a bit of pampering. Untreated, it will dry out in summer and, as I found out recently to my cost with a pair of neglected boots, cracks develop and any slight waterproofing will have disappeared. The most common products for leathers have traditionally been oils and waxes, effective but hard work. Nikwax are continually developing specific products for motorcycling and I recently tried their leather treatment. This comes in the form of two 300ml spray bottles.
Use the Leather Cleaner, simply spray on, rub in then wipe with a damp cloth. Follow up with the Leather Restorer, again spray on, leave for two minutes, then wipe off with a clean cloth. The products are suitable for items lined with waterproof and breathable membranes. There’s no need to dry the leather after cleaning and the whole process can be done in a few minutes. The result is a refreshed leather item with improved suppleness and added water repellency. So next time you spend a morning hosing and polishing your bike, spare a thought for your creaky old leathers and give ‘em a treat as well.
Visit
www.nikwax.net for details of all products.
I want to go faster, I want to go faster..
