Gotta say...I love heated gear

[Rob]

With the roads being dry most of this winter, I've had the NT out quite a few times when the weather has been 45+. But when the sun starts to set, it would get a bit more chilly than I liked.

So I bit the bullet and bought Gerbing's heated jacket liner and heated insoles, along with a dual heat controller that I clip to the outside of my tank bag.

I figured heated gear would be great, but I guess I was surprised at just how truly great it is - as many of you here already know. The heated insoles are spectacular. When too cold for the armored mesh boots, my colder riding selection is a pair of black timberland boots. And they aren't terribly warm. Replaced their insoles with Gerbing's and they are SO comfortably warm to ride in. I love them!

And the jacket liner I'm just as happy with. At high 30's/low 40's it takes awhile for my core to chill - so I've enjoyed waiting until that point arrives and then turn the dial to bathe in the warmth, which was only about 25% power. Will need to try it out when temp are even lower!

I do not have heated grips. Some non-riding winter gloves keep me warm enough but are too bulky, have no armor, and make it a little tough to work the controls sometimes, so I now have the T5 Gerbing gloves on order.

At any rate, just sharing my enthusiasm for these wonderful products. Ordered everything from Revzilla - they have lots of great videos to help choose between different styles, hooking the gear up, etc.

Happy cold weather riding!

 

[Phil Tarman]

I doesn't seem as if anyone believes how great heated gear is until they try it. I started with a $50 Eclipse heated vest years ago. No controller, just an on/off switch. Then I moved up to a Gerbings with a controller and used it for five or six years. A seam down one side came apart between Thunder Bay and Duluth on a day that ended up with temperatures in the 90s. Then I bought a Warm & Safe Generation 1 jacket and when they came out with a Generation 4 (either no wires or very, very fine ones) and a trade-in program, I went with Gen 4. It's really great.

 

[elizilla]

I know people who say they're rough and tough and don't need heated gear. But I don't know any who have tried it and then given it up.

 

[KathyL]

I know people who say they're rough and tough and don't need heated gear. But I don't know any who have tried it and then given it up.

+1 - my husband and I bought our first lot of Warm'N'Safe gear in 2009 and, as a result of our feedback, quite a few of our friends have followed suit!

 

[Rmcapozzi]

+1. It completely changes what your definition of "cold" weather really is when you move to heated gear. I'm sure you'll be just as happy with the T-5 gloves. Oh and I have yet to ride in temps cold enough (0F) to warrant running the Gerbing's jacket liner at 100%.

 

[Madmax]

My wife and I both invested in heated gear a few years ago. We both have Gerbings heated jacket liners and heated pants and heated gloves. My wife also has the heated socks. I don't know how we ever rode without this gear...

 

[rcase13]

So all this raises the question... How cold can you ride with these? The boot liners will be my first purchase. Eventually I want the full gear.

Is a standard helmet with balaclava good for any cold temp or does it get uncomfortable at a certain temp. I have ridden in 30 degree weather and was fine with my balaclava and helmet. I was just wondering how low I could go.

 

[Twtinkertoy]

I, too, gladly vouch for the heated gear. I'm currently in my second year of using it - this being the first year on the NT. I have the Gerbing's heated jacket liner and their suede heated gloves. I now no longer have to "layer up" looking like the Sta-Puft marshmallow man to enjoy riding in the colder temperatures. As long as it's just cold and dry, I'm good to go.

The lowest temperature that I've ridden in so far was a day that reached 29 degrees and I stayed cozy, warm and comfortable - so much so that I was forced to shorten my breaks to warm back up by riding!

 

[Phil Tarman]

Oh and I have yet to ride in temps cold enough (0F) to warrant running the Gerbing's jacket liner at 100%

I've only ridden in temps down to about 10F, and I can't take 100% for more than a few minutes with my Warm & Safe Gen 4. Heated gear is GREAT!!!

 

[elizilla]

With the heated gear, my low temperature riding limit is defined by the traction under my tires rather than the heated gear.

I do layer more over the heated gear, in very cold temps. That down shirt I posted about is great for that.

 

[Rob]

I know people who say they're rough and tough and don't need heated gear. But I don't know any who have tried it and then given it up.

Yeah...you could probably lump me in to that group!

While the kit gets expensive quick, the heated insoles are only $60 and they are amazing. Highly recommended, since the NT does not provide wind protection for your feet.

I was looking at heated socks, but they were so expensive in comparison. I was worried the insoles wouldn't be enough, since the top of your feet/toes are what get the coldest but I can assure you the insoles do enough. Once they've been on awhile they just heat up the entire boot and your feet feel like they are indoors, lounging by the fire in a ski lodge. To me, these win in the "bang for your buck" category. But that's probably because the boots I'm riding in in these temps aren't terribly warm to begin with. With more insulated boots, these probably wouldn't garner as much praise.

Question on the gloves though - when plugged into the jacket, do they share the control with the jacket? Or would they somehow share the one that is plugged into the insoles? I thought I read that the jacket uses one, and everything else uses the other - but with them plugged into the jacket, I would think they use that one.

I'm actually hoping that is the case because I turn the insoles up pretty high - much higher than I would need in the jacket or gloves.

 

[elizilla]

It depends on the jacket, and on how you connect things up. I could put every piece of heated gear on a separate controller, or I can plug multiple pieces of gear into the same controller. My jacket has one connector that goes to the bike, and it has a connector on the end of each sleeve that plugs into the gloves. Then there are some extra connectors in a pocket in the front of the jacket, and depending on how you plug them in, and what controllers you use, you can either run jacket and gloves off one dial, or give them each their own dial. I believe the jacket also has a plug that can go to heated pants, which I don't have, but I assume there are clever plug arrangements to put them on the same controller or separate depending on your preference.

Or if I want to wear just the gloves without the jacket, there's a harness for that, that tethers the gloves.

I don't have heated insoles either - but when it's very cold I use chemical toe heater packs. The electric ones are probably the bees knees, but these charcoal packs have been adequate and don't add any more wiring, and I don't feel a need very often.

 

[Herb]

I too am a convert to heated gear... have a Widder heated vest and Oxford Hothands. Haven't felt a need for anything else except my muffs over my heated grips. The helmet and baclava have always worked fine for the head and I have never had problems with my feet and toes as long as my core is warm. I've been down in the teens for my 30 minute commuter. Only my finger tips are a bit cold at that temp.

 

[rcase13]

I don't have heated insoles either - but when it's very cold I use chemical toe heater packs. The electric ones are probably the bees knees, but these charcoal packs have been adequate and don't add any more wiring, and I don't feel a need very often.

+1 on the toe heater packs! I love them! The only problem with them is they don't turn off when you get off the bike! If I go shopping or a restaurant my toes bake inside my boots! All they needs is an on off switch and they would be perfect!

 

[Rmcapozzi]

My Gerbing's jacket and my wife's and another riding buddies are all wired in this way. The jacket runs on one "circuit" for the dual heated controller while everything else runs on the other "circuit" if you plug the gloves into the jacket pigtails in the sleeve and the socks into the accessory port in the jacket.

I personally do not care for this setup as I run a full suit and I need to run my gloves much higher than my well protected pants and feet. To keep my hands warm, I cook my legs and feet.

So what I did was buy a "Y" splitter and plugged it into the Jacket circuit. I now plug my pants (which include the socks) into the other connector of the "Y" leaving the 3rd port on my Gerbing's jacket empty.

Now my jacket, pants, and socks run together while my gloves run by themselves.

I've heard from others that their jackets are wired differently than mine and operates stock as I have modified mine to do (Gloves by themselves). Gerbings may have changed their wiring. Either way, it is an easily changeable configuration.

Yeah...you could probably lump me in to that group!

While the kit gets expensive quick, the heated insoles are only $60 and they are amazing. Highly recommended, since the NT does not provide wind protection for your feet.

I was looking at heated socks, but they were so expensive in comparison. I was worried the insoles wouldn't be enough, since the top of your feet/toes are what get the coldest but I can assure you the insoles do enough. Once they've been on awhile they just heat up the entire boot and your feet feel like they are indoors, lounging by the fire in a ski lodge. To me, these win in the "bang for your buck" category. But that's probably because the boots I'm riding in in these temps aren't terribly warm to begin with. With more insulated boots, these probably wouldn't garner as much praise.

Question on the gloves though - when plugged into the jacket, do they share the control with the jacket? Or would they somehow share the one that is plugged into the insoles? I thought I read that the jacket uses one, and everything else uses the other - but with them plugged into the jacket, I would think they use that one.

I'm actually hoping that is the case because I turn the insoles up pretty high - much higher than I would need in the jacket or gloves.

 

[elizilla]

+1 on the toe heater packs! I love them! The only problem with them is they don't turn off when you get off the bike! If I go shopping or a restaurant my toes bake inside my boots! All they needs is an on off switch and they would be perfect!

I wear waterproof boots in winter. The chem heaters need oxygen, and in waterproof boots they don't get much of it unless I'm really moving. So they do actually slow way down when I'm indoors. When I get home and take my boots off, and shove my feet into bedroom slippers with the heaters still stuck to my socks, THEN they become uncomfortably hot.

 

[taldric]

After riding last winter and in the fall of 2011 I discovered that the only part of me I couldn't keep warm was my toes/feet. So I recently purchased the Gerbing's electric socks. But it hasn't been dry enough (when I have had time) for me to get out and try them out. With my heated grips and good coat and pants none of the rest of me gets cold. Well, not in temperatures down to about 30 ~ 32. Never ridden in anything lower. I am hoping that with the electric heated socks I will be able to extend my riding season more comfortably.

Of course, part of the reason I don't need other heated parts is all my natural insulation! Amazing how well that works! :-(

 

[Rmcapozzi]

The new socks are lovely! To turn the knob and feel a rush of warmth course over your feet is quite a luxurious feeling. And the flat wires are SO much more comfy than the older style socks. I find the new socks heat much more evenly and don't need to wear any liner under the socks.

If you have large calfs however, folks have complained about the top elastic piece cutting off the circulation to the leg. Mine and my wife's calves are quite small so it isn't an issue for us. If you find that to be a problem, cut the top elastic band and sew on an adjustable velcro strap. That seems to have worked well for others in our riding club.

After riding last winter and in the fall of 2011 I discovered that the only part of me I couldn't keep warm was my toes/feet. So I recently purchased the Gerbing's electric socks. But it hasn't been dry enough (when I have had time) for me to get out and try them out. With my heated grips and good coat and pants none of the rest of me gets cold. Well, not in temperatures down to about 30 ~ 32. Never ridden in anything lower. I am hoping that with the electric heated socks I will be able to extend my riding season more comfortably.

Of course, part of the reason I don't need other heated parts is all my natural insulation! Amazing how well that works! :-(

 

[banjoboy]

I have the Gerbing jacket and gloves and of course love it. What I particularly like are the gloves. I read people putting heated grips on their bike. I had heated grips on my old VTX before and found that the inside of my hands were toasty but the outsides could still get very cold. The gloves keep my whole had warm. I particularly like the wiring around the thumb area of the glove. Driving in cold weather (low30's), my hands are toasty. Love this system. Probably my 'favorite' farkle.

Terry

 

[Warren]

Has anyone tried the heated gear that operates off their own rechargable batteries ? I like the idea of not being teathered to the bike and these seem like they might be a good alternative. I am mostly interested in the gloves. Mobile Warming is one company that makes this type of gear.