Winter is the worst season for riders. They prefer to park their bikes during winter as they have a rough time during this season as several complications arise. For some riders, winter riding is not even an option as it requires a lot of caution. Winter can be treacherous and riders feel the salty and icy roads make riding cumbersome for them. It is expensive and requires thorough preparation but the scenic beauty makes the suffering worthwhile. The sand that’s all over the city streets on snowy days gets caught in the brake pads. This can cause wear and tear on the pads and rims. Road filth can cause your frame to rust and the bearings which allow you to pedal your bike get damaged. Persistent rain and snow will not force you to retire your bike at the basement and leave you frustrated as following a few simple hacks will help you to vanquish the challenges. Let’s take a look at some of the hazards that motorcyclists face during winter and some suggestions on how to deal with them since we don’t want you to miss out.
Constantly dirty bikes: During winter there is so much salt and other filth on the road that one has to spend considerable time and energy on cleaning his bike after the ride. The worst part is the entire process will look futile since next time your bike moves it again gets a coating of winter sludge. Try to use sprays and brushes but a more practical approach will be to use grease or Waxoyl. The more you delay the harder it gets. So just after a wet ride use a rag to wipe your bike dry. You may like to use a sponge to prevent scratches. Scrubbing thoroughly will reduce the number of washings.
Fog: In foggy weather the road is wet and you are likely to be blinded as condensation forms on the lenses of your glasses. A layer of ice begins to form over the visor. Moreover, you won’t be able to wipe that off with your gloved hand. During such conditions, you have to go slow and make use of anti-fog products or a Pinlock visor insert. Since the visibility will be low you can open your visor a little.
Steamed up visor: When you ride in towns your visor tends to get steamed- up. This reduces your visibility. But you can’t open it completely as you will then have to experience the icy blast of wind. You can use a Pinlock which acts like a second visor. It is stuck on the inside of your main visor. A bubble of air is sealed between the two visors. As a result, no moisture condenses. You can also use foggy masks which move the exhaled air away from the visor and glasses. However, they are not compatible with flip-up helmets.
Numb fingers: Almost every rider will confess that he gets numbness in his fingers during winter. It is very common if you ride over 120 freezing miles without heated grips. If your fingers get numb it becomes painful to ride. You tend to get distracted and your riding experience worsens considerably. But you need not worry as we have shared some options to tackle numbness. The cheapest option for a rider is to wear linear gloves. Wear them underneath your regular ones and you will feel a lot more comfortable. You can also use the more popular option of heated grips. They are a pair of heating elements under the hand grip which keep your hands warm. They are wired to the bike’s battery. Fitting them is fairly simple and the expensive ones turn themselves off even if you forget to do so thereby saving your battery life. Another more costly option is the use of heated gloves. They are also wired directly to the battery though plugging it in when setting off may require extra effort. Considering the comfort these gloves offer you will get used to it eventually.
Fellow pedestrians and other riders: Since visibility is low spotting other pedestrians, motorcyclists and cars become difficult. They also find riding difficult thus you are more prone to accidents.
The messiest cold weather months do pose a challenge as the salt and other filth on the road often get stuck on the brake pads and make riding difficult but by following the above suggestions you will be able to ride hassle-free and safely. The above mentioned are the worst challenges any bike rider can face during winter. We believe driving on filthy roads which make our bikes salty and require regular cleaning is the worst thing about winter though we will leave it to our readers to tell us which of them troubled them the most.
