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Freeze Out gear?

RightCoastBias said:
I rock a freeze out balaclava, synthetic thermals under jeans, merino wool socks and a primaloft vest under my jacket.

I prefer to spend my money on decent base layers that I'll use outside of riding. So I have merino wool/synthetic thermal tops/bottoms. They're not cheap, but they work very well.
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That's where I'm headed. I've been looking at ways to reduce the weight and bulk of clothing I bring with me on multi-day rides. been reading a lot of backpacking sites. Seems merino is the bomb. Light, warm and doesn't reek as bad as other fabrics if worn more than once. :thumbup
 
CDONA said:
Not having a pee port in the pants killed the deal for me. When that last cup of warming joe needs to get out, hands, stiff from the cold, and have to drop trou too?
Kind of difficult to look like you are taking a photo off the side of the road.
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Try being a woman. :laughing
 
I haven't tried the products in OP. But I noted the complaint about the balaclavas being too thick, which is true of most of em out there. I have this stretchy thing I got at REI for about $20. It's basically a neckwarmer that you can hike right up your face and pull helmet over just fine. Just look where they sell hats and scarves. It's some kind of knit wool. Mine has been so used that the label is worn off and its gettin holey. But it does the trick for cold neck on the commute in.

Editing in: here it is a neck "buff" and they raised the price so go for a sale or something. If you get one, don't get black because it gets lost in all the other gear. My next one will be gray.

http://www.rei.com/product/789718/buff-wool-buff

I also use glove liners on the very coldest days. Okay for the length of my commute (between 30-45 minutes) If I was riding any longer I'd need something more. I only really get cold at hands and face. I don't wear armored jeans (i know, baaad). My lower legs never feel that cold because of engine heat but my nuts feel like ice cubes by end of ride. I think I would want freeze out undies at this point.
 
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DReg350 said:
That's where I'm headed. I've been looking at ways to reduce the weight and bulk of clothing I bring with me on multi-day rides. been reading a lot of backpacking sites. Seems merino is the bomb. Light, warm and doesn't reek as bad as other fabrics if worn more than once. :thumbup
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I got hip to merino wool over 10 years ago when I worked in outdoor retail. I do not wear any cotton socks anymore, and if not for the price, I wouldn't rock cotton underwear. Merino wool is naturally anti-microbial and I've worn pieces for days on end and no funk. The same can't be said for any of the synthetics.

Patagonia used to do a thermal merino wool line that I heard they discontinued, which is a shame. I had the level 4 top and wore it as a regular shirt. It was so unbelievably comfortable and warm.

I will say, though, that primaloft, a synthetic down competitor, is amazing. It needs less volume to be as effective as down, works great when wet and dries quicker. Only downside is it doesn't pack as small, which is a thing for backpackers, but not most motorcyclists.
 
Sold freeze out brand as a job for many years and got many great reviews on it. I have used the neck sock extensively over the years and I'm a fan. I recommend it.
 
asdfghwy said:
Is the freeze out stuff (glove liner &base layers) worth the money? Should I just get heated grips instead?
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I have the Freeze Out jacket, neck gaiter, and glove liners.

The jacket works very well, both as a wind breaker and as a warm middle layer, but if your top layer is not windproof, eventually the cold will get past the jacket.

The neck gaiter works, but it is too bulky and unwieldy. I eventually found a regular scarf that worked better.

The glove liners did not work for me: my gloves were already a close (but comfortable) fit, so adding the liners meant that the glove insulation was compressed, which resulted in the liners having no effect on how much cold was coming through. Heated grips had not worked for me in the past because the top of your hands were still exposed. The only thing that worked for me were Hand Mitts; they may look dorky, but they saved my hands in a 2-hour hail storm at Yellowstone.

BTW, I think this thread does not belong to the KS; it is moto-related so it should either be moved to Equipment, or General.
 
johnkol said:
BTW, I think this thread does not belong to the KS; it is moto-related so it should either be moved to Equipment, or General.
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gixxerjeff said:
Agreed.
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In the future, please use this button:
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It will help us (and you) much more quickly than posting in the thread.
 
I've tried silk glove liners but didn't think they helped much :/ I rode at 39° without heated gear and that's miserable
 
Another post with high praise for the Freeze-out shirt (I dunno if they sell just a vest, but I have the full shirt) and the thermal pants, they work pretty well. For the price, they are very good for those cold morning rides, and you can remove them and stow them easily in a tank bag / backpack as the day warms up. I was less than impressed with the beanie/hat, and haven't tried the glove liners.

They're useless for warmth/protection if they get wet (but so is most clothing), so be sure you have good rain gear if it's cold and wet. Also - for really cold temps (low 40s), nothing beats a heated vest and gloves, and invest in a schampa or nice balaclava to protect your neck. A Freeze-out shirt will keep you warm for a while at the beginning of the day, a heated vest / gloves will stay warm all day generating heat. low/mid 40s at freeway speeds is crazy wind chill, so unless you have a goldwing fairing, a couple hours will get very cold. :)
 
Staying warm is really simple. Outer layer needs to be wind/waterproof. Next layer is insulating, layer below that is moisture wicking.

Use scarves, balaclavas, gauntlet gloves and the like to block wind from getting down your neck/up your sleeves.

Layers are also great because as the day warms, you can easily remove and stow them.
 
There's lots of great thermal underlayers, the freezeout stuff is nothing special (I tried it). Warmest is some random-brand ski underlayer that I bought on clearance for $20. The Cyclegear heated gear is worth it though, I have the vest and rarely turn it above the lowest 2 levels. Heated grips are a must in really cold weather.

Without heated gear I recommend a thermal layer followed by a thin wool sweater. There's a reason sailors and travelers have worn wool for centuries, it doesn't stop working when it gets wet!
 
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This one's easy! Regardless of the manner you dress, clothes does not produce heat in cold weather. Heated grips do. If your hands are cold the most direct solution is heated grips. Gawd they're nice! And heated grips with handguards? Heaven.
 
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I wear the freeze out jacket under my adventure style jacket and commute in the 30's and no problem, but I am on the girthy side so I have some (alot) natural insulation !!!
 
gixxerjeff said:
I have the shirt and pants.
I can't say enough good things about this product line. I wear the shirt and pants nearly every single day and have been wearing my current set for over 2 years.
The stuff works, is well made, holds up over time and is unbelievably affordable.
One of the best kept moto garment secrets out there, imo.
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+1
 
asdfghwy said:
I'm slowly adjusting to sub-40 degree weather riding and it's really not that bad overall but my hands are in pain from the cold by the time I arrive at my destination.Of course cold is relative to the bay area. And I know, back east you were riding in negative 30 degree celsius weather both ways up hill in a tanktop! :afm199

Is the freeze out stuff (glove liner &base layers) worth the money? Should I just get heated grips instead?

:ride
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Get what ya need to work right.

Could be as simple as rain gear that stops air (cold air) penetration.

Money doesn't mean squat... What works, is everything.
 
I've seen then ads for the freeze out gear and just didn't believe it was any good. I'm glad to hear that it is and I may buy some.

My BMW is the first bike I've owned with heated grips. I can not believe how much they help! Not only do they keep your hands much warmer, somehow it feels like they keep your body a little warmer too. It is subtle but I wonder if they warm your blood a bit. When super cold, high 30s, I use a heated vest. Between the vest and grips and jacket and pants and gloves I'm toasty. When it is colder than the high 30s, the bike is in the garage.
 
for base heated gear.

jacket liner,
gloves.

--can later do heated pants, socks.---
no heated helmet...yet.

try those shield's for the hand grips. keeps the hands from being a wind break.

work from there.

non heated gear.
neck warmer,
bacava, (from a bicycle shop).
thin turtle neck T-shirt.

legs, feet tend to stay warmer than your arms, hands, cause of the closeness to a major heat source (other than you).

but your outer layer MUST be wind/water proof.

.
 
Are the Freeze-Out pant base layers enough better than a standard pair of long-johns to be worth the extra money?
 
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