Hi,
It's official.... it is going to be a cold, cold winter here in the UK this year (12/13). Even the bookies think we are in for a white Christmas.
So, has anyone had any success with handlebar muffs other than the (horribly expensive and over-complicated) Vectrix ones? If so, a source and a price would be appreciated. MW
I hot a pair from amazon.com last year, but never wore them - they're gigantic. When I was young and poor, and had to take my GF to college on cold Fall mornings, I wore empty bread bags over my gloved hands.
Another possible alternative could be hand guards like these:
They are mounted with the bolt of the hand brake levers, keep the hands in the lee and thus make any given type of glove usalbe to about 5°C / 9 F lower temps than without. Such a hand guard used in conjunction with a good winter glove should work to almost -10°C / 14 F, in particular if it is possible to heat the gloves before putting them on.
Below that temp. I have luxury "bread bags" in the form of neoprene cover gloves that allow pinky and ring finger as well as middle and index finger in pairs to reduce surface area, which enables me ride down to -19°C / 0 F as tested so far :-)
My rides:
2017 Zero S ZF6.5 11kW, erider Thunder 5kW
Tucano urbano (Italy)
This "scooter-homeland" manufacturer has really good scooter stuff.
For example look here:
http://www.urbanrider.co.uk/brands/tucano-urbano.html
greets from also cold Germany
Seiermann
Hi MEroller - Any idea if they would fit the Vectrix? I don't want to fork out for them and find they don't fit! Thanks for the suggestion, tho. MW.
Regards, Martin Winlow
Isle of Colonsay, Scotland
evalbum.com/2092
I am fairly sure they would fit the Vectrix too, even better than my Thunder, because I had to cut out considerable chunks from the front handlebar fairing for the guards to fit through. VX1 is all naked there, with easy access.
I actually rode my Thunder to the bike accessories shop of my choice so I could hold the guards to my handlebars to check out what I would have to do to make them fit. Apart from the fairing cutouts I had to drill the holes for the brake lever bolts in the hand guards slightly larger, but that was an easy task and quickly done.
Give it a try if you can find a shop that has similar hand guards. And these things are dirt cheap, so there is no big financial risk involved in this solution.
But be warned: in hot summers it gets pretty warm behind those hand guards, so I sometimes had to hold up my fingers into the air rushing over the top edge of the guards to cool them down a little :-)
My rides:
2017 Zero S ZF6.5 11kW, erider Thunder 5kW
Ha, funny - I have the Vectrix originals and I thought they were great! Have the Tucano Thermoscud too (think scooter to rider duvet). Rode in right the way though last winter - minus 7 deg C was the coldest start. Brrrr.... They certainly make a huge difference. Be interested if you find a good product though.
Best wishes and safe winter riding,
Drew
Drew
I have the Vectrix ones too. I transferred them to my BMW last week for a 5 hour ride at 2 celcius (about 34F I think, for US readers) up in to the North Sea windswept Lincolnshire Fens. I wore summer gloves and had the heated grips OFF. My hands were as warm as toast. However they are made by Tucano Urbano so I would think any of their fur lined ones would be just as good.
Keep it shiny side up!
Interestingly, my XM3000 came with plastic hand guards. I didn't bother to install them the first year, but when I did they went on easily and make a real difference. More of the EV scooter manufacturers should offer them, especially since EV riders can't warm their hands near an engine at stops...
It's far too cold here (35-55F) for my bad circulation to let me ride anything fast, but I'm riding my EZIP Trailz bicycle as often as I can for health reasons, and I'm still finding it hard to keep my hands from freezing - even with chemical hand warmers inside Winter gloves. (Tip: you can use those repeatedly, up to their time limit, by deactivating them after each use. You do that by sealing them into a re-closeable plastic bag with as little air in it as possible. The lack of oxygen shuts them down in about 5 minutes. A small jar with a lid would also work.)
My recent experience convinces me that it's all about windchill. Fur lined handlebar muffs seem to really work in keeping a pocket of still air around one's hands.
Keep it shiny side up!
I got some cheap ones online a couple of winters ago. They work well, but only in conjunction with warm gloves and chemical hand-warmers.
http://www.discountramps.com/atv-handlebar-mitts.htm
Probably not cold here like it is where you all are, but I finally got the winter windshield from Vectrix (lots cheaper than when I first got the bike) and it makes a big difference, I cannot feel the wind on my gloved hands, so I am not feeling the cold after a long ride into work anymore. And it was freakin' cold this week.
-Randy
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I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev
Where from, and how much?
Got it from the local Vectrix dealer in SF, they ordered it from Vectrix directly and it was in in a few weeks. I don't have the receipt, but I think it was like $157, maybe $175 after tax. Continued cold this week, still very comfortable.
-Randy
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I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev
An update... I can now tell you which muffs NOT to get. I tried a pair of Oxford 'Bone Dry' muffs which are of good quality but are not wide enough to accommodate the length of the grips at one end and allow un-fettered access to the controls at the other, particularly the indicator, horn and hi/lo beam switch. The width of the muff opening ('A' in the photo) is 24cm and really this needs to be a good 4cm or or more wider.
Also, they interfere with the brake levers, slightly pushing on them and so a muff that has a fit which projects forward to provide more room for the lever would be better (see photo). That said it is not enough interference to cause any braking, it just brings on the tail light intermittently. I expect I can adjust the tail light switching point to illuminate this...
MW
Regards, Martin Winlow
Isle of Colonsay, Scotland
evalbum.com/2092