lzn Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 Hi need advice on getting heated grips for my YBR 125 custom. It is my first bike and as I only just started riding I'm finding my hands getting very cold. Any suggestions on what to buy and how easy is it to fit them?
clarke Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 Oxford Hothands are probably the easiest to fit as they Velcro over your current grips and you connect direct to the battery. Just remember to turn them off when leaving the bike. If you want to replace your grips completely, oxford do heated grips which get good reviews as do R&G which are cheaper and recommended by Ride magazine.
Moderator Cynic Posted April 7, 2013 Moderator Posted April 7, 2013 Buy better gloves. Heated grips are not worth the hassle.
slice Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 Otherwise heated gloves can work ok, same as the heated grips and connect to your battery plus you can use them with a battery pack off of the bike!
ExiledBacchus Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 If its any help I can share what didn't work for me. Its my finger tips that suffer (painfully) and i cant see how grips are gonna get the heat where its needed. Ive tried different gloves, inc various under gloves, no good and I really hated the handle bar muffs. I found them dangerous at speed. They would really benefit from a more rigid internal structure. Im definitely going for the heated glove option next year. Ill have to run some kid of power jack to some discreet location which will be a hassle but this may also come in handy for powering a SatNav in the future.
Moderator Cynic Posted April 7, 2013 Moderator Posted April 7, 2013 I have ridden all winter and have been fine. I found the most important part to keep warm are your legs. Proper leggings save you loosing massive core temp and thats what keeps your hands and feet warm. Your body gets cold and your body considers fingers expendable compared to core body parts. Keep your core warm and your body will send hotter blood it now has spare to your fingers.
ExiledBacchus Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 Cool Cynic, that's an interesting point but Im guessing personally, I have circulation issues. When I used to cycle I had the same issues in racing shoes (and gloves). I've even tried the baker foil foot wrap lol. And believe me I have no core temperature issues when I'm speed trialing ;-) I guess the thing is dependant on your reaction to cold. For me my fingers become painfully numb and I lose dexterity which is obviously a dangerous issue. I appreciate this doesn't help you decide, other than to say that its a personal issue. You've got to try out some options for yourself. At least it should be relatively easy to try out the proper leggings idea, they will be a benefit regardless of whether that heat migrates to your fingers or not. Im gonna look at that Cynic, you sporting over trousers? Textiles?
Moderator Cynic Posted April 7, 2013 Moderator Posted April 7, 2013 Yes. Frank thomas of all things. 60quid. Armourd waterproof overtrousers. Have zips right up the leg making them dead easy to get on and off. Even have hi viz element to keep the europrats happy. The waist adjustment is shite and the zips could be better but for the money and covenience of wearing what i like underneath they were a bargain.
welshwan Posted April 7, 2013 Posted April 7, 2013 i find those thin under gloves to work very well, they are a bit like the materiel they use for thermal under t-shirt. and i got them for like £2.50 at the NEC. That's what i use anyways, gotta be going pretty quick and have to be very cold weather for them not to work, in my experience anyways.
cupcake1973 Posted April 8, 2013 Posted April 8, 2013 I have small hands and have always suffered with the cold getting to my finger tips especially. Used to cause me terrible discomfort, numbness and pain. Last November I bought a pair of Gerbing heated gloves (haggled for a discount) at the MCN show in B'ham. Best investment I ever made! The heat goes all the way to the fingertips and even on the lowest setting they keep my hands warm. I have fabric ones (not leather) with an inner waterproof lining. They are nice and light and just thick enough. Can't wear thick gloves or under gloves as I can't move my fingers to use controls, so these are by far the best for me. Hubby has Oxford heated grips fitted which has its own cut-off switch if you leave them on when getting off the bike. Personally they wouldn't do the job for me completely, but I might get them next year as an addition. I do find having to thread the glove wire through jacket arms a bit of a faff every time I go out, but always worth it in the end. Will probably add the heated grips next year for days that I'm not sure whether I'd need the gloves or not. Then at least of i do find it a bit chilly when I go out I can switch them on. Other than that, it's layers, layers, layers for me. Tights under my kevlar trousers and a couple of pairs of thermal socks. Not the most sophisticated look, but being warm is far nicer and safe - leaves me to enjoy my riding
nayruf Posted April 8, 2013 Posted April 8, 2013 One of my bikes has heated grips as standard. The grips do warm my hands, however my thumbs and fingertips still get very cold, so having heated grips has not been a cure all for me. Better winter gloves or mitts keep my thumbs and finger tips warmer but they lessen the effect of the heated grips, I use cotton glove liners I have a set that I wear and a set that I wedge into a warm/dry area on the engine or keep in an inside pocket kept warm by body heat, when my fingers feel like they are hurting I pull over and swap the liners around, this I do around every 40 mins. I get Reynaud’s syndrome so keeping my fingers warm is quite important to me,
lzn Posted April 8, 2013 Author Posted April 8, 2013 I have small hands and have always suffered with the cold getting to my finger tips especially. Used to cause me terrible discomfort, numbness and pain. Last November I bought a pair of Gerbing heated gloves (haggled for a discount) at the MCN show in B'ham. Best investment I ever made! The heat goes all the way to the fingertips and even on the lowest setting they keep my hands warm. I have fabric ones (not leather) with an inner waterproof lining. They are nice and light and just thick enough. Can't wear thick gloves or under gloves as I can't move my fingers to use controls, so these are by far the best for me. Hubby has Oxford heated grips fitted which has its own cut-off switch if you leave them on when getting off the bike. Personally they wouldn't do the job for me completely, but I might get them next year as an addition. I do find having to thread the glove wire through jacket arms a bit of a faff every time I go out, but always worth it in the end. Will probably add the heated grips next year for days that I'm not sure whether I'd need the gloves or not. Then at least of i do find it a bit chilly when I go out I can switch them on. Other than that, it's layers, layers, layers for me. Tights under my kevlar trousers and a couple of pairs of thermal socks. Not the most sophisticated look, but being warm is far nicer and safe - leaves me to enjoy my riding Thank you for your suggestions. I can't wear thick gloves either for the same reasons, no control. Think I will try the Oxford heated grips like your hubby and get my boyfriend to fit them for me. Didn't realise how cold biking can be as I'm usualy just sat on the back of my boyfriends bike and he has a screen which seems to protect us from the wind. Roll on summer
cupcake1973 Posted April 9, 2013 Posted April 9, 2013 Having a screen and protection does make a big difference. I think you'll get on ok with the grips, the ones hubby has got are excellent - lots of different heat settings so even on the coldest day they should do the trick. And if your fingertips get a bit cold, you can just wrap them a bit tighter around the grip to get the heat
obriens65 Posted April 10, 2013 Posted April 10, 2013 I bought a pair of thin Marmot thermal gloves from a camping/outdoor shop. I ride all year round and have suffered with the cold/numb fingertip problem but since using the thermal undergloves it's not been a problem.
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