Fall weather usually means a change in temperature and more dirt bikes leaving the track for the trails.
Colder mornings hint at the end of summer while the afternoons give sun lovers some hope. A nice change of pace but kind of a hassle for those who ride all day. Do you bundle up to stay warm in the mornings only to roast in the afternoon or deal with the shivers until the sun reaches full strength?
Figuring out what to wear during the fall months while dirt bike riding sounds silly enough - just put on gear, right? - but if you have taken up this rather fun pastime then you know these swings in temperatures tend to get a bit annoying. Therefore, to make dirt bike life a bit more comfortable we have some ideas so read on.
Dirt Bike Trail Riding Gear for the Fall
Dirt Bike Riding Jacket or Vest
You will likely find your upper body bears the brunt of the cold weather since you have nearly knee high boots on and your legs snuggle a hot engine. As you thread the trails you create a wind chill factor and in cold enough temperatures that can turn unbearable. A riding jacket or vest fits over your jersey and chest protector, keeps you warm, some offer water-resistance or waterproof properties, and all this without a cumbersome fit that prevents you from riding.
Dirt Bike Riding Jacket
You need a waterproof riding jacket for rainy conditions of which you can choose a light and simple pullover to a more robust jacket, but otherwise after you get warm from riding or feel the temperature rise with the sun, leave your jacket at camp or slip it in a backpack. Check out all riding jackets and vests.
Layering Shirts and Pants
A thin pair of pants and/or shirt fits underneath your gear and provides warmth but most regulate body temperature to prevent overheating and use moisture wicking materials to draw sweat way from your skin. You also get some added protection from falls and several base pants work help retain and hold knee braces in position. Check out all layering pants and shirts.
Cold Weather Dirt Bike Gloves
Second to your upper body, your hands bear the brunt of cold wind more than any other part of your body. Cold hands actually pose a safety risk because if the stiffen from the cold your reaction time slows when you need to shift, apply the brakes, or even roll the throttle, if necessary.
Cold Weather Dirt Bike Gloves
Cold weather gloves offer an extra layer of insulation across the top of the hand that prevents the wind from biting without feeling like you have oven mitts on. You can wear them all day thanks to the moisture-wicking technology that draws sweat away from your hands but depending on the outside temperature your hands might get a bit warm and since you should always carry a second pair of gloves anyway, switch the cold weather gloves for a regular pair when needed.
Check out cold weather gloves for dirt bikes.
Off-Road Hand Guards
Hand guards offer another option in addition to or instead of cold weather gloves. Hand guards not only protect your hands from whipping tree branches and rocks kicked up from riding buddies but they deflect the wind away from your hands, too.
Off-road Handguards
Shop for dirt bike hand guards.
Head and Neck Warmer
You know how the Russians survive those intensely cold winters by wearing an ushanka? Keep all the heat from escaping your head and you stay warm all over. Not sure there's much scientific evidence of that but you do lose heat from your head, even with a helmet on which has a number of intake and exhaust vents for cooling, and an exposed neck can send shivers down your whole body.
A balaclava or similar type of neck warmer might do the trick in helping you weather the cold mornings and then you can take it off and place in your backpack once you get warm. See all head and neck warmers.
Do Nothing
If the cold doesn't affect you and your body gets to a riding temperature as fast as the engine gets hot then don't do a thing. Riding a dirt bike takes quite a bit of physical energy and if you can bear the chill for a while then put on your regular riding gear and hit the trails.
