Air can be your friend and your enemy. If you can trap air close to your skin and keep it there it will keep you warm. But if you let air escape and more come in to replace it you will cool off. In the winter most of us want to keep warm and I am going to give you suggestions on how to do this.

Layer your clothing, starting with long underwear next to your skin. I find that the kind that wicks moisture away from your skin works best. This layer is the only one that should fit snug to your body. A good pair of jeans and some leather chaps next should keep the lower body warm. For your feet I have found that wearing two pair of socks works well. The inner pair being thin synthetic or silk and the outer pair being wool, topped by a pair of boots that are not too tight should keep them puppies toasty.

For the main trunk of the body, after the long underwear, layer one or two pullover shirts or sweaters. If you do not have a turtle neck shirt or sweater you can wear a dickey on your neck. Over the top wear a good quality leather jacket to break the wind.

On your head a full-face helmet works well along with a Balaclavas (over-the-head face mask). But you have to remember to take the mask off when you go in to pay for gas.

The hands are hard to keep warm but here is something to try. Get a pair of high quality gloves made for winter with good insulation like thinsulate. Make sure they are not too tight, if fact if you can get them large enough to also wear a pair of thin cotton gloves inside of them all the better.

If you are going to do a lot of long winter rides I suggest you get some electric heated clothing. They work well if you get a thermostat with them. With heated clothes you can drop an inside layer of clothing, but carry this layer with you incase you have a problem with the electrics.

These are only a few suggestions to start you on the way to warmer riding. Talk to other people who are out there riding around and find out how they are coping with the cold.

Ride safe, Ken