From the Worthy Intellectual Wharton Magazine:
Equally troubling is the number of homeowners underwater, with mortgage loans that exceed the value of their property, which ticked up to 23.2 percent, meaning nearly 14 million U.S. homes have negative equity””a statistic unlikely to shore up home values. All of this has economists, politicians and the American people wondering how much longer the country will remain mired in the housing mess, and how we can pull ourselves out without sliding into the no-growth economy of 1990s Japan.
Cold Weather Motorcycle Riding Gear Options
I do not care how much everyone is complaining about Global Warming, cold is cold, and when you are riding through the winter, it feels that much colder. Wind chill can be horrible, compound the factor of speed where the quicker you ride the more the temp plummets. Using the following tricks, you can survive the winter on your motorcycle.
Some of you insane riders enjoy cold weather, I’ll never understand that. Maybe it’s because I’m a thin man and I don’t have a lot fat to trap in the heat. I live in the South for a reason, but even in the dirty dirty it gets cold now and again. When the temperature goes down and the wind starts blowing hard I’m layering every article of heavy clothing I can wear at once. If I look like the little brother from a Christmas Story when I’m done, so be it.
Hands, are the first line of defense, and Winter gloves are often a smart idea, something with Gore-Tex or Thinsulate is a plus. Just about every major motorcycle apparel manufacturer sells a winter glove, and most can be found for less than $80 with different stages of protection and insulation from the elements. But aside from riding out and buying a name brand glove, there are other steps you can try before you shell out a bunch of dough on specialty gloves.
Take a ride down to either the local grocer, hardware, or auto parts store and purchase a box of disposable latex gloves. These are excellent for retaining your natural body heat. And because they are form fitting, you can wear them under your riding gloves as extra insulation. Some people may have an allergy to latex, in which case sporting goods stores and outdoor outlets sell glove liners made of a variety of materials.
Even if you have full gauntlet gloves, while in the riding position, and when you are moving around, your sleeves can creep up and let in the wind. Try a pair of wristbands, a great cheap trick for keeping the wind out of your sleeves.
Warm shirts are a necessity, but too many of these at once cannot only be uncomfortable, but can impair movement. Thermal shirts are always a plus, in addition to a sweater and lined jacket. You [url=https://authenticchristianlouboutin2013.webs.com ]black christian louboutins uk[/url] can also try one of those cool max shirts as a base to your layers. Anything that can wick away moisture from your body is going to keep you that much warmer. If your jacket lets wind through in certain spots try and pin point them from the inside. The fix for this is simple. duct tape. Patch up the holes on the inside so the breeze does not make its way through. A thin nylon windbreaker underneath your jacket or even your rain jacket over top can be a great help.
Your head and face are very sensitive. Good quality full-face lids with closable vents are definitely the way to go. If you’re in an area that sees a lot of snow and very low temps, you may want to look into snowmobile helmets for the winter. The ones with heated visors are a great choice. Of course, one of the most common ways to keep your head warm, is wearing a beanie under your helmet. If that is too thick for a comfy fit, try the sporting goods and ski shops for balaclava’s. The ones made of nylon are typically quite thin. There is always the classic bandana as [url=https://authenticchristianlouboutin2013.webs.com ]best replica christian louboutin heels[/url] well. This will at least keep some of the wind off your face, and your breath will keep your face warm. Keep breath mints handy though.
One more simple trick for cutting down fog and trapping in heat. If your helmet does not have a breath deflector, you can build one out of duct tape. Double up the tape and bend it to fit your face. Then, tape it right to the inside of the chin bar. Ski socks are a major plus. The longer they are, the better too. Insulated boots are really the only way to go, the less wind that can get in the better. A great piece of gear I found is motocross knee and shin guards, they are similar to hockey shin guards with plastic caps, foam padding and fabric liners. The great thing about these, is that they are thin enough to wear underneath loose fitting pants. The plastic blocks the wind very well while the foam helps to keep in the heat. These are generally inexpensive too, they can be found for under $40. For the remained of your lower extremities, double up on pants. Sweat pants, Track pants, thermals, etc.
Of course there’s always the option of heated riding gear. This can get expensive, but if you are going to ride in very cold climates, it is most likely a wise investment. The cheaper method is using hand warmer packs. They’re fairly cheap and some last as long as 8 hours. If you are going to do some long-distance riding, I would recomend getting some. You can put them in your shoes to help keep your feet warm, in your gloves to warm up your hands and anywhere else you feel could use a bit of warmth.