Welcome to the world of
MJR PRODUCTIONS
MJR PRODUCTIONS
Welcome to the world of
MJR PRODUCTIONS
MJR PRODUCTIONS
Original Design by GOEMO.and enhanced by M.J.Roberts
Before I start, a bit of a biology lesson for you. Have you ever got back from a ride only to sit huddled in front of the fire or radiator grimacing in pain as your toes and fingers warm up? Have you ever stalled the bike because you couldn't pull in the clutch or come to a stand still and forgot to put your feet down? These are all things I've done over the years and expect you have too. So why is it your hands and feet get cold first or that when you are REALLY cold you can't think straight? Well, basically when you are riding a bike on the road you are not exerting yourself, so any loss of heat from your body is not replaced. With the cold air temperature, wind chill and thermal convection, your body gradually gets colder and as it does your brain decides to shutdown the (warm) blood supply to your extremities, that's your fingers, toes, ears, and nose (and one other important item if you are male). If you don't stop and warm yourself up by doing some mild exercise, or cuddling a radiator, then things will get even worse. Eventually hypothermia will set in and (here's an interesting point for all you philosophers out there who think your brain controls you) your body will remove the blood supply to the brain, slowing your reactions and leading ultimately to unconsciousness, but I think you may have fallen off by then.
Central Heating For Bikes
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I've been riding bikes in all weathers for many years now and have never considered buying heated clothing, but as other people were trying them out I became interested. So I started off by doing a bit of research on the internet and was surprised to find that there were several firms (most of them American) making heated clothing for all sorts of activities. They ranged from battery powered socks for hikers and mountaineers, through to full blown body suits for deep sea divers. In the middle of these were those aimed at motorcyclists.
After reading all the various company's sales 'blurb' I started consulting individual riders' reviews of the products. As with most things, opinion was split, especially in the States where you were either in the Gerbing or Widder camp. In the UK I could only find suppliers for the Widder products, plus Klan (from Giali) and Chilli.
So what did I buy?
After reading all the various company's sales 'blurb' I started consulting individual riders' reviews of the products. As with most things, opinion was split, especially in the States where you were either in the Gerbing or Widder camp. In the UK I could only find suppliers for the Widder products, plus Klan (from Giali) and Chilli.
So what did I buy?
Well my requirement was to have both body and arm heating along with a heated collar. The only product available that met these requirements was the Heated Jacket Liner from Giali. It's made from a mixture of heavyweight fleece material with Cordura panels on the forearms. The liner has a flexible heating element running up and down both the back and front of the body, as well as the outer part of the upper arm and round the collar. The Cordura panels hide jack plugs for the addition of heated gloves if required.
How well does it work?
The first thing I did was put the jacket on over a sweat shirt and then connect it to the bike's battery. Snow was on the ground, the temperature at freezing and as I stood there I was extremely disappointed, I couldn't feel any warmth at all. I put my (by then freezing cold) hands inside the jacket and there was a glimmer of warmth, but not the amount I expected. A few days later after the snow had gone, and after doing a bit more reading on the internet I went out on the bike all wired up for warmth. This time the jacket was put on over a T-shirt with my Cordura jacket on top. I then set off for the Norwich Breakfast Run. After the Mickey taking (you know who you are!) we headed for Norwich in freezing fog. What a difference, with the jacket now closer to my body and the engine running (giving 14+ volts) I was as warm as toast. When we arrived at the Café a faint wisp of steam was coming off my Cordura jacket, while the Mickey takers huddled around the radiator and begged for mugs of coffee. I can thoroughly recommend this product to anyone considering heated clothing.
Mike Roberts
February 2002
How well does it work?
The first thing I did was put the jacket on over a sweat shirt and then connect it to the bike's battery. Snow was on the ground, the temperature at freezing and as I stood there I was extremely disappointed, I couldn't feel any warmth at all. I put my (by then freezing cold) hands inside the jacket and there was a glimmer of warmth, but not the amount I expected. A few days later after the snow had gone, and after doing a bit more reading on the internet I went out on the bike all wired up for warmth. This time the jacket was put on over a T-shirt with my Cordura jacket on top. I then set off for the Norwich Breakfast Run. After the Mickey taking (you know who you are!) we headed for Norwich in freezing fog. What a difference, with the jacket now closer to my body and the engine running (giving 14+ volts) I was as warm as toast. When we arrived at the Café a faint wisp of steam was coming off my Cordura jacket, while the Mickey takers huddled around the radiator and begged for mugs of coffee. I can thoroughly recommend this product to anyone considering heated clothing.
Mike Roberts
February 2002
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