All year use

[back_marker]

Try these:

www.silvermans.co.uk

rvops.co.uk

Not necessarily the best or the cheapest but two that spring to mind. Alternatively do some t'internet searching, there are still quite a lot of army surplus shops about. Some of them even sell actual kit, not just useless overpriced shite.

[tommy]

does anyone use their bike all year round (apart from on snow)?

I used to every winter until last year when i bought my first car. Now I've done a winter with a heater, a stereo, and a boot, I'm ashamed to say i've been converted to a fair weather rider. No road salt, no greasy roads. i can now feel my fingers, and dont have to remove 13 layers every time i arrive somwhere

[Kwackerz]

So, without having to join up, how do I get hold of this wonderful "biking kit" that's not available to the rest of us "through the year" bikers ?

Do army surplus stores still exist? Do they have this stuff in them?

Yep, Ex Army shops do still exist, i know there's one or two in Norwich, one in Cambridge, the big markets usually have a stall and talking to paintballers often uncovers sources of ex mod kit too.

Fleabay is good for some of the older gear like Northern island gloves (NI Gloves)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/N-I-LEATHER-DRIVI ... 1139wt_700

Theyre NI Gloves but definately not the original as the padding on the knuckles doesnt look thick enough.. but you get the idea.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Real-British-Army ... _799wt_934

there's a proper pair..
Maybe we should do a quick list of what things to look out for..

[Samray]

Oh. I recognise them. Don't think I wore anything else after I 'inherited' a pair of them till they wore out.

[Kwackerz]

[Falconihlist]

[quote=
Maybe we should do a quick list of what things to look out for..

[/quote]

That could be an idea. All sorts of kit on fleabay, just don't try riding in drill boots, driving is bad enough! Although, you would get awesome sparks dragging your feet

[Falconihlist]

Is there anything I need to watch out for once the temp drops below zero at night apart from the usual slippery surfaces of course?

[Kwackerz]

Allow further for braking. Watch corners and cornering. Not necessarily because of the road, Im thinking more because of the bike. braking.. Discs will be cold, Suspension may not be as fluid as you'd like to think because of the air chilling it - Suspension takes time to warm up, if its too cold it wont.

Hmm what else... Ah yeah. Keep an eye on your lights. Winter road grime builds up really quickly and thickly and youll come off a well lit road into the countryside and not be able to see diddly squat. If you stop for a reason and happen to get off the bike, wipe your lights off.

In your helmet think of getting an anti mist noseguard of some description and get a decent visor wipe for while youre riding (the sort that fits on your finger to use while riding) possibly treat your visor with an antifog spray inside and out, etc

Other than that? Watch out for cage drivers and truck drivers. I was sideswiped on the A11 by a truck that probably didnt see me because of ice on his mirrors

[D-Rider]

.... and if you wear glasses they can be a greater PITA than the visor for fogging up.
I don't often wear them but in the twilight and the dark I find them helpful .... but less helpful when completely fogged up.

(and no, I've not found a solution that works other than taking them off)

[Falconihlist]

Thankfully at the moment, I am free from glasses, although if I have to work on any more sodding circuit diagrams I may need them before the end of the year.

Thanks for the tips, this isn't exactly stuff you learn on bike lessons

[HisNibbs]

All year for a couple of years on the Falco but this year as the fairing makes such a big diference I'll be doing the worst of the winter on the BMW R100s . The soft power delivery and less dependency on the front end makes it a easier on the ice too. I don't head out on the bike in blizzard conditions but I've made my way home in them a few times.

[back_marker]

Is there anything I need to watch out for once the temp drops below zero at night apart from the usual slippery surfaces of course?

Cold 'nads

[anzacinexile]

Only real problem I get when it gets cold AND damp is carb icing (not a problem with the Falco obviously) and me glasses misting when stationary.

Icing gets cured by parking up and letting the heat soak into them for a few minutes and my glasses get treated to fog-free spray every 3 or 4 days but apart from that, just be careful with cage drivers who think they're safe by peering through a 2 inch hole in the frost rime

[furygan man]

Do army surplus stores still exist? Do they have this stuff in them?

Don't know if this is relevent but 'Irish' menswear shop in Leicester used to have an Army surplus floor downstairs...not sure if it's still there??

[Nooj]

Try and get indoors 15 minutes before you need a wee to get out of your kit and warm up a bit, otherwise you'll have to root through all of your kit with cold hands and play Hunt The Tint Frozen Willy which inevitable gets even smaller when you grab hold of it with icy fingers.