| ROCKINGHAM COUNTY WINGS |
| EDUCATORS' PAGE |
| Ride Safe With Knowledge and Practice |
Exposure should be a concern to each of us, no matter the time of year; it’s simply a matter of what end of the
spectrum that we prepare against. This summer we worried about heat and dehydration; now we need to prepare
against cold and hypothermia.
Hypothermia is a lower than normal body temperature. That’s fine, but what does it really mean? Basically, as your
body loses heat, its starts to malfunction. Do your hands work as well when they're cold and numb? Your brain suffers
the same problem in the cold. As you get cold, you lose the ability to concentrate and react to changing conditions.
This can be fatal on a motorcycle.
How do we avoid hypothermia?? 1) Don't ride! Know your limits; don't ride if its too cold. If you're riding and you start
to get cold, pull off, stop for a cup of coffee, rest your mind and your body someplace warm until you can continue. If
your hands and mind are numb from the cold, are your reactions quick enough to save your life? If you have to ask,
then pull over and warm up!! 2) Dress appropriately. This can mean super-thick insulated gloves and electric clothing,
or it can simply mean wearing multiple layers for insulation. A pair of thermal underwear or silk liners for that lighter
pair of gloves can make all the difference in the world.
The idea is to wear multiple layers of clothing. In this way, you can add layers to keep warm or remove layers if you get
overly warm. Wear multiple thin layers as opposed to one heavy layer, and the layers should fit loosely. A windproof
outer layer is ideal to prevent the wind from chilling you. The idea is insulation, combined with protection from the
wind blast of riding at highway speeds. The better your insulation and protection from the wind, the less heat you lose,
thus reducing your risk of hypothermia.
Remember that we ride as a group. If you're cold, let us know so we can stop and let you put on additional layers. To
do anything else is unsafe. Even if you don't have the needed gear on a ride, sing out. Someone in the group will most
likely have additional gloves or liners or a sweatshirt to get you to where you're going safely. That's the bottom line;
safety. As an individual and as a group, we need to be prepared for colder weather. It may seem silly to start talking
about this in October, but go ahead and but that sweatshirt or heavier set in gloves in the bike. You (or someone
else) may need it down the road.
spectrum that we prepare against. This summer we worried about heat and dehydration; now we need to prepare
against cold and hypothermia.
Hypothermia is a lower than normal body temperature. That’s fine, but what does it really mean? Basically, as your
body loses heat, its starts to malfunction. Do your hands work as well when they're cold and numb? Your brain suffers
the same problem in the cold. As you get cold, you lose the ability to concentrate and react to changing conditions.
This can be fatal on a motorcycle.
How do we avoid hypothermia?? 1) Don't ride! Know your limits; don't ride if its too cold. If you're riding and you start
to get cold, pull off, stop for a cup of coffee, rest your mind and your body someplace warm until you can continue. If
your hands and mind are numb from the cold, are your reactions quick enough to save your life? If you have to ask,
then pull over and warm up!! 2) Dress appropriately. This can mean super-thick insulated gloves and electric clothing,
or it can simply mean wearing multiple layers for insulation. A pair of thermal underwear or silk liners for that lighter
pair of gloves can make all the difference in the world.
The idea is to wear multiple layers of clothing. In this way, you can add layers to keep warm or remove layers if you get
overly warm. Wear multiple thin layers as opposed to one heavy layer, and the layers should fit loosely. A windproof
outer layer is ideal to prevent the wind from chilling you. The idea is insulation, combined with protection from the
wind blast of riding at highway speeds. The better your insulation and protection from the wind, the less heat you lose,
thus reducing your risk of hypothermia.
Remember that we ride as a group. If you're cold, let us know so we can stop and let you put on additional layers. To
do anything else is unsafe. Even if you don't have the needed gear on a ride, sing out. Someone in the group will most
likely have additional gloves or liners or a sweatshirt to get you to where you're going safely. That's the bottom line;
safety. As an individual and as a group, we need to be prepared for colder weather. It may seem silly to start talking
about this in October, but go ahead and but that sweatshirt or heavier set in gloves in the bike. You (or someone
else) may need it down the road.