One of the most beautiful and popular motorcycle rides in the USA is Colorado's Top of the Rockies. The 82 mile ride crosses the Continental Divide twice and offers sweeping views of some of the highest peaks in the country, including Colorado's two highest peaks; Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. It also winds through Leadville, the country's highest incorporated town, at 10,200ft. And as I write this on June 20th, it's snowing up there. So what's a rider to do? Stay home? Freeze to death? Or don the heated motorcycle clothes and enjoy the ride? You guessed it.
This is just one example of why heated motorcycle clothing is becoming an essential part of the experienced rider's gear - it's not just for winter anymore. In the high country where the riding is superb and the views spectacular, even in the middle of summer the weather can change on a dime and comfort isn't the only challenge. Safety becomes a major concern. Numb fingers, frigid feet, inflexibility and delayed reaction times can create a dangerous situation for even the most experienced biker. Worst case scenario, a cold rider can become hypothermic in a very short time. Not good at all.
Fortunately there's help available -- heated motorcycle clothing to the rescue. As heated clothing technology has advanced, more manufacturers have developed lines of heated gear, expanding the range of what's available while keeping the price affordable. Heated clothing now comes in many forms -- gloves and glove liners, socks and boot liners, jackets and jacket liners, pants liners, vests, scarves and heated grips. And with the introduction of lightweight, flexible fabrics and improvements in electrical circuitry, you can count on safe, easy to pack, windproof, lightweight, waterproof, stretchable and, most of all, warm garments.
Heated motorcycle clothing can be powered by a rechargeable battery pack or the bike's motor. Also offered by the various manufacturers are lines of compatible battery packs, cables, connections and adapters. Many of these accessories are interchangeable with the different brands of clothing as well as different brands of bikes. Also, there are many cable configurations which allow for the use of one piece of heated clothing, or several connected pieces, for total body comfort. Now, that's the way to Ride the Rockies.
Speaking of which, Top of the Rockies was designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as a National Scenic Byway in 1998. A section of Highway 82 from Twin Lakes, over Independence Pass and down into Aspen was recently approved, adding a 40 mile extension to the byway. Can you think of anything much better than being warm on glorious Independence Pass, then stopping for a cold beer in beautiful Aspen? Didn't think so.
E.W Bradley is a freelance writer living high in the Rocky Mountains and staying warm! If you're interested in finding out how you too can be warm and comfortable in the worst weather conditions, check out the heated motorcycle clothing and gear at http://cozyclothesstore.com/
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