Snowy Britain - how do you cope with it?

[Omega]

Since motorcycle is my only means of transportation, I really don't look forward to the Monday... Yes, motorways are always clean of snow, but it is cold!!!   And I expect a lot of traffic jams, so my travel to work will be about 1.5 hours easy... How do you cope with cold? I guess most of you don't even touch the bike, but the ones who brave it, what do you do?
I put on two jackets - motorcycle one (with winter attachment inside) and construction winter hi-viz on top, trousers with winter attachment and then wear waterproof trousers above, neck cover, two pairs of socks (normal and thick ones), Maplin heated socks and then Daytona bike boots (not waterproof any more) and HG Pathan gloves (not waterproof and cold). The hand grip warmer broke on the right handle, but some heat at least warms up my left hand. After 1.5-2.5 hours of driving my hands are absolutely cold, my toes are also cold despite the heated soles and I feel I am totally mad driving in such a cold... And then I do it again next day because I don't want to get stuck in the traffic jams   Perhaps you could advice me how to stay warm - I have warm covers for handles, but I find them too inconvenient because I cannot freely control clutch and hand brake and how will I put my hand back if I take it out while driving?
A bit of warning -  I was driving this Friday home when I had to drive behind a salt sprayer. Despite I tried I get through the spray area quickly, my visors still got sprayed with salt and when I tried to wipe them off with my glove my visors got completely dirty that I could not see anything in front of me. It was very scary moment - 70 mph on motorway with some cars around me and I cannot see anything but blurred lights. It was really scary... I could not open visors either because too strong wind would force me to shut my eyes, but I managed to use my other hand to wipe the visor (simultaneously losing speed which was again not a pleasant feeling)... Too many thoughts went through my mind then...
Well, beware of salt sprayers.

[motobiker]

I don't worry about it.. right now, I'm 'snowed in' - I could get the bike out and down the hill.. but I wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of getting it back up the hill. And i am definitely not prepared to leave it on the road.. what with the number of cars sliding all over the place once this snow turns to ice. The gritters never come up the hill to where I live. Its not worth worrying about. If I need to go anywhere.. I'll walk down the hill to the main road and get the Bus.

Looking at the weather forecast,, seems likely it will all melt away (here anyway) on Monday.

[SnapDragon]

I'd just try and get a job that was near to home. 
When I had to travel to meetings it was windproof gear, thermal underwear, heated grips and frequent stops , but there's no way I'd do that every day

[MarkShelley]

The M25 and M11 have laying snow at the moment!
Pathans with heated grips are great, but as you say, they are not very waterproof so add muffs which make a big difference both with waterproofing and wind chill. I treated myself to a heated waistcoat (second hand as usual and £36 off ebay) this week and I wish I had bought one years ago.

[Wynne G Oldman]

Extra fleece under my usual clothing, and stick to motorways when possible. If it's too icy, it's the car for me. 

[bonzo]

bubble wrap inside my jacket

[Deso]

If I had to use my throttle hand, I would have pulled the clutch in and not lost speed so much.

[djkitchen]

After yesterday, where I rode from, Doncaster to Wrexham, I feel qualified to say ; "Pull a sickie"

I wore a t shirt, 2 fleeces and jumper and my hein gericke jacket on top, a balaclava and 2 buffs under my lid and round my neck, some thermal over trousers under my bike trousers, and hein gericke bike trousers with thermal lining. a pair of normal socks and a pair of thermal socks. Oh and inadeqate gloves! It was beyond cold. Although i do have to say I was mightly impressed with how the bike handled the dreadful road conditions, over the top of the M62 the snow was just starting to settle in lanes that hadn;t been used as much, and it just kept chuggin through, not so much as a twitch

I was impressed with the waterproofness of my gear, the only bit of me that was wet was my feet, and my boots have no pretention of being waterproof.

Oh and if you need to clear snow off your visor try and alternate hands as it stops one of them becomming extra cold!
So lots of layers and waterproof kit!

[The Black Knight]

If motorcycle is your only means of trasnport and it's unsafe to travel, ring work and advise them of that.

Can you car share with anybody?

Can you use train services and work a redued shift?

Can you work from home?

[phil1]

When a bike was my only form of transport -many years ago  -and I used to ride in the winter when it was really cold  I never found a solution. I was cold and that was it, but my journeys were 30 minutes maximimum most of the time.
I've been told electrically heated clothing is very good but I've never used as I don't think it was available when I was a lad. You don't mention wearing thermal long johns and vest in your post. I find them useful when I still ride now on cold dry days. Merino wool vest and long johns are also said to be very warm, although very expensive but I've never tried them.   

[phil1]

The only other thing I'd suggest is wearing silk gloves under your bike gloves. They seem much warmer than synthetic inner gloves to me.

[DoktorMandrake]

I would suggest other forms of transportation. I did four winters on a bike. Only binned it once. Looking back I was nuts. Riding through a snow drift with both feet down in the car tracks, sliding all over the place, back stepping out, ungritted roads, cars sliding towards you, and even the gritted roads you are at the mercy of local authorities - if they forget or spread it a bit thin, you can end up in a pickle.

Riding in winter is just not worth it imo. It is cold, the odds are stacked against you, bikes simply do not work on ice, when I binned my bike it was on a patch of ice not much bigger than a small jam jar lid - that was all it took, over in a second, bike sliding off down the road sparking. I never liked the cold, but it didn't bother me half as much as the thought of wrecking my bike or myself. I will ride in all weathers and temperatures bar icy conditions or snow drifts. I don't mind rain, wind can be harsh but is manageable most of the time but ice? no chance. I see people out and about these days in snow and think they are mad.

[Wheelspin]

Heated kit is the only way, imo, to do it and not feel miserable.

[bonio]

+1 for the silk inner gloves. I wear them under HG Pathans. The combination is pretty good down to about -1C, without hot grips, but any colder and the hands start to get painful. I also wear a windproof cycling jacket over my fleece, shirt and thermal and under my motorcycle jacket; it works a treat - I've not yet felt the cold come through. 

But I won't ride in the snow, and I won't ride if there are 50 mile an hour winds; I take the car or work from home.

[notoriusb.e.n]

I leave the bike in the garage, and get a lift to work and back from one of those sensible car owning people.

[Jason500]

I'll catch a lift when I can but this time last year I was out on the bike and at one point there was a foot of snow here, plus the temp was down well into the -teens. Its not just a way of life, its a teacaking adventure :-)

[The Red Barron]

I live in the sticks so its the 4x4 for work as I have to go and collect stranded staff sometimes.

On the bike if its snowing then the XT comes out to play.  No snow and its the BMW if I'm doing miles.

If its cold then:
On the top half: Base layer, Tee shirt, thin fleece and the bike jacket with the thermal lining in.
Bottom half: Base layer and bike trousers with the thermal lining.
One pair of socks with HG boots and BMW gloves
Sometimes I wear a balaclava, but only if its real cold and I'm going to be doing some miles.

Oh, yes and then I put the seat heater on

[reckless]

Oh, yes and then I put the seat heater on

Luxury  

[SOUP]

40+ denier ladies tights under your trousers, will help keep your feet and legs warmer.  A heated waistcoat is a total bonus.  Carrier bags over your socks and under your boots if they are letting water, or invest in some new ones.  Also your heated grips not working isn't good enough, you deserve to be able to feel your hands.    Congratulations on not being a fair weather rider.  WE can't get our bikes down the hill at the moment.