Spent $180 on a heated vest and it saved my ride through the Rockies last weekend

Honestly, I almost turned back near Lake Louise because the cold was cutting through my jacket, but plugging that vest into the bike for 20 minutes gave me the warmth to push through to Golden.

4 comments

4 Comments

dakotab131mo ago

I mean I get where you're coming from but isn't there something to be said for just having the right cold weather gear in the first place? Like a good quality winter jacket with the right layers underneath should handle that kind of cold without needing to plug into your bike. It's almost like people use heated vests as a shortcut instead of actually getting proper cold weather gear. And what happens when the battery dies or the connection goes bad halfway through a ride? Then you're stuck freezing and now you have dead weight strapped to you. Idk maybe it's just me but I'd rather spend that money on a real jacket and some heated grips that actually are part of the bike and not something I have to remember to charge. Plus the vest is just one more thing to worry about losing or forgetting at a rest stop.

troy_adams1mo ago

I always thought heated gear was a bit extra for anything but snowmobiling. That stretch of highway from Lake Louise to Golden is no joke though, and being that cold is legit dangerous. I get it now, that's money well spent.

christopher_ross1mo ago

Yeah, that stretch is a whole different kind of cold. It's not just about being a little uncomfortable, it's about your hands going numb on the bars and not being able to feel the controls. That's when mistakes happen. Good gear is just another part of the safety kit, like a helmet. It keeps your mind on the road, not on how much you're shaking.

xena_fisher491mo ago

Troy, that's exactly how I felt until I did a late fall ride through the Smokies and thought my fingers were going to fall off. Bought a heated vest the next week and honestly, it's the difference between enjoying the ride and just surviving it. Once you've had that warmth seeping into your core on a 20 degree day, there's no going back.