When does it consistently become too cold to ride up here? 

Even in Dec-Feb, will there at least be one or two days in the month where the temps warm up enough for riding?

I usually stop riding when I have to start layering so much it restricts my mobility.  There is no set date.  Sometimes you'll get a few warm (50's) days in dec. or jan. and if you want to brave the salt strewn roads, you can go ride.  Once we get that first storm and the roads get salted, I pack it in though. The salt gets pushed into our lines and hangs around for a good long while.

I generally don't stop until the it drops below freezing and ice forms.  Like rock said the salt can be relaly bad too.  but there are freak days that are warm so i never really put it away for good.  Of course i run electrics and this helps me keep riding  

Quote from: GLantern on October 18, 2009, 12:50:28 PM
I generally don't stop until the it drops below freezing and ice forms.  Like rock said the salt can be relaly bad too.  but there are freak days that are warm so i never really put it away for good.  Of course i run electrics and this helps me keep riding  

Any recommendations on electric gear?  How effective is it; i.e., how cold can it be before the electric gear doesn't do any good?

Quote from: positivecarry on October 18, 2009, 12:57:39 PM
Any recommendations on electric gear?  How effective is it; i.e., how cold can it be before the electric gear doesn't do any good?

If you get yourself some decent textile gear you can go down really low with electrics.  I recommend Gerbings

Gerbings is awesome.
I rode year 'round in Chicago for eight years and finally broke down and bought a jacket liner.
( http://www.gerbing.com/Products/Liners/heatedJacketLiner.html )
It was some of the best money I've spent for riding. As well, when my plug got corroded (after a couple of years) I emailed them asking how to get a replacement, and they sent me a whole new plug-in for free.

i dont use electrics except for gloves. I will ride as long as there is no snow falling, or immediate threat of ice.

normally speaking, thats somewhere along the low teens for me with my new textile scorpion setup.

I've been in 20-30 with the gerbings no problem. I only have the jacket and gloves. I will only stop riding if there's snow/ice, but in general I will ride less frequently during the winter anyway.

Is textile gear warmer than leather gear?  I wouldn't think so, because Leather doesn't let the wind through, but maybe it doesn't provide enough insulation?

textile is lightyears ahead of leather when it comes to winter gear. You are right that leather will block out the wind but textile is lighter more flexiable, and inheritenly more waterproof if you use certain types of engineered fabric. Insulation is just a function of the liner you are wearing. Leather is much more abrasion resistent. Leather also is a good insulator (think about crashing in leathers vs crashing in textile, the leather doenst burn you as you slide...not a lot atleast), but textile will melt onto your skin if it gets hot enough) but since it too heavy, thick and not water proof.

The biggest thing i think is the fact that textile is thinner and lighter so you can wear thicker insulating layers and stay warmer. Leather would be too weak if you made it as thin as textile.

i have a textile/leather combo. Leather in the high wear areas and high likelyhood of crashing areas. (elblows, shoulders, butt, knees etc) with the dual liner underneath it is pretty freaking warm at 40 degrees so far, compared to my Joe rocket non perfed leather which sucks in anything below 50.

Quote from: positivecarry on October 20, 2009, 04:53:38 PM
Is textile gear warmer than leather gear?  I wouldn't think so, because Leather doesn't let the wind through, but maybe it doesn't provide enough insulation?

Textile allows for easier execution of storm flaps.  Often, cold air leaks through zippers.