The end of riding season arrives for most American riders as a quiet decision rather than a date on the calendar. One cold morning the temperature stays in the thirties, the leaves are down, and the bike sits a little longer than usual. Riders in the northern states know the feeling well.
The Last Ride Is Never Announced
Nobody holds a ceremony. The last ride tends to be a short one, taken on a bright afternoon with the sun doing most of the work. A lot of riders only realize afterward that it was the last one.
That is part of why the ritual that follows matters so much. The cleanup is how a rider closes the season on purpose.
The Garage Ritual
The ritual is simple and mostly the same everywhere. Wash the bike, wipe it down, fix whatever you meant to fix in July, and pull the gear off the bike. For many riders the leather comes last, because it holds the season.
Gloves are usually the first thing a rider picks up. They carry the shape of one hand over hundreds of miles, and a good pair of broken-in deerskin gloves holds that shape. Riders tend to wipe them down, let them dry naturally, and set them somewhere they will not crush.
Vests and jackets get hung, not folded, and kept out of damp corners. Our walkthrough on how to store leather motorcycle gear for winter covers cleaning, conditioning, drying and hanging in order. Done right, the gear comes out in spring ready to ride instead of stiff and musty.
Two Kinds of Riders at the End of the Season
There are two kinds of riders in late October, and the split has been part of American riding for as long as there have been bikes. One kind puts the machine up and rides again in spring. The other keeps going until the roads force a stop, and sometimes past it.
The riders who park the bike get a long break and a clean start. The riders who keep going have to dress for it. For them, gear stops being a style choice and becomes a working kit: a lined glove, a longer cuff, a layer under the vest.
Legendary USA has been building American-made gloves since 2001, and we hear from both camps. Some riders reach for the Legendary Fleece-Lined Deerskin Gloves, which pair American Whitetail deerskin with 3M Thinsulate 40-gram lining for the 30 to 50 degree range. Others pick the Legendary Classic Deerskin Gauntlets for the long cuff that closes the gap at the sleeve on highway miles.
What the Gear Remembers
Leather is the one part of the kit that keeps a record. A glove carries the crease where your thumb sits on the throttle. A vest carries the shape of your shoulders and the sun-faded edge where a patch used to be.
That is why riders hang on to old gear long after it stops looking new. Our post on why riders keep their oldest leather gloves gets at the same instinct. The gear marks the season, and the season is the point.
If you want to start the next one right, browse the USA-made motorcycle gloves collection when you are ready. For now, close the season properly.
Closing the Season
The garage ritual is a small thing that holds a rider's year together: a last ride, a wipe-down, a hook for the jacket and a shelf for the gloves. Whether you park the bike until April or keep riding into the cold, the habit is the same. Take care of the gear that took care of you, and the first ride of spring starts where this one left off.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation publishes rider training and riding resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When does the riding season end in the United States?
- It depends on where you live. In the northern states, many riders stop in late October or November once temperatures stay near freezing. In the South and Southwest, riding often continues through winter with the right gear. There is no national date, so most riders go by temperature and road conditions.
- What should I do with my leather gear at the end of the season?
- Clean it, let it dry naturally away from direct heat, condition it as needed, and store it somewhere dry. Hang vests and jackets instead of folding them, and keep gloves where they will not be crushed. That keeps the leather supple so it is ready to ride when spring arrives.
- Should I store motorcycle gloves in a bag or leave them out?
- Keep them dry and uncrushed, in a spot with some air movement. A breathable cloth bag or an open shelf works better than a sealed plastic bag, which can trap moisture. Let gloves dry completely before storing, and never use a heater or direct sun to speed it up.
- Can you ride a motorcycle in winter?
- Many riders do, with proper cold-weather gear and attention to road conditions like ice and road salt. Lined gloves, a layered kit and a longer cuff all help with comfort. Whether to ride is a judgment call that depends on temperature, surface and experience.
- What gloves do riders use for late-season riding?
- Riders who keep riding into the cold often choose a lined glove or a gauntlet. The Legendary Fleece-Lined Deerskin Gloves use 3M Thinsulate 40-gram lining for roughly the 30 to 50 degree range, while the Classic Deerskin Gauntlets are unlined and give a longer cuff to close the sleeve gap.