First ride of the New Year

[John]

This morning at 5 am the temp was 64 degrees. Rode to work with just my leather. Well, being in a rush to leave work, I forgot to grab my leather before getting on the shuttle to the parking lot. I realized it about half way to there. Screw it, I'll ride with out it. It was a pretty warm day for the first of January. 16 miles and I wasn't even chilly. All I had on was a T shirt and jeans.
Gotta love those Texas winters...unless you live in the Panhandle.
Happy New Year..Y'all

[don07tncav]

Happy New Year!

I'll be glad to get mine back on the road again! It's been two days and I'm having withdrawal symptoms.

[chevy45412001]

got in a ride

Nortern Illinois, got a ride in on the eve. temps aprox. 40-50 degrees. Brrr but felt good to kick er in the @ss.

[nashville_bill]

I had to split my 150 mile ride into two parts today. Those football games are getting in the way of my riding. It was sunny and at least 70 in Nashville today, but I would have been warm at 30 after watching the Cotton Bowl.

[nashville_bill]

Don,

Do yourself a favor and buy a set of pilot jets. You're only looking at about $10 for a set.

[John]

Originally posted by nashville_bill
I had to split my 150 mile ride into two parts today. Those football games are getting in the way of my riding. It was sunny and at least 70 in Nashville today, but I would have been warm at 30 after watching the Cotton Bowl.

That was a bit of an ol' fashioned ass whuppin' wasn't it?

[don07tncav]

It was but the Michigan Texas game tonight was a fnatastic one!! Goooooo Longhorns!!

(After the Vols of course!)

[ratbyk]

Winter Ride- Me To

I rode Dec. 27-29 & 31 in Canada! Of course I live on the
south west corner of Vancouver Island and had dry roads. Through the
shaded tree areas the roads were a bit damp and greasy but I also was
on a great bike road known as West Coast Rd. Ran for about 60 kms out
and back following the ocean and up and over the ridges that finger
there way down from the Sooke Hills. Not just lots of twisties, it is
all twisties. Loved it. About 6C or 54F. Sunny cloudy mix. The brisk
air certainly lets you know that you are alive.
Wore a light weight snow mobile suit and was quit toastie. After
years of riding in cold weather and experimenting with things to keep
my neck warm I have discovered something that really works. A medical
neck support. One of those thick foamy things covered with a surgical
type gauze. Couples together at the back of the neck with velcro. Did
it ever work. Kept the neck warm, plugged up the hole between the
collar and the bottom of the helmet and the thickness also kept cold
air from migrating up inside the helmet. Had to run with the visor
just barely cracked to prevent fogging. Works great.

Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"
92 ZX11 Temptress

[strom]

dec. 30. and today (january 2nd). YumYum.... a bit cold... but sunny.

LP

[Pat Kelly]

I rode to work yesterday and today. Last year I rode to work 99.999% (all but 3 days) of the time.
Hopefully I'll get my truck running again and ride fewer day this year.

[John]

Re: Winter Ride- Me To

[. After
years of riding in cold weather and experimenting with things to keep
my neck warm I have discovered something that really works. A medical
neck support. One of those thick foamy things covered with a surgical
type gauze. Couples together at the back of the neck with velcro. Did
it ever work. Kept the neck warm, plugged up the hole between the
collar and the bottom of the helmet and the thickness also kept cold
air from migrating up inside the helmet. Had to run with the visor
just barely cracked to prevent fogging. Works great.

Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"
92 ZX11 Temptress [/B][/QUOTE]

I have found that if I cut off the top of a tightly knit wool cap (Stocking cap, or Tobboggan), That I can pull it down over my head until it covers my neck. I then tuck it under the collar of my leather, and the chin strap of my helmet will hold the top in place, and that works really well. Here's another tip...newspaper under your coat. Thousands of bums sleeping on park benches can't be wrong.

[Jerry]

Well, here on the Western Slope of Colorado, we have been experiencing mild weather; daytime temps in the 40s. I had my XJ out for short trips on the 30th (half day off from work) 31st, and 1st. Can't go today, taking the family out for post-Christmas shopping ( My monthly paycheck was paid on the last working day of the month, Dec 31st)

A guy who works in the same facility rides his MBW 1200 to work just about every day, one morning I checked and it was 16 degrees F. I'm getting old, prefer it to be above freezing when I ride now. The big Vetter with lowers, heated visor on the HJC helmet, riding suit, and lined leather gloves keep me comfortable in this kind of riding.

I don't 'winterize" the bike anymore as there always seems to be a few good riding days each month, though in Feb and March they can be a few weeks apart.

[xssiveone]

Mild here, but rain for the last 3 days so no ride here. Supposed to be a dry day or 2 this week so maybe not all is lost.

[Dragonrider]

I'm with you!

Here's my "Polar Bear Run"...

I’m sure you’ve read of those wackos that go swimming in ice water in January somewhere up north...we have something similar here in Texas...except by "we" I mean "I". Um...and no offence to the whackos if you are one. I’m sure those long months of cold and darkness do strange things to the mind...heh heh...

Well, it’s kind of tradition...January 1 of each year, regardless of weather, I go for a ride. I dunno how it started, but my current theory is that it was something myself and my roommate came up with about 25 years ago...on a January 1...and I expect, directly after consuming a rather large amount of alcohol (anti-freeze) in celebration of the new year.

Over the years, the alcohol consumption has markedly tapered off...but the stupid tradition somehow hasn’t managed to. Ya know, tradition. Ah well, if you gotta have traditions, they may as well involve riding...or sex...or...rather...riding AND sex...

Anyway, I’ve ridden in temperatures as low as 6 degrees, and twice in the ice, but in the case of the ice, it was only to the end of the driveway and back. I did make 25 miles in a snow storm once...and that was basically to see what kind of expressions I could find on folks faces in town. It was almost worth it, and at least the cops were nice about the whole thing.

Once I had to ... ur ... acquire a bike to ride on January 1. I was between machines at the moment. Test drove a Harley that year, I did. They thought I was nuts too (it was 24 degrees and sleeting), but at least the cops were nice about the whole thing. I’d have bought the damn thing too, except I didn’t have enough money left for the down payment after I made bail. So much for great customer service.

So...as to today’s Polar bear ride. Well, 74 degrees and balmy. Couple hundred miles in the breezy Texas winter. I got sunburned. Found about 70 other machines to meet for lunch (Hey to the Southern Cruisers and Texas VRCC).

Riding on January 1, 2005...in my shirt-sleeves. Jeans and a t-shirt. January 1...

Gotta love those Texas winters.

Ahhhh...

[dpotter58]

The weather here in southern Maryland is very nice right now. I have been riding daily since Christmas. 35 to 65 degrees and sun once in a while. lovin' every minute if it!