Personal cold WX riding record

[Guest]

cold weather riding

cold weather riding

About 25 years ago I rode my GT550 from Des Moines, IA to Cedar Rapids for Thanksgiving, 120 miles. I think that the high for the day was about 20F. I wore thermal underwear, jeans, sweatshirt, boots, snowmobile bib overalls, leather motorcycle jacket, snowmobile gloves and helmet. Stopped halfway to get coffee and warm up. Worked out OK.

Tom

 

[scotty]

Today Earl fornes rode Dave Plats kawabunga for about 1/4 mile around my mobile home park and the temperature was lower than 85F

 

[Nerobro]

cold? What cold? TFT was what? 28degrees this year? cold? Sure.

Bundle up, and all is ok with the world.

However.. that salt... *twitches*

 

[argonsagas]

What is cold? It is probably fair to say that the term is relative to whatever
is applicable where you live, as well as your lifestyle.

Steve Rivett rode his GS450 around Ottawa during winter, and temperatures there certainly do get more chilly than southern Florida.

I used to ride a Moto Guzzi year-round, with no regard for temperature.

The coldest I ever felt on it was on a 150 mile ride home at about 40F, wearing an unlined jacket and T-shirt, with some newspaper across the chest.

It had been sunny and in mid-50s when I left home near noon, and I forgot to allow for night-time temperature drop, and my being tired.

It was neither comfortable nor safe.

Simply wearing better clothing would have made it both comfortable and safe, something I now practice all the time.





While my body was not cold when it happened, I once had my cheeks frozen while on a 50 mile ride, running about 80mph, and temperature about 0-F.

It was the strangest feeling, as my mouth felt only cool, but when I got off the bike I could not talk and, while I was thirsty at the time, I had to wait at least 5 minutes for the inner mouth temperature to warm the outer skin enough to permit it to flex.

The problem was not entirely ambient temperature, I rode through the winter anyway, but the safety equipment. That was during my days with an open-face helmet, and on that morning I had put a bubble-type visor on it, and the visor caused a LOT of wind swirl around my face.

 

[wharrah]

35F on a gloomy Saturday

35F on a gloomy Saturday

if you go to my website (in the signature) and check out my 'Life's accomplishments' page, the very top left photo is of me in a ride a couple years back... Took a ride to a (get this) a HARLEY gathering at the Harley Dealership in Clinton, about 90 miles away...

I dress up like a biker/nomad (no professional warm-stuff), temp around 35... I make this trip, and after 1/5 hours in 55-60mph winds, I get there...

NOT A BIKE TO BE SEEN!!! I got off the bike in the middle of the parking lot and yelled "WHERE ARE ALL THE HARLEY RIDERS BIKES???"

Nobody said a word. So, I walked in, looked around for 20 minutes (to warm up) and then drove home again... Hi temp that day?

37F at high noon.

BRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... But I found out I'm as tough as any damned Harley rider.


That isn't the coldest I've ridden, as I get out my bikes every couple of weeks and let em idle for 20 minutes and then ride them about 5 miles every two weeks, whether school keeps or not.

Geez, i LOVE my bikes.

 

[Guest]

Just to show you how though I am, I took the GS for a spin today. Wanted to check out the new Dyna S, which is great, and I wasn't about to let the weather stand in my way. I was anxious to see how it would run, so I jumped on and rolled out of the garage for a spin around the neighborhood. Didn't take time to put on a jacket but it was running so well I didn't care. There is still a lot of sand in places on the roads, but no problems. Oh, the temperature? Must have been almost 70 today and supposed to be the same tomorrow. Unbelievable. Ray

 

[omaharj]

I rode to work Friday,about twenty miles. Temp28,Top speed was 55,most riding at 45-50. I was geared up well except for my hands,Just lined leather gloves. They work fine down to forty. I found myself hoping to hit red lights to beat them against my sides. Looking back at other posts,warming them on the bike was brilliant-my brain must've froze. Someone started a thread about a month or so ago about who rode in the winter. I guess I allowed that to push my previous limits. What's the best pair of snowmobile gloves for bike riding? I kinda enjoy being that crazy guy who rides his bike in the winter.:-D Oh yeah,that LOngmont weather is heading this way-woohoo!

 

[DanTheMan]

Yesterday I put on 90 miles in two seperate trips. When I started in the afternoon (around 1:30pm), it was 32 deg, got home it was 28 around 3 pm. Trip mileage then was 45 miles.
Then I left for a meeting at 6:50 pm and the temp was still hovering around 28 with a 7-10mph north wind blowing. I went south, on the return, the north wind was still blowing (around 8:15 pm), got home around 8:45 pm, looked at the temp, it was 25 deg with the wind chill as well.
I had dressed in layers and was reasonably warm, even my hands since I was wearing military issue cold weather mittens and leather gloves under those. Everybody at my meeting thought I was crazy (but they already knew that), including another guy that was prompted to take out his Honda 'Wing after seeing me on the highway earlier inn the day. He only rode 10 mileas and wimped out, went home.
I was the only bike on the road, it was pretty cool, the only slippery spots were in my driveway, it's only 21 deg. today, so it's back to the Jeep again until the next warm day.
Top speed for these trips was 75 mph. I've got an oil leak though, and it smells like 90 weight gear grease on the exhaust. Is there a seal on the shaft drive that could have started leaking?

 

[speedy400]

I went 20 min ride in 15 degrees, with my 145lbs, and no body fat, needless to say it was a bit nippy.-darren

 

[omaharj]

Top speed for these trips was 75 mph. I've got an oil leak though, and it smells like 90 weight gear grease on the exhaust. Is there a seal on the shaft drive that could have started leaking?

Dan-post that little gem in the tech forum-there's a group of guys waiting to share their knowledge. The cumulative knowledge there is incredible. Answers won't take five minutes.(and you can time it):-D

 

[Guest]

I went 20 min ride in 15 degrees, with my 145lbs, and no body fat, needless to say it was a bit nippy.-darren

I am with ya on that Darren (145lbs., no body fat...). A good friend of mine and I left Deal's Gap Sunday after thanksgiving couple years ago and it was 18 degrees...I rode 240 miles that day, all the way back to Charleson SC. My hands were the only victims...First Gear Thermal suit, and my First Gear Trekker (AWESOME jacket by the way), were great. Now for some grip heaters and a heated vest. Like was mentioned earlier: who need winterization? BAH!!:-D

 

[louisciccoli]

The coldest I ever rode in was 17. I was on my way home for christmas from Yorktown, VA to west of Gainsville,FL. There was light snow on the roads but I found no ice, luck I guess. I was bundled up in a full suit with heavy gloves & boots, noninsulated.

 

[alan]

I've been riding every day this winter that the pavement has been dry. going to work in the morning (4 miles) and coming home for lunch 8 miles or more round trip if I take the long way ) the nthe 4 mile trip home. On a few mornings at its coldest, the temp was a few degrees below 0 F. It was an exhilerating ride to say the least. The ride is only 35 mph at the fastest and no hard curves, which is good since the tires were quite hard at that temp. We're having a 44 degree heat wave today and it's lunchtime... off to ride

 

[stankemp]

personal cold wx record

personal cold wx record

It was 1971.
I had my new Yamaha XS650.
The bike had an oil leak and the dealer was 35 miles away. High speed roads.
Nasty day with 25F on the thermometer.
I broke out the full leather WWII bomber suit (it had a heater , but there was no hookup on the bike). Bubble shield on open face , remember those?
When I got back to the house it took (as I recall) about 2 hours for the violent shakes of hypothermia to stop. A very long hot shower helped.
I try not to ride in nasty weather any more.
Stan

 

[kramer]

This year I snuck in 4 rides of over 100 miles each in January here in Wisconsin. February was a blur; it goes so quickly and is usually cold, so I can't even remember if I rode. In March I've managed a couple more 100+ mile rides. Saturday, March 11th was sunny and in the lower 60s, but did I ride? No, I nursed a nasty hangover from the night before. Sunday, March 12th, the high never reached 40, and it was overcast and windy. Did I ride?

You bet! About 130 miles. I wore leather chaps, and in addition to my lined Icon TiMax jacket, I had a black hoodie and snowmobile gloves. Cold? Oh yeah...I usually warm up within two hours after cold rides, but for some reason, it took over 4 hours for my legs and knees to not feel cool to the touch. Does the cold bother me? Hell no, that's how we do it in Wisconsin! The best part about that ride? Literally 15 minutes after I got home, it started sleeting, which then turned into rain and then snow. Ain't winter grand?

 

[maparker]

Since rescueing the 450 last summer I rode it to work, 100 mile roundtrip, whenever the weather was what I call decent (>40F). I rode at it at least one day every month...although it took 'til the 28th to get the Feburary ride in! A couple of times I didn't leave early enough and got caught in the after dark temperature drop. Its kinda wierd when you can't keep your legs from shivering uncontrollably while you're riding along...My wife is convinced I'm nuts, of course I think she was convinced of that years ago

 

[bradleymaynar]

Just a word to the wise for when it's coldest. While it does cool off significantly after sunset, the actual coldest part of the day is right around sunrise. I've learned this well since my job went from second shift to first shift.

Brad tt

 

[Rick]

Personal cold record...

Personal cold record...

My record was winter of '94' in Port. OR. a twenty minute commute to work for a weeks worth of 17F....alls well until the scarf wrapping up the neck opens slightly exposing the neck to the unfaired windblast..feels like a blowtorch on bare skin!!!
__________________________________Rick.........