View Full Version : Riding Season is Now Over
98098
10-05-2009, 04:09 PM
A quick end to the riding season for me in Montana. We have 2 feet of snow on the ground.
Maybe some of youu GS'ers are saying it is just getting good:clap, but the old K75 is put away!!!:cry:cry:cry
I will look forward to next year:bikes
AKBeemer
10-05-2009, 04:15 PM
Zounds!!!!!!! Even in Fairbanks Alaska we were able to slip in a ride yesterday. We've had a few snow falls, but the roads are pretty clear. I have hopes for another weekend jaunt... well maybe it's a delusion.
108625
10-05-2009, 04:16 PM
Nah... As Charlie Russell said, "waitin' for a Chinook".
Sailingfool
10-05-2009, 04:29 PM
Not for me! I haven't even broken out the electric vest yet! It will be back in the 70s by late afternoon!
98098
10-05-2009, 04:51 PM
Not for me! I haven't even broken out the electric vest yet! It will be back in the 70s by late afternoon!
Not down here in south central MT. It is supossed to get nicer tomorrow. But the road to my house will be be a mess.
92 here in Big Bend, TX this afternoon.
A cool 70 degrees for our ride this morning. :groovy
Voni
sMiling because growing up in North Dakota lets me feel your pain . . .
MESINCITY
10-05-2009, 05:28 PM
it is definitely NOT OVER...here in Las Vegas...in fact, K-Bike + Summer Heat = not much of a riding season during the summer...kinda like skiing in Australia in July...
gfspencer
10-05-2009, 06:54 PM
Riding season in North Carolina is just getting good! :nyah
Now that our heat is over, riding season is just beginning.
Riding season, there's a riding season?
Easy :lurk
98098
10-06-2009, 07:41 AM
you southern types make me:sick:sick:sick
Enjoy our weather, I still have some snow shoveling to do....
wezul
10-06-2009, 07:43 AM
Enjoy our weather, I still have some snow shoveling to do....
Oh no no no no NO.
Waaaaay too early even for a Midwesterner like yours truly.
hlothery
10-06-2009, 07:54 AM
you southern types make me:sick:sick:sick
....
That was definitely our goal!:D:clap:nyah
108625
10-06-2009, 11:46 AM
That was definitely our goal!:D:clap:nyah
Quite alright fellas; Our abundance of twisty mountain roads helps make up for a little time lost.:burnout
Besides, I'll forget all about riding during elk season anyway.
rinty
10-06-2009, 12:06 PM
...two feet of snow on the ground...108625
I've been trying to get in a mid week sneak down to Glacier Park, and have been checking the Park web cams daily. Don't see any snow on the lower level roads, but I note the Going to the Sun road is now closed at the Jackson Glacier Overlook, a few miles east of the summit, so they must have got a dump up top:
http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm
98098
10-06-2009, 04:09 PM
Oh no no no no NO.
Waaaaay too early even for a Midwesterner like yours truly.
I don't disagree. I am already sick of shoveling. It is the price I pay to live here at the base of the Beartooth Pass. :clap:D:clap
At least when the pass is open it is a great back yard to play in:nyah:nyah:nyah
108625
10-06-2009, 04:52 PM
I've been trying to get in a mid week sneak down to Glacier Park, and have been checking the Park web cams daily. Don't see any snow on the lower level roads, but I note the Going to the Sun road is now closed at the Jackson Glacier Overlook, a few miles east of the summit, so they must have got a dump up top:
http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm
They actually closed part of the Going to the Sun road for construction before the heavy stuff falls. It may come early though.
You can still get around the park on Hwy 2, and in at most entrances; just not all the way through on Going To the Sun until next June probably.
Gilly
10-06-2009, 05:41 PM
The bike seems to have SO much more power at 30 degrees F:thumb.
Gilly
Must be those K machines, Gilly.
My R hates the cold. It likes to run warm or hot.
wezul
10-06-2009, 07:59 PM
My R hates the old. It likes to run warm or hot.
Your R hates the old?! What about the sick and the weak, does it take pity on them?! :stick
Oznay
10-06-2009, 08:43 PM
Your R hates the old?! What about the sick and the weak, does it take pity on them?! :stick
:ha
henzilla
10-06-2009, 08:53 PM
Time of year when the Forum comes even more alive with sarcasm, wit & crankiness....I can smell it in the air.
I promised someone from Wisconsin that visited us last winter I would be a kinder gentler non:nyah commenter this year on riding opportunities some do or do not have:brow
At least I will try... a few individuals in certain far NE blue states just deserve a :nyah for the heck of it...and you know who you are. :love
wezul
10-06-2009, 08:56 PM
Shut up, Steve. :stick :nra
You will fail!
henzilla
10-06-2009, 09:03 PM
Shut up, Steve. :stick :nra
You will fail!
By posting here I guess I already have:D
Your R hates the old?! What about the sick and the weak, does it take pity on them?! :stick
Fixed, I omitted a c.
72 F btw at 7:30 PM
wezul
10-06-2009, 09:43 PM
Haha my brothers.
You know I love you both but I cannot resist a poke.
Wezul, the feeling is mutual. In late December when you have cold, I'll let you know what days we run 70+ F here.
AKBeemer
10-07-2009, 01:20 AM
The Weather UnderGround is predicting 55 degrees in Fairbanks for Saturday. And yes, that is 55 degrees above zero. I love global warming. :D
kbasa
10-07-2009, 03:48 AM
There's a riding "season"?
Wow. That's gotta suck.
Maylett
10-07-2009, 12:06 PM
The Weather UnderGround is predicting 55 degrees in Fairbanks for Saturday. And yes, that is 55 degrees above zero. I love global warming. :D
Dang, that's warmer that it's been here in Salt Lake City over the past week. The Earth's axis must be shifting. You'll be growing dates and bananas before long.
FedEx delivered my Gerbing's jacket liner early today. At 30° F riding into work this morning, it felt like the middle of July. Until the heavy snow arrives and the roads ice up, I'll be out there most every day.
535is
10-07-2009, 12:33 PM
You'll be growing dates ... before long.
Well, that's good because he sure ain't makin' any headway hangin' out in bars ... :evil
AKBeemer
10-07-2009, 02:21 PM
Hanging out in bars is vastly underrated.
brewmeister
10-07-2009, 03:20 PM
I will ride my K100 untill the salt shows up, but my green slim R100RT is being put to seasonal sleep.
I have 2 -100mph + capable snowmobiles waiting to be ridden.and are a blast to tour around Wisconsin on. They are my motorcycle substitute for snow.:bikes:D:D
hlothery
10-07-2009, 04:05 PM
They are my motorcycle substitute for snow.:bikes:D:D
What is this "snow" of which you speak?:dunno:stick
98098
10-07-2009, 04:08 PM
In case anybody is interested (oh I know you aren't)
It is snowing again :banghead
:cry:cry:cry
Gilly
10-07-2009, 10:05 PM
What is this "snow" of which you speak?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3McfrgMN8EM
59 to 79 F tomorrow. 59 to 85 Friday. 61 to 88 Saturday. All Sunny.
My Weather (http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=85254)
brewmeister
10-08-2009, 01:32 AM
What is this "snow" of which you speak?:dunno:stick
come up to wisconsin and take one of my sleds for a ride you just may like it!:D:D
I've been in plenty of snow growing up in NY and Chi-town. I don't miss it at all.
That or below freezing, or ice. Hell, rain here is even rare, thank goodness the air is clean.
kbasa
10-08-2009, 07:09 AM
I've been in plenty of snow growing up in NY and Chi-town. I don't miss it at all.
That or below freezing, or ice. Hell, rain here is even rare, thank goodness the air is clean.
Didn't I read that Phoenix has some of the worst air quality in the country?
But yeah, I'm sooooo over snow and cold. Right about now, my northern/eastern friends are getting reacquainted with the involuntary shoulder hunch when they walk out a door to go outside.
tessler
10-08-2009, 07:50 AM
Didn't I read that Phoenix has some of the worst air quality in the country?
But yeah, I'm sooooo over snow and cold. Right about now, my northern/eastern friends are getting reacquainted with the involuntary shoulder hunch when they walk out a door to go outside.
That shoulder hunch is only employed for lighting my cigar in a big wind.
hlothery
10-08-2009, 08:08 AM
I've been in plenty of snow growing up in NY and Chi-town. I don't miss it at all.
.
My thoughts exactly! Grew up in the NC mountains. Spent two winters in Korea. If I never see snow again, I'm fine with that. :D
Give me 104 in the shade, anyday.
I feel for you guys.:cry
DarrylRi
10-08-2009, 08:16 AM
Going camping tomorrow on the R90S. I'm meeting a friend from LA on CA-1/PCH south of Big Sur for one night, and then we're going to a vintage campout on Saturday near Paso Robles. Supposed to be 71F and clear tomorrow in Big Sur and 83F in Paso on Saturday and Sunday.
I'm definitely looking forward to riding to Deming, New Mexico, in three weeks for the Deming Gathering (http://www.deminggathering.com). I will help Don Cameron smoke 100+ lbs. of sirloin in his trailer-smoker. I get the graveyard shift on Friday night/Saturday morning so that we can feed 175 guests on Saturday evening, before the bonfire starts.
In January I'll go to the IBMWR Death Valley Daze "non-rally". Why people want to go there in the summer I can't understand, but it's often in the 70s and very pleasant riding in January.
I am very glad that "riding season", whatever that means, is certainly NOT over.
wezul
10-08-2009, 08:20 AM
The first snowfall gets a response from me like, "wow, beautiful".
Not the same response you would hear from me in February.
As I grow older I am less enthralled with 3 - 4 months of cold, ice and snow but I like the changes of season. If every day was the same I would eventually get tired of that, too.
Here in the Midwest you have two choices, embrace winter or suffer. I prefer the former.
Brettendress
10-08-2009, 08:38 AM
I don't like winter but I love living in central Pa. I get to ride from April to December most of the time. I love the cold weather gear and the safe feeling it gives and the crisp air. I hate January when it's Zero, but I would not trade this for anything. Those poor folks in Arizona get 115 degree temps in the summer and nothing is worse than riding when you are sweating to death. Here in central pa we hardly ever have to use air conditioning so we don't have to hide inside for months to avoid the hot weather. Small sacrifice but I would rather have it the way we have it here and hide for Dec-Feb than the really hot places where they hide from weather from April-Oct. Just my view, enjoy the winter.
Brett Endress
Altoona Pa
rinty
10-08-2009, 10:08 AM
...it is the price I pay to live at the base of the Beartooth Pass...98098
Yes, but right down the street you've got the Snow Creek Saloon, the best bar around, to drown your sorrows. :thumb
Not to mention this place, which I suspect is just a few minutes from your front door:
http://www.redlodgemountain.com/content.asp?section=mtn&page=welcome&season=winter
DarrylRi
10-08-2009, 10:13 AM
Those poor folks in Arizona get 115 degree temps in the summer and nothing is worse than riding when you are sweating to death.
Different strokes for different folks. I will spot you 15°F for dry over humid summer temps. When I rode to the Vermont rally, I went through 120°F temps in Needles, CA, and while that was hot and uncomfortable, I found 103°F in Joplin, MO, to be much moreso. I've got a 3 liter hydration bladder in my tankbag and am happy to ride through a dry heat.
Besides, "those poor folks in Arizona" have 8,000 foot mountains across the northern part of their state with incredible riding opportunities and very pleasant summer temperatures.
Different strokes for different folks. I will spot you 15°F for dry over humid summer temps. When I rode to the Vermont rally, I went through 120°F temps in Needles, CA, and while that was hot and uncomfortable, I found 103°F in Joplin, MO, to be much moreso. I've got a 3 liter hydration bladder in my tankbag and am happy to ride through a dry heat.
Besides, "those poor folks in Arizona" have 8,000 foot mountains across the northern part of their state with incredible riding opportunities and very pleasant summer temperatures.
Amen.
I'll take dry hot days over 95 to 100 in MO, TN, FL, NY, IL, and many places in between. I have a 2L bladder, I fill it with ice, then water. Besides the bladder, a wet T-shirt under a mesh jacket provides for chattering teeth and comfort for the first 1/2 to 1 hour, anyway.
By then I am over 4,500 feet halfway to Flagstaff. It's also hard to sweat while you're moving.
I do sweat a little, though, when I come and park in my garage, until the helmet comes off anyway. The new modular one helps that problem, too.
Maylett
10-08-2009, 11:15 AM
I'll take dry hot days over 95 to 100 in MO, TN, FL, NY, IL, and many places in between.
I love the desert and the heat. Sunny days, warm nights, endless highways, wide-open spaces and limitless vistas. When the cold weather hits, my world shrinks by a thousand fold. Here I am stuck in skiing country with no use for the snow.
Brettendress
10-08-2009, 12:19 PM
Lol I'm taking a beating here, I to love Arizona. Rented a Great GS from AZride.com once when there in Az on business and rode 89A? up to Prescot, Jerome, down to Sedona. What beautiful places. My point was we all have seasons that are not so great except North Carolina maybe. I hate to put the bikes on the charges and look at them through glass for a few months but I use that time to, recover, repair, and plan. I probably would like all around riding seasons but have never been able to adjust to southern or dessert temps. Must be my northern skin but I never gt the whole "dry Heat" thing. When I visit family in Texas I can't leave the house because of the "dry heat" Lol Well off I go to freeze my butt off in Cass WV this weekend for the FOJ campout.
Brett Endress
Altoona Pa
kgadley01
10-08-2009, 12:38 PM
It didn't take me long to adjust. I was born and raised in North Western (Forest Co.) Pennsylvania. snow is a pain in the a%#.
From MARS
10-08-2009, 03:34 PM
Having lived in the Seattle area, Key West, Down East Maine, Yuma, AZ, and along the Gulf Coast, I agree that every place has at least a few weeks of unpleasant riding time. So, when it came time to "settle down", I elected to live in the middle. We get a few days of triple digits in the Summer and a few single digit/negative days in the Winter. Spring and Fall are great. The bike never gets winterized 'cause there will be good cold weather riding days when I can bundle up inside the heated gear and ride in comfort. Don't have to worry about getting caught in traffic in the Summer heat; out here, three cars at a four-way stop is a traffic jamb.:D
Tom
kbasa
10-08-2009, 07:45 PM
My point was we all have seasons that are not so great except North Carolina maybe.
I haven't found a "bad" season here in NorCal.
98098
10-09-2009, 07:59 AM
I have lived in a lot of places also. Where as I love living in Montana my riding season ( yes I do have a riding season) is very short. The road I live on get icy and very muddy for about 9 months. My bikes are put away with little hope that they will come out until May:cry:cry:cry
wezul
10-10-2009, 07:46 AM
Wow, early hard freeze last night, got down to 31F which is not so horribly cold just a lot earlier than I am accustomed.
The good news is that it looks like the possibility of snow on Sunday that was predicted earlier in the week has been taken off the menu.
What happened to Injun Summer (http://www.tkinter.smig.net/Chicago/InjunSummer/index.htm)?
98098
10-10-2009, 07:51 AM
Wow, early hard freeze last night, got down to 31F which is not so horribly cold just a lot earlier than I am accustomed.
The good news is that it looks like the possibility of snow on Sunday that was predicted earlier in the week has been taken off the menu.
What happened to Injun Summer (http://www.tkinter.smig.net/Chicago/InjunSummer/index.htm)?
It is 9° F this morning........:blush:blush:blush
jamesdunn
10-10-2009, 08:06 AM
I love the desert and the heat. Sunny days, warm nights, endless highways, wide-open spaces and limitless vistas. When the cold weather hits, my world shrinks by a thousand fold. Here I am stuck in skiing country with no use for the snow.
When the snow flies, as it is here a little this morning, my thoughts turn to skiing! I have skied many times in Utah. Wonderful! But, motorcycling season is not over yet here in Iowa, even if the white stuff is falling.
RTFlyer
10-10-2009, 09:38 AM
I saw my first flock of geese heading south this morning. It's 47 degrees here, so not too bad...
I'm considering leaving on a late season run tomorrow afternoon and trying to talk one of my friends into blowing a few days and heading south or southeast with me on his Vulcan. Both of our wives are resistant to the idea (which is honestly a first for me). Of course, that doesn't mean I won't go anyway.:bikes
If not this week, then soon. A trip into the Tennesse twisties this fall is what I need to get me through the winter. At least until I decide on my plans for a Florida or Texas trip after the chill sets in here. I hear that Austin rocks! I'm thankful that I live as far south as I do. Even in the dead of winter, I should be able to reach mild temps in less than a day.
I've had the best summer of riding in my life, thanks to my beautiful new RT and the freedom that comes from being an empty nester. I hate to see it end.
55 to 88 here today so I am going out riding :stick
98098
10-10-2009, 06:41 PM
55 to 88 here today so I am going out riding :stick
yes, I feel the poke....:wave:wave:wave
108625
10-10-2009, 08:05 PM
yes, I feel the poke....:wave:wave:wave
It's all right... When we are riding, few of our fellow forum members share the same traffic encountered to distance travelled ratio as we do:D
I did get out for a blast on the appropriately named Eden Road after classes on Thursday; it was a bit crisp, but I had the whole ride to myself.
Back from 185 miles. On the route, I could not help from going up a little, besides "around". 'Twas cold (40's) so I hightailed it back to warm country as soon as I could. :doh
I posted this so all of you that can't, can relive this one, vicariously.
AKBeemer
10-12-2009, 11:40 AM
Put a couple hundred miles in this weekend in the interior of Alaska. We've had two days of temps around 60 and are expecting another today. Spoke to my daughter in Helena yesterday and it was 14 degrees and snowing.... go figure.
Brettendress
10-12-2009, 11:48 AM
700 miles this weekend in West Virginia warm Friday. cloudy saturday 50 but rode great roads Sunday 60 all perfect except for the ice on the tent sunday am! Thanks for the 0 degree sleeping bag and a good fire, and beer
Brett Endress
Altoona PA
richardak
10-13-2009, 11:57 PM
Put a couple hundred miles in this weekend in the interior of Alaska. We've had two days of temps around 60 and are expecting another today. Spoke to my daughter in Helena yesterday and it was 14 degrees and snowing.... go figure.
For some reason, I ended up riding 65 miles for my 5 mile commute this evening. The bike just headed in the opposite direction. I ran into a stretch of road with a thin layer of ice on a north facing slope. Never has a 1/2 mile seemed so long.
Braddog
10-14-2009, 03:56 PM
We went from a September that was much warmer and drier than normal to an October that is much colder and wetter than normal. Our high temps are around 20 degrees below "average" (Do you hear me, Al Gore?)
We've already had 3 days where we've had snow, much of it has now melted. Nightime temps in the 20's, daytime temps in the 30's and low 40's.
I'm not done riding yet. I do put my bikes away for the winter, but usually wait until after Thanksgiving.
Rpbump
10-14-2009, 04:35 PM
The good riding season is now coming to FL. I can dress for cool/cold weather but just cannot put up with high heat/humidity. Traveling to and from the Barber Museum E of Birmingham was a pleasure over the first weekend of Oct. I'm looking forward to riding thru N GA later this month and perhaps on to the Dragon. Got my mail-in reservation for the Camp Blanding Rally in Jan (hosted by BMWNEF) and am looking forward to it. The Sunbeemers Rally in Nov and Octoberfest in Daytona are also on the agenda. When bike week comes around next year I hope to renew aquaintences at the B-cubed campsite. Ride Safe :usa :usa
AKBeemer
10-14-2009, 04:42 PM
The good riding season is now coming to FL. I can dress for cool/cold weather but just cannot put up with high heat/humidity. Traveling to and from the Barber Museum E of Birmingham was a pleasure over the first weekend of Oct. I'm looking forward to riding thru N GA later this month and perhaps on to the Dragon. Got my mail-in reservation for the Camp Blanding Rally in Jan (hosted by BMWNEF) and am looking forward to it. The Sunbeemers Rally in Nov and Octoberfest in Daytona are also on the agenda. When bike week comes around next year I hope to renew acquaintances at the B-cubed campsite. Ride Safe :usa :usa
I was in Tampa last February for a conference and went by the local BMW dealer on a Saturday morning. A group of riders were assembling for a ride; it was 0830 hrs and already 60 degrees and these guys looked like they were on the start line of a Sled Dog Race. Balaclavas, heavy jackets and heated gear. I got a chuckle out of it. They would probably do the same if they ever saw me trying to ride on a hot & humid summer day in Florida.
37071
10-14-2009, 06:58 PM
Last Thursday 4pm Jackson MS 91F
Last Saturday 8 am Chattanooga TN 65F
Last Sunday 8 am Dayton OH 31F and the high temp in Detroit was 48F but no snow. It is hard to dress for temperatures variations like that. Gerbings could be my friend.
I am hoping to get in a couple of more short trips in '09.
High tomorrow is 92, but Friday and Saturday, highs of 97. Lows at 67-70 though.
Back to 90 by Monday.
108625
10-15-2009, 09:31 AM
High tomorrow is 92, but Friday and Saturday, highs of 97. Lows at 67-70 though.
Back to 90 by Monday.
Yuck:sick
The nineties are too hot even in the summertime. Uncle Sam has made sure I've spent enough time in hot places over the years; I've developed a strong aversion.
108625
Yuck is cold and wet. 90 here, with no humidity to speak of as a high, means the day starts at 65 and hangs there for hours. Then, it climbs to 75 about 11, 85 by 1 or 2, and 90 for an hour 3-4.
A mesh jacket with a liner to start, and mesh pants means you can ride through all southern AZ all day, and take the jacket liner out to ride home.
If you go to high country in the north, skip the mesh. It's cold up there. Just come home after 6 or so, when the temps plummet as the sun goes down.
108625
10-15-2009, 10:57 AM
Been there J.
Even rode Death Valley in summer. Simply said I've had more than enough, and in places way hotter than your neck of the desert. I'll be riding this weekend, and again after hunting season. (I do have other interests besides riding, and I'm in the best place to enjoy enough of each of them... Balance is important to me.)
Regarding our winter wonderland:
As a Blackfoot friend once said, "It keeps the candy @sses out".
That's photo is nothing compared to the snow I walked and drove through when I lived in Chicago. First was 29" in NY in college and that was weeks after an ice storm that felled a large tree branch on to my car, with a live electric wire. 6 hours later I had a car with $2K damages and LILCO paid for me to fix it.
Then grad school in Chicago, with 132" first year, and a record of 30+ days below 0 degrees. Second year, we had 140" of snow, and 40+ days below 0 degrees. My last year of law school was in AZ, with no snow, no days below 0, and girls in tanks or tube tops with low waisted short shorts. 'Twas a nice change.
You can keep the wet. My pool is about as wet as I'll get. Then I can bicycle up and down locally for 20-25 miles, and then take the motorcycle out all day. In a few weeks I can sled rapidly down a mountain in Flagstaff for the day, and come home to wear a T-shirt and jeans. The tourists wear shorts in 60's, we don't.
OUTBACKUFO
10-16-2009, 03:10 PM
Here in Colorado this is how we break in a brand new cycle.... my good friend whom my wife loves to have come up to visit since she fixes our dishwasher and then they can talk Polish and Czech behind my back just got a new KTM400xc and wee need to take it out for a ride.
So My friend Basia had never ridden in snow or really slimy deep mud... and this is where we ended up. I missed the top of the last climb up hill by 15 feet since i decided to relax and not pay attention... but the main road was only 500 ft farther up the atv track so we just road the 3 miles back out in the snow and clay based mud... I am on her TTR250... she has an extra dirt bike for friends :thumb
only 10 miles on it...:brad
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/OutbackUfo/Motorcycling/MISC%20Motorcycling/basiaKtim1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/OutbackUfo/Motorcycling/MISC%20Motorcycling/basiaKtim2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/OutbackUfo/Motorcycling/MISC%20Motorcycling/basiaKtim3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/OutbackUfo/Motorcycling/MISC%20Motorcycling/Mikebikesnow2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/OutbackUfo/Motorcycling/MISC%20Motorcycling/Mikebikesnow.jpg
henzilla
10-16-2009, 07:06 PM
Sweet bike Outback,
I have not ridden a motorized bike in that much snow...have tried runs on my Mt Bike while gasping for air in CO...I Thought I was in shape until about mile 5 at 8K feet and I took a snowboard trail off the hardpack...sunk to the handlebars and just had to laugh as hard as my hosts were. Good times!
We have no snow, no large mountains close by...but we know how to drive or fly to them...so I am happy in TX so I can enjoy pasttime # 1 whenever. The heat gets as hot as anywhere in late summer...a record year here for sure, but you work it to your advantage and know the limits. It all boils down to choices where one hangs his hat. All places have good and not so good conditions at times.
Now back to the AZ vs MT "mines worse than yours" :fight :laugh:laugh:laugh
OUTBACKUFO
10-18-2009, 11:24 AM
Sweet bike Outback,
The New cycle is actually my good firend's... the one i am on is hers also... she has a 'friends" cycle so she can always have someone else riding with her...
bubbagazoo
10-18-2009, 12:59 PM
Snowed on the evening of the 7th. Was all dressed in my gear, just about to get on my bike on the 8th when my wife suggested rather conviningly that I take 4 wheels instead of two. Good call. Icy roads for about 1/3 of my commute. Bought a winter car on the 10th so we could both have 4 wheels to get to work with (previous winters my DSW took the bus or walked to work). I really wanted 3 wheels (a Ural) but my DSW won't allow that. Picked up the winter car on Wednesday. Temperatures have improved and the ice is gone so I will be on the bike going to work tomorrow.
What will really keep the snow and ice away is for my friends to get their snowmobiles ready for that season. The sooner they are ready, the longer the gods will take in giving them snow to enjoy. :)
And riding season is never over. It is just temporarily suspended due to weather.
Now back to the AZ vs MT "mines worse than yours" :fight :laugh:laugh:laugh
I was riding for a bit yesterday morning, henzilla. A high pressure system had us breaking a high temperature record (102 passing the old 99) yesterday, so PM riding was curtailed.
We are supposed to start cooling off today, for 90 high by mid week, and 80 by next. With 55-60 lows, and heat dropping like a rock after 5, that's riding season galore. We'll stay like that with a range of +/- 10 degrees (highs in the 70's or just over 90) until late December. A week after that drop of temps, we start spring, and the pattern just reverses until May, June, or sometimes July. Then until mid September, sometimes bleeding over into October (this year) it's hit or miss on too hot or not.
But I never have ice or snow (except in high country). And rain is about the rarest here than any other civilized US area (I ride in rain, anyway).
From MARS
10-18-2009, 03:48 PM
I was riding for a bit yesterday morning, henzilla. A high pressure system had us breaking a high temperature record (99 vs 102) yesterday, so PM riding was curtailed.
We are supposed to start cooling off today, for 90 high by mid week, and 80 by next. With 55-60 lows, and heat dropping like a rock after 5, that's riding season galore. We'll stay like that with a range of +/- 10 degrees (highs in the 70's or just over 90) until late December. A week after that drop of temps, we start spring, and the pattern just reverses until May, June, or sometimes July. Then until mid September, sometimes bleeding over into October (this year) it's hit or miss on too hot or not.
But I never have ice or snow (except in high country). And rain is about the rarest here than any other civilized US area (I ride in rain, anyway).
That part about the rain, or lack thereof, was one of the best things about Yuma. We could plan rides weeks in advance, put in for 96hr passes, and get the hell out of Dodge, without having to worry about rain spoiling the weekend. But then, it was the only place I've ever lived that it would be too hot to go swimming, too.
Today was perfection here. Sunny and 68 degrees. Four of us did 150 miles of rock and dirt roads. One of the riders was on her first off pavement ride on her '03 F650GS. Tracy had the biggest grin all day; even when she got stuck in the mud. That little bike sure looked like fun. I'm glad it was her that got stuck, and not me!. Dragging her bike out was a lot easier than mine would have been.
Riding season never ends. The wardrobe just changes.
Tom
henzilla
10-18-2009, 08:52 PM
We had one of the hottest driest summers on record ever they say in Texas...June is supposed to be the wet month...was not at all and we really never got rain until two weeks ago. We had so many over 100 days you just went and rode early and came home for Siesta...actually not such a bad thing! Rain never hurts anything and most trips across the country this year included lot's of rain...
It was 50 here this morning...and all weekend was in the 70's...perfect!:clap we stayed on the bikes dawn to dusk since Friday.
That high pressure system of yours is prob the cousin of the one that stayed over us all dang summer!it would move west for a day or so then come on back on top of TX
And Ice???? Had one day last year when there was ice...nobody in their right mind in Texas should try to drive in it...no one knows how and nobody including the Highway Dept is equipped for serious issues. San Antonio had something like 200 wrecks that day...I think hlothery posted about it back then.
Henzilla, we'll be like that, 50-70 or 50-80 shortly like another week or three. After this three days of 102-99-102, I can't wait.
KGT1200
10-18-2009, 09:46 PM
The riding season is offically still going in Minnesota. Forecast says get out and ride all week long. the GS is loaded for another day! I usually put the bike away with Ice, and we have no ice in the predictable future!
I might add, however, my heated liner and heated grips makes this all possible for one more day, Yahoo!:bikes
AKBeemer
10-18-2009, 10:50 PM
October 18th; watched some of the New England Patriots game in a snow storm; then went for a 40 mile ride with my wife in the interior of Alaska; temps in the mid to high 30s; no snow on the horizon; odd; good; but odd.
37071
10-19-2009, 02:06 AM
We had a pleasant ride today. After breakfast we rode for about an hour in the sunshine (~40F) to Georges. He has 2 big barns full of great stuff to look at. Then it was an hour home. Got all the way up to 50F. We may get up to 65 by Thursday. We never know when the last ride for this year will be.
bubbagazoo
10-19-2009, 01:34 PM
I might add, however, my heated liner and heated grips makes this all possible for one more day, Yahoo!:bikes
Heated gloves make the sub and near zero commutes comfortable. Hands are cold with just the grips because of the wind on the back of the hands. Gerbings takes care of that problem.
KGT1200
10-19-2009, 01:43 PM
Heated gloves make the sub and near zero commutes comfortable. Hands are cold with just the grips because of the wind on the back of the hands. Gerbings takes care of that problem.
Maybe Christmas? Always open to suggestions. However my meat claws somehow never get cold enough to justify the expense and wires sticking out here and there.
It could have somthing to do with the Nanook From Da North mittons I wear when it gets cold, they are simply put, awesome! Impossible to do many of life's manuevers when wearing, but I can still crank on the throttle! :)
bubbagazoo
10-20-2009, 05:25 PM
Maybe Christmas? Always open to suggestions. However my meat claws somehow never get cold enough to justify the expense and wires sticking out here and there.
It could have somthing to do with the Nanook From Da North mittons I wear when it gets cold, they are simply put, awesome! Impossible to do many of life's manuevers when wearing, but I can still crank on the throttle! :)
I should have said MY hands get cold with just the heated grips working. That's why I bought a pair of Gerbings last year. Best investment I've made in optional, comfort related things for the bike.
MWIECK
10-20-2009, 09:14 PM
Riding season over. Not just yet. We do have four definite seasons in the Texas Panhandle, but all of them are ridable. Spring and fall are very good for riding. The wind can blow in the spring, so you have to ride both directions to keep tire wear even. ( Besides, the wind keeps the wimps blown away ) Summer is usually very nice with few really hot days , low humidity, and cool nights. Winter gets cold, but not terribly cold and the cold spells don't last very long. We get cold enough to freeze the bugs, enough snow (normaly) to play in but not get tired of it, and enough sunny and warm days to continue riding. My New Years Day ride this year was sunny, 68 degrees and good for a 100 mi. ride. This coming year it may be snowing. ( I hope so). I do have a snowmobile and I will ride it. Nothing like the thrill of having your butt 18 inches off the snow going 80 mph.
Bumper sticker on my snowmobile: Snowmobilers do it till it melts!
Ride or slide. I will do what I can.
:bikes
Rode to work and home, Phoenix traffic and all, and Zumo with FM traffic did its job.
55 to 83 tomorrow, 58 to 88 Thursday, Friday 58 to 85. Did I say sunny and dry?
richardak
10-24-2009, 01:54 AM
Who would've believed it. October 23rd in Fairbanks, AK, and I rode to work and took the long way home. Had a wonderful ride! Mid-20s in the morning but almost 40 in the afternoon.
Kirbster919
10-24-2009, 03:19 AM
I went for a ride yesterday here in Wisconsin. I'm tempted to get a heated jacket and ride every day there isn't ice on the roads.
Copilot
10-24-2009, 08:10 AM
We never put our bike away for the winter. My husband wears his Gerbing jacket and rides as long as ice isn't a factor.
:D
Brettendress
10-24-2009, 08:18 AM
Just bought a Gerbings and added a Honda 650XRL Street and trail to the fleet to extend my riding season. The Beemers might not see a lot of action for the rest of the season but hopefully the street and trail bike will.
Brett Endress
Altoona PA
DarrylRi
10-25-2009, 09:07 AM
My German friends and I are leaving this morning for 4 or 5 days of touring around northern California. The weather should be in the 70-80s inland and 60s on the coast. First stop is Yosemite, then circling around to the coast redwoods up by Eureka. They tell me that Karlsruhe is having "schlechtes Wetter" and are happy to be here... :)
AKBeemer
10-25-2009, 10:09 AM
We rode yesterday, Oct 24th here in Fairbanks. Temps were 35-40 degrees, but clear and mostly sunny. Looking good for more riding today. Our riding year has extended a month beyond the normal.... that is a good thing.
Maylett
10-25-2009, 01:44 PM
I'm not sure how you guys in Fairbanks put up with the long, deep winters.
Here in northern Utah, we'll likely have another month of on again, off again riding weather. Toward the end of November, the cold storms finally take over and winter begins in earnest. After that, and through February, riding is hit and miss, with snow storms, dirty air, grimy-salty roads, ice and all-around crappy riding on anything other than a snowmobile. I don't put my bike away for the winter, but the rides will be short and seldom average more than once per week.
Today is sunny, about 45–50° F, with an early snow storm heading in over the next couple of days. In other words, this will be a good day to plug in my new Gerbing's liner, and hit the road for a couple of hours.
From MARS
10-25-2009, 04:24 PM
Rode with two of my Harley riding buddies today. In the trail position. They kept slowing down for the curves :banghead, stopping to take breaks:bottle, and to eat. I like it better when I lead.:deal
Had my first "problem" with the Gerbing's. The wires pulled out of the plug for the right hand glove connection, on the jacket side. I understand the wiring is warranted for life, but I really don't want to send them in for repair before moving the bike into the shop for its annual maintenance. I think I'll just cut off a plug from one of the extra harnesses and solder it on until we get some snow/ice.
Riding season is not over!
Tom
We were 55 this morning, 84.5 now past 2PM, on its way to an expected 88 (I don't think we'll make that). I did not get out this morning, but after 6 when the sun goes down we'll be 75 in minutes, and down from there until 5 AM when it'll be 55 again. I am going out at 5:30 for a walk, and at 7-? I'll do a nice loop. It beats anything on TV.
We do that hit-or miss thing too, but mid-June to mid-September. But we have no other junk to put up with other than the heat. I have ridden in July at 116, and can say 1/2 hour in that is enough. It'll give you one big headache after that.
AKBeemer
10-26-2009, 12:02 AM
We were 55 this morning, 84.5 now past 2PM, on its way to an expected 88 (I don't think we'll make that). I did not get out this morning, but after 6 when the sun goes down we'll be 75 in minutes, and down from there until 5 AM when it'll be 55 again. I am going out at 5:30 for a walk, and at 7-? I'll do a nice loop. It beats anything on TV.
We do that hit-or miss thing too, but mid-June to mid-September. But we have no other junk to put up with other than the heat. I have ridden in July at 116, and can say 1/2 hour in that is enough. It'll give you one big headache after that.
I've had this dream (hallucination) that some day I would find a person from AZ that wanted to swap houses with me. This person would want to spend their summers in AZ and winters in Fairbanks. Jordan, are you that guy? I'll spend the winters in AZ and the summers in Fairbanks.:clap:clap
No trade Kevin, we like it here all year too much, and my two years in Chicago cured me of the snow and the cold forever.
DarrylRi
10-26-2009, 09:22 AM
Kevin, I had a friend on Whidby Island, WA, who bought himself a doublewide in a trailer park in Yuma and left an F650 down there for the winters... Just a thought...
DarrylRi
10-26-2009, 09:33 AM
This was taken yesterday of my friends Sascha and Miriam. We're out touring around NorCal this week before they have to go back to Karlsruhe, Germany.
Just in case it's not completely obvious, this is Yosemite Valley. The temps were in the 70s all day. Today we're going up to Tahoe somewhere...
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