Just Ride.

Should this ride thread be just a.... well, thread? Or should there be a dedicated Forum topic?

  • Yes, it's own topic in the Forums

    Votes: 19 90.5%
  • Nah... threads good enough.

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
In the UK the medians are raised even more. I think this is so when it snows the roads cannot be cleared so everyone gets a surprise holiday.
We have 50 states and that's like 50 countries, but we all drive on the right. I remember when "right on red after stop" came into being. It was adopted one state at a time over a period of years.
 
I stayed home yesterday and cleared the snow/slush from around the bikes and my block. The temperature was above freezing all day with bits of sun and wind to help dry the roads.

This morning was a very pleasant ride to work at 34°F. The roads to work were dry with an occasional spot of wet which I avoided easy enough in case they were ice. I know many of you have mentioned you don't ride in the cold at all and a couple have jabbed me about my own riding in temperatures at or below freezing. (Thanks for your concern, I do appreciate it). Any area of the road could be iced over which is the main hazard I suspect; at least that is what seems to be talked about the most.

One hazard of riding after a snow that doesn't get mentioned often on the bike forums is snow atop the cagers on the highways. This morning, I had that premonition to be extra careful about that exact thing. I was in the left lane on Brahma passing a few cars here and there. 4 miles before my left exit off the HOV lanes, a slower car pulls in front of me. At first, I thought I would just slow down and not pass them on their right. But atop their car was a sheet of ice/snow about 2" thick. I indicated to move right to pass them and as I crossed the lane line, the ice blew off the top of the car. It was truly magnificent! The sheet maintained most of its integrity as it took flight with only a couple of small pieces going astray. It flipped once and crashed into the highway with a brilliant shattering of ice right next to my leg.

I may have had a different opinion of the incident had I not moved over before it happened... Watch for flying ice folks...
 
Obviously you were riding to suit the conditions and alert to any hazards which only comes with experience and good skills by you. I am sure we have all had plenty of close calls as you never know what other motorists will do. We don't have to worry about ice over here but recently riding on the highway a car about 50 meters ahead of me swerved abruptly into the next lane to hit a piece of truck tyre that was laying on the road and sent it flying back at me. I did my best to avoid it but it hit my left leg but I managed to stay upright. The car then accelerated away to enjoy reaping havoc. My wife has just bought her first motorbike and I am trying to instill in her that every other road user wants to run her over. Safe riding.
 
Obviously you were riding to suit the conditions and alert to any hazards which only comes with experience and good skills by you. I am sure we have all had plenty of close calls as you never know what other motorists will do. We don't have to worry about ice over here but recently riding on the highway a car about 50 meters ahead of me swerved abruptly into the next lane to hit a piece of truck tyre that was laying on the road and sent it flying back at me. I did my best to avoid it but it hit my left leg but I managed to stay upright. The car then accelerated away to enjoy reaping havoc. My wife has just bought her first motorbike and I am trying to instill in her that every other road user wants to run her over. Safe riding.
I try to ride in an alert/relaxed state thinking the same thing: that every cager wants to hit me. I just need to be ready to act when one gets the guts to do it.
 
Yesterday was a nice day to get a ride in, before the arctic blast. Winter down here is like a roller coaster, going from near 80°F down to almost 20°F, as shown in this graphic.
20220119-MyRadar.jpg

So, just a pleasant wandering up to Enchanted Rock, starting with a break stop at the Frontier Outpost, north of Fredericksburg.
20220119_FrontierOutpost.jpg

Several hikers at Enchanted Rock. Zoom-in at the top and you'll see a hiker up there.
20220119_EnchantedRock2.jpg

Then a long loop return, stopping at Pecan Grove Store, and a visit with the owner.
20220119_PecanGrove.jpg

All roads lead to lunch, and hitting Backwoods BBQ between lunch and dinner rush, I almost have this huge place to myself.
20220119_Backwoods1.jpg

Brisket, in the dead of winter.
20220119_Backwoods2.jpg

Yum...
 
That exhaust sound is so soothing I think I'd fall asleep ridng it. The rpms are very low compared to my Virago: You were getting approx. 60mph at 2450 rpm whereas I get that at about 3400 rpm. In the early 70s I read a book called Rogue Angels and this mentioned 70mph at 2700rpm on an HD which has always amazed me...:bike:

Fab scenery!!! I expected to see kangaroos at any second.
 
70mph at 2700rpm on an HD
I had an 1100 Moto Guzzi that ran that way too. I think maybe it could make interstate speed in 2nd gear! It sure did not have the top gear roll-on that my XS1100 has and that scared me good one time passing a semi truck on a two lane highway.
 
Like most bikes, Buzzy loves the cold air. Granted, he is still pissed off when I wake him up and bemoans pulling duty on such a cold day. But once out on the expressway, I caught him hitting 75mph indicated which I'm guessing is around 85mph actual. I had to reign him in some and talk and boundaries and limits.
it was 16°F this morning at the house.
 
Like most bikes, Buzzy loves the cold air. Granted, he is still pissed off when I wake him up and bemoans pulling duty on such a cold day. But once out on the expressway, I caught him hitting 75mph indicated which I'm guessing is around 85mph actual. I had to reign him in some and talk and boundaries and limits.
it was 16°F this morning at the house.
Good on you!
Wish I had your metabolism, I have to dress for fifteen minutes to go bring in firewood. Then come in and thaw my feet.
 
Good on you!
Wish I had your metabolism, I have to dress for fifteen minutes to go bring in firewood. Then come in and thaw my feet.
I was in Minneapolis a few years ago with work in February. I awoke to hear the news tell me it was -30°F. As I walked outside to my rental car, I noticed my beard froze on my first exhale. I touched it and it broke. I was stressed and laughing all at once. And of course my thoughts went straight away to riding in that cold air but alas, I could find no one with a bike to lend me. It would have needed a sidecar I guess as the roads were packed snow and ice...
 
. . . I awoke to hear the news tell me it was -30°F. . . And of course my thoughts went straight away to riding in that cold air but alas, I could find no one with a bike to lend me . . .
Just as well. Man, that's too cold for riding.
 
How cold is cold? Cold Lake, Alberta, January 1986. I drove my somewhat tired 1976 BMW 2002 from Southern CA a month earlier for a posting at the Canadian Forces Base. The hotel had an icy/packed snow parking lot and plug-ins everywhere for block heaters. It is -40 (C and F ) that morning. I start the car in neutral without much difficulty and when running smoothly I released the clutch. The car got an ungodly low frequency thump, thump, thump. The trans mainshaft oil was frozen and one rear (open diff) tire was spinning and the thump, thump was the frozen flat spot on the tire. A couple blips of the throttle loosened the oil finally. Driving a car with each tire having a frozen flat spot was entertaining. They rounded out by the time I got to the base main gate 5 or 6 miles out.
 
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