Winter Riding

Hi,

I suppose the truly hard core could do it...Dress warm tho!

I have ridden in some pretty chilly weather....not in snow (yet) tho!

Andrew
 
I dont see a problem with riding them all year long. Might have to put on long pants down here in the winter though when the temps drop down into the 60's...(^):bike2:rotfl
 
in reviews on the gebe site there are some intrepid riders. in alaska there is a race called idabike, check it out.
 
They have studded tires for ice conditions. I have not tried them out here in the Valley of the Sun yet. My buddy did do a race on the ice once and we did a homemade version of the studded tires with Sheet Metal screws.
 
Heh heh heh.....yup, some. Studs are good.

Macchia_A_731.jpg
 
I live near the Canadian border.

They lay salt and gravel on the road here. People usually have motor bike accidents when they drive too fast on salted roads, which are full of gravel. Cornering or stopping too fast means that you get to pick pieces of gravel from your bloody, inflamed "road rash" hands. This can happen on ice too.

If you enjoy laying your bike down, come up here and drive during the winter time. Just make sure that your health insurance coverage is good.

Some people are doing it anyways. To me, it's not worth it.

That's my two-bits worth.

VaporKing
 
I'm definitely going to try riding in the winter here. I was thinking of either getting studded tires or making my own by putting screws through the tire. Now, whether or not I continue to ride during the winter, we'll have to wait and see. I do know it's gonna be pretty cold though...mmmm MB'ing in 20 degrees, woohoo!
 
From Motorcycle Safety | Winter Bike Riding -- The Safe Way - WhyBike.com is this list of considerations that are discussed about winter motorcycle riding. For those of you who do not like to pedal and want to go fast this list is very good. I have dealt with cold riding on a bicycle to about 30 degrees and this is not so relevant for a pedaling rider as they generate their own heat after a few minutes riding. Hands and feet however never get warm from pedaling so need to be warm and wind proofed. I like to ride my motored bike more like a bicycle than a motorcycle and do know if ice were a consideration very much I would use a studded tire front and back so I would not always be picking salt and stone out of my road rash....Well on with the quote from the WhyBike.com article....

For your motorcycle:

* You need to get a windshield. Don’t ever think that twenty degree temperatures with severe wind chill factors are enjoyable enough for you to neglect having a windshield.

* Make sure your motorcycle battery could stand the strain of chilly blasts. Keep it charged and you can try to use Battery Tender for this.

* Using the proper oil for your motorcycle is also top priority. The 10w – 40w oil is sufficient enough.

* For those with liquid-cooled bikes, make sure that the reading on the anti-freeze is sufficient for the temperatures you’ll be expecting.

* Make sure your bike has been thoroughly inspected for any mechanical problems before starting your ride.

For yourself:

* Be patient of the use of your protective gears that would restrict your overall movement while riding. Like wearing full-faced helmets and heavy clothing that would prevent free and easy movement.

* Keep yourself posted over weather forecasts and road condition reports over the route you'll be taking. It is a good measure especially for those who will ride a long way from home.

* Cover up your body and eliminate all the places where the cold air can easily enter. Some winter riders wear heavy clothing and use duct tape to seal up openings. But modern fabrics designed to seal out the cold and retain body heat can be more preferable. There’s winter clothing made specifically for motorcyclists. You can even use ski pants.

* Electric vests and electric gloves can also be preferable. These electric gadgets are interconnected with wires that also connect to a thermostat that can be kept in your pocket. One end of the thermostat goes to a dedicated connector that leads to the battery. You’ll find yourself fleecy warm in these gadgets to it has a bulkiness to it.

Your winter riding can be a great adventure. Just make sure that while you’re having fun, you and your motorcycle are also safe and sound.
 
Yes if a bike is good part of the time it is probably good all of the time that transportation is worth doing. I don't drive my car in a thunder storm or dust storm or blizzard. Those are the extremes I think I want to avoid. Like I said I have ridden in below freezing temperatures and up to 122 degrees. You just need to use your intelligence and body to monitor things and be safe. Drinking water is important in either extreme as dehydration will hurt you bad and quickly if hot or cold. Who else was crazy enough to ride in Arizona when we hit 122 degrees back in 1990? I also commuted every other day to Casa Grande from Mesa about 90 miles round trip in the summer heats more like 115, back in mid 1980's. Extremes are doable if you want but certainly not necessary.
 
what is winter :D. i think that is the time of the year we have an average temp of 80
 
Here in S. Texas winter is when you don't close the freezer door all the way!
Here in the "dead" of winter the use of underarm deodorent drops about 3%rotfl We also have "ice" here, but only when some kid drops his soda pop on the sidewalk!(^) Later Tramp (c)
 
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