I love riding my new Wee/Gl.., and I have a nice, long 70 mile commute to work. I've been itching to ride to work these past few mornings, but the temps have been around 26º F. I have good winter gear and heated grips.
Any winter commuters ride to work? How cold is too cold for everyone?
I ride my Wee to work every day. Except on occasion when I'll take the DRZ, DR, bug or truck... but the Strom sees the road at least 5 days a week. I'll ride in any temperature, so long as there's not a lot (read; more than usual, like if it rains then freezes overnight) of ice, I'm riding.
So I guess to answer your question, if there IS a "too cold" I haven't experienced it yet.
I would concur with MiteyF. Too cold is not the issue for me, as I actually enjoy the odd looks I get when I take a ride on a cold Michigan winter day. I have heated grips, but no heated gear. I'd really like to nab a heated jacket/vest, but am generally too cheap to do so.
I quickly hesitate when there is even a remote chance of ice.
I recall years ago (many) once traversing the Sierra Nevada in wintertime. I crossed over hwy 70 as it was lower in elevation than hwy 80 which was requiring chains at the time. I remember there was one stretch of snow and I was expecting ice in the parts of the road that were shaded.
These days I don't leave the shack unless it's 50's F with the temperature rising. I still get plenty of riding in and find occasional nasty stuff when away from camp/home.
I don't like to ride to work in the cold because I have to strip off a lot of clothes and extra layer of pants. But so far as just going for a joy ride I ride in the 20's with heated gear and feel just fine.
One thing I like to do is use a longer sock over my head as earmuffs. I just fold it over the top of my head and drape it over my ears and put my helmet on. It works great for insulation and stopping any drafts and is comfortable.
Today it was 24 degrees with freezing fog.I was on a straight stretch of freeway with nobody around doing about 50mph when noticed that the bike had smothed out.I looked down at the tach ( which was iced over ) and wiped it off and saw I was doing 5,000 rpm's not the 4,000 it should have been!!.Wheel spin in the dark at 50mph woke me up a bit and I eased my way for the next 15 miles to work.When I got here my buddy looked at me and started laughing,I looked in the mirror and my black Darien jacket was completly white was ice !!.Maybe NOT the best day to ride ??.
Earlier this week I left my 2012 at our local dealer for the 24,000 km inspection (yeah at 43,000 km a bit late.). I picked it up tonight it was -10c or 14f and snowing a bit. Only a 15 minute ride home but I was nice and toasty. To bad the snow is accumulating..
I don't mind the cold too much, but the slipping stuff freaks me out. I used to ride all the time when I had the full protection of the Goldwing full fairing, but riding the Wee has caused me to layout when the temps are low 20's or teens. I guess that makes me a weenie, but it is what it is.
I'm with you! Riding is an enjoyable experience, I can't enjoy it in the bitter cold, or if I'm all tensed up wondering if the next patch of black ice will be my last!
I notice a few of the guys on this thread are from Seattle area and Oregon. I think that your climate really lends itself to black ice building up much more than it does in the eastern parts of the continent. I always hear of dampness and rain there.. I am sure adding freezing temepratures makes it really bad.
Black ice can always be a concern at temperatures from the mid 30's f and down but it is much more likely around the frezing point. Around freezing there is more likelyhood to be moisture in the air that can freeze onto a cold road. When I rode my bike home last night there was light snow happening but since it hadn't been snowing too long it mainly just blew around as you rode over it. Traction was suprisingly good. I stuck to back roads with little traffic.. there was more snow on those roads but cars hadn't had the chance to start packing it down and turn it into ice. It wasn't conditions I would normally ride in but I needed to get the bike home last night for differnet reasons and really wasn't a big deal.
Randyo is a real snow rider and really enjoys riding his bike in snow.
It's in the upper 30's and sunny right now and only a little compacted snow patches in the driveway. This is probably the last window of riding weather I'll see for the rest of the month here. Sure would like to try out my seat mod by Spencer and the new give screen and madstad bracket.
Either that or I'm removing the battery until I get back from Guatemala on 2/10.
Way back when I used to ride all winter long but I rode on studded tires on ice and snow. Bundled up and did fine. Now that I am in my 60's, I don't ride at all below 40 degrees, may drop some but 40 is my cutoff for leaving the house on the bike. Given a choice, I prefer the temp above 50 for enjoyable riding.
Now logging off. The temp is 57 and I am going riding...
The sander has been by since it rained last so there's salt and lots of sand on my road. And temperatures are head down to single digits for the next week. So I pulled the battery.
The real question is, how high is your pain tolerance? I've ridden from 107 all the way down to -28. I consistently ride 30-40 minutes in 20 degree weather with no heated gear, no leggings, and poor gloves. Why? Cuz caging sucks balls, that's why.
The real question is, how high is your pain tolerance? I've ridden from 107 all the way down to -28. I consistently ride 30-40 minutes in 20 degree weather with no heated gear, no leggings, and poor gloves. Why? Cuz caging sucks balls, that's why.
The trick is to wear gear that makes sure you aren't cold. The shorter the ride the less we have to worry about it but ultimately it isn't fun if you are cold. I make sure I'm not cold.
Rode to work today, ate shit right at the end of my driveway on some ice. Saw it, thought "alright, little rear brake, niiice and slow..." as soon as my front tire touched it I was on the ground.
Picked the bike up and went to work. Bent my luggage rack back into shape after work, and I'll be riding in again tomorry :yesnod:
Rode to work today, ate shit right at the end of my driveway on some ice. Saw it, thought "alright, little rear brake, niiice and slow..." as soon as my front tire touched it I was on the ground.
Picked the bike up and went to work. Bent my luggage rack back into shape after work, and I'll be riding in again tomorry :yesnod:
I had a similar incident a couple of Sundays ago. I had left home and realized after a few hundred yards that I didn't have my wallet. Turned around and when I got to my driveway I went over the one piece of ice left on my driveway at the same tiem I was turning into it. It fell on the right side and broke the turn signal and the front part of the clamp that holds on the right mirror. I rode anyway for a bit and when I got home taped up the singal (and put in a spare bulb I had) and took the bracket part off of my 2006.
I've commuted my short 11 mile route as low as 10 degrees (yesterday), and felt pretty good even without heated gear. My question/worry is how much extra wear and tear if any does the bike experience at these cold temps? I know when I fire her up in the mornings it takes a few seconds longer than usual for the noises to go away when the oil makes it up to the valves. Once it's running I let it sit for a minute or two and then don't rev it till I get a bar or two on the temp gauge. I just don't want to hurt my baby lol.
I've commuted my short 11 mile route as low as 10 degrees (yesterday), and felt pretty good even without heated gear. My question/worry is how much extra wear and tear if any does the bike experience at these cold temps? I know when I fire her up in the mornings it takes a few seconds longer than usual for the noises to go away when the oil makes it up to the valves. Once it's running I let it sit for a minute or two and then don't rev it till I get a bar or two on the temp gauge. I just don't want to hurt my baby lol.
It does quite down after a few seconds but not because of oil getting to the valves. The Valves aren't hydralic so there isn't any oil getting up there to take up lash and quiet them down.
You aren't doing it any favour sitting there idling and if anything you are giving it extra wear and tear. As soon as it is safe to ride you should ride away (gently, as if you were in your break in period for the first few minutes.) Sitting there idling prolongs the warm up and can cause all kinds of nasty acids and moisture build up plus it gives extra stress as the engine doesn't run as smoothly at an idle as it does at riding revs.
As far as extra wear and tear, my 2006 has over 125,500 miles o nit being ridden in all kinds of temepratrues fro msingle digt F to over 120 f (deatehr Valley.) It never missed a beat and I had no reall issues with it and certainly none that were releated to cold or winter riding.
..Tom
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