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In the winter months if it's dry I'll ride the thirty mile trip to check on my Mother in the thirties. Warm up a little and head back home.
As some have mentioned, I don't get mine out if there are chemicals on the road.
In town here Ill ride in pretty much anything. Road trips stop when icing conditions begin. Living here in central AZ, I cant see purchasing true "winter" gear in the hopes I can use it if winter falls on a weekend this year. I've got a 15 yr old pair of chaps, a decent textile jacket with liner, and my sole concession- cold weather gloves. If I need more than that for myself, I stay home.
Rode to work this morning....temps low 50's. Coming home tonight was in the mid 40's. I ride to work up to the weekend after November 11.... I help organize a Veterans Day Parade. I ride down to the mid-upper 30's and 40% or lower precipitation. With our short riding season, I try to ride as much as I can. I have been caught in snow... a bit scary and nerve wracking, but I got caught. Rain.... been in every thing form drizzle to downpours. If it's raining at the start of the day or trip....it's postponed until it lets up or quits. Common sense is a key to my riding decisions. Other than my buddies or a few guys at work.... I never rag on others for their choice of when to ride and when not. I've been the only bike at work for the past two weeks!!
In Arizona you either burn or freeze depending where you are running from or going to and when on any day. I stay in the temperate zone, it's my ride planner.
If I can't do it in comfort I'll get some work done.
26° is when I stop riding. I leave the house at 4:30 am ride 12 miles on I-95 doing 85 mph not much traffic. I cant stand the heat. This was taken on 12/29/15 it was 32° and I just got back from a 30 mile ride.
Last edited by mskirwin; Oct 11, 2018 at 07:59 PM.
Reason: added text
The past week it's been pretty chilly in the mornings. I leave for work around 6:30 am and the sun its coming up later as the year progresses to fall, then to winter.
For a while I was throwing on the leather jacket and doing fine, but a few nights ago it got real cold through that leather jacket. It was an evening ride and it was about 45 degrees. My body started tightening up (like rigamortis set in). I was having a hard time focusing on the ride.
This morning I left the house and asked myself...should I drive the bike or the truck? It was 50 degrees and the high is forecast for 56. I opted for the truck with its heater. LOL
There's a period in the year where I'm going to be lost while I wait for the snow to pile up in the Sierras. Once I put the bike away for winter I'll be waiting for snowmobile season to fire up. Do I buy warmer riding gear so I can ride until we get ice on the streets?
What's your magic temp to put that bike away? I know you Texas and Florida guys are gunna tell us how great you have it. I'm thinking seriously about retiring to AZ...maybe lake Havasue...
Do you have a clue as to what the temp is at Lake Havasu from May until now? Granted, it's AWESOME between now and AprilMay, but you were talking about perfect temps.
Perfect temps for me are in the mid/upper 70's, for street riding.
Track riding, I like mid 60's.
Offroading, I like mid 60's.
Offroad racing, I like upper 40's.
We're lucky here as it's perfect more than it's not...(but, we ARE expecting rain here Saturday!) First rain in 6-7 months...
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