How cold is too cold.....
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 1
From: New Brunswick, C-eh-n-eh-d-eh
Agreed! However where I live (eastern Canada -eh? -New Brunswick-go to Maine then turn right.) if we used that yard stick we would only drive a couple days each year. Ya gotta be tough to ride around here!
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: Paris, TN
I agree! The forcast was looking like we might get some snow here, so the city got out and poured liquid de-icer all over the roads. I rode a bit yesterday after it dried. Maybe there was enough rain last night (no snow, btw) to clean it off the roads. Temps have been 30's and low 40's. I can handle that.
The owner of my local indy shop was talking about 'riding in the new year'. He's been on his bike at midnight on Jan 1st for the past 15 years.
The owner of my local indy shop was talking about 'riding in the new year'. He's been on his bike at midnight on Jan 1st for the past 15 years.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,886
Likes: 3
It's not the temp...it's the road surface. I'm leery about getting too far out when it might snow, especially in the mountains. People bullshit about riding in any kind of weather (and being stupid is your perogative) but I've been in the mountains when it's started snowing unexpectedly and it ain't fun. As for heading out of my driveway into snowy conditions.....that's definitely a fool's errand....not gonna happen.
About 6 years ago, my wife and I rode the valk to a community-wide car show (about 90 miles away) in mid-May, and the ride up was uneventful, but on the way back we hit total white-out conditions. The road surface was incredibly slick....it took me about a quarter mile to safely slow down so we could start the walk back to see if the other couple riding with us had gone down.
Walking back up the road, well off the shoulder, we were about 60 feet away from one of the show-cars heading home when it went out of control and crashed into a big Tahoe....killing the woman and critically injuring her husband. The Tahoe had triggered it's satellite system, but nothing could make it to the scene for quite awhile. We felt sorry for the 16 year kid driving dad's Tahoe....he'd been traveling sensibly, stayed in his own lane, and got clobbered by the show car.....a little Chevelle. Waited around for about 2 hours, talked to the cops so the kid wouldn't get blamed, and by that time spring temperatures had completely melted the snow, a medevac helicopter was able to arrive, and it was safe to travel again.
Like I said, it ain't the temperature....it's what temperature does to precipitation that can make riding a bike in cold weather a dicey proposition. And if it's shitty, remember you're not the only one out there, sliding around.
About 6 years ago, my wife and I rode the valk to a community-wide car show (about 90 miles away) in mid-May, and the ride up was uneventful, but on the way back we hit total white-out conditions. The road surface was incredibly slick....it took me about a quarter mile to safely slow down so we could start the walk back to see if the other couple riding with us had gone down.
Walking back up the road, well off the shoulder, we were about 60 feet away from one of the show-cars heading home when it went out of control and crashed into a big Tahoe....killing the woman and critically injuring her husband. The Tahoe had triggered it's satellite system, but nothing could make it to the scene for quite awhile. We felt sorry for the 16 year kid driving dad's Tahoe....he'd been traveling sensibly, stayed in his own lane, and got clobbered by the show car.....a little Chevelle. Waited around for about 2 hours, talked to the cops so the kid wouldn't get blamed, and by that time spring temperatures had completely melted the snow, a medevac helicopter was able to arrive, and it was safe to travel again.
Like I said, it ain't the temperature....it's what temperature does to precipitation that can make riding a bike in cold weather a dicey proposition. And if it's shitty, remember you're not the only one out there, sliding around.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 960
Likes: 90
From: SE WI
My limit is about 45 degrees. I don't own any electric stuff. At 45 I've got on all my heavy duty cold weather stuff, thick gloves, etc. and it just ain't fun going much colder than that, and I assume we're talking highway. Just to putt across town would be a completely different matter. I remind myself that this here is supposed to be fun. I know some guys like to pound their chest and talk about toughness but I never equated two wheeler traveling with some kind of a "my dad can beat up your dad" contest. Just my .02. Roll on, amigos.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 6
From: Las Vegas, NV
50* is tolerable dressed appropriately.
Freezing your *** off on a bike takes the fun out of it for me.
Same goes for the heat........117* here in Vegas in the summer also takes the fun out of riding.
I'll never be a "real" biker.........
Freezing your *** off on a bike takes the fun out of it for me.
Same goes for the heat........117* here in Vegas in the summer also takes the fun out of riding.
I'll never be a "real" biker.........
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 923
Likes: 3
From: Southern Oregon
Once I had to ride from Vegas to my home in Oregon. From Begas to Reno wasn't too bad, in the high 30's most of the way.
Past Reno, from Susanville, through Shasta on the rest of the way home it was below 30. Not a great ride for sure but two of us made it. The lowest temp we knew for sure was just outside Mt Shasta where we stopped for gas and the thermometer was 22 degrees. The weather was clear, the roadway mostly dry but snow still piled up along side several feet deep. Oh did I say NO HEATED GEAR?
Last month we had a fellow rider pass away. A group of 12 riders took off from out town souther Oregon and rode to Portland to pick up his ashes. All but 2 riders had heated gear. It was exactly 30 degrees when we left.
It a 175 ride one way. About 1/2 way we hit what they call "freezing fog" and the temps dropped to 17 degrees. It was frickin COLD. Even my heated gloves couldn't keep the ice from building up on them. (no fairing for windshield for me). We stopped a few times on the ride to warm up but we still had to get to Portland and home before dark. We made it but it was COLD. Only 2 people decded to turn around once we hit that 17 degrees. I don't blame them at all, they didn't have any heated gear and the wife doesn't have a lot of her own "padding". LOL
With my heated gear, I'm comfortable riding as long as it's 40 or higher and NO RAIN. If it's raining, I just don't like to ride. But here in Oregon, you either learn to ride when it's cold or you bike will sit in the garage for 6 months.
Past Reno, from Susanville, through Shasta on the rest of the way home it was below 30. Not a great ride for sure but two of us made it. The lowest temp we knew for sure was just outside Mt Shasta where we stopped for gas and the thermometer was 22 degrees. The weather was clear, the roadway mostly dry but snow still piled up along side several feet deep. Oh did I say NO HEATED GEAR?
Last month we had a fellow rider pass away. A group of 12 riders took off from out town souther Oregon and rode to Portland to pick up his ashes. All but 2 riders had heated gear. It was exactly 30 degrees when we left.
It a 175 ride one way. About 1/2 way we hit what they call "freezing fog" and the temps dropped to 17 degrees. It was frickin COLD. Even my heated gloves couldn't keep the ice from building up on them. (no fairing for windshield for me). We stopped a few times on the ride to warm up but we still had to get to Portland and home before dark. We made it but it was COLD. Only 2 people decded to turn around once we hit that 17 degrees. I don't blame them at all, they didn't have any heated gear and the wife doesn't have a lot of her own "padding". LOL
With my heated gear, I'm comfortable riding as long as it's 40 or higher and NO RAIN. If it's raining, I just don't like to ride. But here in Oregon, you either learn to ride when it's cold or you bike will sit in the garage for 6 months.