Posted this in one of the regional thread areas, but can't get an answer from anyone. So figured I'd try it here:
Looking for some advice from those of you up in the Rhode Island area. I have the potential of relocating to Rhode Island between now and April for a job in Cranston. As a result I'm gonna wanna take my bike up there eventually. What time of year does the riding season start? I can't drive in snow with my truck as it is, so I know damn well the bike won't be any better. Thanks in advance.

 

I live in MA and usually get the bike out in April. It's still a bit cool, but not too bad. We put the bikes away in early December this past year, so we get about 7-8 months of riding time.

 

MA is about 6 hours north of me and friends of mine say usually the first week of April is when the rain has washed the salt off the roads. It can still get cold, close to freezing, after sunset depending on the weather though.

We have completely different snow than the midwest and west guys. They get powder alot and we get a fine granule that is more like microscopic frozen meteors that tend to bind into ice really easily.

Biggest things to watch out for is "Black Ice," where condensation from car exhaust leaves a thin slick of nearly invisible ice. It is common at intersections and parking lots and will drop you (even when walking) like someone took your legs out from under you.

 

Everyday riding comes to an end around Thanksgiving. After that anything is possible. Some years there is amost no snow. If you put on enough stuff you can ride. Then there are years like this year. My last ride was the first week of December. Since then we have have had 43 + inches of snow. My next ride will be near the end of March. However there is a guy in Middlebury that ride a bike and sidecar year round. He's a crazy MF.

 

I would agree with the season starting in April. I live in southeast Mass, about 25 min from the RI border. You definitely have to wait for salt and sand to get off the road, its almost as dangerous as black ice, and the salt will eat the hell out of your scoot. Season ended for me early December, but even then the riding days are short. Get some good leather and the chill wont bother you a bit. What we lack in length of riding season we make up for in real estate. There are some AWESOME places to ride up here. I say hop in and join the fun.

 

I live down by the beaches in Rhody...I can usually get it out towards the end of march. Depends on how much sand is still on road...is a bit chilly but heavy gear helps...people around here don't expect us on the road then so some dumb *** people and college kids need to open eyes.....good luck.

 

I'm up against the border of RI..in south east CT...on the shoreline.
Even though RI is small, because it's coastal...the shoreline strip is different from more inland.

First....."Riding Season" depends on you. I was out New Years Day this year. Snow on the ground, but not on the roads, was about 50 degrees mid day, low 40's by afternoon. And I was out for about 3 of the 4 weekends of December.

What defines comfortable riding weather for me? 40 and above. As long as there's no sand 'n salt on the roads after a snow. And coming back from a ride I'll wash the bike...because that salt 'n anti-ice stuff they throw down on the roads for anti snow 'n ice is brutally corrosive. For you...since you've probably lived in FL for a long period of time...your thinner blood will not be very tolerant of the colder temps (no offense). May take a few years to get used to it.

You can get some weekends in March where the temps will pass 50...that's enough for me.

And the first two weeks of April is generally the last time that you'll see snowfall....although often it wraps up in March.

What town are you moving to?
There is a LOT of beautiful scenery in RI....esp around the Narragansett area...and lots of coastal roads off of Rt 1A that weave along the beaches.

RI being a small state, everything in the state is usually less than 30 minutes away.
And you'll be able to make short trips up north for some absolutely stunning riding in New Hampshire and Vermont....get up into those mountains....big "wow" factor.

"Welcome to New England".

 

The riding season for me is all year round as long as there is no snow/salt/ice on the roads. Some winters have been better for this than others and I've been able to ride at least once or twice a month(short rides) all winter long. This winter has sucked with lots of snow so you never know.

 

Props to y'all who ride year round in actual cold weather. Being in socal, the chaps come on when it's down in the 50s and I'm going to be at it a while. I'm soft when it comes to weather but can split lanes during rush hour on the eglide like it's my job

 

I'm from CT --- I've ridden in Feb on dry days, but it's much more consistent in April. The state doesn't seem to use the sand so much anymore (rather, switched to the salt solution pre-treating), so that helps riding a little.

Thanksgiving is a good time to think about putting it away, though I rode in the hills of NW CT this year the week after Thanksgiving. Was down to about 24 degrees (with a 3/4 helmet), but the roads were dry and clean.

It's up to you on temp, the restrictions are more revolving around the abundance of sand on the roads.