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winter ride

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Old 02-28-2006, 09:43 AM
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jah
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Default winter ride

finally a warm day, in additon there was some lite morning cloud cover that kept the morning temperatures up. normally it would be about 28f degrees but today it was almost 50f. whatever.

in denver the am sun rise temperatures are to low to consider riding to work ie: temp <32f my hands get way cold, i only wear racing gloves.

how cold do you consider riding the bike to work?
how many days do you ride?


Old 02-28-2006, 10:50 AM
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What winter? J/K We are lucky enough to be able to ride all year round in Nor Cal. All you need is electric gear and clean roads!
Old 02-28-2006, 12:29 PM
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Q2. Good to about 15 degrees...

Q2. 95% of the time, rain or shine unless there is ice or snow on the roads or if work demands / errands require a more conventional vehicle.

About our weather:

Dec - Feb Temps in Atlanta, GA: Average AM low in the 30's but mid- to low- 20's are common, with the occasional dip into the low teens. Average PM in the mid 50's, but high 30's to low 60's are common. Yesterday it was 24 in the AM, today about 38. Lowest this year has been 18. Precipitation = 4.5" a month.

Gear:
Below 45: Shoei Syntec helmet, Gerbings heated jacket, gloves, with First Gear Leather TKO Jacket & Overpants, and Oxtar gortex boots.
Below 35: Same as above but with Fieldsheer Highland Jacket & Overpants.
Below 25: Same as above but with Fieldsheer Highland One-Piece Suit.

Bike:
Honda CBR1100 with standard bodywork & windscreen. Air inlets for oil cooler covered from Dec - Feb.

Commute:
26 mile round trip primarily on secondary two-lane roads. Leave 5:00 - 5:30am, returning after 6:30pm.
Old 02-28-2006, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by DosEquis Driver,Feb 28 2006, 01:29 PM
Gerbings heated jacket, gloves
Gerbings
Old 02-28-2006, 08:22 PM
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I live in TX, so it's similar to Cali with a little harsher winters. We had an unusually warm day here today as well, I actually got a light sunburn since I put about 80 miles on my bike today in short sleeves [yea I had no jacket on, but I had gloves, proper shoes, and helmet]. The colder the better, I stack on serious gear/leathers and the bike runs incredibly strong in sub freezing temperatures. I agree on the gloves deal though, I have some heavy duty racing gloves that are reinforced with kevlar and my fingers will still go numb if I ride for over an hour or so straight on my throttle hand that I can't hide like my left hand. I only need heated ones about 3 weeks out of the year, so I can't justify buying them.

BTW, I have ridden everyday for about the last 9 months, rain or shine baby.
Old 03-01-2006, 11:47 AM
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So Cal is year-round riding, though mountain roads do close for snow. But even so, some mornings are about 40 degrees F and require electric liners (IMO) for a sustained ride. It gets almost as bad on the other end. In summer there are several regions that hit 105 to 115 F and riding in that requires cooling and hydration strategies.
Old 03-01-2006, 01:18 PM
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Live in florida so if it's not nice today wait till tomorrow and drive the S today.
Old 03-01-2006, 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by sahtt,Feb 28 2006, 09:22 PM
I agree on the gloves deal though, I have some heavy duty racing gloves that are reinforced with kevlar and my fingers will still go numb if I ride for over an hour or so straight on my throttle hand that I can't hide like my left hand.
Try a Throttlemeister for the numb hand problem. They work like a champ on long rides. You basically palm the throttle instead of having to grip it.
Old 03-03-2006, 07:49 AM
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I live in Pittsburgh and the biggest issue is cinders...we don't use salt...we don't use sand...and under 30 is damn cold...to the point where I just drive. I usually wear my ski outfit if it's real cold! haha...my fancy/expensive riding gear is all summer wear.
Old 03-03-2006, 02:27 PM
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How cold I can tolerate depends what traffic is like My commute is 35 miles each way and if there is an accident it's a 2-3 hour drive so I'll take the bike in any temp (which where I got to is only 30 degrees or so) or on fridays I can tolerate any temp as long as it's not raining also 35 miles at 30 degrees does make me miserable for the first hour once I get to work however.


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