Low Temperature Riding Threshold?

[jdubeemer]

Good to see your name pop up Lenn. Sorry to hear you and Al won't make the Christmas get together, our prayers are with Al for a quick recovery. Suz had rotator cuff surgery and I know how she suffered through that. You and Steber make me jealous with tales of riding the Alps. I have done it in a VW when stationed there in the USAF but I know it's not the same.

[Vance]

We were in the low 30s in the Alps with no heated gear so that was pretty cold. (I had the gear but it didn't work on the bike for some reason. Worked fine when we got home.) If I have heated gear, I can do lower but then my eyes start watering and my nose runs so that keeps me from doing that very often.

Lenn

Hi Lenn...could it be that those bikes you were on in the Alps were running 220v power??
lol...

(thinking spring!)

[bikertaz]

The coldest I ever road in was 8 degrees at 2AM when I was working at the sugar refinery. The ride was only about 5 miles and at that time I only had a motorcycle jacket. I had a sweat shirt under the jacket and nothing to protect the legs. I was riding a Kawasaki 550 with a small aftermarket fairing. I was glad it was a short ride when I got to work as I was COLD. Of course I was much younger. With my current gear and bike I would ride down in the twenties, but not necessarily all day. I don't have heated gear yet, but it may be in my future.

[basketcase]

So here we are on 2 January 2014, and at 48* and raining in T-town for all practical purposes it is as warm as it will get today. I have a bad case of cabin fever, but I'm not going riding in this mess. Additionally, the forecast calls for it to be 10* colder by dark this evening so any travel Rick does today will be in his Ranger truck.

To the question: in high school I threw my paper route off of a "trail bike" which was my daily transportation and workhorse. The route included the Sunday morning paper, and I recall plenty of times when I got home with ice caked on my legs. At that age I never really thought about "when is it too cold." And the bike was my only choice for transportation and work. During the summers "too hot" never entered the conversation. Rather, on any hot day jumping on the bike and moving was more comfortable than sitting still.

Over the years after high school (including time away in the military, college, and other) I continued to ride and really just took it in stride. Then starting in 1982 I took a 13 year hiatus from riding, and resumed riding in the spring of 1995 on a Honda Shadow. Less than a year later, in January 1996, I struck a deal with Carlos Wilhite and traded the Shadow for an old K100RT that had been owned by Casey Hardison. The K was also my first bike with a faring. There was still no such thing as too cold, and I recall leaving t-town one morning later that month with a buddy to ride to Twix & Tween to eat breakfast and it was 27* and flurrying snow. I will confess that by then I had become heat conscious -- but it was to the heat coming off that K100 engine. There was no such thing as riding that thing in shorts -- unless one wanted his legs scorched.

Thinking about it, January 1996 was 18 years ago and I've just moved back to a beemer. Hmm ... but I digress.

Two things seem to have influenced my thinking so that now sometimes it is too cold or too hot.

First, in August 2003 I dehydrated after working outside all day and failing to keep tabs on my fluids. As a result I took a little ride to the local ER in an ambulance. Since the dehydration adventure my heat tolerance has never been the same.

Next, in 2005 I took a mission trip to a third world country and came home with Malaria. The treatments for Malaria are similar to how a veterinarian treats a dog for heart worms. To wit: there is a live parasite in the bloodstream, and just enough poison is administered to kill the parasite without killing the dog... I know how the dog feels. Anyway, the upshot is that my cold tolerance seems to have been affected by that adventure.

So if asked today when is it too cold, I would generally say I won't leave the house on the bike at 45* unless it promises to be warm and sunny before we get back. And while I can manage the heat issues with proper hydration and electrolyte packets, I just no longer enjoy riding when it’s 95* and 100% humidity outside.

Finally, I’ll offer the observation that I don’t ride with heated gear. I’m not opposed to that, but have just never been inclined to commit to it. Besides, when depending on heated gear one leaves himself vulnerable to the elements in the event of a breakdown.

Personally, I would prefer to layer up, which was the approach I took when a friend and I rode the Continental Divide Trail in 2010 on dual sport bikes. We crossed the Divide some 20 times on that trip, and on a typical day we suited up in the morning around 5,000 feet and then changed gear at least twice more as we gained elevation and lost elevation before day’s end. We rode the Bear Tooth highway from Silver Gate, Montana over to Red Cloud and it was COLD and 10’ of snow at the top of the mountain, but the roadway was dry.

Rainy day regards to all,
Rick in t-town

[lonewolf]

I am in t- town too. Watching it rain. Just getting over some broke ribs from a mishap with my r1100 and now it's raining and cold. Ready to ride and going crazy in the house.

[Vance]

Rick, I agree...I won't be riding today either. Although I did have to give props to the guy on the Kawa 500 sportbike next to me at the light this morning. when he lifted his visor and looked at me, I could tell he was not riding by choice this morning. I try never to say never, but I would not pick to ride today if I could help it....lol.

Electrics rock...but I always take extra layers in case of a malfunction....

[jdubeemer]

It's raining on us in Sardis City also. Just spent nine days in south Florida at my daughters house wishing I had a bike there. Just had to tough it out and play golf instead.

[Vance]

looks like that retirement "fits" quite well on you Jim!

[jdubeemer]

looks like that retirement "fits" quite well on you Jim!

Actually I got paid to fly down there and back plus a free rental car. Part time work fits me well indeed!!

[Vance]

yes indeed! thats what I am talking about!

[Vance]

I just find myself thinking....I JUST WANT TO RIDE!!!!! But its too doggone COLD!!

(Sorry...couldn't help it)

[BamaBiker]

Well, I don't think it's too cold to ride. I thought about it this a.m. and was going to fire up the electrics and ride over to Barber's for my volunteer shift this a.m. Then I looked at the thermometer again. Hmm! Only 26 degF. It rained yesterday. Roads may be wet. Plus there are several water leaks on Colonnade Drive. Better take the car. Yep! The Colonnades had ice clear across the road in 3 places. I heard on the radio that 2 B'ham motorcops hit a patch of ice on Colonnade Drive where it passes under US280 and both went down. And this was about 2:00pm today. Let's be careful out there!

[Vance]

I agree Jack. Actually it warmed up fairly nice today...a little sun goes a long way! Maybe I'll get out tomorrow for a while!