[steviek]

Went for a long ride in the Peak District (UK) last Saturday and it was an almost perfect day for it. Cold, but mostly bone dry roads, not much wind, and the best bit - the colder weather keeps the roads a LOT less busy. Mile after mile of twisty open road, blipping past the odd car, and all the time listening to the music of the NH pipes blarting out the Bonnie beat :-D Marvellous!

Most of my favourite roads were virtually empty and after a while I got a bit carried away. Had a real old scrape on the left side, which I thought might be the peg but turned out to be the centre stand. It's been a long time since I've 'buffed the pegs' on a bike (unless you count the Virago, which had relatively little clearance) so that was an extra grin factor.

I know some NTBF members have to live with sub-zero temps and deep snow from now until spring (my condolences, folks...), but is anyone else living in an area where the colder edges of spring and autumn make the best biking weather due to the lack of cages packed full of tourists and/or hill-walkers?

 

[sweatmachine]

I took a 75 mile ride around a lake near my house on Sunday, it got down in the 30s (F) and we didn't see a single other rider, and it's usually a very popular route.

There's 2 guys I see riding to work everyday no matter how cold. I admit, I don't ride as often as they do but still a couple times a week. Sometimes my work means I have to drive the cage, but when I see those guys on a 27 degree morning, the wave means a little more.

 

[MES]

but is anyone else living in an area where the colder edges of spring and autumn make the best biking weather due to the lack of cages packed full of tourists and/or hill-walkers?

That describes Los A. to a tee.
I did 350 miles last Sunday and I saw a total of 4 other bikes. A lone winger, 2HDs and a sport rocket. They were all on the flat. The twistys were devoid of the usual road litter (other vehicles).
Overnight lows was 38* with a high of 52*. It was very windy. 42mph sustained with gusts to over 60mph. Nothing like trying to do the Grapevine in those kind of conditions. "Mr Toad's wild Ride".
The only problem with late and early season riding in L.A. is if you want the twistys then you got to go up in elevation (5K'-8.2K'). It gets very cold and ice is a real possibility. Joe-RockHead and I have already been caught in the clouds and visibility was down to 20' with drizzle/rain. At that point there is really only 2 things you can do. You can turn around and backtrack (that is to be discouraged as it is against the rules) or you can hug the center line so you don't lose the road and try to push through it.

Todays weather high of 72* low 52*
tomorrow high of 83* low 50*
calling for rain on Sunday (if that happens the all those little canyons will weep water onto the road for a week and that means no riding a the higher elevations)

 

[357Bob]

33 degrees yesterday going to work. High was 58. Riding home I wanted to just keep going. Today was better. 35 degrees. It is now around 50. Supposed to be 35 for the high tomorrow. Supposed to be 10 or 11 Friday morning. I think I better charge the battery on the car. Everbody at breakfast already thinks I am crazy. Not far off.
But as for traffic it is still the same of course being in town. This weekend should be in the 50's. All my biker friends will probably stay home. But I need to ride. So I will.
The ice should all be gone. Still some on the orads in the shadows of trees. Especially the back roads.
I added a shim to the needles & glad I did. These cold days Bonnie was flat in the mid range. Adding a shim helped. May add another.

 

[Scrambler900]

With air-cooled bikes, cold weather seems to make my Triumphs (and Harleys, before) run and sound better.

steviek:
On my first trip to the UK, I stayed at a B&B in the small town of Glossop, and the owner took me on a car tour of the "Snake" through the Peak District. The moors with an evening fog rolling in looked spooky, and I could see how literature through the ages there led to writings of werewolves, fairies, dragons, hobbitts, and so forth. They all could exist in that place.

 

[kliff]

High is going to be 54 today, 45 tomorrow, planning on 50-100 mile jaunts both days!

 

[DrPangloss]

Hi steviek,
my sister lives in cambridge, you'll have to take me on one of those cold rides when i come over next!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

 

[steviek]

Scrambler900, the Snake Pass is a lovely route and there are a lot of great little backroads around that whole area. There's also a great stop-off point for a bacon butty off the A57 near the Ladybower reservoir. Just right for the mid-point on a cold rideout :razz:

DrPangloss, Cambridge is a fair distance from here (in UK terms anyway - you Aussies would probably think it's next door :wink: ) but you could ride from there and back in a day, take in the Cat & Fiddle, the Snake Pass etc. Good riding and well worth the trip.

Today is not so good! They even had a mini tornado in London that badly damaged some houses (roofs ripped off, gable ends blown out etc). Now, we NEVER used to get tornados in this country, but over the last few years we've had a few of these 'mini' twisters that have wrecked property and caused some injuries. Weird....

[ This message was edited by: steviek on 2006-12-07 08:24 ]

 

[KuzzinKenny]

the main thing i like about riding in cold weather is a BUG free visor :razz: :razz:

KK

 

[MES]

There's also a great stop-off point for a bacon butty

I don't know what a Bacon Butty is, but anything that involves Bacon got to be good. :razz:
count me in!

 

[Pistol]

It's 11 degrees F this morning...snow and ice everywhere. Enjoy your weather---it can't be worse than what we have here!

P

 

[kliff]

On 2006-12-07 08:47, MES wrote:

There's also a great stop-off point for a bacon butty

I don't know what a Bacon Butty is, but anything that involves Bacon got to be good. :razz:
count me in!

Yeah, you guys got it tough up there right now. My Bro-in-law, in DeKalb is laid up for at least another 3 months with a broken ankle, where an illegal alien side swiped him on his Valk....... His wife gave him an early Xmas present....playstaion 2....LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least he's got a medical reason not to ride.....the rest of y'all must already be experiencing withdrawal.

 

[stu]

Boy, you guys make me jealous, I'm stuck here in this da$%n 75 degree weather everyday, guess I'll have to take up nightriding.
But I still make bacon butties even tho' I emigrated 40 years ago from Pompey.

 

[REVOLT]

I ride any chance I get...excluding snow/ice storms...Everyone at work thinks I'm crazy, including those with motorcycles, they won't ride unless it's 50 degrees or more...Here in the Northwest we have a saying...not sure what the weather is going to be like? Wait 5 minutes. It changes constantly...all day, all year...

Anyhow, I Love my Bonnie...I'm most at ease when I'm riding it, no matter what the weather...It's a very organic motorcycle, you "know" it's there? Some motorcycles seem to have just a simple plan, just transportation. Others...Speed and performance, you jump on and go, get to where you're going as fast as you want/can...but the Bonneville...it's a best friend ready for a daily journey...whenever, wherever...

 

[Scrambler900]

I ride a bit colder in the winter now that I have these Triumphs. With my previous Harleys, I could always count on warming up a bit from the engine heat rising up as I waited at stoplights. More than once, I have observed other Sporter riders warming their hands over the cylinder heads like it was a camp fire.

[ This message was edited by: Scrambler900 on 2006-12-07 19:39 ]

 

[AVMECH]

Last year on Valentines day, stopped off at Walgreens to get my wife something on my way home from work around 8:00 am. About 24 degrees. This guy gets out of his car looking at me like I'm some kind of alien. Anyway, he keeps staring as he walks toward walgreens while I'm smoking, then stops abruptly, pats his pocket, curses and says "I was so shocked to see someone riding in this weather that I locked my keys in the car." I replied "If you rode in this weather, you would never have that problem" :-D

 

[hkt100]

It gets cold here in Hong Kong but usually winter is pretty dry and so it's a joy to ride. Since the summer temp can be 29 celcius and 98% humidity day after day, it feels freezing when it drops down to 15 degrees in nov-dec. it got down to 1 degree here a few winters ago but not for long.
despite the mild winter, finding a nice quiet road can be a bit of a challenge. i'll often ride behind or side by side a few container trucks and sunday drivers.