Topic: Rode from Mansfield Center CT to Albany NY today...at 5am...man was it cold...

[ColinMc]

it was a long 2.5 hour ride...luckily I was using my dad's biked. A BMW R1150RT with heated grips and an adjustable windscreen. Even despite that...below freezing in the dark at 5am is cold no matter how you look at it lol. I stopped halfway at a rest area to warm up using the hand dryers in the bathroom. I was wearing underarmor pants, shirt, t-shirt, zip up thermal sweater, my good winter riding jacket, jeans, riding boots, and my nice thick winter gloves. After 45 minutes of riding at 75mph in those kind of temperatures everything just gets cold all the way through. My knees didn't thaw out until noon today lol. Now I remember why I stopped riding year round hehe. I was just glad I didn't take the old R100/7...wouldn't have had ANY wind protection on that thing...

[BobbyR]

There is a calculator from the National Weather Service. It was about 32 degrees in Dutchess County for I used that and 75 MPH speed. It came out to be 16F. You can try it for yourself at  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/windchill.shtml

[ColinMc]

Haha awesome! I do have to say though, it was an amazing ride...the sun was rising behind me and when it finally was partway up...the trees along the MassPike just lit right up...even though I was cold, I don't regret it in the slightest. Probably my last long(er) ride for the season.

[azuredesign]

Probably my last long(er) ride for the season.

Damn and the local craigslist is starting to have more snowmobiles than bikes in the motorcycle section. I like the beginning of Autumn much more than the end!

[andy750]

Thanks for the gear/weather/ride report- good to know! Ill be riding a VStrom on Sat/Sun from Green Bay, WI to Boston, MA -its snowing in Green Bay  . 1200 miles in 2 days? Possible in the cold? Ill find out and let you know ;-)

cheers
Andy

[bucky katt]

thats the bike i want when i get my settlement. those ii50 rt's are fantastic bikes! i want the heated seat as well on mine. mansfield isnt TOO far from where i grew up in windsor ct.

[ColinMc]

Yeah the heated seat would have been key...I was wearing lots of layers, and had decent wind protection...but before the sun came up...it was just plain COLD. I've turned into a wuss, I used to ride literally year round...rain,snow,sleet...but now that I have a car I like that has heated seats and is fun to drive, I don't have a good enough reason to wake up 30 minutes early for work just to get all bundled up and ready to go lol.

Now I understand why people get heated clothing though, if i'd had a heated vest under my jacket even with my cold knees I would have been fine. Keeping your hands and upper body warm goes a long way to making you feel much better. I'm super tired now, just like I ran a 5k race this morning but only I didn't lol.

My girlfriend goes to UConn for grad school stuff. I visited her for the weekend on the bike. Gorgeous ride there on saturday afternoon, then we went for a nice ride for a couple hours on sunday and went apple picking...all that good stuff. Good thing I planned ahead with lots of warm stuff for the ride to work this morning heh.

[74cb750]

Kudos to you. Sounds like a good bike to have in the cold.

I try not to ride when it is below 32F, as my tires don't grip well on ice. 

Wife suggested I take the car to the soccer game today, but I demurred as
I have a rainsuit, it is about 35F degrees, and I'll be soaked by the end of the
game anyways as I'm the ref. 

peace,
michel

[ColinMc]

Haha yeah I just wish it was my bike...but if things go anything like how I got my 78 BMW, i'll be buying this one off of my dad too lol. You can get some great deals off of family members  Until then as long as he isn't using it he has no problem with me riding it. He is done riding in the cold. He used to ride his 74 Commando around Buffalo NY year round while my mom got to drive the car to work for the first four years they were married. This time of year I can take it out no problem, I take care of any vehicle I ride/drive so he knows i'm not gonna abuse it (see hate for rich squids thread started by Bucky Katt lol).

The only thing I don't like about the 1150RT's is they way they look...it just LOOKS like an old man bike...but man does it work great. For a big top heavy bike it handles surprisingly well even when pushed hard in corners. Plus with both side hard bags and the hard top bag I fit all my girlfriends riding gear, my laptop, bag of stuff for the weekend, full rain suit, and some of moms cookies for the gf with room to spare.

[Inigo Montoya]

Riding would have been cold today. It was 18F here and going by that calc, that would have made it -9f at 75F. I think I will drive.