Coldest Ride 2017-2018

paulcb said:

No worries Bob, a Texan doesn't deserve to be on that list anyway.

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I don't see why not... This year northern TX has experienced cooler temps than I have here on many days through January. Sure, we've had a few days that were a lot colder. But remember what happened with the planned 2018 Honda GW review ride event down in TX? We saw temps around 45*F when that was going on. I'm sure Honda was thinking there were no worries about riding in TX during those dates but ended up cutting the rides short due to ice and snow. January this year has been really off. Though February is starting out normally. We'll see what the rest of this month brings.

mudduc said:

If the Kolpin Geartector Mitts don't work out, I'll go searching for some Vetter mitts.

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Given the odd of finding a serviceable pair of original/early pair of Hippo-Hands you might search here for a recommendation of some brand of snowmobile hand guards. I don't remember the manufacturer but somebody might. I think they were from some hunting/fishing company like Cabel's.

I think these are what I remember... Maybe.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?74641-Bar-muffs-hippo-hands-handlebar-mitts-e-t-c&p=977642&viewfull=1#post977642

Or maybe they're better than what I remember. But I don't think they were over $50 and these are only $30.

Today's commute was -7⁰F and let me know I need a new pin-lock anti-fog insert. I almost couldn't see by the end. Had to go shield-up for the last bit of surface streets (about 1 mile).
Seemed like I may have blown the fuse for my Gerbing glove liners again. Fingers started to get a bit uncomfortable by the end but nothing too serious. Yet another reason I'm looking forward to a setup where I don't have to be plugged in.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota

As the weather prognosticators predicted the temps were a bit cooler this morning. Saw +4.0*F much of the ride in to work this morning. Expecting snow over end of weekend and off/on next week so may not be able to improve on that for a little while.

While we have had below zero F temps already this season there was too much ice/snow packed on the roads to ride on those days. February usually has some of the coldest temps of the year though, so I may yet ride in cooler temps this season.

Left work yesterday at abut 33°. Was lightly raining with predictions of freezing rain. Saw a break in the radar so I left a little early. Half way home, the temp dropped to about 30° and the freezing rain came pouring down, but the roads were still just wet. Got home and me and the bike were covered in ice, but my heated gear did it's job!

That freezing rain hit here last night. Ugg No riding for me today. First day I've missed in February. We are supposed to have above normal temps up until Feb 19 at leas.t so we may have already seen our coldest weather for this winter. Not impossible that we could still get some cold stuff,but generally last 2 weeks of Feb we are headed out of the deep freeze. Glad I got my below zero ride in when I did.

Still expecting some near zero F or below zero F temps here through the end of the month. I recall it was near the end of February when I won the Coldest ride contest some years ago at just below -15*F. I've also ridden in snow/slush in the middle of April. Rode all last week but had warmer temps in the 10s-30s F (except for one day that was a lot colder starting off). Snowed big time Monday and expecting some more snow every night for a week so will be a while before the bike comes out to play again. Bought some extra bus tokens for the ride to work.

BAR MITT REVIEW:

Yesterday's commute was -5⁰F and done with the new handlebar mitts over snowmobile gloves. That kept the hands comfortable but I'm rejecting the mitts. A part of my dissatisfaction comes from having bark-busters already installed. The mitts fit over the bars and bark-busters but don't leave enough room to easily get to the turn-signals and start button. Plus it was a little too much work getting my heavy gloves in and out so that I didn't want to give hand signals and try to get back on the clutch.

(I'm always signaling lane changes with both the indicator and my hand followed by a piece sign once I've merged. I try to keep the boxed-drivers happy with us two-wheeled maniacs.)

If I was using bare hands or a really light and tight glove, it could work. Maybe next year I'll try with heated grips and light gloves. So, no mitts for the rest of this winter.

Going back to just my Klim snowmobile gloves were fine for today at +7⁰F.
I'm well sorted for everything but my hands. Still need a good sub-zero solution without heated glove liners. Next year I'll add heated grips to see how that works.

Here's a couple pictures of my winter ride with the bar mitts from yesterday and without mitts from today. From the grime and road-salt coating you can tell why I don't ride the ST during winter. I'd never let the ST be exposed to all that but I'm fine letting the Yamaha WR250 get filthy. It gets washed when it rains as it's both my winter and bad weather ride. Plus I don't mind loosing traction and sliding a wheel or two for a bit with the WR. Much easier to get back in shape without a crash compared to the ST.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota

Current standings...



I'll assume they're all correct until I hear differently.

Today's ride was simply spectacular. Not for it's destination...a local loop, or it's length...43 miles, or the temperature.... 30 degrees F, but yesterday morning we were "blessed" to wake up with a quarter inch of ice covering everything. I mean everything. It covered the road, the vehicles left outside, the porch, every blade of grass, weed, tree limb, every overhead wire..everything. I decided not to ride yesterday for obvious reasons. But by today the roads appeared fine and I decided to ride. The sun was shining brilliantly, creating shadows, by the time I pushed the ST out at 2 PM and fired it up.

Due to the low temps, none of the ice had melted off the trees, shrubs etc and everything looked like it was made out of glass. Glass chandeliers were everywhere, sparkling in the light. In many places the frozen drips looked like led Christmas lights scattered throughout the trees. Out here in the country I would ride down roads with these glass trees and shrubs lining both sides. I'd ride over the top of a hill and laid out in front of me would be acres and acres of glass trees. Miles and miles of 2"-4" icicles hanging from over head wires. It was truly stunning visually. I took about 30 pictures just hoping one of them would show the brilliance of what I was seeing, but of course the camera couldn't capture it faithfully. I hope with the one I am posting you can at least visualize what it might have looked like. It was truly awesome!





Here is what the ice looked like that covered everything

the Ferret said:

Today's ride was simply spectacular.
Here is what the ice looked like that covered everything

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Now that looks like winter should be, we were 80 here and 88 in San Luis Obispo today.

paulcb said:

Left work yesterday at abut 33°. Was lightly raining with predictions of freezing rain. Saw a break in the radar so I left a little early. Half way home, the temp dropped to about 30° and the freezing rain came pouring down, but the roads were still just wet. Got home and me and the bike were covered in ice, but my heated gear did it's job!

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I rode home from work in some freezing rain/slush on Wednesday too. About 28*...
First time to use my squeege on glove, left index finger. Worked pretty good on my faceshield! My jacket and pants, where exposed to wind, had frozen precep attached. :smile:

As cool as that pic is I'll take a 70-80˚ winter any day.

ST Gui said:

As cool as that pic is I'll take a 70-80˚ winter any day.

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Me too...

Thinking of moving to south central Colorado. Still has 4 seasons but well above freezing during the day along the Interstate.

Fellas it was worth every single mile. There will be many 70-80 degree days. There are very few days as spectacular as that one.

the Ferret said:

There are very few days as spectacular as that one.

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And the cool ride is always nice. I love the chilly air while sitting in my warm cocoon.
Just like clothes, I can get warmer, turn up the heat, but I can't take off protective clothes to get cooler.

In Alberta this is the way we roll.

Did you notice the nice blue sky?

LOL great pic cdnemsguy

This morning's ride was cold in a different way, 36 degrees, but it was foggy and raining. Chills you differently than just pure cold. Good thing for electrics.