The Paulcb Memorial Coldest Ride, Winter 2023-2024

[the Ferret]

alright Robert! Brrr 11 is getting down there. I think the lowest I've ridden on this bike is 9, but of course got down to -2 on my ST 1300 a couple of years ago when we still had the below zero club. It just doesn't normally get that cold here., and when it does there is usually ice on the road. Cold and clear are rare.

Told my wife when I took off this morning I can never beat the guys from Mn or N Dak.... guess I need to add IA to that list lol.

 

[rjs987]

When the polar vortex pushes down from North central Canada it usually pushes a trough of very cold air that bulges down through ND, SD, MN, WI, IA, and eastern NE. My location is usually at the southern tip of the bulge that pushes down. Not as cold as the more northern areas but plenty cold. And only slightly less snow/ice than those northern areas.

I would be entirely fine with living down south, but most of my family is up here.

BTW - Thanks again for the recommendation of the KemiMoto handlebar muffs. They're working great!

 

[cjames431]

Briefly saw 28F on the 32mi commute this morning. The bridge over the Dwammish river was frosty and I got to watch a cager try to crash his car because he needed that other lane in a hurry. Dense fog for most of the commute too.

 

[Daboo]

This won't last long, but it puts me in the top 10 for now.



28F on the road to Damascus House.

Chris

 

[Sadlsor]

I don't know that bimmer, @Daboo .
Which bike? Can't tell, but doesn't look like a big GS...

 

[Daboo]

It's a BMW F900 XR. My wife told me to buy a new bike. Honest.

Chris

 

[rjs987]

Love it when that happens. Hasn't happened here for a while.

 

[Mellow]

It's a BMW F900 XR. My wife told me to buy a new bike. Honest.

Chris

NICE!! curious how you like it once you get a few miles on it.

 

[W0QNX]

Fun's over can we close the thread today? Quickly before I fall off the fun list!

1. rjs987 11°
2. the Ferret 17°
3. Mudduc 28°
4. centralMN 28*
5. Cjames431 28°
6. Daboo 28*
7. DannoVT 37°
8. ST-venture 39°
9. Sadlsor 42*
10. W0QNX 52°

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

Fun's over can we close the thread today? Quickly before I fall off the fun list!

1. rjs987 11°
2. the Ferret 17°
3. Mudduc 28°
4. centralMN 28*
5. Cjames431 28°
6. Daboo 28*
7. DannoVT 37°
8. ST-venture 39°
9. Sadlsor 42*
10. W0QNX 52°

Just start riding North, you'll stay on the list a little longer.

 

[Obo]

Just start riding North, you'll stay on the list a little longer.

Oddly enough, that's not usually the truth. There's not too many of us who "compete" here that are more North than I. There are years (if I remember) I wasn't in the top 10.

It was certainly cold enough, but the road conditions due to snow, ice & grit made it illogical to ride (at least on the ST.)

I think there's some sweet spots somewhere in between that get cold temps but little snow and ice, be it at sea level or higher up in the mountains.

 

[rjs987]

And that is precisely why I do well in this game. Central Iowa is right in that sweet spot. There are many riders south of my location who just don't get the colder temps. And there are many riders north of me who get far colder temps but more precipitation remains on the roads making it impossible or at least undesirable to ride.

@The Dan has the record for the coldest temps that I recall were recorded in this game for the last 12 years at least. But he has ridden on road conditions I prefer to stay off of. I won't ride on packed snow and ice if I can help it. I have ended up riding on those conditions but not by choice starting out on a ride or commute. I certainly don't choose to do so. I don't care what the temp is, but if the road is clear and dry I am willing to go for a ride. If the roads on the path I take have packed snow/ice I am not willing to ride there. Usually that means the streets in my own neighborhood just to get out to clearer and dryer roads.

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

Oddly enough, that's not usually the truth. There's not too many of us who "compete" here that are more North than I. There are years (if I remember) I wasn't in the top 10.

It was certainly cold enough, but the road conditions due to snow, ice & grit made it illogical to ride (at least on the ST.)

I think there's some sweet spots somewhere in between that get cold temps but little snow and ice, be it at sea level or higher up in the mountains.

I think in his case, if he rides South, it won’t help.

 

[the Ferret]

And that is precisely why I do well in this game. Central Iowa is right in that sweet spot. There are many riders south of my location who just don't get the colder temps. And there are many riders north of me who get far colder temps but more precipitation remains on the roads making it impossible or at least undesirable to ride.

@The Dan has the record for the coldest temps that I recall were recorded in this game for the last 12 years at least. But he has ridden on road conditions I prefer to stay off of. I won't ride on packed snow and ice if I can help it. I have ended up riding on those conditions but not by choice starting out on a ride or commute. I certainly don't choose to do so. I don't care what the temp is, but if the road is clear and dry I am willing to go for a ride. If the roads on the path I take have packed snow/ice I am not willing to ride there. Usually that means the streets in my own neighborhood just to get out to clearer and dryer roads.

Dan's -25 was impossible to beat for me as it generally doesn't get that cold here in sw Ohio. We average 19 days a year below freezing (+32 f) and 2 days below zero (()F). Luckily, we also don't get a ton of snow, averaging about 20" a year. I have only missed 1 day of riding due to snow so far in in 2023 (Jan 22 according to my journal). I've missed 7 days due to heavy rain. Like rjs, there is no temperature that will keep me inside as long as the roads are clear and dry like this - 2f a few years ago while competing in this contest although I would have been out anyway even if there were no contest.

My younger brother and I rode together at -9 (with a -59 windchill standing still), in 1981, but that is a rare temp for sw Ohio. It's not been that cold since that I can remember.

I too have gotten caught out when a sudden snow squall comes and covers the road which is a butt puckering moment I don't care to repeat lol,

Have fun, ride safe!

 

[W0QNX]

It was beyond cold here this morning so off I went. Well 35.6f anyway. It might be our coldest day for 2 months.

Mesh gear top and bottom with Gerbings heated jacket under the mesh rain liner and heated gloves. FULL heat on the Gerbings.

I rode clear up to the Molino Fire Tower on HWY 29 and back so 26 miles round trip.

Wow this BMW has a pretty little snow flake on the dash panel when it feels cold. I wonder what temp that shows up at?

 

[TPadden]

I wonder what temp that shows up at?

Approx 37 Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius)

Tom

 

[ST-venture]

I was able to move up on the list today. Our club Sunday breakfast ride this morning showed a low of 22°F. Even after breakfast on the way home was only 33°F.
I had my Warm and Safe pants liner and socks plus my Gerbings jacket liner under my Aerostich R3 light suit kept me warm. The Goldwing's heated seat and grips helped as well.

 

[RaYzerman]

I went for ride today for the A-Z game, it was overcast and reasonably unfrosty, so while I could get on the bottom of the list, I'll stay off for now. Yesterday was 10C/50F and the day before was 15C/55-ish.... temps hovering around the freezing mark for the next while.... we had a couple of light dustings of white stuff, but we're staring at green grass and not expecting any white for a while yet..... global warming......

 

[drbuzzard]

i know there is no place to get a temp reading near me so i took my second phone with me the other day while i was out on the IceBear so i could take a pic of the temp with my primary phone. i forgot to update the secone phone, it was showing 41f but it was actuelly 39f, i only ride 13km so a few short of the mileage requirement. as for gear i had my weston battery powered vest under my tourmaster metro jacket, some balck brand unlined gloves, unlined jeans, a baseball cap, and my trusty rockport shoes

 

[rjs987]

...
"" Post the lowest temp you've ridden in for more than a few miles for the this* winter.
...

i know there is no place to get a temp reading near me so i took my second phone with me the other day while i was out on the IceBear so i could take a pic of the temp with my primary phone. i forgot to update the secone phone, it was showing 41f but it was actuelly 39f, i only ride 13km so a few short of the mileage requirement. as for gear i had my weston battery powered vest under my tourmaster metro jacket, some balck brand unlined gloves, unlined jeans, a baseball cap, and my trusty rockport shoes

I think 13 km (8 miles) qualifies as "more than a few miles" as per the rules in the first post (quoted here) IMO. Especially on the IceBear. Unless anyone else objects since I'm not running it this year (@Willsmotorcycle ?).