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🥶 The Paulcb coldest ride of Winter 2025-2026

I'm NOT in competition with you polar bear guys riding in below-zero Fahrenheits.
If it ever gets that cold here in Alabama, it's because someone has detonated an ICBM and we're in a nuclear winter.
Let's not let that happen!
But I can move up a smidgen (that's Southern-speak for "just a little bit.")
21° this morning, but at least it's in positive territory.
 

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Sadlsor said:
I'm NOT in competition with you polar bear guys riding in below-zero Fahrenheits.
If it ever gets that cold here in Alabama, it's because someone has detonated an ICBM and we're in a nuclear winter.
Let's not let that happen!
But I can move up a smidgen (that's Southern-speak for "just a little bit.")
21° this morning, but at least it's in positive territory.
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I could not bring myself to get up before dawn when I could’ve gone riding when it was 16°

I got up when it was 18 F., went out to the garage when it was 19, but by the time I took the motorcycle off the lift (from doing an oil change this past weekend ) and put all my gear on….I actually rode away from the house when it was 22. I got this photo about 8 miles away at the bank and then I took a different route home so I did 20 continuous miles of riding this morning before I got back. Also got a pic to use for one of the photo tag challenge games here.

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The phone camera always has trouble picking up LED signage. The sign says the temperature was 22 Fahrenheit
(and minus 6°C.)

Location: Cumming, GA along hwy 369.
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Weaselinsuit said:
Do you guys not get frost on the road when it dips below 32F?
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If you look closely under the sign, he does have some frost or light snow there.

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I'm not sure how your weather has been, but we've had several days of cold dry weather. Monday morning, the temp was still below freezing, but I had very little frost on the garage roof. If the roads had any frost at all Sunday morning, I wouldn't have taken the bike to church.

Chris
 
Weaselinsuit said:
Do you guys not get frost on the road when it dips below 32F?
Click to expand...

Not really... unless there is a WHOLE LOT of humidity as in fog or hoar frost. Not real common around here though.
Usually when temps drop way below freezing the air is too dry to form frost around here anyway. In fact, we had a quarter inch of snow a few days ago that coated everything including the streets. But in 3 days of below 20*F for even the high temp the air was dry enough that sublimation eliminated all the snow/ice from roads and even the grass except a line of snow that blew next to the curbs and a very fine dust (yes, I know what that dust is).

Therefore I did get to ride today. Temps stayed close to 20*F. Rode just over 60 miles. The temp was a little cooler down south and east of me which is always strange to me. About 2/3 of the way around on this trip I did stop to take a picture or two.
Just after this photo showed my temp sensor at 19.9*F, and while just sitting there before continuing the ride, the temp dropped to 19.4*F. My heated gloves were working great set to medium heat and only dropped around 25% on the power indicator lights.
NOT A NEW TEMP FOR ME THIS SEASON.

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Sun came out and finished clearing the snow off my driveway

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However the road is far from clear enough for me to ride. With temps predicted below freezing until next Thursday, going to be days before it melts enough for me to get out for a ride I'm afraid

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the Ferret said:
Sun came out and finished clearing the snow off my driveway

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However the road is far from clear enough for me to ride. With temps predicted below freezing until next Thursday, going to be days before it melts enough for me to get out for a ride I'm afraid

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On Saturday night and Sunday morning the street in front of my house looked a lot like those last 2 road pictures. But with sub-zero*F temps and dry air cleared them faster than I expected. Temps are still close to zero*F in the morning but now into the 20s*F during the day. Don't expect to see above freezing temps until a week from now. By then there won't be anything to melt and create refrozen lines across streets anywhere. I'm good with that.

@Daboo , I really wouldn't mind having the temps you showed though... even with a little water falling from the sky rather than frozen stuff.
 
Looks lovely there in SW Ohio. But last time I was that way the hills were impressive as well as the twists and narrower secondary or tertiary roads. Not finding me riding that without the third wheel on the sidecar.

But in the meantime another failed mission today. Seeing beautiful sunshine and clear tar roads I headed to a friend to whom I owe a bag of coffee. I meandered a few miles on gravel that was only intermittently visible amongst the packed ice. So puttering along the edge in packed snow or a thin cover of snow over the edge of the road I eventually stalled out. Always has been difficult to restart the KLR I was on, but eventually it did. Then almost to my destination I let the idle drop and stalled again. Concerned about battery strength the mission was aborted and home I roared on clear tar roads between 60 and 70mph to keep the rpm's up and avoid another stall. Of course when home the bike idled like it was a summer day. I suppose it was for us at 19F. Only out for 43 miles and probably an hour with the time spent puttering along.

Shortly thereafter I grabbed keys to a heavy R1150RT thinking that would get me there. But then the reality of 600 lbs on my gravel road and my buddies 2 mile long stretch of gravel road that was definitely going to be ugly going stopped me before I opened the shed door. And tomorrow a little fresh snow could temporarily coat all the roads again. Maybe I should get that sidecar Vstrom buttoned up and test it's rear car tire, a four seasons tire reputed to be good in snow.
 
the Ferret said:
How much traction do you get on Trials or semi knobby tires. Maybe an enduro is in my future
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Not really any better for snow. On a hard-packed road, I'll mosey in 2nd gear. With loose snow, it's a no-go. Snow packs up into the treads and you soon have a snow tire on a snow road with 0 traction. 2 days after a snow, I'm good to ride around here. The neighborhood roads are hard packed and the freeways are clear to pavement.
 
Probably some help with sharp knobs. A light cheap bike helps because who cares if it topples over. The deciding factor is how comfortable it would be for the pilot to flop on the ground. Body armor must help as I've flopped on a hard packed but rain slicked slimy dirt road off an R1100GS loaded for 4 day trip. Lets say I was warm after that beast was resting upright again. And no aches or pains.

PXL_20260201_223732511.jpgA different ride type of report than I've seen on here....today the mission to deliver that bag of coffee was a success! 2 inches of fresh powder and the snowmobile trails I saw yesterday looking rideable but very thin and hard with bulletproof packed snice (snow-ice) were slightly better. 66 miles later I can say that was the most enjoyable snowmobile ride I've taken in 3 years (true, haven't had the opportunity in that long either ;). Cooled down from 25 to 17 during the 3.5 hour jaunt. Probably averaged 30mph on the way there refreshing my skills with grey clouds blocking sunlight, but had better lighting and skills for the return. Even found a very occasional roadside ditches to lean out the uphill side and slide sideways spraying snow like it's fun!
 
Temps have been much warmer. Yesterday I saw 61F. Today, was up to 64F. I had my one moment to get a place on the list, and if the guys who ride in the really cold weather ever post...I'll be off and only a fading memory. :D

Chris
 
Daboo said:
Temps have been much warmer. Yesterday I saw 61F. Today, was up to 64F. I had my one moment to get a place on the list, and if the guys who ride in the really cold weather ever post...I'll be off and only a fading memory. :D

Chris
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Not to worry for a little while at least. We are showing 61*F on Monday with highs in the 40s for the next 10 days. Lows might get down to 19*F Saturday morning but otherwise lows no lower than mid 20s to upper 30s during that time. I don't expect much, if any, changes to the top 10 during this time. I think your standing is safe.
 
Snow has kept me from moving up the list. In a normal year by Feb 4 we'll have had 14" of snow. This winter so far we've had 26.6". Our private road has not been clear in weeks, and tomorrow they are predicting another 1-3". It may be another week or two before I can get the bike out to the main roads. By then I'm guessing the temps will not be favorable for moving up the list. Must say the first 3 places have set a high (low temp) bar.
 
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the Ferret said:
Snow has kept me from moving up the list. In a normal year by Feb 4 we'll have had 14" of snow. This winter so far we've had 26.6". Our private road has not been clear in weeks, and tomorrow they are predicting another 1-3". It may be another week or two before I can get ghe bike out to the main roads. Bybtben I'm guessing the temps will not be favorable for moving up the list. Must say the first 3 places have set a high (low temp) bar.
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This explains why I've been able to catch up to you in annual miles. I was not expecting to do that at all. I was out in the back yard today picking up after the dogs and was amazed that we have GREEN grass! Better than white yards though. I need to save up extra money to pay the water bill to pay for irrigation though. There's going to be a major water deficit starting out the growing season around here.
 
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I worked almost all the night before and slept in very late in the morning, at which point the sun was out & temperature had already gone up into the 20s.

If only I could get up and ride at first daylight,
then I might’ve been able to catch 14 degrees.
 
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