Coldest Ride 2018-2019

Those sure seem like some really cold temps for the southern areas that you live. We expect to have the wicked cold up here, with times -40C ish. The problem with thoses temps are...sure I would ride in my snowmobile and heated gear just to be a the top of the heap, but the roads are generally snow or ice covered. I did get out 2 January's ago as I had to test out the new cruise control, but that wasn't even that cold. Well I will keep trying but I must bow out as I don't think I can be the top dog or even second for now. :please1:I will be back!!

*Now tied for Third??? :eek: OMG I wonder if I can even stay in the top ten? Time to find some tire chains that fit an ST:think1:*
 
Last edited:
paulcb said:
Note: temp graphs and pics are nice, but not required. We're relying on honesty and transparency here... it would be pretty sad for someone to cheat on an internet game that only a few even know about, no one really cares about and has no prizes! It's just a few of us having a little competitive fun. I think we've done pretty well so far, last year and this year.
Click to expand...

True.
It was just one or two members (mainly one) who griped about some technicality in the rules that killed this game some years ago. I guess those participants were unable to see the spirit of just playing the game.
 
There WERE rules in the first version of the game just to attempt to keep it honest... but rules tend to counter the idea of being honest and fostering trust.

BTW- MN is really not that southern for really cold temps. True that northern Canada gets colder, but during Winter months Arctic cold blasts often bulge down through Sas and Manitoba and especially the eastern part of Alberta all the way into Iowa where I live. Not unusual to see -35C in northern MN and ND, and -20C in central Iowa a few times a season. Sometimes it gets lower than that here. Fortunately for me the snow is not as much as you likely get and most often goes away in between the bigger snow falls.
 
paulcb said:
has no prizes!
Click to expand...
Well now, lets change that. The winner gets from me, a free hot cuppa tea, coffee or cocoa. Catch is that since I can't get it delivered, you would have to collect the prize where I am located, or maybe I could just send you a gift card... Good luck all.
 
cdnemsguy said:
Those sure seem like some really cold temps for the southern areas that you live.
Click to expand...

Yep, unusually cold for us (especially this early), but we get these temps a few times a year, usually only for a few days though. It will be 60° tomorrow and 68° on Friday. :)

I saw 14°F one day last year, and a few years ago, we went a week or so never getting above 20°F. Used a lot of propane at the house that week!

cdnemsguy said:
Well now, lets change that. The winner gets from me, a free hot cuppa tea, coffee or cocoa. Catch is that since I can't get it delivered, you would have to collect the prize where I am located, or maybe I could just send you a gift card... Good luck all.
Click to expand...

You'll just have to track the winner down and meet him at a STOC event! Considering the game, it will most likely be someone geographically close to you. ;)

cdnemsguy said:
*Now tied for Third??? :eek: OMG I wonder if I can even stay in the top ten? Time to find some tire chains that fit an ST:think1:*
Click to expand...

Last year, you needed to be 9°F or below to get into the top 10. The really cold riders are just baiting us for now! ;)
 
I seriously thought about getting out this morning just to get on the top standings... then my feet hit the cold carpet and I went back to bed.
 
Last edited:
I find it amazing when sometimes the temps in TX are colder than in Iowa. Has happened. My son and his family live in Lafayette, LA and they get colder temps than we do here maybe once a year. And sometimes we get hotter temps and higher humidity in summer than he sees down there once or twice a season. Weather is fickle. Just wait until Nibiru shows up :D
 
it's just a game to encourage people to get out and ride. Same as the mileage tracker. There are no prizes. If you cheat, you are just cheating yourself.

Last year it took 9 degrees to make top ten and the top 3 riders were below zero. The Dan in N Dakota creams us every year ( I would hate to live in N. Dakota. It gets seriously cold there lol)

last year's results:

The Dan -23°
mudduc -13°
the Ferret -2°
T_C 1°
ErnieB 2°
Nashcat 4°
rjs987 4°
Uncle Phil 5°
TOS 8°
granlund1 9°

in the end it's just for fun and I like the honesty and no rules side of it. A couple years ago it got awfully petty about someone going less than 10 miles one way from their house technically by GPS instead of by road surface miles if I remember correctly. It was stupid and Mellow ended up deleting the whole thing. Rightly so. There was also a below zero club that I had just worked my way into when the whole thing was deleted. No biggie. I ride every day anyway, regardless of temp as long as the streets don't have accumulated ice and snow, and regardless if there is a contest to play in. We only get a few days below zero in sw Ohio and it's awesome getting out in those conditions. Honestly!

BTW many of the guys high in the Coldest Ride contest are also high on the Mileage Tracker list. These guys are just dedicated riders, plain and simple. 2 wheels day in and day out., regardless of conditions.

Thanks again to paulcb for keeping the game alive, even though he's in Texas and doesn't have a prayer of finishing very high on the list.
 
LOL, it was a warm 26 degrees f this morning when I took the ST for a ride on the new rubber and warm up prior to oil change.
 
We ended up with icy roads here so I've been sticking with the lighter bike so far. I'm also a little concerned about the ST's linked brakes.

When the streets are slippery I typically only use the clutch and rear brake for slowing down (coasting and light braking). On the ST with linked brakes and no ABS - have any of you had problems with the front tire locking up when only using the rear brake?

Honor system is perfect - the temp is only half of it. The better part is the shared experience and knowing there are at least a few other riders still out there with their bikes.

And @paulcb: I'm very impressed when southerners manage in temps as cold as you've been out in so far. Without a culture of balaclavas, fleeced long johns, thinsulate with felt-soled boots, etc. it is very admirable that you're getting out in below freezing temps! Most Minnesotans stay inside when the temp gets into the upper 90s. :thumb:
 
fnmag said:
Or they head south for Thanksgiving and Christmans. :rofl1:
Click to expand...

There is truth in that! Historically I've tended towards mid-week hotel room rates, cheap airfare and bike rentals out of Las Vegas for good winter riding. I picked up the ST thinking it might be enough protection to be able to help me escape my way south. We'll see. :cool:
 
fnmag said:
"Thanks again to paulcb for keeping the game alive, even though he's in Texas and doesn't have a prayer of finishing very high on the list." :rofl1:..:thumb:
Click to expand...

Heck, I probably won't even make the list! But I enjoy keeping track and seeing what others can do.
 
Roads are bone dry in our current arctic blast. Great riding weather in southern Minnesota today (with heated grips and a windshield :cool:).

19° - 20° earlier.
19°_28006.JPG

It had been as low as 9 this morning but with this being my first winter with this older bike I'm easing into the cold temps gradually. I bought it for cold weather riding but I still want to see it deliver gradually as cold weather can seem to find and bring out gremlins in older vehicles. My other Hondas have never had issues at zero so I'm expecting good things from the ST.
:dr13:

I was surprised that it wanted to idle at 3000 RPM while the engine was cold at the first couple stop lights when starting out. But it settled down after 15 minutes of warming up and then suspension, brakes, throttle - everything ran like it was new on both freeway and bumpy side-streets for the next half hour.
 
I got my left hand middle finger smashed last week, Thursday. Broken bone, 16 stiches to close the flesh up again. I may not be riding again until spring so my 7°F may be my mark this season. If I'm back in shape by January 1st, I'll try the I-Cycle Derby again.
 
mudduc said:
I got my left hand middle finger smashed last week, Thursday. Broken bone, 16 stiches to close the flesh up again. I may not be riding again until spring so my 7°F may be my mark this season. If I'm back in shape by January 1st, I'll try the I-Cycle Derby again.
Click to expand...

Ah, that stinks. Thanks for NOT posting pics ;)
 
Sorry to read about your finger. Hope it doesn't hurt too much.
We expect to see a warm Thanksgiving long weekend and then back down in the lower than normal temps after that.
 
I rode to work last week - 23 degrees. I wear an Olympia mesh jacket with two liners inserted, and light wind-breaker pants. Most important are the Gerbings heated gloves.
 
stridernj said:
I rode to work last week - 23 degrees. I wear an Olympia mesh jacket with two liners inserted, and light wind-breaker pants. Most important are the Gerbings heated gloves.
Click to expand...

Minus 23! Wow, didn't know it got that cold in NJ. That would be competition for The Dan. And in mesh pants too!

Or did I mis-read that and the dash was only to separate your first statement from the temp number?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom