Lesson re learned

[PITBULL]

OK, Im usually prepared when I go riding. Here in Colorado between Late Sept. and May ya never know what type of weather you are going to run into. Yesterday every bike in Colorado was out being that it was 70 degrees! Pretty awesome considering it was March 1st. Me and the Mrs. are gonna get some miles but she is fiddle fartin around , taking forever to get ready http://www.mygreatrides.com/images/emoticons/rolleyes.gif . So I rush her out the door and we actually discussed if we should pack some extra gear. By now Im chompin at the bit...LETS JUST GET GOING!!!!

Soooo..we have on t-shirts and hoodies jeans and chaps and the obligatory fingerless gloves and do rags. We decide that we are gonna make a run to Larimie Wyoming. Cool I say -Lets roll. Riding thru Ft. Collins was great...hit highway 14 toward Poudre Canyon, still rompin and a stompin. Open country almost no traffic. AWESOME. On 287 nearing Virginiadale the wind starts to pick up and within minutes we are actually fighting to keep the bike on the road. This wind is getting colder. And colder. We decide to ride it out hoping to catch a break and the wind will die out. Bad idea http://www.mygreatrides.com/images/emoticons/doubt.gif . Now we are like 50 miles out and the wind is absolutely ripping and bring more cold air as it blows across the snow covered mountains just a few miles to our west. I cant feel the left sided of my face, my hands are freezing and sore from the wind and the death grip I have on the handlebars keeping the bike upright. And now we are both shivering. This really isnt any fun. So after what seems like an eternity we FINALLY roll into Larime and pull into the first gas station we see to try to hide from the weather for a bit. When we stopped the bike we could hear the wind...it sounded like a freight train overhead.We did catch a bit of a break.....the gas station had stocking hats and gloves for sale. SO we decide to gas up and make a run for I-80 toward Cheyenne since the wind is blowing west to east it would be at our backs. So we put on our new "gear" and I pull my facemask out of my bags and we head for I-80. But still we only have the shirts and hoodies on. On I-80 we find that the wind still hates us http://www.mygreatrides.com/images/emoticons/evil.gif . For some reason it is now blowing south to north. Its not long before we are both shivering again. But now there is even a better surprise waiting for us. About 20 miles outsdie of Larime the wind had blown the snow and melting snow across the road. Ever see ice and snow coming up in the road...you are doing 70 mph and there are 18 wheelers all around ya. http://www.mygreatrides.com/images/emoticons/shock.gif . Anyway about 15 miles west of Cheyenne we finally get the wind blowing at our backs and the air starts to warm up.SO we hit I-25 headed back to Ft. Collins and just open 'er up. Running at about 90mph. I just wanna go home.

Leason re learned.

[Guest KitCarson]

I got a big smile on my face reading your post. :rotfl::big-grin-emoticon:Yep we all do dumb things.......a similar experience about 6 years ago turned my wife into a blue card rider for life!!! We did not have any snow.....it was like 80 degrees......we took of in light jackets and half helmets......no other gear....we were on a Suzuki Intruder a hot little fun bike.......got over a 100 miles from home and it came up a wind....rained like ........well.......we got soaked....it cooled down to 45 degrees and rain did not stop.......I believe they call it hypo-thermal depression or something like that!! To this day if it is cool......she just looks at me like I am an idot.........but in warm weather she will be after me all week to go.........Yep I know how you felt......glad you made it safe.

[stardbog]

Well Tate been there done that. from Mid 70s run by lake michigan in some realy cold weather. I Remember we are run in to some small town and looking to buy sweaters to keep us warm. Most of department stores are pull out winter stuff from shelfs, and have only t-shirts... finaly we are found Gap and found some sweaters. on the way home, run into Harley Guy with Girlfriend in T shirts and flip-flops... She was frozen. Well leason learned.... and ever since I have my heated clothing in my sadlebags allthe times. No excuses.

 

Say Hi To Mamo.

[PITBULL]

Whats up brother Dan! Mom says hi. Yeah...the ride was friggin COLD. sucked! HAHAHAHA. The new bike ran awesome tho.

[Squidley]

I think we all have fit into that scenario once or twice

I know the day of our accident it was getting colder the more east we went. It was 45 degrees when we had the accident and I was hauling tail to get to our rendezvous with Kbran. Glad you 2 didn't come back into FC snowman/woman

[Condor]

I've found that newspaper under the t-shirt will help.... Don't ask me how I know that....

[royalstarjac]

That's one reason they put saddle bags on these bikes!

It gives you room to stow your gear!-Jack

[BEER30]

My rule of thumb is ,"Is it better to have and not need , rather than to need and not have ". Or there's a Wally World right around the corner !

 

BEER24/7 learned her lesson last year at the Savannah M & E . Yep it was cold starting out as she knew it was fore casted to get warmer . She insisted on only taking her ski pants for warmth as we left Myrtle Beach . In Savannah coming back , I told her we need to get her some warmer clothing , but again she didn't want to listen to me . Well she froze her butt off as temps from 80* turned to 22* and all I could say to her was I told you so .

Now , she carries enough warm clothes on her side of the saddle bags and a heated jacket liner and even more cold weather clothes in the BEERCART . Not taking anymore chances .

 

Also Frogg-Togg make a great wind barrier .

 

BEER30

[Leland]

What Pitbull described on I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, with the wind, blowing snow and semis is treacherous in a 4 wheel drive pick-up. My you-know-what puckered just reading this post.

[Guest Popeye]

I think we all have fit into that scenario once or twice

I know the day of our accident it was getting colder the more east we went. It was 45 degrees when we had the accident and I was hauling tail to get to our rendezvous with Kbran. Glad you 2 didn't come back into FC snowman/woman

 

When I lived in MI, 46 years, it was often the weather changed so quick, it was a rush from the deck to the [attached] house.

 

In the 70s, I thought I'd cover all of Canada & often started out on cold days....you all know the rest.

[Venturous Randy]

on the way home, run into Harley Guy with Girlfriend in T shirts and flip-flops... She was frozen.

 

I think most of have done the warm to cold ride. Stardog's post brought back some memories from up near Grandfather Mt on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had come a little ways off the Parkway to get a bite to eat and when we pulled into the parking lot, there were several Harleys with guys in leather vests and women in sleeveless tops. It had been a fairly warm day, even on the Parkway.

When we pulled into where they were parked, we immediately got the Harley snobbery. With us being parked within six feet of them, that would not even look our way. About halfway thru our meal, the wind started blowing and the rain started. About the time we were all finishing up and went out side, the temperature had gone from about 80 to about 50 and was misting rain. Laura and I got our rain gear and jackets out of the bike and put them on. As we looked over at the Harley bunch, It was obvious they did not have any place to put anything and therefore did not have any extra clothes to put on.

It was amazing how quickly the smugness went to looking pitiful, especially on the faces of those women, who were now stareing at us. We just smiled and rode off, both warm and dry.

RandyA

[PITBULL]

What Pitbull described on I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, with the wind, blowing snow and semis is treacherous in a 4 wheel drive pick-up. My you-know-what puckered just reading this post.

Say Leland...come on up and we'll make that ride! In the summer! LOL