This is what the Denver Metro Area temperatures were being reported as at 0806am today. I left for work, via the King Canute Path to S. Ireland Street and used that street to get out of the neighborhood.
I had reconn'ed the path before heading out on the motorcycle and spotted several icy patches on the sidewalk path before S. Ireland Street. To the paranoid guy in me, it sure looked like some lowlife had purposedly poured water on the sidewalk to create the ice patches. The drop pattern did not fit with splashback from the street nor as melting from the snow on the side of the path. Bastards.
No problem, it just added to the anxiety level a bit. I spread some sand and some melting agent crystals on the patches and my motorcycle rode over them just fine.
Once out of the neighborhood, the streets were pretty much bone dry, I avoided the portions that even looked "moist" just in case though. The lowest temperature that I noticed on my onboard thermometer display was 8.1 F°. So, it's a new low for me in terms of riding temperature.
I stayed on main roads on the way to work instead of the usual sideroads since I could not count on a couple of them to be completely ice free. So I was not able to see the thermometer reading from the doctor's office I pass by on my regular commute route to compare against my onboard thermometer which tends to report higher than actual temperatures usually.
The heated vest and grips along with my ATV Grip covers kept me warm and the only real issue was the total inability to ride with the helmet visor in the closed position. Had to keep it slightly cracked open while moving and mostly open when stopped at lights otherwise it was fogging up! Rather disturbing since I had the Fog City shield on but apparently it's not much good below say 20 degrees F°.
It was pretty cold, I could see my breath swirling around INSIDE the helmet! I must have looked like a chimney the way my breath came out with the visor flipped up!
It's 34 F° now as I type this, the commute home will be no big deal, damn near a heat wave now!
Yeah, I know there's riders out there riding in much colder temperatures, it was a new low for me, that's all. For instance, this guy is doing riding in -50 degree temperatures! Now, that's Hard Core. Of course, he's doing it with a sidecar rig but still, damn! LINK
No comments:
Post a Comment