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AlphaZed wrote:Me, conversely, if I see reports of 32 or less degree weather, black ice, snow, mud slides and etc, I'll ride somewhere else. But I suppose that makes me a "cigarette" as well?!

Eh personally I've ridden my Volusia on ice... Not my first choice by a long shot, but the bike and I both survived intact, plus there was less wear and tear on my tires!

Cold weather isn't that much of a bother to me either, insulate and layer, then watch the road diligently.

Haven't done mud, but dirt and sand aren't too bad either...

And we all love ya Shane-O!

Where'd ya travel to?

As for riding a bicycle on snow, now that's something everybody should experience at least once in their lives! w00t!
We used to recreate it by taking a plastic gallon milk jug, flattening it out, then getting up to max speed on our bicycles and locking up our rear tires when it was on the jug. My personal record was a 720 degree rotation! Still stands in my neighborhood to this day!


Now as for the 4 lane roads and such, you couldn't ride to anywhere in any larger town I've ever lived in if you weren't willing to get onto the main drags. Colorado Springs has way too many twists and turns in it's roads, and Phoenix is completely made up of 3 lanes in each direction busy roads with highways and interstates going through town too!

Wrider

Mud.... Don't remind me. I was on holidays summer of '07 and went through the town of Havre in Montanna. Oh my Frickin' Gawd!!! That town had torn up every street they had, the main highway the works...

I just happen to be riding through town after a torrential down pour and the whole way was 2 - 3 inches of mud and water, and me on a 700+ lb bike pulling a trailer and I wasn't too happy that the traffic going the other way didn't slow down a whole lot...

I caught up to the ugly weather and got all that mud washed off thankfully...

We used to recreate it by taking a plastic gallon milk jug, flattening it out, then getting up to max speed on our bicycles and locking up our rear tires when it was on the jug.

Front wheel drive car. Rear tires on jugs, pull up the hand brake. Drive. Have fun.

Dont ask me if it really works I havent tried.

fireguzzi wrote:

We used to recreate it by taking a plastic gallon milk jug, flattening it out, then getting up to max speed on our bicycles and locking up our rear tires when it was on the jug.

Front wheel drive car. Rear tires on jugs, pull up the hand brake. Drive. Have fun.

Dont ask me if it really works I havent tried.

Works better with plastic trays from fast food places... *Whistles merrily and walks away*
Wrider

Ah yeah, that is what it was. Knew it was something like that.

I got my Aerostitch catalogue and there's a spot in there that shows a guy on a BMW 1200GS with tire studs riding in the snow and a blurb about how it gave him so much traction on snow and ice to make a winter run (forgot the name of it and I don't have it with me) somewhere in Canada. Sounds like a cool idea but I don't feel very adventurous, or at least right now. Maybe in the future. The last time I rode in snow I was happy to make it home and leave the driving to the bus drivers (this is NYC and transit is pretty decent, and snow is cleared in a week).

goodies wrote:Riding is all about assuming risk. Where do you draw the line?

Here in Colorado I dont drive when:
WINTER
Temp is below 20
Temp is below 20 and there is water on the road
Fog
Snow, Sleet, Ice or anything else that would cause the sand trucks to be dispatched
Any other time that give me the hibby jibbes

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL
Snow, Sleet, Ice or anything else that would cause the sand trucks to be dispatched
Temp is below 20
Rain in the morning (my riding gear is not 100% waterproof)
Wind above 60MPH
Any other time that give me the hibby jibbes

I was riding on a highway today with a bunch of annoying traffic lights. When I would come to a light, I would lane share with cars or idle up beside them. This one guy in a grey dodge truck got really ticked off and swore at me and tried to chase me at the light.

It's understandable that he was pissed off, I suppose, but I thought trying ride me off the road was a little extreme. This might be a good place to draw a line, but I'm just going to get my faster bike and maybe a flamethrower.

Boy, I now realize what a "wimp" I am when it comes to riding. Never at night and never if there is any chance of rain.

I put it away for the winter around now with a trickle charger on, a nice comfy blanket and a heat light on in the little shed.

Magna wrote:Boy, I now realize what a "wimp" I am when it comes to riding. Never at night and never if there is any chance of rain.

I put it away for the winter around now with a trickle charger on, a nice comfy blanket and a heat light on in the little shed.

Funny thing is I'm riding a lot more during the night time hours, even from 4 AM and catch the sunrise during the ride to nowhere. About 20 miles away from my house the roads get pretty empty during the late night hours and it makes for a maverick ride, then again I use this time to contemplate while the engine hums along.