Cold weather riding tips: Going the distance

[Bruno Valeri]

It's starting to get colder up here in the great white north. Tomorrow's forecast is sunny with a low of -5c and a high of +1c. Should be an invigorating ride!

For anyone else who might be cold weather warriors, I've added a section to my cold weather riding tips: going the distance

http://pages.infinit.net/mcrides/col...e_distance.htm

or the shorter version:
http://tinyurl.com/v3je

cheers!


Bruno
Montreal, Canada
CBR 929
http://pages.infinit.net/mcrides

[Peachmaan]

Hi there. ..I am an all season "Biker" myself and am planning a trip to canada in order to catch a view of the Northern Lights. Meaning it is gonna be cold upnorth since they are "avaliable" only during the fall season... (at least that is how it is in Norway.) I read your report on your USA trip in 2002 and have simular experiences, plus snow riding ones. Here(Berlin) we have few snowy winters, it's more like on your trip. Rainy and cold. I'll be in the states around Mai 2003 and then stay there for quite a while. Maybe we can meet oneday,even though Montreal isn't really were I was planing to go. But plans are made to be changed.... That's about it ... Take care and "ride-on".

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'Live long and Prosper'

[Freek]

My cold weather hint&tip;

When you're getting cold;
Stop, and start to push your bike till you're warm.(it won't take long)

In fact it's the same thing what dog-sledge
'drivers' do to keep warm.

Another tip;
Avoid sweating.
When you enter a heated place, for a quick coffee; go outside, before you're starting to sweat, or take off your riding-clothes.

[This message has been edited by Freek (edited 15 February 2004).]

[Peachmaan]

That's true, concerning pushing your bike... I ran out of fuel once, cause some kids were playing around with my bike (pushing buttons and switches) while I was having a coffee inside a gas station.-I saw it but thought they couldn't do harm. Wrong!!! Even though I checked everything (I thought). So I hear the engine starting to complain about not getting fuel, turn the lever to reserve and no improvement. Still complaining. And that on an german Autobahn, at night. After having spent like 3 hours riding through the rain (Not that regular one- a 10 Meters of sight - kind of rain) , wearing a leaking wet suite, soked gloves , just freazing. Tilting the bike to the left helped for a mile or so and that was as far it would take me. Thank good it was right after the construction site had ended. Trucks, cars flying by. If a cop sees you doing that -pushing your bike on the _Autobahn you have to pay a fine that hurts any travelers budget. After 2km there was an exit ... uphill, and even higher there was a gas station. After getting there I was sweatting and warm. I was soaked so that didn't matter, refering to that not sweating advice. Sometimes you cannot get around it. --But tell me FREEK how do you push your bike without starting to sweat? -- If you should ride a naked bike, then the engine is a nice place to warm your hands. Of course you can warm only on hand at once. Having heated handles helps quite a bit and makes this risky undertaking unnesserary. ---Don't ever, even when desperate, use the exhaust fumes to warm your gloves... during freazing conditiones.... it contains condensed water that freazes afer a few minutes.!! -Not to forget ...They won't smell any better afterwards. That's about it. Keep warm by thinking about your girlfriend ,but that doesn't really help. I have one last question.. Are spikes allowed in the states?? I know that in canada they are.

[Freek]

Originally posted by Peachmaan:
--But tell me FREEK how do you push your bike without starting to sweat?

Like I said; avoid sweating. Just start your bike again, when you're warm enough.

[Bruno Valeri]

Originally posted by Freek:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="">quote:</font><HR><font face="" size="2">Originally posted by Peachmaan:
--But tell me FREEK how do you push your bike without starting to sweat?

Like I said; avoid sweating. Just start your bike again, when you're warm enough.

</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Pushing your bike will get your warmed up in no time. But as I mentioned in my article, there is a caution. When you are very cold, your muscle co-ordination and strength are affected.

This is not time to drop a loaded bike or risk pulling a cold muscle trying to save it.
=:0

This is why I list various other alternatives to get the furnace going.

When you're out in the bitter cold and fighting it, you need to protect 2 things.

1- your body from any injury that might make things even worse for you.

2- damage to your bike ie broken clutch lever etc

Just a thought.


Cheers!

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Bruno
Montreal, Canada
CBR 929
http://pages.infinit.net/mcrides

[This message has been edited by Bruno Valeri (edited 25 February 2004).]

[Marco K]

What a fuss!

get a heated vest, no need to push the bike. Just keeps you warm

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GO-GO-GO-GO!!!!!!!!!!!!