Fall Riding

[duc_fan]

Riding in the fall (well, it's fall in the northern hemisphere, anyway).

Rode to work this morning.  It's late October, and here in Washington state the weather has been beautiful... but the temps are telling us that winter's cold is coming soon.  We've had a high pressure system sitting on top of us for a week, creating an inversion layer.  Daytime temps are getting up to 70, but nighttime temps up at 1800-2000 ft are dipping below freezing.  I took off for work about 20 min after the sun started peeking over the hills, so the patches of fog in the low-lying areas weren't burned off yet.  One of those patches turned out to be freezing fog.

The air was so cold, I was having to alternate hands on the grips... putting each hand down by the cylinder head in turn, to warm them a bit and keep 'em from freezing.

After riding through this for 5-10 min, I broke out into warmer air.  You know how you can go from cold outside air to a warm interior and your glasses will fog up?  Yeah... that's what the mirrors on my bike did.  They had gotten cold enough in the freezing fog that when I broke out into warmer air, they fogged over.  First time I've ever seen that.

Rest of the ride was beautiful.  Fall colors, morning sun, a winding mountain road.  Wish I had some pics to share, but I needed to get to work, so no stopping to fumble with the cell phone camera.

So yeah... how many of you have ridden through freezing fog?  Do you use heated gloves, or some other method of keeping your fingers from freezing?

Please share your pics/stories of fall rides.  It can be cold, and you gotta watch for leaves on the road, but the scenery can be stunningly beautiful.

[BobbyC1223]

I rode through asheville last weekend on the parkway, it was hovering around low 50's high 40's up high in the mountains. Everyone had on glove liners and I saw a few riders with heated vests. I got a sedeci two piece textile suit from cycle gear. the pants and jacket both have thermal liners and 360 degree zippers to connect. They are pretty warm. Its standard cheap knock off cycle gear stuff but it works fine. However, the fit is a little funny. Grandpa style pants for sure.

[Skybarney]

I don't like to fall when I am riding...... 

Here in Nor-Cal one has to be prepared with various clothing.  My favorite rides go from the valley floor to wherever the snow line is that day.  Someday it will snow again, maybe.....

I have had great luck with the Freeze out gear from Cycle Gear.  Tis about the best thing they sell.

[joshuajcrouch]

I ride every day rain or shine, so I have experienced plenty of freezing fog.  My solution is to not ride longer than the 20 minutes that it takes to get to work.  Kind of sucks this time of year in Oregon.

[duc_fan]

Haha, yeah... only problem with limiting trip lengths is that my ride to work is 45min-1hr.  Plenty long enough to do damage to the extremities if it's sub-freezing.

Oh well... motorcyclists lose their preferred rock-star parking at the end of October, anyway.  The reserved moto spots become free-for-all parking spots on Nov 1st.  After this week my riding will be on weekends, for fun, in the middle of the day, when the temps are above freezing.  Until April, anyway, when we motorcyclists get our rock-star parking back. 

[SpikeC]

 I've ridden year round here in Portland since 1967. In the '80's-90's I had a commute of 50 miles a day out to the hinterlands and back, and sometimes it would snow. Heated grips, ATV bar mits, heated jacket liner, lap apron and off ya go. Riding in iffy weather just takes a lack of good sense. And peeking under the edge of the face shield!

[seevtsaab]

I've ridden in the teens before, but today at 16F I took the cage for the first time since spring. I've got heated gloves
(warm n safe) and they get me the 25miles no prob.
I've also got bar heaters but they're not very effective in my clip ons, plus I don't dare crank them + the gloves. Will replace
the bar heaters with under grip mylar heaters this winter, they are so damn handy to have on the bike.
I've got a foggy respro plus my Frogg Toggs are worn daily this time of year, whenever the temps drop below the mid 40's.
One thing about riding in the cold - or the frequent rain (& snow) this time of year - the oil never gets above 212F and gets pretty
milky. not to mention the fact my entire AM commute is in the dark - and I'm in the boonies.

I've got a 94 R1100RS I rode the previous two fall seasons, hope to get the tranny reworked this winter, more protection plus
(probably) more juice available for accessories.

Man I'm going to hate putting the little Duc up.