Ride report-or "How Fast Weather Changes!"

Shibumi

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Beautiful day yesterday, sunny and about 78 degrees at noon, and my day off. So, toss a couple bottles of water and a snack in the tank bag, and head off for a twisty run to Eureka Springs and southern Missouri for some beautiful scenery and more twisties.
Great run from Rogers to Eureka, some of you will remember Hwy 62 from the MeetnGreet, just enough traffic to make passing them fun and clear running through the turns. Make it to Eureka, stop for some water and a snack and check the RAZR for mobile Mapquest to find my route north. Head up 23 across the Missouri border, it starts getting cooler. I zip up some things on my leather jacket, it's all good. Gets a little cooler, starts getting darker. I zip up all I've got, start closing helmet vents. This is not good, no fog treatment on the tinted visor, and I'm wearing my Fuel ballistic nylon pants and a t-shirt under the leather jacket with no liner. A little further, it's pretty friggin chilly, the roads are COVERED with leaves, the wind is sideways and pelting me with autumn leaves. This is turning into some sort of surrealistic nightmare out of a Tim Burton movie. I'm at the halfway point of a two hour ride and going back is the same as going forward. So I go forward.

It's now solid cloud cover, 45 degrees, foggy, and a fine mist is falling. Oh by the way I'm wearing Joe Rocket mesh gloves. This is no longer fun. I get out of the boonies finally and to a convenience store 30 minutes from home, go in to thaw out because I can no longer feel my hands on the controls. I spend ten minutes in the bathroom running warm water on my hands to restore sensation, then five more minutes for the sensation to change from pain to normal. Fifteen minutes sitting in the store to finish thawing and I'm on my way. I remember someone on here pointed out that rubber gloves help under gloves in cold, and I happen to keep a pair in my tank bag in case of greasy or oily needs on the road. I put them on under my mesh gloves, and set out.

Thirty minutes later I'm home, and vow I will NEVER leave the house again without some basics for changeable weather during spring or fall riding. All I needed to avoid borderline hypothermia and frostbite was my UnderArmor thermal top or my Widder electric vest, and my warm riding gloves (Sport Tour Cold Front Carbons)- and I didn't have them. Oh, and some type of fog prevention for my friggin visor!
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Anyone have a "things I always take on a ride cause I've been miserable at some point in the past because I was stupid and didn't bring it" list?
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Honda Polish wipes for the visor. RainX antifog for after cleaning visor. Always have a sweatshirt in tank bag. Late in the year I carry a scully cap to wear under the lid since I'm bald. Tight fit but worth it. Thinking about starting to carry a clear visor in tank bag. Mirrored doesnt work very well in BFE after dark.
 
Bro, I always, for that very reason, although a much more grueling experience, wear gore-tex lined boots and make sure to check the forecast before commencing an extended ride.
Thing is that most of my extended rides begin as local stuff and morph into let's go there today... Let's freeze on the way.
Well when I carry the tank bag is always tasked with survival gear mule-ing. I bought a full length rain suit in Milan, Italy last year and that has it's own compression bag but it needs to go in the tank bag along with alpinstars winter gloves and a liner for my Jacket not to mention compact thermal undergarments.
I'd rather be a little overloaded for my taste rather than experiencing that sort of extreme cold again.
 
full one piece carhart style artic suit...thermal underwear...ski goves and scarf stuffed between chin and helmet......i fog the windshield lol
 
In the bag:
Clear visor (or tinted depending on when I start)
Cold gloves (or warm depending on the temp)
Alter Ego Pants and Jacket Liners
Camera
Flash Light
Cell Phone
Map
Sun Glasses
Small Snack/Water
Ink Pen/Marker


I clean my visors with spray wax and treat the inside with some sort of anti-fog

The one thing I havent invested in is a good pair of boots.
 
I was out in it to, but I watched the weather report before going out.
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Full leathers with liner, neck cozzy, heavy gloves and boots. Turned on the grip warmers. It was about 40 degrees when I got home last night. I'm deciding whether to go out this morning. Its below freezing and there was some water on the roads last night.
 
My Scorpion helmet never fogs up......
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.....glad it not that friggen cold here yet....Suck it up!!!It happens
 
(tinbender0 @ Oct. 20 2006,15:57) My Scorpion helmet never fogs up......
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.....glad it not that friggen cold here yet....Suck it up!!!It happens
"Suck it up", that's funny beach boy!!
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What do you call winter, 60 degrees?!?
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j/k, jealosy talking here...
 
(Shibumi @ Oct. 20 2006,15:26)
(tinbender0 @ Oct. 20 2006,15:57) My Scorpion helmet never fogs up......
super.gif
.....glad it not that friggen cold here yet....Suck it up!!!It happens
"Suck it up", that's funny beach boy!!  
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What do you call winter, 60 degrees?!?  
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j/k, jealosy talking here...
LOL It get's to 60 around x-mas..86 today
 
I always bring more stuff than i need in my tank bag but it gives me peace of mind....

honda polish for the visor and a rag

Winter gloves and my icon leather gloves too

A sweater...it could be 80 at my house and if ya head towards Tahoe it can get cold...same with the coast, very cool along the ocean.

In the tail of my bike i always carry an air compressor and repair kit...makes me feel safe.

Eye drops, lip balm, pain killers and BugX insect repellent towelette, sometime when ya pull over in the hills the misquitos can drive ya off.

Cell phone and map...ATM card and cash just in case and some water

Extra head light bulb and some fuses to...had my head light go out twice on a ride and had to use the high beam all the way home...every 8th car hits ya with their highs and blinds ya so I started carry an extra.

Small can of chain lube in the tail...i have a center stand so its easy to lube the chain on the road

extra face shield clear for night time and camera...sun glasses and regular glasses


Being cold for a long duration on a bike is no fun and dangerous to...kinda of takes away your consentration so I always dress warm in layers so I can peel off as it warms up during the day
 
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