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Haven't been on the bike in a while. Thanksgiving holiday trips (which was great!) and now work trips (hopefully fun). And it has been pretty cold and even snowed (see previous post). Sigh.

It Was Inevitable.........

First Test Ride

Riding in yesterday morning was rather uneventful which is ok. I didn't notice much difference in the handling of the bike with the larger windshield. It did seem to take me longer to get up some hills but it was also a bit windy. The engine sounds are more clear with the larger shield. The space between the headlight and the shield lets in a lot of wind. It was a rather warm morning, almost 60 degrees, so I couldn't really tell how much warmer my hands were.

Going home in the dark was a challenge. I didn't like looking through the windshield at all. Too much distortion and reflection from the on coming headlights. Really, I've just added yet another layer of plastic for me to look through - my eye glasses, my helmet shield and now the windshield. Not fun at all. I rode with one glove liner and my mesh gloves. I couldn't tell the difference and my hands weren't cold. It was also still windy. I could feel the sail effect a bit but nothing to worry over. Just more of it than with the Spitfire. But, the reflection was too much for me. I don't think that's something to get used to. I think that's some thing we'll have to fix.

Didn't ride today. The snow is predicted to begin this afternoon or evening some time so I didn't want to risk riding in bad weather with the problems of the shield. So, that might be it for the season. Well, for a while anyway. Guess it was bound to happen some time.

New Windshield

I bought this on ebay. It is a National Cycle Plexifairing 3 windshield. I bought it so that it would give me more coverage particularly over my hands. We installed it yesterday and I did a short test drive with it but so far it hasn't been tested on a regular commute or anything. Yesterday I rode around the neighborhood a bit and also hopped on the interstate for a short run. It didn't seem so different than the smaller Spitfire shield. Aside from actually looking through it instead of over it, I didn't feel much of a change from the smaller to the larger. It wasn't terribly cold on the ride last night so I couldn't really tell how much coverage and protection my hands had. That will be the test during the work commute on Monday morning.

It is much larger, obviously, than the Spitfire. I really like the Spitfire but just need more coverage on my hands. The bike certainly feels bigger with the Plexifairing. But, I could get used to that. The speedo reflects right where I look through the shield. Maybe I can get or hubby can fashion a visor for the speedo. I'm sure we'll play around with the angle of the shield a bit too as I ride more.

Another photo:
















My view through the shield:

Another warm day

It is the middle of November and this morning was about 47 when I left for work. High temp is supposed to be in the 60s. What a difference 20 degrees makes! I was almost too warm riding out this morning with all my gear. Not that I'm complaining. :-)

This weekend is supposed to be quite pleasant in the highish 60s. Hubby and I should get out there and put some miles on the bikes before the snow starts to fly on Tuesday!

Maybe this evening on the ride home I can take some photos or video of the spotlights.

Too cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

27 degrees. Oh my. I thought I'd ride this morning. Crazy!! I was all set to go, had my game face on and everything. Hand warmers, toe warmers, extra toe warmers because I forgot they came in pairs int he package, warm balaclava, and my usual other gear - full liner in jacket, liner in pants with tights on underneath. I even had on long warm Smart Wool boot socks that came up to my knees. Those are nice and toasty. And yet it wasn't nearly enough.

My fingers are the problem. I can't keep them warm. But this morning was not even close. The hand warmers kept the top of my hands cold but my fingers may as well have been exposed. It was painful. I think I described my previously coldest ride as uncomfortable. This was painful. I had to turn around and get my car. :-(

And yet, there were other riders out there without any gear on. I saw a guy with jeans and a jacket but nothing at all on his head. Not even a knit hat!! Crazy! I saw him before I decided to turn around. I think I would have turned around sooner if I hadn't seen him.

The toe warmers didn't even work. They were sort of warm when I walked out the door but were ice cold when I got back home. I had a pair under my toes and a pair in my pockets. The hand warmers were better but the heat didn't make it to my fingers. Those stayed warm even after I got home. In fact, I put them in my Crocs to warm myself up after I got in the house.

Another thing that should have clued me in to how cold it really was, the Wendy's had run the sprinklers and the grass was frozen and there was a sheet of ice on the sidewalk.

Another thing, my new balaclava prevents my glasses from fogging up but now my visor will fog up a bit at the bottom. This morning, it froze. Yikes! Very cold!

My new larger windshield should arrive tomorrow. Perhaps that will help keep the wind off my hands and keep them a bit warmer. Of course, it is also supposed to snow next week. So, the riding season may just be coming to a close for me. :-( I was hoping to be a tough all season rider. I think I need more accessories for that to happen.

Birthday Cake!

Ok, it isn't motorcycle related, but check out my cool birthday cake! :-) My Lost "book club" at work surprised me with it today! Awesome!

My Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday! Woo hoo! As a gift to myself I took the day off from work. Didn't do any moto shopping or riding though. Which is odd because I love shopping and motos. Had to run some errands that required the car. Oh well. Maybe this weekend we'll make up for that - if the weather holds. This morning there was snow on the ground at work!! Yikes! Supposed to be in the 60s the rest of the week though. Tomorrow I can ride and test the hand warmers in my gloves.

Riding in the dark

Now that the time has finally changed, and we've fallen back an hour, I ride to work in the daylight and ride home from work in the dark. I think I liked it better the other way around. The traffic going home is always scarier than going to work. People are more a little more alert in the morning and less in a hurry to get where they are going.

Some thoughts on night riding...

Cars and buses seem closer and larger at night.

Motorcycles really are invisible to cagers. (I've seen a few other larger bikes out there, with riders wearing dark clothes, that are literally invisible unless you are right next to them. From behind, that little tail light doesn't do very much even when illuminated. Makes me wonder what I look like.)

Having the spotlights may quite literally be a life saver.

Leaving a half hour later from work helps to avoid much of the traffic.

Moving around helps others see you. (I have large reflective stickers on the back and sides of my helmet. Moving my head as I scan or as cars come up behind me seems to help others see me. Changing position in the lane helps others see you too. It may make them wonder what you are up to, but that helps them pay more attention to you.)

You can never have too much reflectivity. (I need more rear reflectivity on the bags, the bike, and myself.) I've got some reflective tape on my helmet that I bought online here.

Conspicuity is your friend.

Use your Intersection Strategy all the time but especially at night.

Be alert. The world needs more lerts.

is it really November?

Another really warm morning, upper 50s when I left the house. I was almost too warm even without my glove liners and no balaclava. Very nice temps for a ride. Too bad I have to work. :-)

Next week will be a different story though. Lows will be in the 20s and highs in the 50s. So, I'll be able to test out my hand warmers (which are technically foot warmers). Might buy a few more this week since they are one time use.

Oddly enough, I didn't see very many bikes out this morning. Highs are going to be in the low 70s. Might have to take an extended lunch break....

Warm morning

Rode this morning for the first time in what feels like a long time. We didn't ride at all over the weekend. And the cold mornings were keeping me off the commute this week. But, this morning it was in the 50s. Nice and warm. I even over dressed I think. Hubby also located some warmers that I can put in my gloves. I didn't need them though. It will be interesting to try them out. That would be a good solution although maybe an expensive one in the long run, for my cold hands. I'm also looking at a larger windshield. Those are easy enough to take on and off.

Spotlights

A sample of the spotlights.

Brrrrr!

I was cold this morning for the first time. I mean really cold, uncomfortably cold. I stopped to change gloves a few times. I'm normally a cold person. It is as if I can't generate my own body heat some times.

My fingers are almost always cold riding in the mornings. Yesterday, the temperature wasn't as cold as this morning and I wasn't very cold at all. My fingers were cold but not so bad that I wanted to pull over like this morning. Maybe some of that had to do with leaving before the sun was up. Yesterday I left later and rode with my sunglasses on. This morning, it was dark for most of the ride.

I had on several layers, the same layers I always have on for the cold temperatures. Not much more I can add to the mix - undershirt, long sleeve tee shirt, long sleeve turtle neck, heavier tights, my mesh pants with the quilted liner, thick fleece balaclava under my full face helmet. Now, I'd worried about the mesh pants but so far they had been ok. That is until this morning. My legs were cold. My hands were cold. Even my face was cold. My arms felt a bit cold when I was wearing non-gauntlet gloves. Even my toes were cold.

I think what I'll have to do is figure out a way to block the wind on my hands. I could warm them up a bit if I took them out of the wind. Heated grips have always been on my list too but I'm worried about the draw on the battery. If I'm leaving in the dark, I'll need my highway lights too.

Or maybe I'll be riding the bus this winter. :-(