Brrr, ahh, wet!, ahh, brrr...spring riding

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:38 pm

I was running all over the county today. It was chilly this morning, enough that I almost thought flannel-lined jeans might not be warm enough. The height of day was gorgeous, scattered clouds, perfect temperatures (at least, I think mid-lower 60's are wonderful)...and then it changed to scattered showers. I got lucky: I'd get in just enough rain to make me think about pulling over and getting out the rain pants, then it would clear up. The ride home was pretty chilly, though. It's amazing how many different ways a single thermometer reading can feel. There's no-wind cloudy 55, let's call that test. Sunny adds about 5-10 degrees, windy can be either neutral or negative, humid storm-coming wind takes off about 5, sun down takes off another 5. Brr. Then there's I've-been-riding-for-7-hours-and-forgot-to-eat fatigue: call that 10 degrees penalty.

Yay, spring!!

I'm not complaining. It's not snow, and I'm not planning routes by where the most shadows are. I can put up with having to carry a few extra gear options under the seat!

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:08 pm

Rode to work yesterday morning, it was about 45 degrees, no problem.

On the way home it was about 40, pouring down rain and significant wind (I hate riding in wind).

Got the cage to go to my meeting, good thing too, started to snow on the way home.

Woke up this morning to 4 inches of Jack Frost's vomit all over my yard.

sigh.

-v

pugbuddy · Post by **pugbuddy** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:21 am

Yep, Tulsa has been pretty bipolar. Nice in the morning; rainstorm or high, freezing winds in the afternoon (or visa versa)! I have yet to get the scoot out for the work ride because I never know what the afternoon will be like or the morning is too wet and cold.

chloefpuff · Post by **chloefpuff** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:15 am

It's been the opposite here: cold and frigid in the morning but warm (relatively) and sunny when I get out of work.

So in the morning I take my cage and then the afternoon rolls around and I rue myself for being such a wimp that I took my cage.

I don't really ride until it's 40 degrees. (hides head in shame)

Queen · Post by **Queen** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:16 am

I keep wishing I didn't have to be in to work before 8:00, it's still colder than hell at 7:30, but by 10:00 it's gorgeous and sunny. Ahhhh, Spring.

Edit - I posted at the same time as chloefpuff, Central IL has the same weather as your part of MI. *sigh*

standup · Post by **standup** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:42 am

Been riding to work all week. If it's around 40 I'll use a scarf. Upper 30's and I start layering more seriously and wear a balaclava half pulled up under my ears. I'm tired of waiting, I'm riding.

I'm on a 150cc Scarabeo now, and even though I like going faster and not WOT to keep up with traffic, the layout of this scoot isn't as open as the old Buddy 50, the feet stay in one spot only. And the leg sheild isn't as good, I seem to get more wind on my knees on the "big" scoot.

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:34 am

There's a dumpster blocking my driveway that was supposed to be gone two days ago. I had to take my truck this week instead of the bike, which really hurt on those 2 perfect days we had. If it's not gone by tomorrow, I'm going to put it up in the free section of Craigslist.

At least I got a new roof out of it.

Tomorrow? Highs in the mid 50's. Yeah, that'll do just fine.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:51 am

I rode the scoot to work today, despite the fact that it was in the upper 20s. It's only 4 miles, after all.

Then at work I get a tech support call from our most remote facility, almost 15 miles away, which requires delivering a replacement laptop computer to them.

Though, to be honest, I'd rather be riding the scooter through traffic in freezing temperatures than answering phone calls from people who can't figure out what key to press when it says "press any key to continue".

Queen · Post by **Queen** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:56 am

TVB wrote:...Though, to be honest, I'd rather be riding the scooter through traffic in freezing temperatures than answering phone calls from people who can't figure out what key to press when it says "press any key to continue".

I didn't know our tech support was in Grand Rapids.

standup · Post by **standup** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:19 pm

My keyboard has... Um, I see "Ctrl" "Option" "Shift".

I don't see "Any".

Is that up at the top with the little F things or something? Is it on the keypad?

bluebuddygirl · Post by **bluebuddygirl** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:20 pm

We got snow again two days ago. Had a few inches, it's melting...Again!

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 11:13 pm

Just fired mine up for the first time in 2010 today....
ran it around the block a couple times & put it back in the garage - its only 47 burrrrr
But we are looking at the 70s during the week - yeah for the chicago area!

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 12:36 am

I had a lovely ride home Tuesday afternoon. Rain had turned to sleet while I was working. Scooter sputtered and died once on the way home in the cold and wet air, and the ice on the road was matched by the ice frosting my goolies.

dwayneed · Post by **dwayneed** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:24 am

Man, I have around 1000 miles on already! No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

standup · Post by **standup** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:56 am

Running around this afternoon on the scoot, it was 40 degrees and sunny. By the end, I really wanted to be warm. Underdressed, the sunny skies threw me off. But I'm fighting for spring, and I won't stop.

iMoses · Post by **iMoses** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:03 am

Ridden to work a few times, and have had a few group rides already.

Mornings have been in the upper 30's, with the afternoons and evenings in the upper 50's & lower 60's.

Queen · Post by **Queen** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:46 am

Sold my motorcycle yesterday, then rearranged the garage to Summer mode (car tucked in back and scooters parked at the ready!).

Coffeejunkie · Post by **Coffeejunkie** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:45 pm

I've been going batty, one day it's perfect conditions, and then the next it's chilly, penitratingly damp, and so windy I get blown sideways. It's gotten to the point that I feel like an amateur meteroligist. Heck my wife is more akin to ask me about the weather then to check online.

Of course I also have to face the choking yellow of the infamous Atlanta pollen season. Which reminds me I need to get something to cover my mouth and nose because with my allergies a full face doesn't quite cut it.

Aside from the gripes the good days have been oh-so good!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:20 pm

Coffeejunkie wrote:It's gotten to the point that I feel like an amateur meteroligist. Heck my wife is more akin to ask me about the weather then to check online.

Several years ago when I was getting my second college degree, I supplemented a part-time job with a walking paper route.* I quickly became something of an expert in predicting when rain fronts would come through, what coat/hat/etc to wear for a given temperature and wind combination, etc. These skills have come in very handy since I became a scooterist.

*For the younger members of the forum: There used to be services that once every 24 hours, would print paper collections of news stories and features written by professional bloggers (plus ads), then deliver those printed copies to people's homes. People paid for this service.

ScootLemont · Post by **ScootLemont** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:37 pm

TVB wrote:*For the younger members of the forum: There used to be services that once every 24 hours, would print paper collections of news stories and features written by professional bloggers (plus ads), then deliver those printed copies to people's homes. People paid for this service.

I remember those....
full color display
photo real 2d graphics
downloaded to your driveway every morning
built in games with "pen-touch" interface (crosswords)
best of all they never crashed or needed to be recharged
and... if you were a kidnapper, you could use it to make a ransom note... try that with your iPad!

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:32 pm

dwayneed wrote:Man, I have around 1000 miles on already! No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

Unless the snow is piled up higher than the floor of the scooter...

-v