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Ride It To Work (Every) Day

Not today....Raining

But every day possible.

After many years of having to carry around a trunkload and car full of "sales stuff" and samples, I am now pleased to come to an actual office on a daily basis. I arrive with a smile and look forward to the ride home every day. 20 miles each way, as long as the roads are clear and there is no ice. Usually draw the line at 30 degrees, but have ridden as low as 19.

Lovin' life, and the ride!
 
In the past 11 months since I've started riding again, I have kept the bike in the garage and still gone to work exactly three times, all due to snow and/or ice on the roads. If it's really bad, I'll stay home. A day at work isn't worth a trip to the body shop. But if no snow/ice on the road, I'm on the bike.

But rain - why not ride in the rain? It's only H2O! It sustains us, cleans us (and our bikes), and nourishes all that lives on this planet. It's certainly not an evil force to be avoided. Plus, I get to entertain my co-workers with the inevitable wet spot on my jeans from the leak in the 'Stich :)
 
Not only do I ride to work much more often than not, I once rode FOR work! For three years in downtown city traffic on a old early 60's /2 in DC. Pretty much rode in any kind of weather you can think of. In many ways it was the koolest job I ever had.

RM
 
Every day

I ride to work every day, except in thunder storms. I have an aversion to lightning strikes. I save a lot of money on gas and it starts and ends the day just right.
 
I ride to work about 90% of the time. Freeways in the morning, because I'm usually running a little late, and then surface streets and some twisties and a nice bit of dirt road if I feel like it in the afternoon. I have about 8 different ways of getting home.

If I drive the car to work, I have to park about 10 blocks away and walk through a sketchy part of Oregon City (redundant, I know). If I ride the bike in, I get to park in the sketchy part of Oregon City right out front of my office. My bike is the one with the cover and the steering lock and the disc lock.

This morning, I had to dodge what looked like a small pile of vomit right next to where I usually park. Then I noticed that it was right next to a partially-crushed Campbell's Soup can. Then I realized that in O.C., that doesn't mean it's not still vomit.
 
Nobody mentioned parking advantages!

I ride my R1150R to work every day (15-20 miles) and use my R1200GSA for weekend rides and touring. I agree with all the great reasons for doing this that were mentioned previously. But for me, preferred covered parking right in front of my office has to be right near the top. Most people know how difficult it is to find any legal parking on a college campus. The motorcycle only section of one parking garage is just a few steps from my office, I can always find a spot no matter what time of the day, and my bike is protected from the elements. All of my colleagues are envious of my parking situation, but not enough to get a moto of their own.:rolleyes
 
I ride to work often but not every day. It is 100 miles round trip. My work gives me a car so I have to use it from time to time or the bosses might decide I don't need it and take it away. I leave in the dark this time of year and soon will be going home in the dark. I just don't care for riding in the rain at night so the bike stays home then for sure.
 
This is a very cool thread.

If you do not mind me asking:

How do you learn the safe techniques for lane splitting? (not allowed here in WI)

How do you midwesterners handle inclement (snow, sleet, pestilence, vermin, dead horses) weather? What mods have you made to your bikes to handle these things?

Regarding weather, what is the deal breaker for the "ride/no ride" decision?
 
If you do not mind me asking:

How do you learn the safe techniques for lane splitting? (not allowed here in WI)

How do you midwesterners handle inclement (snow, sleet, pestilence, vermin, dead horses) weather? What mods have you made to your bikes to handle these things?

Regarding weather, what is the deal breaker for the "ride/no ride" decision?

IMO There are no safe techniques for lane splitting. You either do it or you don't. I prefer not to. Lane splitting is illegal here in NE too. If I need to get by a mess I hit the breakdown lane and pass there. I find it much safer (but also illegal). Mostly I sit in traffic like the rest of the lemmings.

I don't ride in sleet/snow or rain at night. Although I've been caught in flurries that didn't "stick" a few times and found that quite enjoyable. Otherwise game on. The only mods I've made to the bike are to accomodate electric clothing. I use a scorpion helmet for the good anti-fog shield they have, Gerbing Union Ridge pants, gloves, socks and a warmnsafe jacket liner. I'm good to 0 degrees F. I actually prefer to ride in the 20sF versus 30sF because I know any spots in the road I see are ice and not maybe ice / maybe puddle.
 
...what is the deal breaker for the "ride/no ride" decision?

The riding season in South Florida never ends, so the elements don't prevent me from riding to work every day. The only 2 exceptions are tropical storms/hurricanes :help and when the heat/humidity threshold surpasses 90/90. :cry
 
If you do not mind me asking:

How do you learn the safe techniques for lane splitting? (not allowed here in WI)

How do you midwesterners handle inclement (snow, sleet, pestilence, vermin, dead horses) weather? What mods have you made to your bikes to handle these things?

Regarding weather, what is the deal breaker for the "ride/no ride" decision?

What is lane splitting? (haha - just kidding - live in MI so it doesn't work here.)

Bad weather? I commute every day (just 12-15 miles one way on back roads). Well, if it is sleeting or snaining (snow + rain = snain) then I back waay off the throttle, especially in corners. I do not purposely ride in snow or snain, if I think those conditions are likely and I still want to ride, then I will do so aboard my 1982 Yamaha XT550 - lightweight, knobbies and less than $1k invested so if I fall down go boom my wallet won't get too hurt.

I got caught by snow and had to ride the Rockster home after I owned it for two weeks, so it would have been Jan 2005. Wet snow and I dumped the bike at slow speed in the slush. DANG!

Deal breaker for me on my unfaired Rockster or the Yammy is below 20 degrees. I can handle the commute from 20 and above okay.

Like Mongo, I have a Scorpion helmet for the no-fog reason. Got a nice pair of winter gloves last year from ....dang, I can't remeber the brand! I have heated grips on the Rockster which helps alot.

if you like riding all year check out www.yearroundriders.com
 
Short commute

My office is a few steps from my bedroom but when I go grocery shopping, go for coffee, or go to lunch, it's on a bike. :nyah

I really feel sorry for people who drive a vehicle to work and have a long commute.

Regards,


Randy Kasal
 
Twenty two miles to work everyday somehow turns into 30-50+ on way home unless the weather turns brutal....such as...lightning or an icestorm(luckily very rare). I have not driven my truck to work but once since January! The deal breaker is lightning nearby at time of garage opening, which timing wise has not happened but once this year. Carry raingear on all bikes...usually:doh
As stated earlier, it starts and ends my workday with a great ride. I will miss the commute in two months as I CAN retire. Guess I will just have to go ride anyways!!
 
I ride except when icey - hit black ice in December of 2005. Oops.

Oh, and intense lightning, too.

Other than that I am on 2 wheels.

Saturday my car suffered a computer meltdown (115,000 miles). Don't know what it will cost - the dealership had to go buy mmore adding machine tape to tot it all up I guess.

If it gets too high I'll let them buy the car, and I'll ride the bus on icey days.
 
I have ridden to work every day since May. I am terribly depressed because I won't ride tomorrow. My dear old 85 K100 has a headlight problem somewhere in the wiring. (see the post in the K-Bike section.) This will be the first day I haven't ridden to work since May. The reason I parked it for a few days in May, was, well the same very intermiitant headlight problem and I was working 16-hours days, ocming home late at night.

I'd risk it tomorrow, but it is suppsed to rain and I don't feel safe without the headlight announcing my presence to unsuspcting cage drivers.

Other than when the bike is down (very rarely), I ride every day (17 miles each way) unless the roads are icy. I know I could defeat the cold with more clothing or electrics, but I don't like that feeling of the bike fishtailing on Black Ice.

Tomorrow I take my 87 Chevy Sprint and make an appointment to have the electrical system fixed on the K.

I am so sad.
 
I have ridden to work every day since May. I am terribly depressed because I won't ride tomorrow. My dear old 85 K100 has a headlight problem somewhere in the wiring. (see the post in the K-Bike section.) This will be the first day I haven't ridden to work since May. The reason I parked it for a few days in May, was, well the same very intermiitant headlight problem and I was working 16-hours days, ocming home late at night.

I'd risk it tomorrow, but it is suppsed to rain and I don't feel safe without the headlight announcing my presence to unsuspcting cage drivers.

Other than when the bike is down (very rarely), I ride every day (17 miles each way) unless the roads are icy. I know I could defeat the cold with more clothing or electrics, but I don't like that feeling of the bike fishtailing on Black Ice.

Tomorrow I take my 87 Chevy Sprint and make an appointment to have the electrical system fixed on the K.

I am so sad.

Our survey says: Headlights are important! Suffer a couple days in your Chevy, a small price to pay for illumination Grasshopper.
 
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