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When is it too cold for you to ride?

40 - 45F is about it for me, with the occasional day ride if it stays colder for a longer spell as long as the roads are free of salt and ice. The bike is my escape but if its too cold it's not fun, and if its not fun I'm not doing it.

I still prefer riding in the cold to riding in brutal heat though. Turn on the seat and grips, bundle up with a vest and your good to go!
 
That inescapable summer heat in your part of the country, on the other hand...

Which has me touring for four months in the summer - usually in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and British Columbia. I grew up in North Dakota. I know the "joy" of winter and fluffy snow. That's why we moved where we did.

And by the way, the typical summer temps at our house are generally no worse than when we lived in Lawrence, Kansas. Just more sunshine, and dryer. We live in the desert, not Houston.
 
Which has me touring for four months in the summer - usually in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and British Columbia.

I envy you that! So far I've not found a place I'd rather live than in Vermont, but I sure wish there was more time to look!
 
If the roads are dry ill ride down to 10-15f, but trip has to be 1hour or less each way. For all day riding, probably 35-40f
 
We live in the desert, not Houston.

A group I ride with gives an award every year to the member who made the most memorable screw-up. Filling up your tank with diesel will get you the 'award'. So will leading rides over ice and snow cover roads. We also gave it to one guy because he moved to Houston. :laugh
 
As a New York rider . . . .

I ride an R100RT and find 90 degree riding a challenge. Ergo my riding in NC is from Sept to June. I cannot enjoy heat with a fairing. I do enjoy snowstorms, cold clear weather and chilling temps.
I hope I can make St Paul next summer.
Campbell Tellman II
'93 R100RT
:thumb
 
Another thought, thoroughly verified and authenticated

Please don't go to the "Oilhead" forum and view the string about the GS that overheated. It will totally blow any credibility I might have.

It is getting colder here. Close to my personal limit but my buddies and I were talking about another ride. Fall, work, no vacation left, and on it went with the challenges. Some of my buddies are reading this string. I got a great question, "your attitude changes when you see winter on the horizon. What do you do about people that get pissed off when another winter is coming? You know they don't care about anybody but themselves."

Case in point, colder this morning, windows up, heater full blast, this incredibly unattractive women in a big 4WD blew across three lanes, never looked at anybody. She caused a near multiple car smash, and I would be in the middle of it. When I got next to her at the next intersection, I did the two pointy finger thing at my eyes and then the same to her. Flashed the "peace" sign at her, she gave me the "bird" sign.

OK, call it arrogant ignorance. Fair enough. But as riders, we need to deal with changes in attitudes throughout the season unless you are lucky enough to ride in a place that is mostly nice for riding. I make my living as it gets colder and make serious money the colder it gets. Snow is like pennies from heaven for me.

I think it's fair to say we are all hear because it's about the ride and something that is impossible to explain. Really though, my life, as are yours are valuable, at what point to the risk outweigh the benefit?

It would be fair of me to say that in some cultures, the value of human life is less than what a book might say.

Ride safe, ride often and share the gift of being free. That's a pretty simple Mantra?
 
Didn't own a cage until into my 30s and lived in upstate NY with plenty of snow. So riding my bikes (mostly Japanese enduros in those days) was a necessity, Learned to enjoy passing cars going up snowy hills while roosting snow off the rear. Light bikes are not all that hard to handle in snow and work a lot better than most who haven't done it would suspect.

Having said that, today I'll ride in any temp I encounter- the gear is wonderful (wish we'd had it 40 years ago) and I have no problems staying warm on my RT. But the RT ain't no snow / ice machine for sure so its the road conditions, not temps, that determine if I ride. Here in eastern NC snow/road ice is vanishingly rare and I get to do a bunch of low 20s temps riding.

My Transalp would make a better snow machine but its clad with Conti Trail Attacks (not blocky enough tread) and we get no snow here anyway.

Off to the NC mountains for 5 days of riding starting tomorrow morning. Looks like picture perfect fall riding weather has started and our humid summer is finally gone.
 
Generally with my RT I do not ride below 22 degrees F. It is not that I can not ride below, it is just less fun. On the other end of the spectrum, above 98 with high humidity is about my cut off as well.
 
... the other end of the spectrum, above 98 with high humidity ...

Now THAT is another interesting question ... when is it too HOT for one to ride.

I think too cold would limit my DISTANCE and/or TIME of riding more, but too hot would limit my riding at all. Like you, I find myself walking out to the garage and looking at that full-face helmet, those leather boots and gloves, that armored jacket and heavy pants ... and thinking, damn, do I really want to get all sweaty before I even start the engine? More and more, I simply get into the car.
 
This was during a gas stop on a club ride a few years ago so the inside of the fairing did warm up some. But it was just fine to me, just dress wisely.

dscn1482.jpg
 
It's the original trip computer in my 2002 K1200LT. It's controlled by a button on the right handle bar (or the ones on the unit, but not recommended by BMW while riding!)

Back when I was a motor officer, we had escorted an officer's casket from the funeral home to the church right before Christmas. As we pulled in, there was snow starting to stick to our helmets, shoulders of the leather jackets, rear of the front fenders and windshields of the motors. Luckily it warmed up just enough during the mass that what was sticking melted.
 
for me it isn't the temp so much as I put the GS away after they start salting the streets and then bring it back out in the Spring after the first few couple of showers have washed the salt away. I did ride at 29 degrees last year and that is when my rear shock seals blew, BMW said the temp shouldn't have been a factor. But that is what some said said about o-rings on the space shuttle as well. Go figure.
 
With me it all depends on the time of year. In the fall I might ride down to low 40s or high 30s (F) but mid winter, if we get a "warm" (it's all relative by then, see?)day... I'll fire up a bike just to ride in winter!
 
...............as I put the GS away after they start salting the streets..........
That's also a big factor for me. It's now pure salt with a salt brine pre-treat. I don't want to his a Striper headed for better waters.
 
Still though, attitude, the bike

I am enjoying reading your comments. I am seeing some awesome posts even if I think you are crazy.

As temps drop here, mornings being the worst, I tend to gamble a bit that the day will get better and I certainly never want to miss a chance with two wheels under my butt.

The bike, runs better, handles like concrete. People get increasingly inconsiderate and down right stupid. My attitude starts to take short strokes. Maybe that's why I kept failing anger management courses. The courses were always when I wanted to ride. C'est La Vie.

No competition was meant here.

I think I have accomplished what I set out with this posting: Get my fellow riders thinking.

If you choose to way in, please, I am reading every post. Although, I think some of you are bit bent, still, all good.

If you aren't a "poster" to these forums. Do it now. This one feels very open with no finger pointing or incredible technical date to prove you are wrong.

OH, too hot? Never, it's about one day every three years here. I ride my back to the backyard and have a cold one.
 
I ride almost every month of the year. As others have said, it isn't temp, its the ice that keeps the bike in the garage. Then there is sand and cinders. I have yet to get a definitive answer on salt's effect on traction. Normally grey/black asphalt turns white in the spring. Even Michelin couldn't give me an answer. Although the weather starts getting good here in March, I'm not high on hitting the twisties until a few good rains wash the crap off the road.
 
For me the bike has a lot do with my decision. When I had my K100RT with the large alternator I had enough weather protection and charging system to run my heated gear, 35 and dry forecast I would take the bike. Now that I have only my naked bike, 82 Suzuki GS650E with a small fly screen and not enough charging system for heated gear, it had to be 45 or better.
But after they start sanding the roads I am done for the year.
 
ICE. I do not do ice. If it is dry and the roads are warm enough not to freeze near car washes and from the auto exhaust (I almost fell over on this one when my foot slipped) I will ride.

Rod
 
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