Who's still riding? I am.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by jcgirl

It was about 3 degrees here today.. I have no idea what that would be in American speak. I love the island. Rode for about 3 hours this afternoon.

I've been waiting for a good sunny weekend to ferry over from Vancouver to Victoria for some riding. I know the road to Tofino is great, since I've driven it, but where are the best places to ride around Victoria? Beacon Hill Park? Oak Bay? Sooke? Where are the best places for YOU to ride? When you riding for 3 hours, where do you go?

AM

[jcgirl]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

I've been waiting for a good sunny weekend to ferry over from Vancouver to Victoria for some riding. I know the road to Tofino is great, since I've driven it, but where are the best places to ride around Victoria? Beacon Hill Park? Oak Bay? Sooke? Where are the best places for YOU to ride? When you riding for 3 hours, where do you go?

AM

Any time you want to come over riding let me know. There is one route that's really nice. Dallas road all along the ocean out to Oak Bay, then up to Sannich and then up West Sannich all the way to Sidney. That was kinda the route I took on Saturday. Even out to Sooke is really nice. Tofino roads are not so good in the winter.
I'm back in TO for Christmas but after the new year, if we get a nice weekend, you should totally pop out for a ride.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by jcgirl

Any time you want to come over riding let me know. There is one route that's really nice. Dallas road all along the ocean out to Oak Bay, then up to Sannich and then up West Sannich all the way to Sidney. That was kinda the route I took on Saturday. Even out to Sooke is really nice. Tofino roads are not so good in the winter.
I'm back in TO for Christmas but after the new year, if we get a nice weekend, you should totally pop out for a ride.

Okay JC Girl, I've ordered for mid. Jan one full week of bright solid sunshine with unseasonably high temperatures (could be just due to global warming). I hope you'll be back by then! You'll naturally be leading the way; so I could set up my cam on my bike to video your ride.

AM

[ninja250]

Rain stopped. Rode today!
Chilly!

Still a few others out happy to be riding I saw today including lots of police bikes

[ninjablk08]

i am, cold but still fun

[backinthesaddleagain]

supposed to be dry 50 today so i rode to work. of course it was slight rain and 40 on the way in.

[eddiekay]

24 degrees, 21 miles @ 50mph 9:25pm
full sno-mo siut, mask and $15 surplus mittens
and some dude in a pickup yelled Hardcoremotherf------- as he blasted by
Ninjette likes cold

[P1NDLESK1N]

lol

I wish I could afford to scoop up some winter gear, but the other night my fingers were numb after a 5min ride.

[Grn99Kawi]

wow Eddie.. you are a madman.. lol

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by P1NDLESK1N

lol

I wish I could afford to scoop up some winter gear, but the other night my fingers were numb after a 5min ride.

In the wet or cold, wearing rubber kitchen groves over your regular riding gloves makes a noticeable difference.

[eddiekay]

P1...b'lieve me...I'm dressed...look like the Michelin man,,,if we hook uo I'll show you these mittens i got....saw no ice on meadowbrook, nothin; on SSP, sunrise, Ocean ave..all dry.

[eddiekay]

Adam...see my reply to p1...the local streets are like 100% safe, he's out in Mastic and they do get ice...P1...check out barre Surplus in VT....for $15 or less you can get mittens that work....rode with mittens and liners tonite...no gloves underneath...gauranteed they work....if you buy them in large and they don't work i'll buy them from you for sno-mo.

[Grn99Kawi]

Do you have anything on your neck or at the base of your helmet for the cold wind? That and my hands get the coldest...

[empyrean]

Just wanted to say "Heeeeeloooooo!" I'm back. I'm getting my bike back. And it's cold out, but I hope that my gear will work. (scorpion wind proof. nip tuck jacket and savannah pants)

For those of you who know.. I had shoulder surgery back in July (07.20.09) and am pretty much back in full force. My bike has been held by a friend, I had to sell her, but now... I can afford to get insurance soon and ride my bike as much as I can. Plus, I have a new neighbor that rides, too. His only form of transportation is his bike. And... druuuum rollll... it's a Kawasaki, too! His is the green Ninja 636.

At any rate, I have seen some riders out during the cold weather, too. Raining, cold, windy... what-have-you... I just can't wait to be back out there as well.

Keep riding.. and keep your prayers that I don't do anything to my shoulder (last time it was throwing a ball for a dog).

[empyrean]

Originally Posted by P1NDLESK1N

lol

I wish I could afford to scoop up some winter gear, but the other night my fingers were numb after a 5min ride.

Check out MotorcycleSuperstore.com. they are on Twitter and Facebook and have great email deals. Lots of winter stuff, and if you follow them on T or FB, you can find some outrageously great deals.

I get ALL my stuff from them. And, any order over $75 is free shipping (they are on the West Coast and it takes from 2 to a max of 3 days to receive.)

[eddiekay]

Adam..yeah, I got this ninja mask...basically a heavy black stocking leg with a hole for your face.Not warm but if stops thwe wind almost totally. barre has them for about ...I dunno...def uner $10, that sport bike store on Penninsual and Franklin in Hempstead might have them for much more...HD has the best ones for about $15 as i recall....made of felt...very warm...scarves make it hard to turn your head. I wouldn't even go 5 miles without a hood in this weather
ed

[tjkamper]

I rode the past two days here in Utah and put in about 150 miles. Freezing temps most of the morning and as soon as the sun goes down. This morning it looked a little foggy so I decided to take the cage as I didn't want to take the risk of low visibility and possible icy roads from the fog (17F when I left).

As long as there is no snow on the road and clear visibility, I'm on my bike.

[Cedilla]

Originally Posted by nate-bama

I'm in north alabama and the lowest temp I've seen on my morning commute is 28 and the average the last month or so is 36..I'm getting bye with long johns and jeans, with a tee shirt and hoody and my riding jacket on a ten mile commute.
I do get cold but it's bearable. Not as bad as a Black hawk at a couple thousand feet or during hot refuel

Thats exactly what I'm wearing on my morning commute. I don't have any winter gloves, so I wear clear food service gloves under my summer gloves. Im about to ride to work here in about 30min and its 25º right now. I don't want to, but I don't have any antifreeze in my car due do a bad coolant leak. So if its below freezing I ride my bike.

[empyrean]

I have gotten some great deals on gloves and the like from Motorcycle Superstore. I got the Scorpion Cleo gloves (for women), but they were only $50. I've ridden with them on during the cold and so far, so good. They are great and keep my hands warm, but with just enough ventilation that they don't get too hot.

[Cedilla]

Yesterday morning was cold, I had to pull over a couple of times to pull my gloves off and warm my hands on my exhaust. There was patches of ice on the road, and I had to ride over a iced over bridge. The ride home at sunset was nice though, it was a warm 50°.

[bdavison]

I pretty much ride year round, rain or shine, whatever.
The only thing I dont like about riding in the rain is it sure makes the bike dirty.

I went strictly motorcycle only this year, so I dont have a car or anything. Ive always ridden pretty much in anything anyway, so it wasnt much of a change for me.

I rode 40 miles a couple of days ago with a few of my buddies, in a torrential downpour - 65mph...it was 34deg too. It was still fun... IDK, maybe Im crazy, but Ill ride in just about anything.

The coldest Ive ever ridden in was 17 degrees in Menominee Michigan near the great lakes. There was about a ft of snow on the ground. I rode across a bridge over the water to get to the coast guard station to visit my friend. That was cold.

[sprale]

Never gets cold enough to stop riding in central Texas, gotta love it!

[nate-bama]

rode today and it was a warm 45, been commuting about 2/3 times a week since it got "cold" really whenever it was just dry out. It had been a average of maybe 30 in the mornings the last bit

[Manimal]

I was let out of work early today and the weather is/was beautiful today, of coarse I am still riding

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35030

here's a teaser

[rockingmtranch]

Beautiful shot there Daren

[JeffM]

My Wife mentioned that we needed to deliver Christmas cards to the neighbors yesterday so hey, why not take the bike

It was 25F out and I had to wait a bit for the ice to clear off the streets.

Lessons learned from this outing:

1. My tires never heated up during the 30 minutes I was riding. I could not trust them.

2. Had to drive with my shield cracked open due to fogging and I found out you can freeze your eyes. Yes really..

3. Never, ever, use the front brake after you accelerate up a snow covered driveway. Also, the sole of your boot slides just as easily your front tire.

Photos:

[rockingmtranch]

Jeff, you are the MAN!!! We're still riding (200 miles yesterday) but our roads are dry and clear

[ninja250]

Rode out for a rebuild test yesterday for 40 miles before sunset. Too cold near dusk, gotta ride while the sun is up! Might get out today again for a bit! Happy Holidays folks!

Jeff: You're the man! lol
I was around the snow a few weeks ago and much to chilly for my bones.

Saw a red new gen Ninja 250 in Beaumont yesterday on 6th while I was riding!

[Manimal]

JeffM,

You are a brave, brave man......... or just plain nutz! LOL

Big props to you and or anyone else riding in those conditions, and that goes to those who commute daily during the rainy season.

[JeffM]

You are a brave, brave man......... or just plain nutz! LOL

If you were to ask my wife, she would say just plain nutz . When I told her I'd take the bike for the deliveries the look on her face was pretty priceless.

Happy Holidays everyone.

[Alex]

Brave & nuts aren't mutually exclusive.

[Anthony_marr]

Sunny and ~40F for Xmas. Took my bike over from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry (1hr 40min, $22 for the bike one way) for some visits today. Back on Monday.









Bikes usually go in first. But I arrived late (12:40) for the 1 pm ferry, which was already full. Were I in a cage, I would have had to wait for the 3 pm ferry, but they let me on at the tail end, which explains why my bike was in the stern.

[Banzai]

It was clear and 39 degrees the other night. I had to take a DVD back to the red box, and the bike was calling. Damn it's cold with wind chill at 39 ambient and 70mph!!

[Angel-be-Good]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

Sunny and ~40F for Xmas. Took my bike over from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry (1hr 40min, $22 for the bike one way) for some visits today. Back on Monday.

I visited Vashon Island, Washington back in March this year, rode the ferry to the island and watching guys load their bikes on gave me an intense sense of wanderlust. There's something pretty romantic about a bike on a ferry.

[jcgirl]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

Sunny and ~40F for Xmas. Took my bike over from Vancouver to Victoria by ferry (1hr 40min, $22 for the bike one way) for some visits today. Back on Monday.

Hey Anthony,
Where did you go on your ride. Did you try the route I suggested. I'm back on the island now and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Lets look for that nice weekend in Jan.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by nate-bama

+1 as long as it's dry I'm riding to work...besides i love riding, that 351w in my truck costs 10 bucks a day to go to work and back...the ninja maybe 50 cents!!!

Fuel economy (greenness) in combo with performance (fun quotient + long distance riding if necessary) make the Ninjette my perfect choice of a mount.

I used to ride horses, still do - zero mpg, though they do exhale CO2 and maybe some NH4 - but can't ride one on the freeway generating a 30-degree wind-chill, which of course we all enjoy.

[almost40]

9" of snow 21 degrees. Bikes are both on stands in my heated garage, and staying there for a while.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by jcgirl

Hey Anthony,
Where did you go on your ride. Did you try the route I suggested. I'm back on the island now and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Lets look for that nice weekend in Jan.

Hey JC,

I did take the bike for a spin on Dallas road and part of Oak Bay. Indeed a gorgeous ride. Here is the proof:





A bit painful to see the salt on the bike. Have to give her a steam-cleaning as soon as it warms up.

I was aiming for coming back to Vancouver today (28th Monday), but yahoo weather said it would start getting snow/rain showers as of 3 a.m. last night, So I took the 7 pm ferry back. Not fun. The face shield had to be lifted for me to see anything, and when I landed in Tsawassen, it was thick fog and even my eye glasses got misted. Couldn't see anything dark at all, including the road surface. All I could do was to follow the tail lights ahead, at that car's speed (100+ kph). If there was a 2x4 lying on the highway, I'd be toast.

But damn it, look outside right now, just a thin and high overcast, and dry as a bone. Were I still in Victoria, and saw you message, I would have asked you out to ride TODAY! Okay, January it is.

Anthony

[capt_bugaloo]

I've been inland visiting my folks for the last week: lots of snow and temps of -12c to -15c (that's just above zero Fahrenheit).

I got back last night and today the weather was partly sunny with temps of about +4c or +5c so I fired up my lil 250 and went riding for about 40 minutes. It was actually quite pleasant, but damn - the city has put down a hell of a lot of salt in the last few days! When I got back home I took a damp cloth and spent about 20 minutes just washing all the caked salt off my bike.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by capt_bugaloo

I've been inland visiting my folks for the last week: lots of snow and temps of -12c to -15c (that's just above zero Fahrenheit).

I got back last night and today the weather was partly sunny with temps of about +4c or +5c so I fired up my lil 250 and went riding for about 40 minutes. It was actually quite pleasant, but damn - the city has put down a hell of a lot of salt in the last few days! When I got back home I took a damp cloth and spent about 20 minutes just washing all the caked salt off my bike.

The salt is around downtown and Esquimalt. And where they dump it, they do dump a lot. Thankfully Dallas Drive seems salt free.