Cant wait to ride

I've seen a couple guys out riding their bikes during this warm spell we've had here in Minnesota the last couple days (around 50 degrees). & was really really tempted to drag out the Seca for a spin.
Experience has taught me to wait til after a few spring rainstorms have washed away some of the sand & salt thats all over the road. This stuff is almost as bad as riding on ice.Just something to consider when you break out your bike from winter hibernation. It doesnt matter how good a rider you are, if you hit a patch of this stuff in a tight corner at a fair speed, you dont stand a chance. Take it easy out there til the roads are in better condition.--Happy trails!

 

Well said. That ice melter salt almost got me the other day. Since then it has rained a good bit, cleared the roads, and now we've had 65+ degrees for the past week!

 

I thought that you "UP North" states used grit or sand on the roads instead of salt? Geez, with all the snow you guys get, your state taxes must be crazy high to cover the luxury of salt everytime it snows. Here, they have just begun using a liquid solution. Smells like saltwater. I followed a truck laying it on the BW parkway and Rt 100 a couple times this winter. It has got to go further then rock salt.


I got out for a nice ride yesterday. Sun in my face, bike running perfect and very little traffic. I couldn't go up to the local school to play in the parking lot since school was still in session but maybe tonight. Sure was nice to spend a couple hours just riding with no destination.

My radar detector stopped working on the way home and got me worried that it had died or that my socket that it plugs into had died. I installed lit on/off rocker switches but with the sun so bright, I couldn't tell. After getting home I found that the "smart cord" had died....circuit board fried. I bought another on fleabay lastnight so I will be able to turn on my cloak of invisibility again<LOL>.


jeff

 

I have to agree with WWj750. There have been several bikes out in the past few days up here too. We need a good rain to wash all the salt/sand off the roads first. This past winter (which I'm sure isn't over just yet) has been exceptional with them having to salt and sand so often because of the ice we got. Spring riding is tricky up here with all the sand that sand build up on the corners.
Now with the temps dipping back down and the chance of snow this weekend, I'm not going to get my hopes up for riding any time soon I guess.

 

JeffK, the Nevada trucks use a salt/sand combo. Our DOT is working on a freeway expansion that uses some long bridges way up in the air, they built a system that detects freezing and will actually spray some of that liquid onto the roadway automatically. And we don't have a state income tax.

 

Yeah Blkmag, I hear you....and here they tax the devil out of us then cry cause they still don't have enough money.

The difference between "us" and them is that when we have a bust in our budgets, we say "We have to cut our spending somewhere."

When they have a bust in the budget they say "We have to raise more money."

It really is as simple as that.....personally, if a man earns it, it's theirs and shouldn't be taken away at a different rate then someone else.

jeff
That's a cool system for the bridges. I recently helped one of my collegues put together a cost model for that system.

 

we have no salt here in the atl area . Guess thats why the area was shut down for a week when we got our 8 inches last month. Was 75 here today. Gonna get the virago out tomorrow and take it for a ride .

 

They've started using the "liquid salt" stuff here in Michigan too, at least on the interstates.

54 degrees today but with 45mph winds so riding would have been no picnic; but there were a few hardy souls out and about in MoTown, even some guy on a ragged out Virago.

Temps going back into the 30s again, I'm not breaking anything out of hibernation just yet...

But DAMN was it tempting...

 

That wind blew all the way to Maryland! I've got a lot of very large oaks and was worried that the house might eat a few of the larger branches. It had been blowing like this since Friday afternoon. I drove North of Baltimore to watch my grandson in a gymnastics competition at 3:30 and when we finally got out at 7:30, the temps had dropped WAY down. I'm hoping to get the turbo out for it's maiden ride today. I have to get it out of my basement shop and up the steps. I've built a ramp but if that turbo kicks in, it could launch me over the back fence and into the woods<LOL>!!

jeff

 

i charged up my bike, fueled it up, and it fired right up. here in CT we have had enough rain and snowmelt to wash away the salt and sand, but i dont want to ride the bike yet because the roads are all wet with runoff.

 

I'm one of the crazy one's in Michigan that was out on the road yesterday. Half mile through town to a friend's house to let the dog out, then back home. Planned my route carefully to avoid any curves and no traffic so speed was about 20mph max, lots of stop and go, just to work out the kinks to find small projects to work on until a good rain to wash the roads before I take her out for any kind of real ride.