Coldout?

This screen shot - taken this morning - illustrates about how cold it ever gets in SA. I've ridden more than a few times in weather like this. Sometimes it's fun. Often it's not.

I was talking to a friend that rode a motorcycle as his only means of transportation for about ten years. It wasn't until he started dating (his now-wife) that he discovered the wonders of automotive transportation. She made him ride in her car when the weather turned really ugly. He discovered that he was burned out from riding after all that time.

I can see why. After cracking my tibia from a motorcycle accident almost two years ago (and finally able to run again!), I was forced to drive to work. I discovered that it really wasn't so bad. Yeah, I had blind spots again. I couldn't stretch out like I wanted. But I could listen to the radio when I wanted to. I could turn the air or heat on. I felt less threatened on the highway. People saw me at intersections. I didn't have to buy expensive gear just to commute. I didn't have to replace my tires once or twice a year. I could bring long and large items with me. I could just "jump in" and go.

Yeah it's easier on gas. It's (often) cheaper on insurance; Insurance companies view motorcycles as "recreational vehicles." It makes sense. They're not ideal in many weather conditions. And the FJR is only nominally better on gas than my wife's 30+ mpg car. Like the way her car is marginally better than my 18-22 mpg truck. Is commuting by motorcycle really cheaper? Perhaps not.

So my friend had a piece of advice: "Put the bike away and ride when you feel like it. That way you don't get burned out." Maybe it comes from getting older or not wanting to ride when it's cold out. Perhaps I'm discovering that I'm married to my wife, not the motorcycle. Either way, I'm going to ride less and enjoy it more. Let's see if that works!

A Reckoning?

Image courtesy of babyblues.com

As I sent a text message to my wife after fueling up the FJR after work last night, it dawned to me that I had assumed she would be alright if I took a quick after-work ride before coming home. In the following months, she will depend on me more and more to look after her needs as she advances in pregnancy. After that, we will have to carefully plan and coordinate time away - both together and alone time - so that our child will be cared for in the meantime.

So, yeah this ride was a little last taste of freedom. However, it also reminded me that with the joy of a family comes not with a burden of responsibility, but rather a joyful commitment that must take precedence over my spontaneous adventures. My future rides will be planned breaks from the daily life, incorporated into a deeper sense of commitment and accountability to my family. I must return safe to care for and enjoy them.

So, yeah. Maybe I'll ride a little more conservatively. I'll plan more rides. But I can't see myself stopping - at least anytime soon!

Fortune Cookie

"Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain."

How true that is of motorcyling! But it applies to so much else: Starting a new job, going alone to the movies, driving on Interstate 40...

Psychologists refer to this practice as flood therapy, used in overcoming phobias. The generally accepted practice involves slowly introducing patients to increased levels of experience to their phobia, allowing them to gradually desensitize themselves to their fears.

Conversely, simply dropping someone into a sink-or-swim situation which involves a genuine phobia is a recipe for disaster and may actually reinforce the phobic behavior.

I have long desired for Lani to ride with me, and we have made baby steps in that direction. But I have accepted that she may never enjoy riding; I love her nonetheless. A fear of riding and a lack of interest in it are two different things altogether... Because I love her (and I don't want to encourage a fear of riding) I'll never intentionally subject her to a long and excruciating ride she doesn't want to go on.

It's 34° Outside, Do You Know Where Your Gloves Are?

Chances are, most riders wouldn't dare head out in weather this cold. However, some of my favorite riding memories come from days that started out like this. But the weakest link has always been my gloves.

When I started riding in the cold, I layered up (a good idea) under and over my traditional leathers (not such a good idea). I got cold and stayed cold. It seemed that layering just didn't work. (As a side note, traditional leathers "leak" air and don't block much - if any wind. However, applying waterproofing - test it first! - helps as do cold-specific leather/fabric jackets and riding pants that have already been prepared for blocking the wind and use a goretex or another synthetic liner.)

Then I heard about heated gear and thought to myself, "There's no way my older bike could power a device like that."

When I moved to San Antonio, ironically I found some of the best cold-weather gear I've used to date: A one-piece suit from First Gear (which I've heard has been discontinued) and some dedicated cold-weather gloves that were roomy enough to fit a glove liner (liners are available inexpensively at large sporting goods stores and are great for cold hikes, too). That worked pretty well until they started falling apart after a couple of season's use.

I bought a newer bike (the FJR) and later a dual purpose bike (the XT) and continued exploring my options. The XT had a neat feature: handguards. This blocked a lot of wind and didn't make my gloves (and thus my hands) work so hard. So the XT became my primary winter transportation for a riding season.

After I sold the XT, I heard about adding handguards from a Suzuki V-strom and installing heated grips to my FJR here. So, I bought the necessary materials and installed the handguards
and heated grips relatively inexpensively. (Working in the industry has its perks, after all.)

The heated grips are very nice when the air turns slightly cool after riding in warm weather all day. However, they're not as practical in very cold weather and they cannot be felt well wearing thick gloves. They also draw enough power to make running my accessory lights at night (when it's colder) to put me at risk of draining the battery and over-taxing my charging system.

The handguards work very well. They don't stop the cold, but the break the wind, protecting all by my wrists and finger tips. In cool weather with lighter gloves, this is partially remedied by the heated grips. The wrists are usually taken care of by gauntlet-style gloves or a wind-breaking riding jacket. The only problem - which doesn't really apply to me - lies in the inappropriate appearance on a sport bike. But if you're going to ride in the cold, who cares when it works?

I still don't use electric gear as I am particularly not fond of tangling myself in wiring mounting and dismounting the bike or even the possible unfortunate consequences during a crash. But, like all things riding, one must evaluate the risk and manage it as you see fit.

Happy cold weather riding!