This weekend I'll be taking a ride out through Moscow, TX and into Geneva, TX. I'll be staying the night with my girlfriend in Nacogdoches for the end of day 1. Day 2 will just be a straight ride home to Austin from Nacogdoches.
The main reason I was going to take this ride was to go see my girlfriend who goes to school in N-Town, but I thought it would be nice to do a nice long ride on my own, since I normally ride with my father or my sportbike club here at school. The ride is going to take me through the pine country in East Texas and through some of the most beautiful parts of the state, so I'll hopefully get plenty of photo oppourtunities.
My round trip mileage is 650 miles:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/image_map.gif)
And to give you an idea of where in Texas I'm talking about:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/image_overview.gif)
The ride from Austin to Moscow, Geneva, and Nacogdoches is 365 miles, which is going to take me around 8 hours, plus stops for photos, food, and stretching my legs. I figure it'll be roughly 10 hours. I plan on leaving at 8am, so getting in to Nacogdoches at 6pm works out nicely. A little later won't hurt either.
Now for the "Damn Alpha, you are one dumb muthaf%$ka" part:
The high on Saturday is going to be about 60 degrees. The high on Sunday is going to be about 50 degrees. That's cold around here, people. It's going to be raining both days. Forecast predicted "thunder showers" and normal showers in every place I'm going to ride on both days. I'll be doing this ride on a naked bike with minimal luggage in the cold and wet. Never will I want a fairing on my bike so much in my life.
Does anyone have any tips for me on keeping warm and dry so that I can make this trip safely? I'm going to have 2 pairs of gloves and glove liners, my leathers, rain gear, a thermal shirt, t-shirt, balaclava, neck warmer, thermal pants and thermal socks with my boots. I took a ride in 40 degree weather with all that and still got pretty cold, so I'd like some tips from you northerners! Space is an issue because I'm not taking much luggage. I'm going to be taking a small tankbag (Joe Rocket Manta), a 22 liter tailbag (it can hold a change of clothes and my raingear as well as a few other things), and MAYBE a backpack. I want to avoid taking a backpack because they're bad if you crash, but will if necessity dictates.
Are there things I should take that one might forget on a trip like this? This'll be the longest single excursion I'll have taken before, much less on my own. What things do I need to do and know before I take this trip? I plan on doing the standard things like checking the oil and making sure the chain is cleaned and lubed properly before I go, check the lights operation, and tire inflation, but what else?
This is going to be an adventure for me!
damn! what's the matter with you??
only tip you need: get lots of love from your gf
Yeah, I am thinking this probably isn't the wisest idea. It's worth it to see this girl though.
Ehhhh but we all do some not wise things or things we never would thought we would do to see girlys...... like get on planes when we are scared to death of them!!!!! Good luck Alpha
Alpha, if you weren't a starving student, I'd say break down and get a Plexifairing II (like Kerry has).
Scotchguard works to keep clothing dry(er) for a while, but wears off. Maybe a strip of tape or rubber on the back of your glove to wipe the rain off your faceshield.
You're a dedicated rider, a better man than I, and one crazy mofo ;)
Best of luck to you!
D.
bad as alapha i might have to make that ride one day :) but .. i guess i need to find a girl to vist in that rought so i have a place to stay :P .. what kind of jacket do you have ? if its one of them dual sports ( what i call it has a liner you can take out for the hotter days ) then i'd but your rain coat over your jacket i did this the other day and it did wonders i was really shocked ! . and see .. you should have left that fairing on your bike ! ( as your kicking your self now ) but i'd tuck a little extra money away . you never know whats gonna happen . as far as the only problem i see you having is the gloves .. if it rains there gonna get soaked (unless there water proof) .. i'd say go buy you some really big latex gloves and sit them bad boys in one of your bags. that way when it dose start raing . you can throw them latex gloves OVER your riding gloves . that way your hands stay dry and somewhat warm :) take you a bonkie ( some ppl call it a tobogon .. i dont know .. that deal that goes on your head to keep you warm :) put it on under your healment it will do wonders .. i found out when that high was like 45 back before we got that light ice :)
I've got a Teknic Lightning jacket and 2 pairs of gloves. I've got a "junky" pair that have been through hell and back that I'll wear in the rain and some nice new ones I'll wear in the dry. That latex glove thing might work... I might have to pick up a few pairs of those. I don't think I'll have to worry about keeping my head warm, because the balaclava does a damn good job of it, and combined with the neck/ear warmer my head will be pretty toasty. I'm more worried about my torso and hands, because that's my core temperature and the stuff that controls the bike!
to hell with that man, the weather is going to be terrible this weekend. Cold (for this part of the world), rainy and those 40mph winds like last weekend means you won't find me out on the road unless I absolutely have to be. Good luck and be careful!
I see nothing wrong with this trip, GO FOR IT! haha
I can't wait till there is no snow so I can start taking my trips... Damn you snow!
Just be careful man, going that extra speed is never worth going down or something happening.
Have a blast and keep it upright!
Alpha...look up Woodville and see if you can work it into your route at all. It's beautiful riding right around there and there's this restaraunt there I can NOT wait to hit up again! You don't get a menu...you just eat what they bring you...awesome place...
...thinking of that, I might be hitting that joint up again this March.
Woodville adds 50 miles to the begining of my trip. I'm not sure if I could swing another 50 miles on the first day. I'm going to be exhausted as it is when I get into Nacogdoches.
However... if you want to ride out and meet up for lunch one weekend in March, let me know.
That 50+ miles amy seem like a pita but if you could hit the place up around meal-time it's stupendously worth it.
I'm not sure what our route's going to be yet...I've been wanting to go back to woodville for a couple years. I think the ride is going to be on March 12, starting in Conroe.
You sound pretty well-prepared mentally, given your equipment situation. You *will* get soaked if it's raining and you're out there for 10 hours, and as soon as you get soaked you will very quickly become very, very cold. Try not to wear anything cotton - cotton t-shirts, cotton socks, denim jeans, etc. If you have any articles of clothing made of wool, absolutely bring them along. Cotton does more harm than good when it's cold and wet - wool will still keep you warm. If you have the cash and expect it to rain for even just an hour, it'd even be worth just going out and buying a wool shirt and set of pants. Water-resistant/proof riding gear can only protect you for so long - my Joe Rocket gear is effectively a solid barrier against Seattle rain, but nothing's perfect. Water will find its way under, around and even through your protection.
Aside from that, once you get wet, it'll just be a matter of keeping yourself running and warm. Take breaks every hour to hour and half at a cafe or burger place. Stay very well-fed - your stomach's where your body heat comes from, if it's got no fuel, you won't have any body heat. Hypothermia is very real, very possible and very dangerous - not the direct effects of extreme hypo, but its more mild, indirect effects: loss of attention span, inability to concentrate, drowsiness etc. Not conducive to motorcycling.
So, bottom line from a northerner who rides daily in the rain - do the best you can to stay dry, but acknowledge that you will get soaked to the bone. Concentrate most of your efforts on staying warm and well-fed despite the rain.
Oh, and make sure your cellphone and wallet are in the luggage bag, in the middle of everything. If your pants get soaked and your phone's in your pants...
You're gonna be miserable, especially on a naked GS. I'd skip it. We had 30mph winds the other day and I could barely keep on the road from the gusts. Talk about scary taking curves.
You can't wait for a couple more days? I remember TX weather always warmed up/dried out not long after the cold fronts.
Tophyr - Thanks for the advice. I'll try and get a wool sweater or shirt from a thrift store before I go. Thanks for the advice on staying well fed, that makes a lot of sense when I think about it. Usually the week-long forecast is a little off, so hopefully it'll only be occasional showers, or I'll miss a alot of them as I ride east. As for getting wet and having water work its way through my rain gear: do you think it would help if I rubber banded the ends to my wrists/ankles to help keep water out? How do you suggest keeping water out of my neck area?
chris - I've ridden in 50mph wind gusts before and it didn't faze me too much, so that won't really bother me. I can't wait for a couple more days either, because I've got school during the week and other things to do on the weekends. I've also got to plan this around my girlfriend's schedule, because she's equally busy.
For your wrists, hopefully your gloves have gauntlets that extend over the sleeve of your jacket. That'd be the best - tighten down the gauntlets and you'll pretty effectively seal your wrists. Your ankles/legs, unless your riding pants are very loose, will mostly get wet simply through capillary action - bottom inch gets soaked, the water moves up, and then up, and up etc. Rubber band won't do much against that. For your neck, a sturdy wool scarf, WWI Pilot-style. In this particular case a cotton scarf will probably do better than nothing at all, simply for wind protection: Cold rain @ 60mph stings like a Buddha Loves You.
damn I really missed a lot of that first post, alpha...
I ride year round...including last years low of -11 under...but I do it to and from work. 10 minutes on the road in nominal conditions.
You're going to be spending an excessive amount of time on the road in adverse conditions...let me start out by saying that, from your idea of the weather and all, this is not going to be a safe trip. Next, it will not be an easy trip. I personally think you'd be wise to either postpone, or drive to see your girl. I guaruntee you she'll be much more enthused to see an alive, healthy, warm-bodied alpha than a cold, tired, achey and wet alpha. You should also take a moment to consider that, under nominal conditions, ridnig is an excessively dangerous activity. You should ask yourself if you're willing to drastically increase the possibillity of your girl getting a phone call instead of an alpha.
As for staying warm, your best friends will be dirtbike hand-guards, a wind-proof outer layer and a large synthetic scarf. As said, stay away from cotton...especially next to your skin. Get a thermal set first...a wool/synthetic one. that next to your skin will help a lot. Can't do much about your pants...just get heavy jeans to stuff under your leathers. Get a wool sweater to wear under your jacket. On top of your leathers wear a rain-suit. A florescent orange one. Seriously. The scarf is to seal up the gap between your jacket and helmet...your bellaclava won't do the trick very well for a long ride. It's going to be most difficult to keep your fingers warm...can't do much about it. Be sure to make frequent stops and use your exhaust can to warm your hands up.
Also take a few trash bags.
50*f gets old really fast in the wet at 70mph.
I'll echo Makenzie.
Especially the part about getting a phone call instead of an Alpha.
Tophyr - I'm going to have my boots ("waterproof") over my leather pants, and then have my rain suit over that. I figure if I rubberband the rain suit to the boots it will help prevent the water from soaking down into my socks. It'll have to work its way past the rain gear, up the boots, then down the leathers to my socks. That's the best chance I've got so far. Maybe I'll get some waterproof booties, too.
Mak - You're right, this probably won't be my safest trip, but the roads I'm going to be riding won't be twisty high speed sweepers or technical hill roads, they'll be fairly major highways and straight, flat roads. I took into account the risk involved due to the weather and I'm going to risk it. I don't think that the risk will be too great if I am properly prepared for what I'm getting myself into. That's why I'm posting here, so that I can take care of everything I need to before I go out there so that I can be safe and show up to see her, alive and healthy. I know I'm going to need many trash bags though, just in case. They'll also be covering my tail bag.
GeeP - The only phone call she'll be getting is from me wondering where she is. :)
I would seriously reconsider this unless you have some superb rain protection.
I rode about 120 miles two weeks ago in 50-60F degree weather here in Virginia, and even with my Joe Rocket jacket/liner, riding pants/thermals and other gear, I was FREEZING by the time I reached my destination. Granted, I was traveling around 60-100mph the whole time, which you may not be. Anyway, the point is, even with good gear, you will be very cold after an hour or so of riding at highway speeds, especially if you compound the cold with wetness.
Also, one of the most important things is that you keep your hands warm. I used non-perforated Joe Rocket leather gloves during my ride, and I literally had to stop twice to "revive" my hands. Its a scary feeling when you don't have control of your front brake. If you don't have real winter gloves, or something to block the wind from your bars, you might look into that.
rtc - I undersdtand about the cold hand thing. I went on a 400 mile ride in 40 degree temps last Saturday, so I know what having cold hands is all about. I've got non perfed Teknic gloves that I'll be wearing with glove liners. I will be riding with rain gear though, so I'm not AS worried about getting soaked. I do plan on stopping regularly so that I can stay warm, too.
I'm going to look into getting some handguards, too.
:o Woah, that sounds both scary and fun at the same time. I wish you luck and I hope that you stay safe. You better be takin some pics for us of your girl, too!
In all seriousness, good luck and please please please stay safe for you are the father of all of our robots. :laugh:
Two things that I don't think have been mentioned yet:
1. Put the stuff in a trash bag, then into the tankbag (and backpack?) to keep it dry
2. If you do take a backpack, strap it down to the seat behind you. Not only could it be danerous to wear, but it will fatigue you more on the longer ride
Have a good ride :thumb:
You may want to ziplock that phone and wallet. Along with some wool/goretex socks. Bundle up and be aware that your hands and feet will be the first to get cold.
Another tip (I'm sure somebody will disagree), when the droplets fill your visor.. Shouldercheck left then right. You'll see the droplets blast off to each side. Keep your distance from other cars, the water that comes up from them is much dirtier than the stuff falling from the sky. I did 135 miles in 45-50 degree rain once, only stopped once for gas and once to add more gear (and wished I would have put my wallet in the ziplock with my phone).
Hm..I was going to suggest a nylon scarf instead of a wool one, for better 'rain protection', but usually the rainsuit is enough to do the job due to a tall mandarin collar.
Quote from: scratch on February 14, 2006, 01:55:22 PM
Hm..I was going to suggest a nylon scarf instead of a wool one, for better 'rain protection', but usually the rainsuit is enough to do the job due to a tall mandarin collar.
:laugh: I was wondering when you were going to chime in, scratch. I know you ride year round and regularly in the wet, so I figured you of all people could help me out. I've got scarves at home, but I'm not sure wether they're nylon or wool. Better safe than sorry to have one 'round my neck though, hm.
Nylon will be better for the wet..it'll dry out faster. Wool is better for warmth, but all the scarf will be doing is keeping your neck out of the wind.
Go a day early before the rain...
Quote from: dyran on February 14, 2006, 08:04:30 PM
Go a day early before the rain...
Can't. I've got school until Friday afternoon. It's raining on Friday too.
I think I've got a lot of great information from everyone so far, so thank you, contributors! I'll try to get pics of this ride, and I'll post my ride report when I get back!
Anything else missing from here?
you should just buy you a big zip lock bag and put your self in it ! on .. poke a hole in it stick a straw threw it. duck tape it off .. put the straw in your mouth and breath !! cant get wet then !
This is definitely going to be an adventure... I need a freakin' V-Strom.
I don't know what you think you'd gain from that...it's not the bike who's thresholds will be tested.
Quote from: makenzie71 on February 15, 2006, 12:54:01 AM
I don't know what you think you'd gain from that...it's not the bike who's thresholds will be tested.
The 'Strom has a good little half fairing, hand guards, and luggage. I might even put my front fairing on if I don't have to remove the headlight brackets...
Well... You're pretty much screwed... Once you're wet, you're going to be cold... Unless you're wearing wool (or something else that's warm-when-wet.) And once you're cold, you're SCREWED.
So... Don't get wet on any part of your body. Your hands are going to be the first to go if you're not wearing Gore-Tex or rubber gloves OVER your moto gloves. Then your boots and/or ankles... Then your neck and/or chest.
You might think about getting a rain-suit to throw over your gear... Like a crabbing suit or something. 8 hours of 70+ MPH rain == WET.
A squeegee on your glove is a good idea too, but it's not going to help all that much.
:dunno_white:
RVertigo must be too lazy to read all the responses :laugh: :laugh:
Yeah, I've got a rainsuit man. Hell, I might even wear TWO of them.
Squeegee won't help much? How come? Just 'cause it will be raining and after I squeegee it it'll get wet again?
You're right... I am too lazy... :flipoff:
Yeah... The squeegee helps, but you have to do it a lot... I've found that turning my head to get more wind on the visor works just as well (if it's windy).
Just don't get wet... 8 hours is a loooooooooooooooooooooong time to be cold.
go ride your bike, you kitty cat. deal with your problems as they arise, you can't plan for everything, so don't try, just enjoy the ride.
I've found it best to NOT try and clear your helmet unless you're seeing sub-freezing temps. Use something like rain-x only. Often times the most moisture you get is from the road and trying to wipe it off may smear and streak, furthure impeading your view.
Quote from: badkarma506 on February 15, 2006, 12:34:11 PM
go ride your bike, you kitty cat. deal with your problems as they arise, you can't plan for everything, so don't try, just enjoy the ride.
Woohoo! that's the turdburgler we all know and love :laugh:
So my parents are freaking out about the weather and considering lending me the Camry to drive up to see my girlfriend. That means I might have to delay my ride until fairer weather comes about. So, depending on how bad it's raining I might have to postpone. I really hope I get to ride though.
giving your description of what the weather may be like I know we'd all prefer you drive.
it was 26 degrees and frosty when i came home tonight, wanna borrow my stich? :icon_razz:
After this thread I'd say you have to go now! haha
If you don't go I still have learnt a good amount of ways to keep semi-dry in the rain so it won't goto waste.
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on February 15, 2006, 11:06:39 PMSo my parents are freaking out about the weather ... That means I might have to delay my ride ... I really hope I get to ride though.
What... Are you 12? :icon_rolleyes:
Quote from: RVertigo on February 16, 2006, 01:11:55 AMWhat... Are you 12? :icon_rolleyes:
He's likely loved.:icon_rolleyes:
Quote from: RVertigo on February 16, 2006, 01:11:55 AM
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on February 15, 2006, 11:06:39 PMSo my parents are freaking out about the weather ... That means I might have to delay my ride ... I really hope I get to ride though.
What... Are you 12? :icon_rolleyes:
They pay for education, housing, food, and stuff like that. I basically told them that I was going no matter the weather though.
Take the car and keep the parental units happy; as long as you don't fall asleep at the wheel, you'll probably be much better off in the long run. I've made long trips (no car in those days) in all types of weather, and there is a MAJOR difference between being COLD and wet, and being WARM and wet; it's called "severe hypothermia"... Save this type of trip for warmer weather if you really feel the need to stress-test yourself. You're facing a long, miserable trip in adverse conditions, and you'll probably be riding sleep-deprived, which just compounds the risk to an unacceptable degree. You're treading dangerously close to the line between managing an acceptable risk, and being foolish. Much of real wisdom requires knowing when NOT to do something, and in not allowing pride to control your actions. You've learned a lot from this thread, and you'll be better prepared when the conditions are not quite as bad as projected.
One February long ago, a group of friends and I agreed to meet in Daytona Beach for Bike Week. I lived in Connecticut back then, and had to leave home in a severe rainstorm; I never even crossed a state line before the rain and cold forced me to stop at a motel for the night. I SHOULD have stayed home one more night and saved the money, which I needed for the trip... I was wearing ALL of my cold-weather gear, including my Widder Lectric Vest and gloves ( http://www.widder.com ), three sweatshirts, thermals, Levi's, and my Hondaline cold weather suit, all covered by my rainsuit, and I STILL froze so badly that I was ready to burn the motorcycle by the side of the road to warm up. That motel probably saved my life that night... learn from my stupidity, and make this trip in the car.
You will have plenty of opportunities to make another trip under adverse conditions, but you'll also be able to acquire better cold weather / rain gear in the meantime. Thank your parents, drive the car, and count your blessings...
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on February 16, 2006, 01:18:42 AMQuote from: RVertigo on February 16, 2006, 01:11:55 AMQuote from: AlphaFire X5 on February 15, 2006, 11:06:39 PMSo my parents are freaking out about the weather ... That means I might have to delay my ride ... I really hope I get to ride though.
What... Are you 12? :icon_rolleyes:
They pay for education, housing, food, and stuff like that. I basically told them that I was going no matter the weather though.
I was only saying that your parents wishes have no baring on your choice... You can choose to drive or ride... But, it's your choice...
That's all. :dunno_white:
Yeah, I know, RVert, but what they say has a lot of truth to it. They have the same feelings as Cal Amari does.
I checked the forecast again, and the lows are bumped down into the 40s and 50s, rather than the 50s and 60s. Depending on how it shapes up I don't think I'll be riding this one. I might be driving out a day early instead and just taking the short way; I'll save this trip for warmer weather, or at least less wet weather.
Yeah... I don't think you should ride it either... But, I'm not your dad. :laugh: :flipoff:
I rode about an hour in 40°F weather with heavy rain... I didn't have waterproof gloves and part of my jacket failed. I was soooooooo damn cold when I got home. I can't even imagine 8 hours of that... I'd die.
If it's at all windy AND rainy, it'll be a miserable trip. I just did about 200 miles round trip yesterday from Houston to College Station, mostly straight-line driving. I was being blown all over my lane, and there were times where I couldn't accelerate in top gear. I have a small Givi A750 windscreen. I was so tired when I came back I took a long nap. 650 miles like that would be horrible.
Yeah, the weather's worse now. I'm takin' the Camry and leaving tomorrow afternoon instead of Saturday morning. i won't be going through Moscow and Geneva either. I'm going to be taking the I-35 route up there and just spend extra time with her. That sounds good to me, even if I can't ride.
Dude you're going to be hit with what we just got...I shaZam! you not it's not something to ride in.
The temperature actually dropped 22* in less than 20 minutes.
Rode home in jeans and and textile jacket with mesh gloves at 22 degrees...your move in the idiot race, badkarmapu.
Quote from: makenzie71 on February 16, 2006, 07:09:09 PM
Dude you're going to be hit with what we just got...I shaZam! you not it's not something to ride in.
The temperature actually dropped 22* in less than 20 minutes.
Seriously...? Crap. I guess I'll see it tomorrow afternoon. Ah well. At least not getting to ride is being made up for by extra time with my girl. Yay girls!
It's 15*f right now. You're not going to get THAT cold, but don't doubt you'll get some freezing weather. The front'll move in with a lot of wind, too...or it did here. But we don't have things like trees or hills here.
Its about -5F here right now, which means that is the high for today. Forcast from weather.com for tonight: "Bitterly cold. Low -19F" This is not counting the wind chill we are getting with the 10-20mph winds.
Looks like no riding for me either... not that I was planning to (for a month or so) anyway.
I drove to Nacogdoches Friday evening and headed back Sunday afternoon/evening. I then rode back to the dorms from my house (~15 to 20 min) in the snow. I'm glad I drove for this trip. I would have been miserable. I did learn a lot about staying warm and dry on long trips though.
I'll save this trip for the spring/summertime. I'll probably extend it so I can pass through Moscow, Geneva, Paris, Athens, Dublin, and Palestine (which I passed through both ways this time). It'll be like my weekend world tour.
lol yea . its a good thing you did not go . i went to the belton expo center sat. night to watch the mud bog and well when i left it was sleeting . i knew i should have turned around and got my car but nooooo . i went any way . they where saying over the pa that there where some crashes on 35 .. so a little bit before it was over i left .. glad i did . traffic on 190 was doing 35-45 i did 35 the whole way home .. had to ride with the visor up cause well .. my visor was coved in ice . as soon as the sleet hit my visor it was suck there buy the time i got home it was coved in ice . the only thing that was cold though was my lips and my hands . the rest of me was fine :)