This winter stinks so far

[dltang]

For those of you that know me, you know I have usually ridden my spyder no matter what. I very seldom let the winter or cold stop me from the ride. Our winter this year has been horrible. It isn't that we have had a lot of snow, it just seems like we get a "dusting" of snow every time it seems like the roads will clear. Or the main roads will finally get cleaned off but due to a bad economy, no one is salting the side streets. Hence, the two roads from my house to the main road have been a sheet of ice since early Dec. I am having some spyder withdrawals. So, I have to go to work 3rd shift tonight and I think I am going to just brave it. I will leave early enough so that if I can't get down the road, I can turn around and get in my "cage". So wish me luck everyone. Also, pray it doesn't snow tonight....LOL

[docdoru]

Moreover be safe!

[boborgera]

For those of you that know me, you know I have usually ridden my spyder no matter what. I very seldom let the winter or cold stop me from the ride. Our winter this year has been horrible. It isn't that we have had a lot of snow, it just seems like we get a "dusting" of snow every time it seems like the roads will clear. Or the main roads will finally get cleaned off but due to a bad economy, no one is salting the side streets. Hence, the two roads from my house to the main road have been a sheet of ice since early Dec. I am having some spyder withdrawals. So, I have to go to work 3rd shift tonight and I think I am going to just brave it. I will leave early enough so that if I can't get down the road, I can turn around and get in my "cage". So wish me luck everyone. Also, pray it doesn't snow tonight....LOL

I feel for you, It's been a tough winter here in Jersey also. We haven't had this much snow and cold since the early 70's.
But they do a good job with the roads out here. So I'm able to ride the day after each snow storm . Hang in there and ride safe.

[BajaRon]

Maybe just wait it out! No use pushing it and putting a ding in your Spyder or worse.

Ice is bad no matter what. There are definite advantages to a cage at times.

[Firefly]

Good luck!

Last time I was out was in December and the salt cleanup was so much work after I got back I have not wanted to ride again....

Winter is depressing enough--- add not being able to ride spyder on top of that--- ugggg!

[SpyderSteve]

Good luck!

Last time I was out was in December and the salt cleanup was so much work after I got back I have not wanted to ride again....

Winter is depressing enough--- add not being able to ride spyder on top of that--- ugggg!

But there is still Football

[SethO]

i hear ya, I will say the snow tire is good and with 2 100 lb sandbags on the back it is borderline great.

its -28 right now here and I do need a new fog city insert for my helmet. 5 miles is about the limit of how fun it is to ride home.

[jimclarkf1]

HI Deb, Its been 3 weeks since I had my out, same thing always wet and snow, and crap. Tonight I pulled the out and it started right up, let it idle for 10 min, (3BARS) then I drove it back and forth in the driveway. for about 10 min it was kind of fun.Sat leave to find a warm climate, about a 1,000 miles south, on a plane. TAKE CARE DEB, your still one of the BEST.

[NancysToy]

We've only seen the pavement on our street for two days since December 2. Not much snow, but very steady, and they seldom plow small snowfalls on the side streets...and almost never salt. Traffic turns it to ice in a heartbeat...even on a dead end street. It has made things trying, to say the least. Not having my RTS helps a bit...I feel guilty about trying anything stupid with Nancy's, and I hate to have to clean her ride.

Have a safe trip. I hope you get your fix! Do a couple of miles for me, too.

[ARtraveler]

Same here--so close, but o so far away. 2 miles of ice covered road to the wide open pavement. So has been parked since October 15th. Most likely March 15th or so before it will all be open. At least I wont have to wait for the ice to melt off the steep driveway, since I moved to a new place this fall. The driveway at the other place would take an additional two weeks or so. I just got another issue of Motorcycle Consumer News, so I can at least read about motorcycling. There was some feedback about the famous trike test from a different thread. Nothing about Spyder though.

[bikeguy]

Hope you can get down the road and get your Spyder fix tonight, Deb. I thought I was really doing something last week when I rode about 35 miles in 23 degree weather mainly to test out the Firstgear Thermo suit I got from Bajaron. But I didn't have any snow or ice to deal with. You are one tough lady. By the way, your endorsement of the Thermo suit is one of the reasons I bought it and you were right, it's great. I really like it.

Cotton

[Lamonster]

My driveway just got clear three days ago but it started snowing again last night.

[Texmac1011]

I sincerely feel for all of you. I know what kind of mood I get in if I can't ride for a period of time. That being said, I have a couple extra bedrooms if anyone wants to come down and ride some clear roads!

[vtspyder]

Every day I walk out in the garage and see the spyders sitting there all winterized and dormant. I hate this place and we talk about moving all the time but we refuse to take a hit on the house because of the bad market. I just read the news on accuweather this a.m. and Bastardi said to expect winter to continue thru March and possibly April here in the Northeast. I'm telling ya, when warm weather comes I'm gonna live on that thing! By warm weather I mean NO salt or snow on the roads.

[Mo Lee]

I agree, we had a colder than normal December and I was hoping that meant January would be above normal (not so). Even though I was able to ride several days in December, I'm not sure if I have rode at all this month. Either we have had slick spots or it has been below my limit Temperature wise every day.

[groundeffect]

Winter is definitely a challenging season for Ryding, that's for sure. Having three wheels, for me is the only way I'd be ryding in it. Having said that there are still days I will not ryde, like yourself, due to road conditions. I do not want to invite trouble. However, if the roads are clear, I'm commuting, if not I find another way to work.


I noticed the same around these parts - side roads of course, are the last to be done and sometimes are not salted or cleared then left to Mother Nature to clear, if the temperatures peek above freezing.


We have been lucky here so far this year. There has been very few days I was unable to ryde due to the conditions, but the season isn't over yet.


I can battle the cold but fighting for traction is not a battle I want to be a part of.
Cheers and be safe, which ever you decide.

[Some Guy]

Good luck!

Last time I was out was in December and the salt cleanup was so much work after I got back I have not wanted to ride again....

Winter is depressing enough--- add not being able to ride spyder on top of that--- ugggg!

I hear ya...between snow/salt and injuries, I haven't ridden since Thanksgiving!

But there is still Football

and GO PACKERS!!! (only because the Cowboys did so rotten this year )

By warm weather I mean NO salt or snow on the roads.

The cold doesn't bother me...it's the snow and salt. But, on the bright side, here in Michigan we only have 5 more months of winter!

Michigan's seasons: not quite winter, winter, still almost winter, construction season.

[dltang]

Well, I rode to work last night, probably not the smartest choice I have ever made. It was lightly snowing but it didn't look like it would be too bad. I was wrong. I should have turned around and went back and got the car but I thought it might get better. I slowly and carefully made it to the highway where I went about 45-50 mph. Just didn't think it would be safe any faster. Got to work and prayed it wouldn't snow all night. When I got out this morning, there was a light dusting of snow. The highway was pretty clear but again the side roads were just not spyder friendly. I basically rode far to the right so that my rear wheel was in the clear tire track of the car traffic. That did help some of the slipping that happened occasionally. Of course, to just add icing to the ice, my brake failure light came on as soon as I left work and stayed on the whole way home. I tried stopping and taking the key out and restarting, did it a couple of times, but no help. After I get some sleep, I will go out and check my brake fluid. Really don't want to ride to the dealer.

By the way, did I mention it was 7 degrees this morning for the ride home. LOL

[hevnbound]

For the first time that I can remember I've had to add Stabil to my gas and dust off the chargers!

I know what we have down here is nothing to you guys up north but the withdrawal pains are the same!

Due to the position off the sun in the winter we get very little direct sunlight in the backyard. Right now I have two of our cars, a Spyder and my motorcycle trapped! The way the weather patterns have been, it may be Spring here also!

[rogerb]

Third storm this week here. Two and half days of no school. Rode New Years Day and been parked since. Below zero temps starting tomorrow night. Wearing out this site re-reading the posts. Jealous of you Florida people. At least I can torture myself by pretending to be riding with you and think of Spyderfest.

[IWN2RYD]

All the snow and ice finally melted late last week... only to be followed by a lot of flooding. I feel for a lot of fellow residents... But I will ryde in the rain and do.

I do stay away from some areas though. Because they still use harmful chemicals for the ice, but not Seattle... They keep using sand I just wait a few days for the rain to wash it all away and ryde...

Now if I lived just another 20 minutes to the East... I would still be snowed in or blocked by mud/snow slides...

[Lamonster]

Glad you made it back safe. 7 degrees

Well, I rode to work last night, probably not the smartest choice I have ever made. It was lightly snowing but it didn't look like it would be too bad. I was wrong. I should have turned around and went back and got the car but I thought it might get better. I slowly and carefully made it to the highway where I went about 45-50 mph. Just didn't think it would be safe any faster. Got to work and prayed it wouldn't snow all night. When I got out this morning, there was a light dusting of snow. The highway was pretty clear but again the side roads were just not spyder friendly. I basically rode far to the right so that my rear wheel was in the clear tire track of the car traffic. That did help some of the slipping that happened occasionally. Of course, to just add icing to the ice, my brake failure light came on as soon as I left work and stayed on the whole way home. I tried stopping and taking the key out and restarting, did it a couple of times, but no help. After I get some sleep, I will go out and check my brake fluid. Really don't want to ride to the dealer.

By the way, did I mention it was 7 degrees this morning for the ride home. LOL

[DynamoBT]

I don't know how tatt2r does it with the Spyder as his only vehicle. It's snowing again here. This winter has been relentless.

I'm a fair weather ryder if there ever was one. But at some point before spring I want to get on my Spyder and ryde it up to the dealer to get the DPS and some other work done on it. I do not want to waste a good part of the real good weather waiting for my DPS and mods to be done!!

This is depressing. And of course, I still having come out of the funk caused by the Patriots getting their butt kicked by the Jets. Of all the teams to lose to. It was embarrassing. I can barely stand to think of it.

Oh well. I will give my Spyder a pat "hello" when I go out to the workshop and start up my truck to plow. I must say that I am getting a lot of practice plowing this year. I am getting really good at it. There is some satisfaction in pushing the snow around. Got to get your jollies somehow!!!

[ArmyJoe]

I feel your pain. Last year, I rode a few times a month, all through the winter. This year, I think it's been above 35 only twice since I got back to Ohio on Thanksgiving. Like you, my street never sees city services and has been snow/ice covered almost the entire time.

[Clicker1944]

Damn global warming!