Day Two - That's more like it!

[DanceLikeAMon...]

Well I didn't sleep very well last night thinking about taking the bike out today and was beginning to think maybe it wasn't for me. But I was wide awake at 6am, the roads were dry so I had a quick coffee then hit the road.

What a difference a day makes!

There was barely any traffic on the road, so I got to take my time at the junctions without the fear of cars queing up behind me. I even managed a U-turn first time (I really struggled with them on the CBT!)

I stalled a couple of time pulling away, and missed a gear or two, but apart from that, I rode for just over 2 hours with hardly any problems. Mind you, I have never been so cold in my life ( there was a very cold breeze along the coast! ). I went to the petrol station to fill up, and it was so cold I couldn't get my hand around my zipper to get the wallet out! Think I will have to invest in Winter gloves instead of these sumer ones!

The only downside was that halfway through my run we got a hailstorm, so all of the trading estates, car parks (basically anywhere the gritter hadn't been) were covered in ice, so I couldn't practise my stopping and pulling away. I will keep that for next weekend!

Thanks for everyone's advice on the previous thread, it was invaluable!

[meyrick]

Well done DLAM!!! I'm waiting for my dad to come back from work so I can go out. I'm hoping to do well enough today to justify driving on real roads without my dad's help from now on.

Definitely get yourself some winter gloves, the difference is well worth the money. Check out the winter sales, I got a pair of Frank Thomas leather + Gore-Tex reduced from £60 to £30 and they are great.

BBC forecast a drop from 5*C (now) to -2*C (when I will be going out)

Paul

[DanceLikeAMon...]

Up here in sunny Newcastle, it must have been about 0 degrees when I was riding. It was fine for the first half hour, but as soon as the cold gets to you, it really starts to bite. After two hours were up I felt like a popsicle!

Next time I will do a few shorter runs I think. It'll be Christmas day next time I go out so the roads should be pretty quiet all day!

The only thing I have been told about winter gloves is that you lose a lot of responsiveness due to their thickness, so I I may stick with these ones for now (until it gets ridiculously cold!)

Watch out on the roads this afternoon. I don;t know about your area, but I went out to the shops with my brother about an hour ago, and all the roads near any shops were jam packed!

[JonB]

We had snow last night, it was hellish on the roads this morning, you were lucky to have it nice from the start.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[meyrick]

[dodsi]

In this sort of weather i would leave the bike at home (did today) cannot be botherd binning my bike and paying for repairs

I would reccomend gore-tex inner gloves, i wear them under my summer gloves sometimes so you retain all the feel you need to operate intricate controlls whilst being fairly wind/rain proof!

[meyrick]

[DanceLikeAMon...]

Well I don;t know the forecast for your neck of the woods, but in Newcastle it is meant to be mild and sunny by Thursday, so keepy your fingers crossed!

[Barker-CBR 600]

Take Note -

-4 to 0 all around the country tonight, so tomorrow will hold a strong possibility of ice if there has been any standing water on roads.

Also possible snow forecast, great for christmas crap for bikers.

Remember - Clear skies at night mean likely frost and fog in the morning. Cloud in morning means ice wont melt as quick off roads.


Also on the cold note, its been shown in studies - such as the recent one in Ride - that coldness over all other forms of ailment (such as Stress, Tiredness etc) causes deteriation in riding skill and ability to think coherently. So your reaction times will be down, desicion making poor and find it harder to concentrate on what your doing.

So gotta be careful with that DLAM, would be difficult if you are unable to change gear, pull the brake or something more serious than a zipper due to being exceptionally cold. Trick is layers, three smaller tops are more effective than one large jumper under your jacket. And as for gloves, if you can then use inner/outer gloves to keep the warm in, if not then try to layer up on your torso, keeping your core temperature up so the extremities dont get sapped for their heat.
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[meyrick]

-4*C outside now (where I am). It'll be -7*C in three hours I never thought I'd develop such an active interest in meteorology

Paul

[Jrod]

I've been out riding all day, it is pretty cold but after a while you dont feel it. (or you hands for that matter )

[stryker]

Just be careful you don't get so cold your concentration suffers. Took me a couple of days to get used to it, then it was time for my test.
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