What A Day! (kinda long)

[h2olawyer]

Left home about 8:30 this morning.  Went on a 300 mile loop ride with a friend & his VFR800.  The day started out great, heading West up the Poudre River Canyon.  It was a bit cool (55 - 60 F) as we started out of town.  At the 30 mile mark - near the Narrows section of the canyon, there were some small snowbanks along the road.  (no kidding!)  The road was a little damp but nothing treacherous.  As we approached the upper end of the canyon, where the road transforms to Cameron Pass, the ground was covered in snow & the light drizzle had changed to sleet.

We stopped at the top of Cameron Pass (10,200 ft.) where I finally slid on the rain gear.  The perforated leathers are nice, but a bit chilly when the temps get down in the mid 30s.  ::)   After getting started again, we rode on down the West side of the pass and on into Walden, Colorado.  Stopped in the local convenience store (Corkle's), filled the tanks, drank some coffee, sat with a couple V-Rod riders from Central Illinois (who were freezing to death) and we got warmed up.

Some conversation and about 20 minutes later, we decided to head for our destination - Snowy Range Road in Southern Wyoming.  This is my all time favorite place to play - fishing, hiking, camping, skiing, motorcycle -  it's got it all & its too far from any metropolitan areas to be very crowded.  We kept a sharp eye to the North & could see we were in for some 'fun' riding.  Through the rare breaks in the low clouds & fog, we could see the Snowy Range was really socked in with clouds.

As we approached the Snowy Range Road, we actually had about a mile or so of sunlight - first of the day.  Too bad it was just a tease.  The 20 miles over the top of Snowy Range was quite the adventure.  Temp: 31F & snowing.  We had to stop twice to scrape the ice off our visors!  I really NEED a breath guard.  The scenery up there is fantastic but we couldn't see or enjoy any of it.  Ever ride inside a light bulb?  Visibility was about 100 feet & that's after scraping the visor & wiping off the fog inside it.

The elevation mercifully began to drop & we rode the rest of the way into Laramie, Wyoming in a nice steady (but not heavy) rain.  By then, it was a heat wave - all the way up to 50F!  After filling the tanks in Laramie, we headed back South to Fort Collins on US 287.  Just after crossing back into Colorado, the rain stopped & the remaining 50 miles was pretty uneventful.

What I learned on this ride - Breath guards are mandatory equipment under 55 degrees F.  The Super Venom shod Vision handles great on wet roads.  Even at 70 - 80 on the longer straight sections, the V was great.  Fast sweepers have a greater pucker factor @ 65 in the rain.  Following a better rider in conditions you have little experience in is a great way to learn - even when the bike you're trying to follow is brand new & wearing radials.  I kept up admirably.  ;D

In total, we rode 285 miles in bad conditions and made it safely back home in just about 6.5 hours.

The road is in fantastic condition.  It is one of the rides I have planned for next summer's 25 year celebration.  The ride will have something for everyone - twisties, fast sweepers, long straights & never boring scenery!

This ride tells me that Winter & Snow season are not that far off around here.  Didn't get any video - something is wrong with the system.  ::)  No big deal - the video would not have shown much more than raindrops, fog & snow anyway.

Hope your rides were as much fun as mine.   ;D

H₂O

[MotorPlow]

Outstanding ride... You need heated clothing... How did the gas cap work out for you?

[h2olawyer]

Gas cap still leaks.   >:(  I'll try to make a gasket out of cork & then will likely order a new one anyway.  Heated clothing would be nice but I didn't think I got all that cold.  Now, after being home for an hour & a half, I still can't stop shivering!  About to get into a hot shower.  My next big gear purchase is a new helmet.  After that comes a heated vest & chaps.  Maybe that would be a good birthday present next spring.  My friend's VFR has heated grips - I think that's my next mod.  At least I know the fairing vents work well.  My legs didn't get cold at all.

H₂O

[hfarley]

Hey H2O,
If you don't have one I highly reccommend the fog city insert for you helmet. My eyes water so much when riding that they fog up the inside of my helmet all the time. I oput one of those in and I can see. It is alittle costly but totally worth it. I got the hyperoptiks one that changes color in the sunlight so I don't even need sunglasses. Just a thought!
-Heather

[h2olawyer]

Thanks Heather, I've considered the insert option.  Think I'll wait until I get a new helmet first.  On my current one (HJC CL-14), I normally use one of those multi-colored mirror shields.  It is supposed to have an anti-fog coating but if it does, it is worthless.  Going to try some of the same stuff I use on my ski goggles.  If it's over about 55 degrees, I don't have much of a problem at all.  I was caught unprepared - even though I knew before I left home that Trail Ridge Road was closed due to 'adverse driving conditions' which translates to snowy roads.  Still, the insert would not have prevented the ice from accumulating on the outside of the shield.

Today, it was not only my face shield , but my glasses as well.  After all, it was in the 30s & 40s for a majority of the ride.  Also, I installed a chin curtain to try & get rid of some of the incredible wind rumble this helmet produces.  That isn't letting the air circulate as well as it used to.  The rumble is the main reason I'm looking into new helmet.  Even with -33dB ear plugs, it gets a little annoying.  Really low frequency & pounds just like a kid's car stereo.  Very tiring.  The Shoei RF-1000 & the Arai in the same general price range ($350) look like the ticket.  They're both supposed to be much quieter & better ventilated than my HJC.  Sure hope they fit almost as well.

H₂O