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Riding Season Over?

Started by h2olawyer, October 17, 2006, 04:04:45 PM

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kwells

well I can only say where I am...don't know much about anywhere...lakewood
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

I'll get out my maps & find a good central spot to meet.  Likely somewhere in the Boulder or Lyons area.  From there, we can check out US 36 or maybe CO Hwy 7 up to Estes Park.  Could be a little chilly up there (about 8300 ft.) but a fun ride, especially Hwy. 7 - provided there isn't much sand on it yet.  The other option is the Nederland area, west of Boulder.  Lots of good, fun riding anywhere in the foothills between us.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

kwells

was looking like some pm or late afternoon is possible.  I'm pretty much unemployed right now while I look for a job so I'm up for wherever so long as we arent finding the snow up at 10,000 ft.
Kevin
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

Weather is calling for rain showers (30%) & low to mid 50s in the foothills tomorrow afternoon.  Looks like insulation & rain gear might be a good idea.  We won't be getting above about 8500 ft.  Anything higher & I think we may run into icy patches.  Could be iffy anywhere over about 7500.

CDOT says US 36 from Boulder to Estes Park is dry.  It's fairly heavily travelled compared to other roads in the area & would be a good place to see if there's lots of sand without taking any major risks.  A few blind corners but new pavement about a year ago.

We could meet in Lyons.  There are some gas stations (at least one) as you enter Lyons from Boulder.  We could choose one of them to meet so can start with full tanks.  I've only been through there a couple times recently & don't remember what stations are just SE of town.  I think my GPS software has that info.  I'll fire that up & get back to you.

The earlier the better with the next storm front coming in tomorrow afternoon - evening.  My schedule is open so you choose a time.  Plan on a little over an hour to get to Lyons from Lakewood (depending on how fast you ride).  If the roads look clear, we can go from Lyons to Nederland & split to go home or up to Estes Park & back to Lyons or Nederland.  The road between Estes Park & Nederland would be the one with the greatest risk of sand or (unlikely) ice in some corners.  The road between Nederland & Boulder (Boulder Canyon) is a great twisty but traffic can get heavy - especially after work on Fridays.  There are quite a few options on returning to the Denver area.  Do you have a decent map of the area?

Should be a good ride!  Looking forward to getting the COROV chapter rolling again.  Too bad ProfessorRex had to leave (not to mention his incident).  Even though you won't be on your V, we can still call it a COROV function.   ;D

H2O

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

Robin Hood

Here in the UK September was the warmest on record. I've heard that only 6 Augusts have been warmer.

At the moment temperature is around 17C which is about 62F. Few leaves are falling, haven't seen any birds migrating, went into the countryside at the weekend and there were millions of tiny flies.

The wildlife seems really confused.

kwells

right now I am pretty much relying on google maps but I will print some stuff out and bring along a map in my tank bag.  It will probably be warming up nice at around noon eh?  so why don't we plan on meeting around then.  I'll bring along rain gear just in case.  I'll pm you my number too. Let me know if the time is good.
Kevin
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

Night Vision

Quote from: h2olawyer on October 19, 2006, 05:11:23 PM
Could be a little chilly up there (about 8300 ft.)

Quote from: kwells on October 19, 2006, 06:04:15 PM
I'm up for wherever so long as we arent finding the snow up at 10,000 ft.

Quote from: h2olawyer on October 19, 2006, 06:41:22 PM
We won't be getting above about 8500 ft.  Anything higher & I think we may run into icy patches.  Could be iffy anywhere over about 7500.


what? ...... you guys ride with altimeters or sumthin? Quad Maps?
I wouldn't trust those hand held GPS elevations too much  ;)

was watching a "Discovery Channel" program on the "Death Road" in Bolivia...
it was said that an engine looses 3% of it's power for every 1000 feet above sea level.

stay low.... be safe  ;D
if it ain't worth doing it the hard way....
it ain't worth doing it at all - Man Law
;D


if it ain't broke..... take it apart and find out why


don't give up.... don't ever give up - Jimmy Valvano

kwells

hmmm lets see 8500=8.5 x .03(3%) x 108hp= 22.44 HP loss
108-22.44=85.56
That should do it
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

Kevin -

There is a Diamond Shamrock near the intersection of US 36 & CO 66 (which comes in from Longmont).  Just a little farther up the road toward Lyons is a U-Pump-It.  That is a good place to meet.  I'll try to get there early & wait near the side of the road where I'll be visible.  Look for a silver full fairing V & rider in either white leathers or grey jacket & black pants.  Choice depends on how cool the weather really is - if it looks like it might be really cool, I'll be in the grey.  That stuff is insulated & waterproof.  The leathers require a rainsuit & additional layers underneath to be as warm & dry.  If it's raining & I'm in the leathers, I'll have a red, grey & black rainsuit on.

Noon works for me.   ;D

You will have lots more HP than me . . ..  No biggie, I ride pretty conservatively anyway - just have to keep the RPMs up.

Robin Hood -

I've heard the weather in the British Isles has been abnormal this year.  Even the Open Golf Championship was unusually sunny, warm & calm.  At least with global warming, those of us in cooler cllimates will have longer riding seasons.   ::)


N. V. -

No altimiters - except the one on my Suunto watch, which I trust more than the GPS.  I just know the general elevations & weather tendencies in the area.  Kind of important to know these things when living in the mountains.  Helps travel planning.  Weather forecasts often tell what elevation the rain stops & the snow begins.  They're usually fairly close.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

kwells

You'll probably be riding faster than my anyway. I don't know the roads and haven't really done much mtn riding except for Cape Breton, Nova Scotia this summer. 
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

Kevin -

I wouldn't count on me being faster.  I enjoy looking at the scenery too much.  I've only ridden US 36 twice & CO 7 once.  They're both fun roads, though.  I've got enough good riding closer to me that I just don't often make it very far south.

After looking at the topo map, there is some 9200 ft.+ elevation on the road between Estes Park & Nederland.  Nothing over 9500 ft.  I may make an earlier start tomorrow, take US 34 up to Estes & come down 36 just to see if the roads are sandy.

Mountain riding isn't all that different - mainly a smaller margin of error.  One major goof & you're either kissing a rock wall or tumbling a few hundred feet down a steep hill (or over a cliff).   ;D  Cages also tend to cut the corners a little.  Late apex cornering is important so you have the greatest sight lines possible.  I've put about 11,500 total miles on my V (in 22 years ~ 6,000 in the last 5).  About all of it has been mountain riding.

So - Noonish @ the U-Pump-It SE of Lyons on US 36.  See you there!  It used to be that Colorado time was 'relative'.  Noon means anything from 11:45 to 12:30 - or whenever everyone arrives if later than that.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

kwells

Deal.

And anyone else who is within about 14 hrs away could join too! Just gas n go.
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

Quote from: kwells on October 19, 2006, 08:04:57 PM
Deal.

And anyone else who is within about 14 hrs away could join too! Just gas n go.

AGREED!

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

Brian Moffet

Quote from: Night Vision on October 19, 2006, 07:09:09 PM
was watching a "Discovery Channel" program on the "Death Road" in Bolivia...
it was said that an engine looses 3% of it's power for every 1000 feet above sea level.

Yes, but the air is thinner so you don't have as much air-resistance to worry about!

Breathing might become a problem, but hey, who needs oxygen!  :o

dminor

Brian,
We do and so do the little V's need O2 ;D. We all don't fly airplanes and we don;t all have asthma, I can hope.
    I love riding in the hills and mountains, I just have to stop and take a breath, or hit my inhaler.
   But scrapin a knee is more fun,
See you and your V in December.
Don ;)

h2olawyer

There's plenty of O2 in the mountains - until you get to 18,000 ft. or so.  The Everest climbers don't usually start using the bottled stuff until around 20K.  I will admit to getting a little winded when skiing or hiking at anything above about 10K ft.

Noticed that with all the extra O2 @ sea level, I could put away a couple more beers before the effects hit & when skiing at 9K ft. & higher, it takes less alcohol before I 'get happy'.   ;D

Well, gotta get V1 ready for the ride.  Need to do the normal maintenance checks & get the video camera mounted up.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

kwells

...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

I posted some videos here:

http://rovmedia.dyndns.org/public/index.php

Look under the Ride Along link for the ride videos.  They may take a while to download, but I think they're all worth it.  Extent has several posted, Lucky has one & Rolle posted one from Sweden but I can't get it to play.
H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

kwells

I dl'd 4-5 of em.  Pretty cool!
...a vision is never complete.

www.wellsmoto.com

h2olawyer

#39
I'll have more to add after the Friday ride.  Given a couple days for capture / editing & such, look for them next week sometime.

The "Death Road" was featured in an article in the most recent National Geographic Adventure.  Quite a road.  If that isn't where they filmed "Sorcerer", it would have worked well.  "Sorcerer" is a movie about a trip through some really nasty country on roads that are primitive at best.  To make it more exciting, they are driving large, old trucks loaded down with nitro-glycerine.  Good suspense & a score by Vangelis.  Fun movie.  Only saw it once but have been thinking about renting it again.

Well, air in the tires, oil checked, camera installed, tank bag mounted, all gear set out, DV cam charged.  Guess I'm ready for a road trip!  Now they're calling for wind as well as 30% chance of showers.  The storm system is moving through pretty fast.  Just hope the wind stays at reasonable speeds.  60+ MPH crosswinds are no fun.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.