Basking in the Warmth of Electric Gloves

My Gerbing G3 Electric Gloves -- all nice and warm again after replacing the lead wire from the battery.  Simple repair. Disconnect the two leads from the battery, clip the cable ties holding the cable that runs back to the engine compartment and up under the seat where I connect the gloves.  Pull the bad cable, thread the new one into place, connect the leads to the battery and I was ready to venture into the cold night for a test ride.

I love test rides.

The temperature was 31F when I left the house.  Adequate for evaluating the performance of the gloves and making sure I didn't introduce any new electrical problems.  Gerbing says these gloves will heat to 135F when the outside ambient temperature is 32F.  I know this because my Aleta got a pair of G3 gloves today for riding her Yamaha Vino and I read the specs.

That sounds impressive until you factor in the wind hitting them while riding.  At 45mph 31F feels like 13 degrees.  It follows that the glove's heating temperature would decline as well.

Regardless, riding through town and looping around the valley my hands were plenty warm.

I do love riding at night.  Found myself thinking ahead to a moonlit night over a snow covered landscape.  It's so bright that you hardly need a headlight.  But I'm getting ahead of things.  Snow isn't suppose to arrive until tomorrow.

So one more thing to cross off my to do list.  I can ride without too much concern about keeping warm now, at least not until the temperature hits single digits.  Then my feel become an issue.

It's always something.

Holy Shit It's Cold

19F this morning for my ride into State College, Pennsylvania to meet my friends Paul and Gordon at Saint's Cafe to talk about photography, life and whatever else emerges.  Sunshine helps mitigate the cold -- probably more a state of mind than any actual change in temperature.

I wasn't excited to ride this morning when I crawled out of bed but kept moving in that direction until I finally plugged in my Gerbing electric gloves, flicked the power switch, and headed down the road. Electric gloves are nice!

Electric gloves are nice until they quit working.  About four miles into my ride I noticed the warm, toasty feeling depart and a cold, numb feeling creep into my fingertips.  Looking at the power switch I saw the light was out -- no more juice.  I already knew the problem -- corrosion on the connector.  I'd been tinkering with it for awhile rather than just swap it out with a new one and led me to this conclusion: "Holy shit it's cold".

When the temperature drops below 30F I need those electric gloves if I don't want to engage in periodic huddles around the headlight or muffler.  Paul gave me a new lead and connector and tomorrow I'll install and be back in business.

Hot tea and a bagel did much to soothe aching cold hands but my riding spirit was already in good shape.  There's just something about riding in the cold that yields unexpected dividends for me...

The Vespa is Ready for Winter Riding

Braving the cold in an unheated garage, tools strewn across the concrete floor, the scooter is now ready for winter.  Tires, oil, antifreeze, all changed and checked.  Surveying the mess I am reminded of how disorganized I can be.  I'll never have one of those workshops that appear in The Garage Journal.

A quick ride to make sure the wheels don't fall off and the oil stays in the engine.  The Heidenau K66 SnowTex tire's aggressive tread pattern and extra sticky grip provide a little more security on cold, wet and snowy roads. They feel weird at first, like riding on big balloons.  That feeling quickly disappears.

The weather forecast calls for 19F in the morning with snow showers.  I'll look in the mirror tomorrow morning and ask that guy if he wants to ride.

Cold Weather Riding: Getting Your Head Into the Game

As the temperature continues to drop and the weather becomes a bigger concern for a rider.  A cold, wet morning on the way to work when I saw an intrepid commuter.  Riding in this situation is more than just enduring the cold, it's wrapping your head around a new way of riding.  One focused on managing a new exposure to risks.

I just put the snow tires on the Vespa and will change the oil, check the antifreeze, and generally get the machine ready for winter in the morning.  My body is ready for another season of cold weather riding.  Now I just need to get my head in the game...

Riding and the Coming of Cold Weather

Last night the long shadows paralleling US322 told me that fall is on it's way.  That and thermometer readings dropping through the sixties, into the fifties, and this morning a bracing 42F when I rolled the Vespa out of the garage.

Cold weather excites the rider in me, fueling a desire to ride that mostly lies dormant during the heat of summer.  Cold, rain, snow, fog and other physically challenging forms of weather are my mountain -- the manner in which I find satisfaction.

The coming of fall has a peculiar look and sound — a long, heavy light as if the sun isn't quite ready to move across the equator for the autumnal equinox.  Cicadas drone more loudly until they suddenly stop.  Every living thing seems to respond to a biological imperative to brace for winter. Mount Nittany, the icon familiar to Penn State students and alumni around the world, is ready for the world to change.

Even my dog Junior seems aware of the change.  Tinkering with a new iPhone photo app – Alt Photo — I stumbled upon a blue tint that combined with his serious gaze to have me thinking that, like me, he senses the coming of cold weather.

As motorcycle and scooter riders I think we all bring our own, unique reactions to the road.  For some, the passing of Labor Day is the first step in winterization of the machine.  For others a reminder of the few weeks left until the ride becomes unbearably cold.  And for the coldblooded, foolhardy lot who swears they ride through the winter it means the start of an adventure.

To each their own.  I've already started organizing my winter riding gear.  The Heidenau snow tires are ready to mount.  I hate to say it but I've been running snow scenarios through my head.

And all because of a few long shadows along the road...

How to Get Your Head Around Cold Weather Riding

How often do you stop along the road to look.  To see.   I ride a lot but I look a lot too.  The fog hanging over the hills, the color of the leaves in the early morning light, the puddles of water that glow at my feet. It's quiet and I'm the only one stirring.

There's too much to see (and photograph) and experience for me to stop riding when it gets cold.  While many, if not most, riders hand up their jacket when the thermometer dips below 60F, or worse, because the calendar page turns to September and a programmed response occurs to drain fuel and get out the Battery Tender.  With a little work a rider can question all the missives about motorcycles and cold weather and perhaps find new magic a cold day.

Let's get the most important point out of the way first -- with cold weather riding comes more risk.  Risk of falling due to loss of traction for all kinds of reasons, risk of bad decision making due to being cold, and generally a risk related to applying all those warm weather skills and habits to an environment that is genuinely different.

All of these things can be managed IF you accept them.  And take steps to deal with them. 

This past Sunday morning was the first cold day of the riding season for me when I rolled out of bed and saw the temperature was 31F.  As much as I ride in cold weather you would think this is all automatic, that I would have a pilot checklist in my head, or better yet on paper.  But I don't. 

I'm not an organized man.  Yet.

While Junior is munching his Purina Pro Plan I'm thinking about riding gear, whether I need the electric gloves for the short ride I plan, time for the ski mask yet.  In general I'm trying to remember what 31F feels like.

By the time I'm on the road the temperature indicator on the Vespa says 33F.  I don't know how accurate it is but I do know from experience that the temperature changes drastically in the area as cold air flows in rivers from the mountains down through the valleys.  You can feel it change as the air flows through your helmet or seeps inside your riding gear to touch unprotected skin.  On mornings like this you have to accept the possibility of ice and adjust your attitude and riding style accordingly.

If you have only one riding style, or if you don't understand why the possibility of ice requires an adjustment, or if you are adherent to the "I ride the way I want and let the world stay out of my way" style of riding, well perhaps you shouldn't rush right out in cold weather.  Not until you have some time to re-evaluate things a bit.

There is a lot of water flowing around this part of Pennsylvania and in many instances it flows across the road creating hazards for cars and nightmares for motorcycle and scooter riders.  The Commonwealth does a good job with signs for a lot of known occurrences of water on the road but they can't sign them all.  That leaves each of us with some decisions -- park the bike for the duration, or learn how to manage this stuff.  And assume the heightened risk that you may miss something and you will need to know how to respond to the sudden appearance of ice on the road.

I simple terms it means slowing down, particularly on curves so that you have enough time to stop within you visual range of sight.  Most riders don't know how slow this actually is on little country roads.  I only lean hard when I can see a long way off when the temperature is near or below freezing. 

And you have to remember that even on absolutely dry roads the low temperature affects your tires and the amount of friction available to keep the machine tracking along nicely.  Straight lines aren't much of a problem unless you need to stop fast and you find out your summer stopping distance computer between your ears doesn't apply to these new circumstances. 

And if you are under dressed, teeth chattering, hands numb, and the response time from seeing a hazard, convincing your body to move, and then actually executing a maneuver has diminished, well, that's not a good thing either.

All of these things can be managed.  Takes some thought, some humility, and ultimately desire.  And desire is the fuel that keeps me going. 

I keep riding because I love the experience, the sights, the places that appear on the road.  My Sunday morning trip into town is long enough for me to get lost in the magic of the ride -- present, aware, mindful.  Almost a spiritual place.

Stopping on another gravel road to watch the sun rising over the fields and being happy to be alive and walking on the earth.  It's a simple feeling but one that isn't easily gained.

Every rider is different but I particularly relish the transition from cold to warmth, in this instance a cup of hot cocoa in a warm cafe.  I'm not sure why but when I repeat this simple trip in a car I don't stop, don't see much, and just wolf down the cocoa.  If I even stop to have it. 

There's no magic in a car ride.

As my hands start to warm and I'm sitting at the table staring at a bagel it seems special.  Special enough to make a photograph and important enough to share here.
 

There are a lot of cold days where the road is dry save for those places where it isn't.  It's worth it for me to learn how to deal with the cold and keep riding.  On some days it takes work for me to get my head around it all but when I do I am pleased with the results.

It's won't be too much longer until I put the winter tires on the Vespa.

Cold Weather Insanity

I was having breakfast at the Corner Room (best breakfast in town in my opinion) in State College, Pennsylvania this morning with my friend Howard when I saw a young man go by on a scooter. A Honda Metropolitan I think. As I watched my bacon affected brain slowly began to turn and I grabbed my iPhone to make a picture as he passed. As I touched the shutter release I thought, "This guy is insane."

I have done my share of cold weather riding but I am positively a wuss in comparison to this fellow. It's 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside and he has almost not protection. Nothing on his head but a stylish cap. No windproof riding jacket. And most startling to me -- no gloves. Bare hands out in the wind.

After he went by I felt ashamed that I didn't ride to work today. My excuse -- I would have too much gear on to deal with in the Corner Room. Oh well, one man insane and the next a wussy...

Riding in the First Snow Flurries

Winter has arrived at my doorstep I suppose. I can remember when the first snowflakes would give me a rush. Now, well, it's different. And not just because I am riding. Biology is speaking louder and complaining about the cold. Riding down the street I could see a squall of in the distance and wondered if I would get to my office before it arrived. I stopped to make another panorama picture. If you look close you can see a few snowflakes in the air. Nothing on the ground yet but not far east had 13 inches of snow yesterday. And no salt on the road yet either.

The temperature indicator on the Vespa GTS read 35 degrees all the way to work. I went the direct route with no side trips. Four lanes of drivers that I imagine all groan at the weather. But maybe it's just me. But once the scooter is parked in it's space and I am walking towards my office I get a little rush thinking about riding in the cold. Nothing happy or exciting, but a flicker of accomplishment and perserverance.

Riding in Cold Weather: Dress for Success

These two Vespa scooters flanking my GTS belong to first time riders -- a young man and woman, maybe in college, perhaps high school. They are excited about riding and I've seen them around town. They ride with helmets on top of short pants and t-shirts, no gloves and no boots. A riding costume I see not just with scooters but on sport bikes and cruisers as well. This post isn't about safety concerns though. It's about how these kinds of dress habits may short circuit the discovery of the thrill of riding in cold weather. I've spoken to many, many riders who dismiss riding in the cold. To a rider when asked what kind of cold weather gear they used they admitted they didn't have any. Under dress when the temperature dips below 70 and things can feel chilly. Below 60 and you figure you should just park the machine.

I love riding in the fall, especially at sunrise. There's a warm glow in the autumn light, a fragrance of decaying leaves, and a crispness to the air that is unmatched any other time of the year. I left early in the morning for a short ride before work, a sort of extended commute. Coming down the mountain I say my temperature gauge reading 45 degrees, cold by most rider's standards. I hate being cold and shiver at 68 degrees. I look forward to riding in cold weather but only with the right gear.

To be able to enjoy the road when the temperature goes down means you absolutely have to have the right gear. Otherwise things will be miserable. It means a commitment of money and time --- money to buy the stuff and time to put it on. And for some it may mean a divorce from any preconceived style ideas especially where helmets are concerned.

If you are used to just jumping on a motorcycle or scooter with whatever you happen to be wearing you may have a hard time in cold weather rationalizing the amount of gear you have to don. It may be best to bundle the machine up in the garage and do something else. Just remember, you'll be missing some great riding.

My hands were already getting cold after numerous stops to make pictures where I had to take off my gloves. The camera feels like an ice cube in cold weather. As the first beam of sunlight cut through the forest it was 45 degrees it was 40 degrees warmer than my lowest riding temperature limit of 5 degrees. At the lowest temperature here is what I wear from the skin out:

Poly long underwear
Long sleeved shirt
Windproof jacket
Blue jeans
Heavy socks
Tourmaster Overpants
Leather boots
First Gear Kilimanjaro IV Armored jacket
Ski mask
Full helmet
Gerbing electric gloves

For someone used to riding with no gear that's a lot of stuff to put on.

With the sun sweeping across the open fields it was time to ride to work. On this particular morning I had on everything on the above list EXCEPT the ski mask, long underwear, and electric gloves. Still takes time to put it on.

So before you decide that cold weather is not for you beg or borrow some gear and try riding when you are not cold. You may find the effort brings you many more weeks or months of riding.

The 11 Degree Fahrenheit Commute

Darkness and the thermometer indicated 6 degrees when I got out of bed. It requires great effort to leave the house; on foot, by car, or on the Vespa. Once the sun comes out it's another matter entirely.

Preparing for cold rides takes more time, more layers of clothes, heavier gear, wires for the electric gloves. I feel like a knight preparing for battle except I don't have a squire to care for the Vespa. The routine mechanical check revealed low tire pressure front and back. Just what I wanted to fiddle with in an unheated garage only marginally warmer than the air outside. I dutifully checked everything, pushed the scooter into the driveway and hit the starter button. Even at 11 degrees the GTS starts right up. No battery tender needed yet.

The Gerbing electric gloves work great at this temperature and aside from the shear bulk of my riding gear everything else keeps me warm and insulated from the icy cold air. Everything but the helmet vent I neglected to close that allowed a little knife if frigid air to torture my left eye.

With the Vespa parked in it's space at work the bright sun makes everything seem tolerable. Looking at the picture I hardly see anything cold. No matter how cold it is I'm fine if the sun is out. Like one New Year's Day hike long ago when I fell through the ice at Bear Meadows. Sun was out so I hiked another 8 hours after I got out of the water.

The Vespa provides basic transportation. With some extra gear it allows me to use it year round, even for an 11-degree commute to work. The ride home was much warmer with temperatures soaring to near 30 degrees.

I stopped on the way home to photograph glowing orange corn stubble in the snow. I see a lot of things while I ride that I would like to make a picture of but I do want to go home.

Turning around and walking back towards the scooter I couldn't resist making one last picture as the sun neared the horizon. It still gets dark too soon and I look forward to longer and warmer days. Until then I'll have to keep preparing as if I were going out on a moonwalk I suppose. Not very stylish but very effective.

Cold Commute

Nine degrees for the ride to work yesterday morning. A number of people at work commented on how cold I must have felt but the truth is I was overdressed and should not have worn a long underwear top. That item rode under the seat on the way home, considerably warmer at 18° F but then I did take the freeway home for a 70 MPH spin.

Riding again I realize that the cold is more a mental than physical challenge. Looking outside after I get up, checking the temperatures, the resistance I feel is related less to the data in front of me and more to my desire to still be in bed. The actual ride to work has no bite of cold, no numb hands, nothing like that. What it does have is the exhilaration of riding found anytime of year. And the bracing air I feel when I crack open my visor at a stop sign or traffic light just reminds me how great it is to be able to do this.

The thermometer shows 12° F for this morning's ride. Saturday looks to be the same with temperatures rising to 25° F by afternoon so I may try a longer ride on the GTS.