Well it was cold inn the morning but the Blades not been out Since the end of Sept when I did Cadwell 2 day TD. Wrapped up warm a few layers. I wanted to try out the new gearing and tyres so after lunch Sunday took the bike Not a great start as I was pulling away from the garage, new tyres, a little dam and about 5 degrees doing no more than about 4 MPH the rear tyre lost grip but thank god did no more than try and get in front of the front tyre but I kept it upright. Not a good start but after taking it very steady for a few miles WOW the new gearing is fun. And I always forget how quick the bike is. What a fun hour or so after my interesting start. Did about 30 miles around Bath and surrounding areas. It was warmer than I thought in the sun Afterwords washed the bike off as their was loads of crap on the bike Anyone taken their bike out for the first run of 2015 yet if your a seasonal rider like myself
I was off to the barbers and Machine Mart on Saturday morning and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out my new boots. Scrub them in... Got out of the shower, fired up the Gaggia and stood looking out the kitchen window thinking, why does the tarmac look white...? Wandered down the drive and around the end of the cul de sac and the only bits of road that weren't frosty were the bits under the trees, which looked decidedly 'shiny'. So I compromised and took the Mazda with the roof down. Yin and yang though. It meant I could buy more bits in Machine Mart and I didn't get loads of trimmings in my crash helmet.
I'm in Bristol so a little further up from you mate. I dropped from from the rear and up one on the front (I think that was the right way) Made a hell of a difference and the first 2 gears I need to lean a little more froward to keep the front down now lol
On the few rides I've had since I was ill, I've been surprised at how much happier to paw the air the front of my bike is now I've lost the equivalent of a small child in weight. That, or I've just forgotten how careful you need to be going around M5s...
I decided to go to work on mine today but come home time I was found on the floor hanging onto a pirouetting bike not happy but I'm an all weather rider
Not exactly the weather to be running in new tyres. I am still running my winter tyres so will be changing them soon to my summer rubber as soon as the frost goes early in the morning!!
Come to think of it I probably will do a short write up on the current Michelin pilot road 4s as I really did not find them any nicer to ride on compared to the 3s last year, and I certainly won't be buying them again.
Not playing out till the temperature. Is in double figures, and here is why 1) I'm a wuss , I hate being cold 2) when cold I'm shivering ont bike and cannot relax 3) it's in my head that the tyres won't grip well cos they won't keep the heat in them 4) confidence in the bike low , see 1,2 & 3 above Maybe March I'll be out , lol
I went out last weekend in the Hereford area, the temperature was ok but the roads were very slippy still shouldn't be long now tho
We've just come off of the back of a chilly spell down here. A couple degrees either side of zero every night for two, maybe three weeks. Cold, yes, but no rain and most of the humidity had all been burned off. Most of the time the only frost visible was on the roofs of cars. So cold, yes, Icy, no. But every evening the grit trucks of South West Highways are burning diesel up and down the roads of Devon flinging sand and salt everywhere. Now I'm not anal about salt, especially on the car. I know the paintwork and the undercarriage have been designed to shrug off a certain amount of it, so I don't panic. The bike is a bit different, too many nooks and crannies, so I, at least give it a snow foaming if I've been out on salted roads, but one night last week, it rained before I left work, so the salt was bouncing off the tarmac all the way home on my four and a half mile commute. The car was virtually spotless when I got in it. It looked like this when I got home. Now that's a lot of salt. Salt that had been pissed away on cold but dry roads for a good fortnight. Somebody in Exeter is not reading the weather forecast right. In fairness, it's not like we have the Met Office here... Oh, hang on...
That's nothing, Ken. You should see the state of my motor. It looks like I've been to the UK's busiest dogging spot 5 nights in row with Scarlett Johanssen in the back of the car.
Just a couple of bits to finish the bike and get out on it, but this is how I feel at the moment as I can't ride
Still could be lots of salt on the roads then. My idea is try and use the bike when I can then give it a good clean after and try and make the most of the roads when I can