It’s that time of year when I face the daily challenge of leaving a warm bed. It’s not a reflection of my desire to ride but simply the hurdle I leap in a run away from comfort. When the alarm goes off at 5:30 AM and the house is cold I want to stay under the covers. It’s 25° F this morning. I’ll gear up shortly and ride to work and smiling while I’m doing it. But oh those transitions….
It happened last night after I got home from work. Sitting on the couch with Kim in a nice warm house and I have to gear up and ride run some errands and go to a meeting. It’s dark and it’s cold and I want to stay where I am. But I made the leap and rode off and was excited to be riding. The picture above was made when I stopped at the local library to pick up a few new books. It reminds me that I love riding and that the cold or night is just another landscape to manage and enjoy.
I came across a Web site for the Underground Terrorist Motorcycle Cult. They have a section of their site titled Snow Riding Bastards. These guys thumb their noses at snow and cold. I bet they don’t suffer the wussy transition reaction I do. Someday I’ll be stronger!
And as the cold settles in this winter the transition gets a bit easier but I probably won’t ever be able to say I look forward to riding out of a warm bed.
All the other UTMCers I’ve met have been absolutely nuts. Some may think I’m a hardcore rider, but those guys…..
Good people.
I’ve become thoroughly wussified when it comes to cold weather from living in the desert. I think I’ve ridden when it was below 32 degrees once. Maybe twice. It doesn’t keep me from riding, but riding doesn’t keep me from complaining about the cold to anyone that’ll listen.
Wow… I had no clue these guys existed. Thanks, Steve, for introducing us. I just sent in one of my photos from last year. For the first time in my life, I’m actually interested in joining a club.
Ride well,
=gc=
I know I can’t quite sympathise as much living here in sunny Florida, but there was a time when I lived in Virginia, and commuted over 45 miles each way on my trusty BMW in all but the iciest of weather. I bought a heated jacket liner, fashioned home-made hand guards, and sewed extra fleece insulation into my already-bulky riding pants to survive. I also fell a couple times on ice. I had to sew and patch-up my pants and jacket, because I couldn’t afford new ones, and spent a good deal of time straitening the handlebars in a vice at the shop. But, hey, the Wife was staying home with the Baby, and that bike got 65-70 MPG.
John
Crawfordville, Fl
lucky: I agree, those guys seem focused beyond what I am up for. riding doesn’t keep me from complaining about the cold and I even find myself talking about it as a badge of honor…. maybe I am just trying to get attention?
gary: I kept thinking I was going to see you in their gallery of members. They just seem like your tribe. Glad I could find you a few friends….*grin*
scooterguru: Sounds as if you have done more than your fair share of cold weather riding. My hat is off to anyone patching gear and straightening handlebars and still is riding. For me the heat of Florida would be a far greater challenge than the cold.
steve
thanks for the UTMC site, steve! seeing those winter pics was inspiring, to say the least. i’m trying to push my riding as far into the winter season as possible, but i’m not sure how far i’ll actually get.