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.
So now you know… with the right riding gear, you can conquer almost anything. And you’re doing this without electrics? Rock on, Steve.
Just watch out for that black ice…
Ride well,
=gc=
gary: No electrics, just a big kid all bundled up. The weak link are my hands when I stop to take a picture. The mittens have to come off and the metal camera body is cold. I wear thin polypropolene gloves under the mittens but my hands still get cold fast when they are exposed. If I don’t get them warmed up I’m sunk.
I put my mittens back on one hand and cook my hand for a moment on the headlight and then switch to the other. The headlight cooking seems to help. I can ride a long time if I don’t take the mittens off.
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Steve:
I’ve enjoyed your blog for a while now. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I was on the Modern Vespa site asking about replacing my belt on my GT 200l and and saw your posts when you did yours.
We no longer have a dealer here in Memphis so I want to do it myself but I’d hate to … well, you know. My 2005 has 14,000 miles on it and I’ll probably put another 6-10k miles on it this year.
I think my trip from Memphis to Las Vegas carrying camping gear and fighting the wind across Texas stressed the belt. I’d love to just trade it in for a red GTS but that is not going to happen. Maybe I’ll just ride it to Birmingham, Alabama and have Bogart’s Motorsports do the job for me.
Cheers,
Art in Memphis
Steve, I totally agree. Its how a person thinks of the weather that makes it what it is.
People used to ask me how I could ride in the “cold”. I would tell them those big twins throw off a lot of heat and its all blowing back across me. They bought it. Seriously though, do you feel any difference to the LX with the GTS’ venting of the radiator across you?
The Roadbum
That has to be a great feeling to twist the throttle and run up to speeds that your last scoot couldn’t do. And to do it comfortably in these temps is even better.
Have fun,
Bill
I also agree that cold is just a state of mind.
Unfortunately for me, that ‘state’ sometimes seems to move to my hands. And when that happens, the riding is miserable!
And I don’t remember riding (or trying to ride) in temps lower than 30. So my hat is off to you… But quickly back on! 🙂
Admittedly, cold is a state of mind, but Pennsylvania is a state of cold.
art: I wish you luck with your drivebelt. Even though I created a disaster with mine it is not a difficult process. I was careless and my gut indicated it at that time but I didn’t heed the warning. That said I won’t be changing the belt on the GTS unless I absolutely have to.
Roadbum: I bask in the considerable heat blown back from the GTS! Are you buying that???*grin*
Seriously though I have not noticed any heat. I’ve always been geared up though but today I will pull off my mittens and gloves to see if there is any heat coming out.
bill: The GTS has power to spare for me. The extra throttle is nice. I would hear people talking about running away from a dangerous situation. I understand that better now.
ronn: I’m with you about cold hands making for a miserable ride. I go to great lengths to keep them warm including stopping often to warm them on headlight or muffler.
paul: Pennsylvania isn’t that cold. It’s more a state of sorta cold.
I agree with Steve on that one. 🙂