Wilsons Sandbox

Sounds good to me. It's currently 10 (f) here but what the hey. Maybe I'll throw my golf bag over my shoulder, ride the bike to the golf course and hit my first ball of the year in defiant victory over this most brutal of seasons. Brad J. Morris A16 Illinois

> Yup...I've decided. Even though it is 6 degrees(F) right now, and > will only climb to 27, today; there is no snow on the ground and > promises to be sunny...I'm gonna ride my A15 on the first day of the > new year! > > I have a fully lined Teknic armored coat, some Joe Rocket Ballistic > pants, gloves, a silk balaclava, full face Bieffe Predator helmet, > and a +9 Clearview shield, to help keep me from going into hyper- > thermia! > > I won't be a long ride, but I'm gonna do it! > > Joe > in Kansas

C'mon Joe, Where's your sense of "adventure"? Greg, freezing in Dallas

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "kswndsrfr" wrote: > Yup...I've decided. Even though it is 6 degrees(F) right now, and > will only climb to 27, today; there is no snow on the ground and > promises to be sunny...I'm gonna ride my A15 on the first day of the > new year! > > I have a fully lined Teknic armored coat, some Joe Rocket Ballistic > pants, gloves, a silk balaclava, full face Bieffe Predator helmet, > and a +9 Clearview shield, to help keep me from going into hyper- > thermia! > > I won't be a long ride, but I'm gonna do it! > > Joe > in Kansas

Well..I ventured out, waiting for the forecasted 27 degrees (F), with my Teknic Jacket, Joe Rocket Ballistic 3.0 pants, ONeil Boots, silk balaclava, full-face Bieffe Predator, and mittens. Although it was 27, the wind-chill was 18 (like that matters). I took a 40 mile loop of mostly rural roads and actually got the opportunity to wave at a few of my "New Year's bretheren". It took about an hour (I stopped for gas), and after arriving safely home, I realized the only "cool" part of my body was my knees... Overall a very enjoyable 2002 ride! Joe in Kansas

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "kswndsrfr" wrote: > Yup...I've decided. Even though it is 6 degrees(F) right now, and > will only climb to 27, today; there is no snow on the ground and > promises to be sunny...I'm gonna ride my A15 on the first day of the > new year! > > I have a fully lined Teknic armored coat, some Joe Rocket Ballistic > pants, gloves, a silk balaclava, full face Bieffe Predator helmet, > and a +9 Clearview shield, to help keep me from going into hyper- > thermia! > > I won't be a long ride, but I'm gonna do it! > > Joe > in Kansas

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "kswndsrfr" wrote:

> Well..I ventured out, waiting for the forecasted 27 degrees (F), >

It took about an hour (I stopped for gas), and after arriving safely

> home, I realized the only "cool" part of my body was my knees... > Joe > in Kansas

Hey Joe in Kansas, I too just had to get out for a ride on the 31st because it was back on shift work on New Years day. Austin area weather that evening about dark was 36F and cloudy/damp feeling. I wanted to try out mybalaclava and my cold weather gear which is mostly windstopper fleece,and Goretex Parka and pants from my mountain gear stuff and a new Joe Rocket Phoenix ballistic jacket for the pads. This is the one that is the open mesh fabric jacket (it gets hot down here a lot longer than it stays cold). Rode my A16 about 40 miles on the highway and county roads mainly to get the 70mph wind chill working. I stayed warm except for my knees also. But what I dicovered a few weeks ago is that an ordinary pair of kneepads and some of your kids soccer shin pads in the middle of your pants layering scheme provides enough stand-off distance to prevent the cold from conducting from the windswept knees and shins outer pants layer. But I guess somebody else is bound to have a better system short of a full fairing. Note to all KLRers in the frozen north country, I actually saw a few snow flakes while we were out at the house fire last night. First flakes seen here this winter. Maybe the fellers in the Eastern Maritime Provinces that were discussing snow shovels and more power snow thrower machines could give me some pointers. Billy in Dripping Springs, Texas, where the air may get cold but the roads are still dry. Stuffing another log in the wood stove.