Post by spacecowboy on Jan 27, 2009 12:16:14 GMT -5
Sitting here in the house, iced in, I'm reading over weather and news reports from yesterday. Only now do I realize how dangerous the conditions were when I went riding yesterday.
At about 11 o-clock in the morning I realized that I had left my wallet at my parents home the night before. No worries. So I arranged to meet my mother who was volunteering at a local school closer to my place around noon. And so it was onto the scoot I went.
My best friend who is also a rider suggested I take some of his gear, which included a full face helmet. Bad idea. I don't wear full face helmets for a very good reason. They fog up on me. But I gave in, after extensive badgering.
Mile 1: The Helmet fogged up, I flipped up the visor.
Mile 2: Stop to wipe condensation off eyeglasses
Mile 3: Plan ahead. Stay in right hand lane. Let faster vehicles pass. There is a rule I have for scootering that has served me well, and it helps with normal driving too. Never think of yourself as being in a hurry. Unless you're driving insanely long distances, driving faster than is reasonable won't actually gain you much time.
Mile 10: Reach school, get wallet, warm up, prepare to go home
Mile 11: Is that freezing rain?
Mile 12: By George it is!!!!!
Gosh, I'd better start letting the CVT do most of my slowing down.
Mile 13: Yay. My helmet is covered with ice. Glad I wore the snowmobiling gear.
Mile 14: Oh look. It's a car accident. Thank God I have a Pirelli on the rear wheel.
Mile 15: Another one! Hey that's a flipped 4WD SUV.
Anyhow, I made it home safely and locked the scoot in the garage. In the time I took to make it home (About the space of 45 minutes to two hours), the local fire department responded to over 90 car accidents, many of which involved SUVs rolling over, two involved Ambulances.
Ice is nothing to fool around with. I only have a scooter, but most of my riding experience has been in less than nice conditions. And I wear all my gear. It caught me out in the open, but I'd never go out riding in something like that if I could help it.
At about 11 o-clock in the morning I realized that I had left my wallet at my parents home the night before. No worries. So I arranged to meet my mother who was volunteering at a local school closer to my place around noon. And so it was onto the scoot I went.
My best friend who is also a rider suggested I take some of his gear, which included a full face helmet. Bad idea. I don't wear full face helmets for a very good reason. They fog up on me. But I gave in, after extensive badgering.
Mile 1: The Helmet fogged up, I flipped up the visor.
Mile 2: Stop to wipe condensation off eyeglasses
Mile 3: Plan ahead. Stay in right hand lane. Let faster vehicles pass. There is a rule I have for scootering that has served me well, and it helps with normal driving too. Never think of yourself as being in a hurry. Unless you're driving insanely long distances, driving faster than is reasonable won't actually gain you much time.
Mile 10: Reach school, get wallet, warm up, prepare to go home
Mile 11: Is that freezing rain?
Mile 12: By George it is!!!!!
Gosh, I'd better start letting the CVT do most of my slowing down.
Mile 13: Yay. My helmet is covered with ice. Glad I wore the snowmobiling gear.
Mile 14: Oh look. It's a car accident. Thank God I have a Pirelli on the rear wheel.
Mile 15: Another one! Hey that's a flipped 4WD SUV.
Anyhow, I made it home safely and locked the scoot in the garage. In the time I took to make it home (About the space of 45 minutes to two hours), the local fire department responded to over 90 car accidents, many of which involved SUVs rolling over, two involved Ambulances.
Ice is nothing to fool around with. I only have a scooter, but most of my riding experience has been in less than nice conditions. And I wear all my gear. It caught me out in the open, but I'd never go out riding in something like that if I could help it.