|
The Weather
Blatherings From The Editor Whether or not you want weather, there is always weather…every two-wheeled rider knows that. A ride can be almost forgettable if the weather is too good; or remembered forever as the ride through hell if it’s bad. Think about it, which rides do you remember? The desert southwest is slipping into fall and soon our desert version of winter will be upon us. That means cool mornings with bunches of sunshine in the afternoon. This is excellent riding weather, for sure. Those cool mornings though do present a bit of a problem. How much clothes can you actually get on and still be able to operate your motorcycle? Wanda and I have started out in some pretty “cool” mornings right here in Arizona, and I assure you, I’ve tried to find out. Turns out after six layers or so I begin having trouble moving my arms quickly in any direction. The Pillsbury Dough Boy syndrome. And, just where do you pack away all those layers you started out wearing? Don’t forget about all the other “stuff” that is taking up space in your side bags, trunk and tank bag. At the start of a trip a few years back, we put on everything we could and stuffed our bags to the hilt. Wasn’t long that the desert frost cleared, the temps began to rise and we discovered we didn’t have enough room to pack away any of those layers that were now suffocating us. You learn quickly how much room two Gerbing heated jacket liners take up…a lot! After some rather stern looks at a restaurant we were stuffing our face at, from now on I’ll take off my layers in the restroom. It was hot; I needed to get that long-sleeved shirt off right now! They were lucky I didn’t take off my long john pants, too. Seriously though, layering is the only way to go. Each layer provides just a bit more air space that once warm is your protection from the cold. As the temps go up, take off a layer. Once you get the hang of it, you can stay nice and toasty in some pretty cool weather and still be comfortable as the temps go up. If you’re a bit lazy like us, look into some electric liners. They make it easy. There are degrees of bad weather: Not bad, pretty bad, and “What the hell am I doing out here!” bad. Wearing the right gear can make all the difference. Deryle & Wanda, BATGATT (Bring All The Gear All The Time).
|