Blatherings From The Editor

Mornings 

(August 2005) 

Riding in the afternoon this time of year really makes you appreciate air conditioning.  The blast furnace effect out on the road is just hard to take.  Drinking lots of water with an occasional Gatorade or similar sports drink can only go so far.  Soaking your shirt and pants lasts for maybe 45 minutes or so.  Even those new fangled cool vests run out of cool after an hour or so.  It’s just tough out there by noon.

     Ah, thank goodness for the mornings!  Even in the hottest desert the temperature swing can be as much as 30 degrees between the high temp and the overnight low.  That means if it was 110 in the shade, it just might be in the 70’s first thing in the morning.  Now I can ride in the 70’s all day.  Might need to wear our SEAT long sleeve Henley shirt under our jacket at those temps.

     The saying goes, “It’s darkest just before the dawn.”  It also goes to say, “It’s coolest just before the dawn.”  During the summer months sunrise can be as early as 5:10 am here in Arizona.  That means getting on the road at 4:30 or so will give you 7 maybe 8 hours or riding before the afternoon heat begins to build.  Depending on the roads being traveled that could equate to 350 to 450 miles.  For us more mature riders, that’s about right.

     Keep in mind there are some dangers in early morning riding.  The last couple of trips has taken us up into the high lands (duh, it’s cooler up there).  Seems the deer and the antelope play up there, and we saw some really big ones!  They tend to be out in the early morning and can blend into the scenery so well you don’t see them until you are right on ‘em.  Coyotes, squirrels and other small animals are out sniffing around in the cool, too.  I don’t dodge them anymore.  I really feel bad when I hit one of the little critters, but running off the road to miss the little fur ball is not an acceptable alternative.

     Another danger in the early hours is you.  How much sleep did you get the night before?  Got a hangover?  Do you always get up well before the sunrise?  Rider fatigue can be deadly.  Too tired and you make mistakes.  A bit drowsy and you can over cook the most familiar of turns.  Adult beverages and Saturday night festivities can make leaving early Sunday morning really tough after a weekend rally.  Keep in mind you are not at your best.

     Even with the risks, riding in the early morning in the cool fresh air is the only way to go.  The air smells so good, and if you open your face shield you are rewarded with a cool blast of air.  For the first hour or two we slow down a bit and enjoy the ride and the scenery.  Those first few morning hours are some of the best riding we have done.  Deryle and Wanda, early to bed and early to rise makes a body healthy, wealthy and cool.