Contentment

[firecracker22]

Man, I love this sport. Today we were supposed to go snowboarding but since my friends are all fair-weather riders, we didn't due to yesterday's rain. To me, BAD snow is better than NO snow.

So, instead I headed out to the ORV park, since it wasn't actively raining. It poured all day yesterday but today was relatively dry. It's still cold--like 40 ish--but not too bad. I was told the ground was frozen, but if so at least the top 6 inches isn't because traction was actually great. There were some slick spots but the dirt out there is pretty sandy so it doesn't get too snotty. There were patches of snow but nothing more than 4 inches deep, and it was soft enough that it wasn't slippery.

Well my riding friends are fair weather riders in dirt biking as well as snowboarding, so I loaded up and headed out there by myself. Now don't flame me; the ORV park is fairly open, if somewhat large, and I always see a few others out there. The riding is not technical at all--the hardest part are the sandy hillclimbs.

Well, it turned out to be fairly busy. When I got there, I ran into the guy who fixed my radiator (Thanks Mark of Beck's Radiator!) and his friends, all nice people. Then I met some more I'd met at a previous race. The dirt biking community here is small, as I am sure it is everywhere else, and if you meet someone you haven't met or seen before at a race or bike shop, it's fairly certain they will know or be related to or have crashed into someone else you do know.

We rode for quite a while and while my arms kept pumping up and my bike wasn't running perfectly, I had a great time and I was not as sore or tired as I expected. I only hit the ground twice, neither major. I had a great time running through the berms carved through the trees and hammering through the many many (many many many many) whoops. I made it up every hillclimb I attempted, and the one I did crash in I turned around and nailed it the second time. Overall, it was a great day.

It's days like these--when you go out in less than ideal conditions and it turns out great--that really make you remember why you ride. Other riders are, 9 times out of 10, helpful and kind and courteous (and sometimes cute too! ;) ) and the feeling of riding even in 40 degree weather is like nothing else.

 

[AnneBrooks]

sounds like fun FC22!! Sounds like we need to get together---we have the same problem here--fair weather friends! They won't ride unless it is between 70 and 80 degrees in the summer and won't ride in the winter AT ALL. Then when it is too cold, the don't want to ski/board either.......hmmm; time for some new friends?

anyway, glad you had fun and look forward to more stories!

 

[Farmer John]

Very cool. :thumb:

 

[Lissa]

I can soo relate. Personally, my favorite riding tempature is about 50 degrees. I don't sweat much and I don't need my enduro jacket. Lately, back here in South Jersey, we've been bombarded with rain, sleet, snow and the occasional mix of all three. The past five rides (2 weeks) has been a battle of the elements! The temps no higher then 35 degrees on a good day, and I've come back soaked to the bone with foggy goggles each ride. Gore-Tex only keeps the wet out on the first couple of soaked pine tree branches I smack into, after that I'm wet. Also are creeks and swamps are over flowing, which is a fun and wet experience too. I've been having a lot of fun riding in this slop. I look at it this way, Last year we didn't have one rained out Sunday from December till March, Now is payback! Bad weather just makes you tougher.

 

[firecracker22]

I don't mind the cold. I'll ride anywhere between 35 and 75 happily; anything after that is too warm for me (I still ride, I just bitch about it). The only bad part of the ride was the puddles. I don't mind puddles, but my boots are garbage and my toes were sopping wet after 5 minutes.

 

[Pegasus]

I hear ya FC...I had a great day riding too...Yep Love it !! Went out solo behind the house... 50,sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Welcome change from the heavy rains of last week.. didnt see a soul. was only out about 1 1/2 hr but sure put a grin on !!

Lissa ... You mentioned foggy goggles. Have you tried double pane lenses? They work pretty good!

 

[Lissa]

Yea, my foggy goggles are double pane! I figured out that when the snow and sleet keeps clumping up on the front of your goggle lense and your toasty face is heating it from the other side, fog just happens. Worst part is after a while, the inside of my goggles begin to get wet too. Funny enough, I've learned that when even wiping the goggles off isn't helping anymore that a little spit on a papertowel to the inside of the goggles really does help prevent fogging. I heard divers do that before submerging.

Yup, I just heard the latest on our beautiful weather here for Sunday. Sounds like 30 degrees and windy. At least it ain't raining!

 

[firecracker22]

The best anti-fog stuff I've found was the little cloth I stole from my little brother. It came with his Smith snowboarding goggles. I used it a lot the year I went snowmobiling a lot with an ex--they didn't fog at all, but you have to reapply it about every 4-6 rides.

 

[Pegasus]

Heard that about spit in goggles...never tried it .
Gonna check out the "little cloth" thang too..My Dp's do fog sometimes when stopped...Good tips !

 

[bbbom]

You didn't call us!!

Pat was dieing to get out and do something but the little one had a mid afternoon birthday party to attend so it pretty well shot the day. We vegged out at Wonderland while the kids ran wild and played Lazer Tag.

You'd think a place like that would at least serve beer!

 

[firecracker22]

:( Sorry! It was sort of last minute anyway . . .

Next weekend, if the weather continues like this anyway, I would be more than willing to go again.

 

[bbbom]

No problem, just had to harrass ya!