The Paulcb Memorial Coldest Ride, Winter 2023-2024

A combination of events...sort of like the odds of lightning striking occurred today. Headed to church this morning. The temp during the night was supposed to hit 10F, but I don't think it was that cold. On the way to church, it was still only 16F.

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The ride was cold, despite having my Gerbing gloves and jacket liner on high. The heated grips on the F900XR are really sweet.

Left church and headed to the Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary. I wondered just what the area would look like with the temps on the wrong side of 20F.

It looked cold. Those white spots are trapped and frozen air bubbles under the ice.

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And of course, the mandatory motorcycle pic. :D

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That walk through the wetlands sanctuary was frigid. I found foam earplugs are like solid wood when you try to squeeze them in these temps.

Chris
 
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@rjs987 closing in on you :rofl1:

21 miles today @ 13 degrees

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roads were fine after 2 days of light snow, and tomorrow is supposed to be 7 degrees in the morning so hopefully I can get out from under the warm covers and get on the road early
 
All the stars aligned this morning.
- Cold
- Dry(ish) roads
- Tuesday (only day I commute into the office)

Which allowed me to get in a -5⁰F, 25 mile, 30 minute ride into work this morning.
The ride home after lunch was about 7⁰F.
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I normally use some extra heat in the gloves when below 0⁰F and should have done that today. With just my Klim snowmobile gloves, extra liners, Oxford heated grips and bark-busters, my smallest two fingers on both hands started to ache after about 15 minutes and got pretty bad but tolerable before finishing the ride in. Not even close to frostbite. Not too much increase in pain after it settled in at the 15 minute mark. Could probably have gutted out a few hours more if needed.

I'll not forget to find and plug in my heated gloves or add some chemical heater packets for future below 0⁰F runs. That 0⁰F mark is a hard limit for going without supplemental heating.

The ride back at 7⁰F above was warm enough to keep the fingers pain-free...comfortable even.

Both directions were comfortable for body and feet all stowed under 2 layers plus Klim snowmobile gear top layer. Boots, bib overalls and jacket.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota
 
I'm assuming you're a genuine, actual human bean, and not some cyborg or chatbot.
If that is in fact the case, you have my respect, and I acknowledge your superiority to me, in both skill and daring. (But maybe not in cunning.)
At the same time, I'll freely admit that I am simply NOT into pain, for any reason, and wimp or wuss or not, have no further desire to prove anything to anyone, especially if it involves personal discomfort.
As you've heard me say here, "There's a reason I don't live in Minnesota."
Nonetheless, this ride should definitely push you up on the leaderboard, if you weren't up there already.
 
I doubt we will get to -5 here (at least I hope not lol) I did ride at -9 back in January 1982. It was hard to breath, and at -2 a few years ago in this contest.

I'll happily settle for a place further back on the board, but if it gets below zero and the roads are good...guess what? lol.
 
Sadlsor said:
I'm assuming you're a genuine, actual human bean, and not some cyborg or chatbot.
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I don't race or track ride any longer but if I need to go somewhere, I go by motorcycle, when possible. I've been using a Yamaha WR250 as my winter/bad-weather ride since 2005. As evidenced on previous Paulcb contests, my address offers pretty cold rides all the time. I'm not going to go out special just to catch a temp but things usually line up sometime on any given winter.

Here's my bike a few weeks ago when it was just barely below the point at which water freezes. I would have stopped there again today for a picture but the time & weather billboard wasn't working today.
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Here is what happens when I don't account for a weather system coming in. Snow put me on the ground hard about 2 miles from the finish line (my garage). Thought I was going to make it. Needed to use the car tire tracks to find pavement. The fall popped out a connector and bike wouldn't run. Had to push it home.
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Still, I'd rather ride than drive, regardless. Cold is not a problem. Just need dry(ish) pavement.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota
 
the Ferret said:
I doubt we will get to -5 here (at least I hope not lol) I did ride at -9 back in January 1982. It was hard to breath, and at -2 a few years ago in this contest.
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I think my coldest ride was back in 2018, January 1st when I got 4th place in the Twin Cities I-cycle Derby. It was -22⁰F when I left home to get to the starting point. After the event the ride home was -10⁰F. Don't remember problems breathing but I did get some hand pain.

I was comfortable on the ride in with heated gloves plugged into the bike. Halfway through the contest, I blew a fuse by trying to hot-plug the gloves back in. The ride home was not comfortable, but only for the hands and not enough to worry about frost-bite.

I got a warm-up halfway home thanks to some time spent in the back of a police car. Officer pulled me over to check my license and plate tabs. There was enough salt spray over the plate to obscure the tab color. At least that's what he told me. Probably just wanted to see if I was sane enough to be allowed the freedom to associate with normals.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota
 
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It was hard to breath because on inhales, my nose would stick shut lol.

mudduc...I know what you mean about "getting caught out". I was about 10 miles from home on a winter ride on my FJR when a squall came thru that covered previously clear roads. Butt puckering ride for sure and yes follow the car tire tracks to find pavement. (corners are the worst lol)

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We 4 season riders don't plan on this, but it happens occasionally
 
The deep snow pack everywhere including the streets prevented me from riding at below -15F during the last week. Temps will be back up to mid 20s and mid 30s before the streets are clear enough to get the bike back out there.

About 16 years ago I also was "caught" by the weather. Was in April and the weather was SUPPOSED to be sunny and 45 but as I walked out from work to get on the bike BIG snow flakes started to fall and the temp was low 30s. For about 8-9 miles I was riding in the car tracks on the city streets as the slush built up to around 2 inches deep. This happened twice in 10 days with exactly the same forecast and same resulting actual weather.
 
In case anyone is wondering, or wants to try to best it, the two coldest rides ever registered in this annual game that I know of are;
-25°F, -31.7°C, by fredflinstone.
-23°F, -30.6°C, by The Dan.
 
I have no intention of riding in the cold, that's why I left Edmonton. The ST is a great ride between 4 and 28C but not when it's rising to 4, as it is these days here on the wet coast, however... crossed paths with a guy today, Jan 16; 3 degrees, no windshield, riding other side of the highway, and yesterday, Jan 15, in the morning; and caught up with a guy on the number 1 heading toward Boundary riding an open bike, no windscreen at all, Royal Enfield curved plate over the front wheel cover, -8C at about 9:30am Road conditions were very good; completely clear with lots of salt left over so good traction but geronimo,
 
I've had several days this round that I could have been on the board but I'm just not feeling the game this year.
Last year I felt I needed to keep it alive in Paul's memory. This year it just makes me sad.

Ride safe everyone!
 
Today is the coldest day since I moved here to warm and sunny Florida in 2017 so player gotta play. I rode up to the Molino fire lookout tower with the temps 19 here. TOO COLD.

Edit. 19 last year too for me in this game so 19 again this year for the tie in how cold.

Gerbing jacket liner and gloves (full heat on) with the Hippo hands worked good enough.

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