|
General Motorcycle Group - All things motorcycle
|
|
|
|
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by Shepİ on January 29, 2007, 8:35 am
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:42:14 +0100Whilst not letting inanimate objects
this :
>>> How dangerous is it? Any special equipment recommended
>>> except warm cloths? What to look out for?
>> Watch for "black ice". Other than that, as long as you are
>> riding on fairly clear roads, just dress appropriately.
>What do you mean by "black ice"?
Black ice by name is a misnomer as this kind of ice is virtually
invisible,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_ice
Maintaining core body temperature is paramount as the heart will
protect itself by constricting arteries and veins when the ambient
temperature drops thus fingers and toes get cold 1st.
As hand operations are important to control the machine and
restriction placed on these by the cold will affect safety.
This occurs more on a motorcycle because of,"Wind-Chill" which can
remove 10 deg C plus of temperature depending on speed.
Bikes with Wind fairing of course are less prone to this.
There are lots of good sites with tips,
http://www.ridemyown.com/links/winter.shtml
http://home.clara.net/survivalskills/rskills.htm
I don't always agree with all tips on all sites so glean what I need
using common sense.
What I can say is never set off cold or damp including clothing.
Get good winter gloves.If needed heated grips etc.
I suffer from VWF(Vibration White Finger) so I have to take extra care
to try and keep my body temp up as this condition affects my
circulation.
Even if the day is sunny the road can still be damp and slick so ride
with caution and allow longer braking distances and I ride with my
lights on and indicate my intentions as much as possible and err on
the side of caution.
Tip:My Winter gloves have no metal parts so I bang them in the
microwave for 30 seconds before setting off.Gives my fingers a head
start :)
I also wear layers e.g I have thermal T-shirt and long-johns under my
leathers and allow no drafts up my arms or legs or neck and have a
thinsulate thin Balaclava under my helmet.
In the UK some of the road markings/White lines etc are raised badly
and they can be deadly in winter so I avoid getting the wheels on them
wherever possible.
If I'm going for a long ride I have a,"Cuppa Soup" or similar(porridge
is the best as it's a slow burn release of energy) before I set off.
A boiled sweet as well is good for blood sugar(Spoon full of honey is
great as well) as you ride as the brain uses more callories/heat in
the cold and concentrating on riding takes more than if you were in a
cage and will help keep you alert.
HTH :)
--
Free Windows/PC help,
http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=88558
|
Related Posts
Latest Posts
|
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap
>>> except warm cloths? What to look out for?
>> Watch for "black ice". Other than that, as long as you are
>> riding on fairly clear roads, just dress appropriately.
>What do you mean by "black ice"?