Ice on My Bike

Posted Thu Nov 15, 2007 in

Fog was in the air at the house this morning. Frost shone on the neighbors’ houses. I left about 0715, heading for work, and saw frost on the cars. But, the fog was light so I rode anyway.

As I dropped into the north end of Carson Valley, the fog closed in too. The temperature dropped as well, the computer’s display flashing the snowflake and 32F. Traffic was moving and the highway wasn’t slick, so I motored on.

I fell in behind a couple of heavies, trusting them to be more aware of road conditions than inattentive cage drivers, who were driving 70mph in 50mph conditions. I stayed in 5th or 6th gear to keep the power level down, just in case.

The computer’s display continued flashing the snowflake and 32F.

The Carson River crossing was obviously wet, but the tracks were dry. I just kept my speed constant and stayed in the track. If there wasn’t traffic, it might have been slick. But, it wasn’t.

As I pulled into Minden, bits of water flew back onto my visor. The fog also lifted, probably from the heat-island effect of the town. I pulled into the office and parked Windfola. As I dismounted, I noticed ice on the leading edges of the bike.

Cool!

My butt and hands stayed toasty warm thanks to the heaters. Thank you, BMW.