Unseasonably warm weather has cleared the roads of any ice, and made it possible for me to dust off the ST1300 for a mid-winter ride.
I rode to work yesterday and today.
I think commuting in the winter is harder than in the summer. And not just for the obvious reasons of "ice and snow", which, by the way I avoid.
1. Drivers aren't expecting to see a motorcycle.
The brain dead cagers have a hard enough time noticing motorcycles in July, when the sun is shining brightly, and every fourth vehicle is a motorcycle. In January, when nobody has seen a bike in six weeks, it's darned near impossible.
2. The are fewer hours of daylight.
To work my regular work hours during the winter, I'm leaving my house in darkness, and returning in darkness. in the summer I can keep those same hours and ride in daylight both ways.
3. Road Salt does not provide good traction.
Even when the ice and snow have melted away during an unseasonable warm spell during the winter months, the sand or salt that road crews spread on the roads during the last snowstorm is still lingering on the roadways. These are especially troublesome in corners, or in the center of the lane between the tire tracks of the cars.
Despite all this, I still enjoy my winter rides. They're a rare treat to break up the monotony of the long winter months.
