On 02/14/2016 10:36 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per rbowman:
It
got up to 43 today so I went out for a ride. I'm particularly cautious
this time of year since people don't even think about motorcycles being
in traffic in February...

I'd also worry about black ice.

Busted my butt once on a 40-ish morning riding my MTB into the shadow of
a building where the off-camber wet blacktop wasn't wet any more.


There are hazards. The road crews use copious amounts of gravel on bad
curves and intersections after snow storms. Eventually they get around
to sweeping it off the road but right now unexpected gravel piles can
ruin your day. I regularly ride on dirt but that's a different animal to
gravel on a paved road.

It usually isn't a springtime problem, but as the morning get below
freezing in the fall there are a couple of places I have to watch. The
lawn sprinklers irrigate a substantial part of the street and that can
be ice until the sun gets to it.

Yesterday's ride was on the DR-650, which is a dual sport (enduro).
After a hard winter it helps to have something to scout out road
conditions that can handle deep potholes and stretches of missing pavement.