Its February 21st and I offically declare winter over. Its on to the business of riding and no longer thinking about it. I will be in the traveling mode this year, "Have Penton will travel". If anybody has any new places to ride or updates on some of those places in the Show me state of Missouri, please speak up now.
Don't really mind working on my bike but I'm sick and tired of watching guys race on the tube or reading Dirt Bike.
I choose to no longer participate in winter.
Rod Whitman
1972 Six Day (Rider)
1972 Six Day (Project)
There was a winter? When? It was 80 degrees here last week.. Well ok.. it did get down to 40 the other night.
Yuck Yuck.. Ok.. I probably will get buried by a freak blizzard next week.
So..do I need to put my flame suit on? :D:D
Rod,
Last night it was cold here. 52 degrees. During the day it was 67.
But don't feel too bad, my son told me it was 17 in NE Arkansas Saturday night.
Donny Smith
We did have a few days of real cold... last week the high for the day was 34 degrees but a week ago last saturday we raced at woodland and it was awesome. It temps rose to the high 50's and the track was perfect and fast.... The race in March usually ends up being a great day at the races.... I am already more than ready for a great racing season.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
75' GS400 (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
My first thought was to stay out of this. My second was why not. Any time riding opportunities are desired in Michigan, check in the site Dirtrider.net, under forums/local chapters/eastern chepters/Michigan Trail Riders. We ride on weekends, during the week, at night, in the cold, in the snow and in the snow and cold at night. As such, I now have one more nickname - El Loco. Lets ride.
Young Ted
Winter is not over yet, On Sunday Feb 19 in upstate NY it never got above 9 degrees. It's in the 30's today, but back to teens next week.You can ride, but dress warm.
Rod, I'm in SE Missouri and while winter skipped us in January the last 2 weeks have been cold wet and snowy.
St Joe park is a good public riding area 30 miles south of St Louis with a good mix of terrain, tight woods and hills, fast wide trails, and mine tailings (sand).
Trail of Tears Lodge just across the river in IL is a fair private riding area.
Then of course there are the secret places. Just kidding about secret but we do have a couple of private property places to ride.
I have 5 acres at my house that works good for trials but is a little small for anything other than testing woods bikes. My Wife and I ride our trials bikes almost weekly. No trials bike you say, no problem, we have spares. Come on down.
Dennis Jones
Rod, You are always welcome to come ride in S.C.!!We can ride in the upstate with the hills or ride the coast with the pine forest and the woops!Charleston has a whole lot the wife can do while we are riding.Beaches and shopping and the history of the city is always big draw.If you drive a BMW then you will love the upstate because this is where the cars are made.
Thomas Carmichael
1970 125 Six Day
1976 250 Hare Scrambler
Hey Rod, give me a call, I wanted to chat with you about going to Harpers and the 2 day qualifier in AR we talked about. W 544-4495. I can't find your work number you gave me.
Keith in 50 deg Omaha today
Okay Rod, I can almost believe you now, I just saw my first robin. :D
Close to 3 weeks after I declared winter over my son and I went dirt riding. It was great, the Penton ran great (walked all over the XR500 in the tight trails), the weather was great. :D
Today were having an ice storm. :(
Rod Whitman
1972 Six Day (Rider)
1972 Six Day (Project)
OK, Now CA is getting is real Winter weather. I actually snowed in Alpine which is 8 miles East of where I am. We had rain here everyday for the past week and on Friday and Saturday we had some Texas style weather. Hailed 6 times of Friday and 5 times yesterday. It could have been more at night, but I was sleeping. Most were about the size of BB's, but on Friday we had some the size of Milk Duds. Now I know you are all saying "No Big Deal" but 99% of these idiots can't even drive when we get a little misty rain, much less a full out rain. Last night a young girl (about 19 or 20) spun her car around three times and ended up sliding backward into a powerline pole. All of this at 25 MPH. Knocked the pole down, trashed the rearend of her Buick. It was amazing. Thankfully she was not hurt, at least by the accident. Don't know what happened to her after her Dad came and got her, but he was NOT a happy camper. So, having bored you all with the SoCal weather and traffic report, I just want to say, I do miss having four seasons. After May, I will be finally moved and hope I don't regret it.[:p]
Donny Smith
What's wrong with our winter season lasting a whole weekend? Living in California means riding all year. Since the mountains got a good dusting of snow, you just head in the other direction and go riding in the desert. Life is great!
7 months to the day of my last post here - the snow has returned once again.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g8/BobWardlow/Dscf0238.jpg
Ya gotta love it.
Go Tigers!
Bob
I have to agree with Donny about the inability of the vast majority of So. Cal drivers to cope with even the slightest rain. I moved from St. Louis to Orange County over 20 years ago and still marvel at how the slightest mist or drizzle brings the freeway traffic out here to a crawl. Plus, the side streets all flood with just a little rain. Drainage must not have been on the minds of the fine folks that built the roads out here. I often shake my head and wonder how these people would get by if forced to drive in the Midwest or on the Right Coast.
-Nick
It rains so seldom in Southern California that we get a buildup of oil, tire residue, etc. on the roads. That is what makes them slick more so than the rain. I am sure that it is now changing but for a long while, most Californians came from somewhere else where they do have bad weather so they should know how to drive. I would rather drive slow and defensive every once in a while than live in a climate where it is a matter of survival driving home thru blizzard conditions.....:)
Well if you guys have watched the news, the Buffalo NY area got 14+ inches yesterday and last night. Actually from Dunkirk to Rochester got it good.
And yes the people who live here year round forget how to drive in the snow. The first couple of snowfalls put lots of people in the ditch or into each other. Makes driving for a living fun.
But it's that time of year and I'm ready for it.[^]
Hey wait a minute, I declared winter over on February 21st and from my vantage point in balmy Nebraska we got lots of good riding weather left yet. Heck in Detroit their still playing baseball (in Chicago its winter). Don't put away them Pentons yet theres riding to be done.
Rod Whitman
Omaha, Nebraska
1972 Six Day (Rider)
1972 Six Day (Project)
Who said anything about stopping riding? As long as the wheels turn we ride up here.