There is a chance I will be doing a BBG-A-LOT on the day after Thanksgiving. I have a daughter, who wants her daughter to have my daughters baby chair (not high chair) for Christmas this year. The chair is in Los Alamos, NM. So I am thinking that I'll go pick it up and surprise them with it. (Think duct tape and a luggage rack 4
My concern is that on my return ride I will be passing through Flagstaff about midnight or 0100. I can handle the cold (Heated gear) but I don't want to ride on ice. If the temp is forecast to be 31 and the dew point about 6, do you think there is much chance I will encounter ice on I-40?
Since I have Friday and Saturday off I could easily stop somewhere but that is not as fun. Or I could take the whole two days and go through Phoenix and Las Cruces.
We are no strangers to icy conditions up here in the Northeast. As long as the daytime is sunny and warm, the ground and concrete will hold heat for a good while. At the temp and dew point you gave, there should be only a very, very slight chance of ice and I-40 should have enough vehicular traffic (cars, trucks and big rigs) on it to keep any ice from forming. Key word is "should". Extreme caution is advised. Especially on bridges and overpasses.
If it were me, I might consider an alternate route that didn't take me through high altitudes. Flagstaff is at almost 7,000 ft.
We are no strangers to icy conditions up here in the Northeast. As long as the daytime is sunny and warm, the ground and concrete will hold heat for a good while. At the temp and dew point you gave, there should be only a very, very slight chance of ice and I-40 should have enough vehicular traffic (cars, trucks and big rigs) on it to keep any ice from forming. Key word is "should". Extreme caution is advised. Especially on bridges and overpasses.
If it were me, I might consider an alternate route that didn't take me through high altitudes. Flagstaff is at almost 7,000 ft.
Yeah, I've over there many times. Once, in May, we were in the Sedona area and it was 90. Drove up to Flagstaff and got snow.
I am leaning towards taking the southern route and turning it into a SS2000 over two days. I figure I can get from here to Los Al and back to Las Cruces in 20 hours. Rest for 8 and be home 11 hours after that comfortably. With 9 hours to spare.
I just have so little experience riding at cold temperatures (below 40)
<...>My concern is that on my return ride I will be passing through Flagstaff about midnight or 0100. I can handle the cold (Heated gear) but I don't want to ride on ice. If the temp is forecast to be 31 and the dew point about 6, do you think there is much chance I will encounter ice on I-40?
<...>
Up there, it can get *much* colder in certain locations (think dips, valleys...). I'd give the temp forecast a plus or minus 4 degrees easily. If the dew point really is going to be that low, there's little chance of freezing water in the air, since there's next to no water in the air.
Try looking at this link later on tonight. Now, there's supposed to be a storm blowing through this weekend; got a feeling they'll get a good dusting of white stuff from the looks of it.
The concern I've got is your lack of experience in the cold. You will find out VERY quickly the gear that's less than optimal for cold conditions will be your extremities (boots, gloves) will make your ride completely miserable - especially if you're trying to be on the clock to pull this off. DAMHIK.
Up there, it can get *much* colder in certain locations (think dips, valleys...). I'd give the temp forecast a plus or minus 4 degrees easily. If the dew point really is going to be that low, there's little chance of freezing water in the air, since there's next to no water in the air.
Try looking at this link later on tonight. Now, there's supposed to be a storm blowing through this weekend; got a feeling they'll get a good dusting of white stuff from the looks of it.
The concern I've got is your lack of experience in the cold. You will find out VERY quickly the gear that's less than optimal for cold conditions will be your extremities (boots, gloves) will make your ride completely miserable - especially if you're trying to be on the clock to pull this off. DAMHIK.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Learned that on my first campout in Boy Scouts some 40 years ago. 4: That's why I am asking before the ride instead of telling it after the ride.
I did 32 over the grapevine last year and it wasn't too bad.
Now I just need to find out where my brother will be the Friday after Thanksgiving and see if he will meet me with the chair. (Oh, the things we do for cute granddaughters!)
Lynn, If you have heated gloves, pant and jacket liners and maybe heated socks you should probably be okay. The cold will numb you faster than you realize. Last years DV Ride, BobbyC and I rode almost 400 miles(SLC to Tonopah) below 30 deg., it wasn't bad(no heated gear except grips/seat for me, just layers) you may stiffen up pretty bad. A balaclava or scarf to the wind off the back of your neck helps alot in the cold. As for ice, if you see shiny roads, slow down!!
Have a look at the weather and Temps. The ski hills will be open. Gallup is as bad as Flagstaff for cold weather. It's a crap shoot. If it is wet at all, generally late Nov it will freeze at night from Kingman to ABQ. Average elevation is around 5500ft or more along that stretch so it get cold and will have black ice in the shadows. If it hasn't rained or snowed, you won't have any issues. When I go to ABQ in the winter I plan on possibly having delays in ABQ. Even I 10 to Cruses is at 5K elevation. As for clothes you'll need a full face, scarf, and winter gloves. Bundle up. If it has snowed both Gallup and Flag the snow will not melt in the shadows if it is below 25 degrees.
Have a look at the weather and Temps. The ski hills will be open. Gallup is as bad as Flagstaff for cold weather. It's a crap shoot. If it is wet at all, generally late Nov it will freeze at night from Kingman to ABQ. Average elevation is around 5500ft or more along that stretch so it get cold and will have black ice in the shadows. If it hasn't rained or snowed, you won't have any issues. When I go to ABQ in the winter I plan on possibly having delays in ABQ. Even I 10 to Cruses is at 5K elevation. As for clothes you'll need a full face, scarf, and winter gloves. Bundle up. If it has snowed both Gallup and Flag the snow will not melt in the shadows if it is below 25 degrees.
My SS1k in January of 2011 was chilly (between 29* and 48*), especially with no electric gear. I turned around at Las Cruces at sunset and headed west and the shivering kept me awake until I stopped at midnight.
I just checked the weather this weekend for Los Alamos: Saturday morning at 0800 it'll be 28* with a 20% chance of precipitation - the fluffy white kind.4:
Even without ice on the roads, just the thought of riding in those temps for several hours gives me shrinkage!
Like KWTHOM said, we have some Wx coming through for the next day or two. The forecast for Friday (11/22) is for heavy snow, Saturday and Sunday is frozen mix. (Flagstaff forecast) We had light rain in Cottonwood this morning at 6 AM and the wife said it was raining in Cave Creek at 5:30 this morning.
On and around Thanksgiving we are usually up for riding north and enjoying the cooler if not cold temps. If it's just the temperature proper gear works very well...I usually don't have a problem down to mid 20's with the dry arid Arizona conditions. It's the wet cold that tends to get me off the bike. Don't know about next week yet, there is a front coming through this week but we usually get what you Californian's send us so that may influence your planning. Good luck, I hope it works out and I understand what we do for our cute grand daughters.
Going to our place in Pagosa Springs, CO this Friday. I'm not looking forward to the weather as everything is uphill to Pagosa, which is at 7700 feet msl. Going to take the Jeep, not the bike.
On and around Thanksgiving we are usually up for riding north and enjoying the cooler if not cold temps. If it's just the temperature proper gear works very well...I usually don't have a problem down to mid 20's with the dry arid Arizona conditions. It's the wet cold that tends to get me off the bike. Don't know about next week yet, there is a front coming through this week but we usually get what you Californian's send us so that may influence your planning. Good luck, I hope it works out and I understand what we do for our cute grand daughters.
I am glad you get it. I have not explained it well enough for others.
This was a chair that was my younger brothers from the time he was born. When my wife and I started our family she had a tradition that on Christmas morning the presents from Santa were placed on each child's chair and the presents from family were placed in front of their chair. Since we were dirt poor when my daughter was young my brother gave us his chair and I gave mine to my oldest son. Well, after a few years my brother asked for it back. I gave it to him without realizing how much it meant to my daughter. We tried to replace it but nothing was right. So now that she has a daughter, my daughter wants to continue the tradition on Christmas morning.
So my brother is more than willing to give the chair back but he lives 800 miles away.
I could easily pay Fed Ex etc but I want my granddaughter to know that she is special enough for me to spend two days picking up her chair for her. She'll be able to tell her kids about this extra chapter in the history of 'her' chair some day.
We have another fun tradition involving a purple bowling ball but I'll save that one for a different thread.
Stay a bit on the safe side for your Family, and the meaning of why you are going over there. Use the car. Put chains in the trunk, put the chair in with them or the back seat and have a nice drive. Save the BBG for better weather and another time.
My family came from central AZ (Cottonwood), and I have ridden I-40 and I-17 many times in the winter months. There is a world of difference riding from Seligman to Flag during the winter days vs. nights. At 1:00 am around Flag it will be a bitter, bitter cold - to the bone cold. Now east of Flag (toward Winslow and Holbrook) it's not nearly as bad. But from Flag west (Williams, Ash Fork) it "feels" much colder.
You might consider taking a northern route to Farmington then across the reservation to Tuba City. From there, north to Page, through Zion and then back down the I-15. On Accuweather, that route will "feel" be approx. 5 - 10 degrees warmer, although out of your way (check Accuweather - RealFeel).
If you ride I-40, definitely make sure your feet will stay warm. I have no doubt you have hands, face, and body are covered with your heated gear, heated seat, etc. - but the lower legs and feet are often missed in consideration.
Good luck - it's always fun to do adventures outside the norm.
Well, my plans all went to heck. I had planned to go to Los Alamos last weekend and then to SLC this weekend (in the car) to visit two of my kids and their families.
But my wife's cousin passed away at age 56 in Springville, UT on the 22nd and so we went to the SLC area for Thanksgiving.
I have this weekend free but now I have a nasty cough/cold that would not fun to put up with in bad weather.
The Christmas week looks good except for two things: I will be NoCal for my nephews weedding and it is AFTER Christmas. So it looks like I am going to ask my brother to ship the chair out.
I guess that I will have to look at the Big Money Rally stops and plan my ride for January or later.
Had a good time Saturday night. Driving around (as in bypass) Salina and headed to Monroe it was 24 degrees. OPened the sunroof to see how cold it was, and after getting yelled at by my wife, questioned whether or not it is possible to own enough heated gear for that ride. :shock:
<...> OPened the sunroof to see how cold it was, and after getting yelled at by my wife, questioned whether or not it is possible to own enough heated gear for that ride. :shock:
In the mid-20's, it's amazing at your body - even though you're not doing much ("sit here, twist that!") really will become quite fatigued - at trying to stay warm and functional.
Now, add 60 mph to an air temperature of 25 degrees...well, YOU do the calculation here:
In the mid-20's, it's amazing at your body - even though you're not doing much ("sit here, twist that!") really will become quite fatigued - at trying to stay warm and functional.
Now, add 60 mph to an air temperature of 25 degrees...well, YOU do the calculation here:
We have friends in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (just north of Düsseldorf) where it's a balmy 34F right now, with freezing rain and snow by the weekend. It's beautiful there - three seasons of the year.
Ill gladly admit to being a third-generation souther Californian - and stay warm when I have a choice.
In the mid-20's, it's amazing at your body - even though you're not doing much ("sit here, twist that!") really will become quite fatigued - at trying to stay warm and functional.
Now, add 60 mph to an air temperature of 25 degrees...well, YOU do the calculation here:
Tom (3 peaksgold) and I rode back from the Death Valley Ride in 2012, bike said 22 deg. riding at 75 mph into Cedar City, Ut. it sure felt like the old wind chill -17.4 new -3.5
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
GL1800Riders Forums
4M posts
64.4K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to Honda Goldwing owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, touring, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!