Lived to Tell

[dbarkdoll_imp]

I hate being cold on my bike more than just about anything, and overdress accordingly EVERYTIME. I can count the times on one hand when I was actually overdressed and had to shed a layer and cram it in my bag or under the seat. I've froze my butt off in the 60's even, while some dude on a Harley whizzes by in a tshirt and no helmet. I don't get it, I think I'm just cold-blooded. So I've learned to dress for the weather, and then add another layer. Works well for me.

[redbirds_imp]

Good story that I can relate to. Well into my 70th year now, I hate being cold more than anything.

[Jonnyallover_imp]

Great read, Jonny. It reminds me of some follies I’d prefer to forget.

[Jonnyallover_imp]

Hey, hey Redbirds.

[Nortoon_imp]

Back in the early 70s on a cool day in May two friends and I decided to go to Mosport Park, about 200 miles from home, to see the motorcycle races. It got so cold we were stuffing newspaper under our jeans and making wind breakers out of garbage bags to cover our ski jackets. We were frozen by the time we reached the hotel in Bowmanville near Mosport. I was supposed to visit a girl friend in Toronto, another 50 miles away, but decided to thaw out and sleep in the hotel instead.

The next day was pleasant so I went to Toronto and picked up the girlfriend. We spent the day watching the races. But just as we started back to Toronto it began to rain heavily. Neither of us had rain suits so it was a miserably cold and wet ride on a busy four-lane highway.

The next day it was cold and pouring rain. The makeshift garbage bag rain suit shredded just as I left Toronto. It did not take long before my ski jacket and jeans were soaking wet. By the time I reached home I was stiff and blue.

Had a bath in lukewarm water to start with, but added some hot water several times as I slowly thawed out. It took over an hour to reach a normal body temperature.

After that experience I bought a banana yellow rain suit, rubber gloves to slip over my leather ones, and a back pack for long rides.

[Jonnyallover_imp]

Whoa!

[GoldOxide_imp]

Back in the early 70s on a cool day in May two friends and I decided to go to Mosport Park, about 200 miles from home, to see the motorcycle races. It got so cold we were stuffing newspaper under our jeans and making wind breakers out of garbage bags to cover our ski jackets. We were frozen by the time we reached the hotel in Bowmanville near Mosport. I was supposed to visit a girl friend in Toronto, another 50 miles away, but decided to thaw out and sleep in the hotel instead.

The next day was pleasant so I went to Toronto and picked up the girlfriend. We spent the day watching the races. But just as we started back to Toronto it began to rain heavily. Neither of us had rain suits so it was a miserably cold and wet ride on a busy four-lane highway.

The next day it was cold and pouring rain. The makeshift garbage bag rain suit shredded just as I left Toronto. It did not take long before my ski jacket and jeans were soaking wet. By the time I reached home I was stiff and blue.

Had a bath in lukewarm water to start with, but added some hot water several times as I slowly thawed out. It took over an hour to reach a normal body temperature.

After that experience I bought a banana yellow rain suit, rubber gloves to slip over my leather ones, and a back pack for long rides.

Conversely, I road to Ottawa from Mississauga on my CB750 during a rainy, hot, humid summer day. In fact, it poured heavily until about Silver Lake. All during that time I wore a one-piece rider's rubber suit that did not breathe. Two problems: 1) I was soaked in my own sweat, and 2) The rubber suit would just wrench and wrench and wrench up in the groin til' I turned blue in the face. I never wore it again after Silver Lake.

[alprider]

since many years: i take often any newspapers as littel supplement under the jacket or pullover in the freh mornings or middle saisons........cheap and very effective and easy in waste disposal

[Nortoon_imp]

Back in the early 70s on a cool day in May two friends and I decided to go to Mosport Park, about 200 miles from home, to see the motorcycle races. It got so cold we were stuffing newspaper under our jeans and making wind breakers out of garbage bags to cover our ski jackets. We were frozen by the time we reached the hotel in Bowmanville near Mosport. I was supposed to visit a girl friend in Toronto, another 50 miles away, but decided to thaw out and sleep in the hotel instead.

The next day was pleasant so I went to Toronto and picked up the girlfriend. We spent the day watching the races. But just as we started back to Toronto it began to rain heavily. Neither of us had rain suits so it was a miserably cold and wet ride on a busy four-lane highway.

The next day it was cold and pouring rain. The makeshift garbage bag rain suit shredded just as I left Toronto. It did not take long before my ski jacket and jeans were soaking wet. By the time I reached home I was stiff and blue.

Had a bath in lukewarm water to start with, but added some hot water several times as I slowly thawed out. It took over an hour to reach a normal body temperature.

After that experience I bought a banana yellow rain suit, rubber gloves to slip over my leather ones, and a back pack for long rides.

Conversely, I road to Ottawa from Mississauga on my CB750 during a rainy, hot, humid summer day. In fact, it poured heavily until about Silver Lake. All during that time I wore a one-piece rider's rubber suit that did not breathe. Two problems: 1) I was soaked in my own sweat, and 2) The rubber suit would just wrench and wrench and wrench up in the groin til' I turned blue in the face. I never wore it again after Silver Lake.

I had a fishing buddy offer me one like that. I have a friend who was looking for one, so I had him drop it off. It was mouldy inside and stunk to high heaven. I offered to return it to him, but he said just throw it in the trash. Something he should have done in the first place.

One evening in the early 80s, we invited a couple from our motorcycle touring group home for dinner. When they went to leave later in the evening it was pouring rain. Penny and I had replaced our banana yellow rain suits with new gray ones to match our Aspencade, so we offered the suits to them.

These ones did not smell. But as they were Harley riders, they were very reluctant to wear them because of the colour. It took a while to convince them that no bikers would see them on such a terrible night, and we would not tell anyone.

[the Ferret]

Rather be cool, than dry peer pressue is a funny thing