Riding every day in 2013?

[SCJJR65]

Today, I decided to put up a calendar by the closet door in the laundry room (where I keep all my riding gear) and will mark the day with an "X" if I get on the bike and ride that day, with my "goal" being to try and ride at least 300 out of 365 days in 2013. I've never managed to ride EVERY day in a calendar year, and was wondering if any of you folks have achieved this feat, or at least tracked how many days you have managed to swing a leg over your bike and ridden somewhere. (Hey, even a ride up to the grocery store to pick up a quart of milk is a "ride", as far as I'm concerned!)  

[Barry]

I've been keeping a calendar record since 2008 but didn't get close to 300 days yet.  It's a very tough target in our climate. I got off to a bad for start for 2013 today as the roads are still very wet. I did walk 3 or 4 miles though.


2008   130 days

2009   147 days

2010   161 days

2011   203 days

2012   202 days

[Bob_Roller]

I rode 363 days out of 366 in 2012 .

Three rain days .

[Barry]

152 rain days in my location.  Which is why it's hard for me to get much above 200 days and I still get wet occasionally doing that.

[montmil]

I rode 363 days out of 366 in 2012. Three rain days.

All hail our Champion! [smiley=beerchug.gif]

Seriously doubt anyone will surpass Bob Roller. And ain't that a perfect last name for the R65 forum's King of The Road?

[suecanada]

How astute of you Monte!! Obviously you didn't ruin any brain cells last night!!

[Ed Miller]

See Wirespokes, we're not supposed to ride when the roads are wet!

I ride the R65 when I wimp out and don't bicycle.

[tvrla]

See Wirespokes, we're not supposed to ride when the roads are wet!

I ride the R65 when I wimp out and don't bicycle.

   

Ed, I can understand Rob not riding on wet days - when it rains there - it REALLY rains! It's torrential! And it rains so little there, when it does, the roads can take a while cleaning up before they're not slick as ice.

But I don't understand Barry not riding in the rain. What's the reason there? I've got an idea it has something to do with the concourse condition of his bikes and the chore it is cleaning up after a wet one. That's the reason I don't ride my 77RS (the REAL 77RS) very much.

[steve hawkins]

It can get very wearing in the UK riding in the rain, day in day out.

It is also very hard on the bike - it is often not enough, only to clean it every weekend.  Especially if the bike has to sit out in the rain all day whilst at work.  And then there is the kit....Constant wet and road grime is very hard of kit, not drying out in time for the next day, etc.

There are sometimes when, if you have an alternative, it just pays to leave the bike at home.

I understand where Barry is coming from.  In the UK we have had almost 3 weeks of rain, all day every day.  Yesterday I ventured out on my R100 for the first time in ages.  Although I have been out on the R65 more often recently.

I am probably riding only 1 or 2 days a week at the moment.  Hopefully we will have some respite soon.  I am thinking of investing in a snorkel!

Those people who live in sunnier climes do not know how lucky you are.  Or perhaps you do : )

Rev. Light

[Barry]

But I don't understand Barry not riding in the rain. What's the reason there? I've got an idea it has something to do with the concourse condition of his bikes and the chore it is cleaning up after a wet one.

Well I wouldn't exactly describe it as concours but you are right. It's the bike I worry about. I don't much mind getting wet but it's far easier to clean me up than the bike. We do get wet though, the bike and me both. Generally if it's dry in the morning I'll ride the bike to work and take my chances on the way home and sometimes it rains. I do particularly object to leaving the bike out in the rain all day so it gets the cover thrown on most days.

Where I draw the line is when there is salt on the road in the winter. Once salt has been spread the roads don't ever seem to dry out as even if there is no rain or snow for a few days the salt draws moisture from the atmosphere.

In the UK we only have 2 choices in the winter as far as road conditions are concerned. It's either mild and wet or cold, salty and wet. As Steve said this can go on for some time. I don't think I've seen a dry road for 5 weeks now.

But hey the days are already noticeably getting longer so spring is coming soon. If you look at my calendar above I was back in the saddle by the 5th Jan last year. It's going to have to dry up quick if I can match that in 2013.

[montmil]

How astute of you Monte!! Obviously you didn't ruin any brain cells last night!!

Now, Sue. At my advanced years, I pretty well tuck my head under my wing by 10 PM. These days, I let my boys carry on the Hank Williams Family Tradition for me.

Youngest son -and R65 forum member, Zachary- rang in an Austin, Texas, 2013 with back stage passes for him and his lady; hanging with Willie Nelson and Billy Gibbons of Asleep At The Wheel fame. That party didn't even start rockin' until 2013!

Whew. I need a nap.
[smiley=beerchug.gif]
 

[Ed Miller]

I rode 363 days out of 366 in 2012 .

Three rain days .

You never stay home?  Wow.  If I don't have to go to work I generally stay home and do stuff in the garage or up in the woods.  I like my home, or I wouldn't put up with a hundred mile per day commute.

[Bob_Roller]

I ride to work 5 days a week, usually Sunday, is one of my days off ( I have Sun-Mon off), but last year, I worked 80% of Sundays in 2012 .

Outside of my vacation, I think I had 60 days off the rest of the year .

Usually on my days off, I do as many errands as possible on one of the bikes .

I put 1400 miles on my Honda CRX last year, I can't justify changing the oil and filter this year, probably let it go to early next year, I use Mobil 1 in it, kind of a waste to change it with such a low mileage on it .

[MR.E]

The Main reason for not riding in the wet over here is the car drivers.
You only just survive in the dry, in the wet god forbid anyone making car drivers think!!!!

[tvrla]

I can relate to you guys over there in soggy old England. We have a very similar climate here in Portland Oregon. Normally it's dark and overcast, and doesn't rain that hard or much - mostly mist. But the last couple years we've been getting some pretty heavy rains. And when it gets cold and temps drop to freezing at night, they pull out the chemical de-icers - very bad stuff for aluminum. A friend drove through some fresh stuff and his highly polished aluminum pickup wheels were pitted in days.

I'm fortunate in that I don't have a commute, but on the other hand, that's one less reason to ride the bike. I work at home. When I was working (five miles away), I was very lucky to have a parking garage at work - so often the bike would be dry by quitting time. I could lock the riding suit to the bike and it would also be dry.