Egress Blocked
Good weather is not all you need to be able to ride.
It’s that time of winter again. We’ve had some very nice days, good days to be out riding, but with our neighborhood streets covered in snow and ice I can’t get out. The forecast at this time suggests that before the sun does its job on our streets we’ll be having more snow. That’s exactly why I made a point to get out on all three bikes on about December 3 while it was still nicer weather. Who knows if I’ll get out again this year.
Some people are getting out, though. Obviously they don’t live on an inner neighborhood street. I mean, the main streets are clear if you can get to them.
What really amazed me, though, was a couple days ago I was out in my car and on Hampden I saw a guy on a bike. No big deal, except this was during the first melt after the snowstorm and while there was no snow or ice on Hampden, the entire road was very wet and sloppy. This was the sort of condition where your car gets coated in dark brown grime and if you don’t clean off your headlights, when you go to use them you find they don’t cast much light.
So this guy was out riding in this. Which means he was getting himself covered in all this gunk. Yow!
He was on a sportbike and had a helmet and leather jacket but unlike cars, helmets don’t have wipers to continually be clearing that stuff away so you can see. You’re more hard core than me, fella.
The next day I saw someone out, too, but by then the streets were much dryer. But at that point we were only starting to see a little asphalt show through on our street. It would take two or three more days like that to be clear and we’re apparently not going to get those days.
If there’s any way at all that I can get out, though, I will do so on December 31. That’s the day when ABATE of Colorado is having its annual Last Brass Monkey Run. This is intended to be the last riding event of the year but as you can imagine it is not always amenable to riding. So fine, if you can’t ride you go in your car. And I will. But I’d sure like to ride.
This thing has four starting points and the end is at the Grizzly Rose:
North–Rocky Mountain Saloon, 4329 CO Hwy 66, Longmont
East–Flying J Truck Stop, (I-70 Exit 285), 16751 E 32nd Ave, Aurora
South–Big Train Family Restaurant, 3050 N. Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs
West–In the Zone, 15600 West 44th Ave, Golden
If you’re going to participate the idea is to sign in (and sign your waiver) between 10 and 11 a.m. Or, finish line registration begins at the Rose at 11 a.m. Then they have food, music, and a chili cook-off, among other things. Plus an inside-the-Rose poker walk.
Then there’s usually a ride set for January 1 by a BMW group–the first ride of the year–but I’m not sure if that’s on this time around or not. I went looking for info but found none. Whatever.
So–bottom line: ride it if you can. Maybe I’ll be out there, too.
Biker Quote for Today
All I want for Christmas is you . . . Just kidding. Get me parts for my motorcycle.
Tags: Last Brass Monkey Run
December 21st, 2015 at 11:36 am
After the Winter of 2006, after being trapped as you were for this article, for over 30 days…I swore I’d never let snow/ice stop me again and the result is that I’m on my third URAL sidecar rig…..