Grab your helmet and jacket .... oh you may want gloves too

Just finished with supper this evening and was watching, tasting and feeling the thunderstorm come rolling in. Yall that know me know I have a strong like for these magical uncontrolled forces of nature. Some would say that a storm is almost a fetish for me. I let it rain for about 10-15 minutes then just started gearing up. I wear a modular helmet which allows me to ride with the facepiece up so I can taste the rain as I ride. A leather jacket with the vents all opened so I get the effect of the rain. My gloves are just some worn out mesh type with padded palms and knuckles. Blue jeans and My favorite slip on heelless shoes round out my attire. As I was gearing up the wife and kiddos are talking to me like they would a deranged person (they know me), literally they all talked to me like I was a stranger. This is far to common an occurance around my castle. Tried to explain to them why I had to ride ... but they don't nor will they ever get it. I offered to let them come, but no takers. As a side note my son "Dude" was not involved in this conversation. When I left out I decided that I would go which ever direction the lightning directed me to go. I just took the next turn in the direction of the last lightning strike with the only disclaimer being that the road did not have a yellow sign within the first 50 feet or so. These generally all say dead end or road closed during inclement weather. The type of roads I travelled were a lot of tar and chip roads that we are so fond of here in the midwest. These frequently turn into gravel roads that may or may not be maintained. The best ones are the ones that start out as tar and chip turning into gravel about 3/4 the way through a sweeper then around the next bend they will drop into a fjord crossing. Those are always tricky but even more so with the sudden increase in water flow due to the storms. One of the gravel roads I thought I was traveling actually turned at the top of a hill and I ended up (going straight) riding down someones really long gravel/mud driveway. The gravel roads are tricky enough, that mud was borderline on the un fun side I saw one of the biggest deer I have seen in quite some time. He was standing along side the road looking over his shoulder at me. I could of reached out and slapped him on the ass, it was a surreal kind of moment. All told I traveled 29 miles and ended up about 9 miles from home. It took about another14 miles to make it home though

Yall get out there and ride


See you out there
Smokey

mean while, after these wet rides, smokey is taking one of his famous baby powder baths to try to clear up that nasty rash that is somewhere between from being wet too long!!!!!! All in fun, totally joking dude. Storms are an amazing thing to watch, they always have their own personalities, never the same. When its a calm night, there is NOTHING like being on the X with the smell of rain ahead!!!! Its a rush, an addiction, and smoke, you are not the only one with this disease!!! it is breath taking.

+1 on what Smokey and wiggans said....................... I have been caught so much lately in the rain that I am running out of dry shoes to go to work in!........... I love it!....of course without the darkside it would suck!


.........................bobby

.

If I get caught in it thats fine.....but to go for a joy ride in a lightning filled storm......ahh NO.....

Jerry

+2, I also think same, if I get caught in the rain it's fine, no biggie, but don't like to ride in the rain dang,

jedishon wrote:If I get caught in it thats fine.....but to go for a joy ride in a lightning filled storm......ahh NO.....

Jerry

I love riding in the rain, but Steve won't go with me and with my bad knees, if the bike goes down, I'd have to walk home. On the same note, I hate walking in the rain.

twin1300 wrote:+1 on what Smokey and wiggans said....................... I have been caught so much lately in the rain that I am running out of dry shoes to go to work in!........... I love it!....of course without the darkside it would suck!


.........................bobby

.

I have three pairs of boots and to dry them i got a cheap hair drier the pistol type and turn it on without heat just blow and put it in one boot at a time fore about two hours then the other one . set over night . and you are ready the next day. I ride in all weather too.

horseman8m wrote:

twin1300 wrote:+1 on what Smokey and wiggans said....................... I have been caught so much lately in the rain that I am running out of dry shoes to go to work in!........... I love it!....of course without the darkside it would suck!


.........................bobby

.

I have three pairs of boots and to dry them i got a cheap hair drier the pistol type and turn it on without heat just blow and put it in one boot at a time fore about two hours then the other one . set over night . and you are ready the next day. I ride in all weather too.

Yes, I know...but too many wet shoes and not enough hair dryers! Sorta like badmoon, what does he need a hair dryer for................... Just saying....


.................twin

.

I'm with Jerry and Dino, if I get caught in the rain that's one thing but to go out knowing that I am going to get wet is another story all together. I bought me a set of Frogg Toggs and if I see that it's going to get wet I'll stop and put them on. They keep you dry and you don't sweat with them on causing you to get wet from the inside.

This morning in Jamestown, NC, got my bike out of garage, started it up and few drops of rain on windshield and me, start ridding and rain stopped after few minutes, lol, it wasn't some rain just a little bit of drops, that's it. although I start thinking of getting into my minivan and drive, I rode to work. They also said it's going to t-storm afternoon, will see...

Yesterday I repaired (patched) my rear tire and wanted to ride so bad that I didn't care about it if it's rain breeze or not...