Weather & Compromise – The condition bank.

How often is the weather exactly perfect? Not often enough that’s for certain. And if the weather is just right usually, why do so many local folks (regardless of where you go, the people are always local folks as you are the visitor) talk about the changeability of the weather? You know you’ve heard it… “If you don’t like the weather just wait a few..” . You know the rest – I know you do!

If you ride a motorcycle, you have to contend with all sorts of weather conditions. Often it is too cold, or too hot or perhaps raining or windy. Far too infrequently is it just perfect. So in order to be a rider one has to compromise and ride in less than ideal weather conditions more often then not. Otherwise, you would rarely ride anywhere. (Some motorcycle owners are like this but in my world fair weather motorcyclists are not really riders – but it may account for the vast number of low mileage bikes in the world especially around Milwaukee).

Here is what generally seems to happen. There are times when the weather is just a bit too cold or warm to be completely comfortable. As a rider, I try to dress for the conditions and ride anyway. Sometimes I get the dressing guesswork correct, and other times not.  It seems that the perfect match of weather and riding gear is a very small window of opportunity and a shift of even a few degrees can make a big difference in how we ‘feel’ the weather. Once I am rolling and get a real impression of my choice of attire for the ride I ten must satisfy myself with the knowledge that I learned a bit more about what to wear in order to be comfortable.

I usually soften my self-evaluation with COMPROMISE. If I dress too lightly and my arms are getting a bit cold, I say to myself.. “Sure it may feel too cool right now, but remember this when you are riding in HOT conditions some future day”. Therefore, I compromise with myself – I like to ‘bank’ those miles I am riding in the cold for days I ride in the heat. For ME – being a little too cold is better than being a little too hot. I know if I get too cold, I can add clothes, but there is a limit to what I will ride without. I ride with all the gear, all the time – I would rather sweat than bleed.

Someday when I am riding and it is really HOT – I will simply remember the ride when I was a little too cold and it seems to make one ride or the other somehow better. It is an easy withdrawal from my riding weather bank.  On those days when I am too cold I think of those rides when the humidity was over the comfortable index and think of how it could be worse. With this little mind game I am able to find enjoyment in a lot of differing weather conditions – and thereby find myself riding my motorcycle a lot more often than those who would not ride in cool or hot temps.