I started in the dark and pouring rain. Wind was picking up by that time. I kept wondering if the cold feeling I was getting in my boots and then my pants was water, or my imagination. (Imagination this time.) Accidents scattered across the Seattle Metro area, and a couple I rode past. By the time I got to work, those were cleared, but it sounded like on the radio traffic report that new ones took their places.
When I left work, the sun was shining. Temp was up to 50F. Winds had increased to a gale force, but they were behind me and it was smooth sailing. The bike just purred going home.
Went to church in the evening, and as I was putting on my gear to go home, John (fellow rider) comes up to me to tell me about how he got a good chuckle at work. A couple of the men there ride Harleys and were talking about getting their bikes out to ride in the past couple days. They were watching the weather forecast closely for any signs of rain. One felt lucky that he only got caught in a sprinkle. And of course John knows I ride a scooter all year long, not a real motorcycle, no matter how much rain is coming down.
Then someone mentions that it is snowing outside. Nah...can't be. It must be just some hail. That's not fun either. It's like riding on ball bearings. I get out to the bike and find it is snow. Big fluffy white flakes everywhere! Sticking on the ground...and I'm about 10 miles from home.
Did you know RainX doesn't do a thing for your visor when snow hits it? The snow just sticks. I kept trying to wipe it off with my glove, and then peek through the open spots as it immediately began to stick again. It accumulates a lot at freeway speeds too.
I watched the temp guage on the bike drop from 39, to 38, then to 36 and finally 35 on the way home. (Somehow it skipped 37.) Considering it normally seems to read about 3-4 degrees higher than it really is, it means much of the way was at freezing or below.
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For those who like their windshields high so they can look through them, this is what it looked like from the seat. Luckily, I don't look through, but over my windshield.
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So on the first day of spring, I started in the dark in pouring rain and wind. I rode in the middle of the day in sunshine and on dry roads. And I finished the day by riding again in the dark and in the snow.
Chris
