Day 4 - Hazard
Road Hazards
It stopped raining just long enough to take a ride today. I decided to ride to Rose Valley, a small community 10 miles east of Kelso, WA. The sun was out and the clouds were receding. The roads still had standing water on them, so I knew I should ride slow. As I rode out of town the reflection of the bright sun on the wet road made it a little difficult to see the street conditions. 
This was complicated by a windshield coated with the wet spray from the cars in front of me, making the windshield nearly impossible to see through.
I turned a 90 degree corner to the north on the I-5 on ramp. Part way into the curve the rear tire began to slide to the right. It was a natural reaction to let off the throttle, but I did not hit the break. At the same time I saw the sheen and the smell of diesel fuel filled my nose. I was in the middle of a large fuel spill. The bright sun reflecting on the wet pavement had hidden this serious road hazard.
Just as quickly as I entered the spill, I rode out the other side. I knew I could not enter the highway without making sure my tires were not coated with diesel, so I slowed and let the standing water wash the tires. I hit the brakes a few times to see if I had any traction. I was instantly greeted by the ABS brake pulse. (Money well spent for this important add-on. Video). Two more taps on the breaks and I felt that the tires were clean. By now I was almost on the highway so I accelerated quick to see if I would break traction. Nothing but GO! I merged in the the sparse traffic and set the cruise control for 70 (Washington's speed limit on this stretch or road).
Places to See
Rose Valley is a little country community nestled in a valley east of Kelso. It boasts one country grocery store, a church, a fire station, a school, and grange. The Friends Church built a large modern facility several years ago to replace a small nondescript older building. It also doubles as a day care, sports facility, and community center. Very typical of small communities outside the boundaries of bustling towns and cities. The acoustics in the main meeting room are incredible. It is built "in the round" and you can hear every spoken word without a microphone.
Staying Warm
I've had a Gerbing's heated jacket liner for quite a while, but I've never used it for motorcycle riding. Since it was fairly cold today, I thought I would give it a try. I left my usual layers of fleece in the saddle bag and plugged in. I was surprisingly warm the entire trip. In fact, when I made one stop to chat with my brother, I started to warm us too much. Fortunately, the heated liner has a temperature control. One small twist of the knob and the vest cooled off. Once back on the road, I turned it up and stayed perfectly warm. I forgot the liner had plug-ins for heated gloves. Unfortunately, the plug-in does not match what I need for the Widder heated gloves I purchased the other day. So, I think I'll be selling the Widders and purchase the Gerbing's heated gloves. I think keeping things simple will be a better choice on a long road trip.
At The End of Day
Murphy's Law kicked in today. On the ride home I got a little wet. When I prepared to leave Rose Valley I looked to the north and saw sunshine and clearing skies. When I looked to the south I saw rain clouds. My biker voice told me to ride to the sun and get some good saddle time in before the day was over. My other voice said, "Go home and get ready for family activities. It is Christmas Eve day, you know!" I turned south into the rain. I arrived home a little wet and with just under 1/2 tank of gas and decided against fueling.
A few hours later I was driving north in our SUV to a family holiday gathering. I was driving on dry pavement with the bright sun shining. It was all I could do to keep from turning around and getting my Harley.
Ambient Temp: 39F
Ending odometer: 000461
Trip Miles: 55
Fuel: None needed today.
The weather forecast for the next 10 days calls for temperatures around 40F and possible sun breaks on Dec. 31 and Jan 1. Just in time for the Polar Bear Run in Portland, OR.
Ride Safe.
This was complicated by a windshield coated with the wet spray from the cars in front of me, making the windshield nearly impossible to see through.I turned a 90 degree corner to the north on the I-5 on ramp. Part way into the curve the rear tire began to slide to the right. It was a natural reaction to let off the throttle, but I did not hit the break. At the same time I saw the sheen and the smell of diesel fuel filled my nose. I was in the middle of a large fuel spill. The bright sun reflecting on the wet pavement had hidden this serious road hazard.
Just as quickly as I entered the spill, I rode out the other side. I knew I could not enter the highway without making sure my tires were not coated with diesel, so I slowed and let the standing water wash the tires. I hit the brakes a few times to see if I had any traction. I was instantly greeted by the ABS brake pulse. (Money well spent for this important add-on. Video). Two more taps on the breaks and I felt that the tires were clean. By now I was almost on the highway so I accelerated quick to see if I would break traction. Nothing but GO! I merged in the the sparse traffic and set the cruise control for 70 (Washington's speed limit on this stretch or road).
Places to See
Rose Valley is a little country community nestled in a valley east of Kelso. It boasts one country grocery store, a church, a fire station, a school, and grange. The Friends Church built a large modern facility several years ago to replace a small nondescript older building. It also doubles as a day care, sports facility, and community center. Very typical of small communities outside the boundaries of bustling towns and cities. The acoustics in the main meeting room are incredible. It is built "in the round" and you can hear every spoken word without a microphone.
Staying Warm
I've had a Gerbing's heated jacket liner for quite a while, but I've never used it for motorcycle riding. Since it was fairly cold today, I thought I would give it a try. I left my usual layers of fleece in the saddle bag and plugged in. I was surprisingly warm the entire trip. In fact, when I made one stop to chat with my brother, I started to warm us too much. Fortunately, the heated liner has a temperature control. One small twist of the knob and the vest cooled off. Once back on the road, I turned it up and stayed perfectly warm. I forgot the liner had plug-ins for heated gloves. Unfortunately, the plug-in does not match what I need for the Widder heated gloves I purchased the other day. So, I think I'll be selling the Widders and purchase the Gerbing's heated gloves. I think keeping things simple will be a better choice on a long road trip.
At The End of Day
Murphy's Law kicked in today. On the ride home I got a little wet. When I prepared to leave Rose Valley I looked to the north and saw sunshine and clearing skies. When I looked to the south I saw rain clouds. My biker voice told me to ride to the sun and get some good saddle time in before the day was over. My other voice said, "Go home and get ready for family activities. It is Christmas Eve day, you know!" I turned south into the rain. I arrived home a little wet and with just under 1/2 tank of gas and decided against fueling.
A few hours later I was driving north in our SUV to a family holiday gathering. I was driving on dry pavement with the bright sun shining. It was all I could do to keep from turning around and getting my Harley.
Ambient Temp: 39F
Ending odometer: 000461
Trip Miles: 55
Fuel: None needed today.
The weather forecast for the next 10 days calls for temperatures around 40F and possible sun breaks on Dec. 31 and Jan 1. Just in time for the Polar Bear Run in Portland, OR.
Ride Safe.
Labels: hazard
posted by pathfinder @ 2:03 PM
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