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Old 06-15-2021, 12:18 AM
 
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I think you've made a good decision. When we first moved up to this area from NM, we got rid of the bike because of the weather and the dangers in riding it in this area. Too many close calls. We actually traded it to someone for a small boat Great trade- we got a lot more use out of the boat up here than the bike.
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Old 06-15-2021, 08:09 AM
 
Location: West coast
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The other day out of the blue the wife said that we should get Vespa scooters to go bee-bopping around on in our rural Peninsula area.

If I went back to work I might consider one of those for a short commute.

They just seem a lot safer than the more powerful bikes.
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Old 06-15-2021, 10:36 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondebaerde View Post
I've had a bike in my garage or carport continuously since 1987. Only exception was summer last year, and I had another fairly quickly all things considered though I didn't ride much 2018-19 for various reasons. I do now, again, mostly in fair weather which means it's on the trickle charger c. 6 mon/year.

Commuting in heavy traffic here is a complete crap shoot, you're right about that. So much so that I quit doing it after about four years of obstinance, c. 1998-2002, at least regularly. I remember being an inch from hypothermia one day during my then-commute, Mill Creek to Redmond, and correctly concluding: "this is for the birds, and will get me killed." That was a bad day. I then started carpooling, mass transit, and flex hours. Or dealt with hours in the car/day back when things were really bad. No idea how they are now in terms of traffic, having not commuted much since 2017. "Never say never" but I have no intention of ever dealing with a job like that again. In IT, "I think" the bit has flipped bad pun intended such that those like me can WFH full time or nearly.

I'd lived 7 years in the Bay Area prior, where you can mostly get away with riding c. 9 months/year. More if you're hard core, as I surely was: no car for years, bike only. Los Angeles and the US SW, perhaps you can go 11 or even 12 months. Metro Seattle sure isn't Cave Creek AZ in terms of climate.

You'll get killed doing that here. The dark going and coming makes it extra hazardous. Now add rain. Rain riding is a huge pain, it's like going into space: your gear must be 100%, it's all right or it's all wrong and that is hard to do. Traction and stop distances are affected. You're cold more often than not, and gearing up takes time. You look like a vagrant when you get to work, hair all screwed up and often as not dirtier than when you started. People can say what they want, but it's viewed as uncouth and/or amateur-hour that an engineer does, not a manager. Which means gear-up/gear-down at both ends meanwhile the clones are looking at you like you're some kind of outlaw biker. Forget doing in that in a professional role. Ask me how I know....I didn't give a ____ for years and have the feeling I paid the price career-wise.
I'm not much for riding in rain, but, an Aerostitch suit is IMHO "Da Bom" for any sort of wet or cool weather riding. Not cheap, but it is good. In most reasonably light rain you stay bone dry under the suit. The suit goes on and off remarkably quickly in part due to a long zipper along one leg inseam.
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Old 06-17-2021, 12:25 PM
 
Location: Embarrassing, WA
3,405 posts, read 2,714,752 times
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My dad had the full setup, water proof suit, heated pants and coat liner, kept you warm even in freezing temperatures. Sit down, plug in, and away you go. He had no car (called them a "cage") for a decade as well. His retirement from riding was simply due to the areas population growth and too many ignorant drivers absorbed in something else besides driving. He was hit twice and had dozens of close calls, figured it was only a matter of time before he'd be hit and killed or handicapped for the rest of his life.
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