NYC commuters?

I try to get thought the Holland tunnel from NYC to NJ at 3am this morning, and lucky me, the whole tunnel is closed. I go up to the Lincoln and that's closed too. Great. 22 degrees out and I have to either head all the way up to the GW or down over Staten Island. I head up the west side highway, but half way up the temperature seems to drop another ten degrees. I get off at 96th st to take Broadway and face less wind, when what is that? Snowflakes!? What happened to global warming?

I make it over the bridge and then it starts coming down like a blizzard. For a few moments I think I'll be ok. It's so cold and windy, the snow is just a powder flowing across the road. But in minutes everything turned white. Cars start sliding around and I realize although I can go straight, I can't really turn or stop very well. Luckily, I'm on local roads parallel to palisades and there's hardly any traffic, so I could just keep a steady 14 mph and keep my feet out to brace and brake. But by the time I get near the helix to the Lincoln tunnel everything is ice and I can barely walk without falling.

At that point, I get off and push it the five miles home. I just made it back. Uggh. That was my workout for the day. I was glad I chickened out and walked it though. In those 5 miles I saw 2 accidents and 3 close calls, plus one fancy Cadillac with fresh carnage to the rear bumper. I better put studs on my tires before i try riding again this winter.

Lesson of the night... Check the news before going on a ride.

Nice... a few photos, including one of food, and you could have posted that in ride reports! I love finding adventure when you don't expect it. Especially when no one gets hurt. (and I'm not even on call this weekend.)

Damn...glad you made it ok. Sounds like a hairy ride.

hey i'm about to gear up and ride from the baltimore area to nyc. unless someone tells me that it is unrideable due to weather and road conditions.

i'm planning on taking 95. has anyone been out today on 95?

Ethan I would wait it out. Not sure what manhattan is like but the roads in Queens are PURE ice. I walked across the street to the deli and almost busted my ass on ice in the road. Also it just started snowing again.

thanks.
i think i just need it to warm up a few degrees. i'd hate to have to leave my bmw in maryland.

Hey Ethan, you are a bolder man than I am. It's snowing lightly here in Brooklyn but it is definitely sticking to the roads. I don't know what the major arteries are like but the side roads are snowy. I hear that it's supposed to mix with rain later this afternoon. I suspect it's gonna be a hairy ride either way. Good luck & be careful.

When do you need to be home for work? I wouldn't imagine leaving Maryland anytime soon. I was speaking to a friend in DC and she said it is in the mid 40's the bank on my corner says it is 21 here and snowing. The roads are not going to be thawing and the snow won't turn to rain anytime soon. I would wait it out or leave your bike there.
She better have been worth it

Ethan, here's the NOAA weather report for today, tonight & tomorrow. Sounds like you would be better off coming back tomorrow if you can. Looks like the snow is going to get rained away tonight.

This Afternoon: Periods of snow, mixing with rain after 4pm. High near 36. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Tonight: Periods of rain. Temperature rising to around 41 by 1am. South wind between 9 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Monday: A chance of rain, mainly before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 18 mph increasing to between 29 and 32 mph. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Should add that it's only 25 degrees right now.

Wife had the car, had to take the G/S to the Plumbing supply store to get a relay for the furnace at the school because the heat was off. Made it there and back but real slow and scary, and wishing I took the bus and subway. Some places traction some places none. Better on the highways Prospect and BQE) but some real sucky patches.
Be real careful.
Alfred

brrr just got back from the island, roughly 60 miles away and I can't feel a thing. I just oredered a bunch of crap from aerostich, looks like I shoulda got that studded tire kit! Anyone have any real world experience with them? I've seen some beemers in the city with studded tires, any of YFFs?

Ethan, unless you have to be back for work, stay in Maryland.

Anyone have an old clip on windshield they're not using? I'm on a naked Hawk GT these days and brrrrrrrrrrrr! I have heated grips though, but that is definitly not enough, need better gloves.

They have hot cocoa with marshmellows at the Ear?

i made it. left manchester maryland (45 mn NW of baltimore) at 1pm. got to my place in riverdale at 5pm. one quick stop for pee and gas.

sorry i didn't take pictures, it was a crazy ride. it was POURING the whole time i was on 95. it was around 34-37 degrees when i left maryland, and its around 30 now in nyc.

the only real snow that i saw on the roadway was here in nyc. in jersey it was on the side of the road. in maryland and delaware none.

when i was around 45 minutes from nyc, my windshield started to fog like crazy. when i brushed my hand across the outside of the shield, i realized why: ice. the rain was freezing on my helmet, my gps, etc. if i had facial hair and an open helmet, i would have had those cool beard icicles!

now i have to pour some clean water on my bike. covered with salty muddy crap.

Thank God.

We were worried sick.





Well done. We've all put ourselves in circumstances like that at one time or another...

but, can anyone remember doing it for any reason other than a woman? I can't.


(Now watch, he'll deny it).

now that my bmw is clean, i can relax...

actually i was hanging out with "thisguy" in maryland. we started a project on my bike a few weeks ago, and needed more parts and time. so my bike was still at his place and we had to sew her up this weekend.

we moved the fuel filter from inside the tank to outside (easier to replace now), replaced all the fuel lines, replaced the crappy plastic fuel line disconnects with metal ones from OMEGA, changed brake fluid, oil, transmission and final drive fluid... did i miss anything?

oh yeah, and we drank a lot of beer.

but there weren't any women there for me.

Glad to hear your trip was a safe one, though it sounds like it was an adventure.:huh
But seriously risking life and limb for a bike and drinking beer with "some guy" is down right a stupid way to risk it.

toldja he'd deny it.

"thisguy"

(not that there's anything wrong with that)

Hey EE. Glad you made it safely. You, too, Eddie.

I was going to take a ride this morning but the driveway and my street were all ice.

Hey there HaCha can I see a picture of your hawk? I had one and regret selling it, My leg was damaged in a car wreck was told I would not be able to ride anymore and have a limp so I sold my bikes. Well that was 6 years ago and I proved the docs wrong.
By the way Hello Rich you helped get most of the parts I needed on the hawk when you worked at plaza. How are you. I live in Staten Island Maybe when the weather is better we can do a ride. I am looking at an 08 V-strom but need to save some more moola. In the mean time I have two old yammys that I ressurected. heres a few pics. I also have a 96 ss/sp in pieces. Regards JD

Some more pics

shoulda called me! there were women down here.

what oil are u running now?

abe