Sunday, October 25, 2009

Riding Around - October 24

The sunrise this morning was brilliant. Everything has a slight layer of dew and frost which was melted by the time I hit the road. It made everything sparkle. The air was cool (35F) and the roads were empty which made for some fantastic early morning riding. I was toasty warm on my SV650 with all my heated gear. It was also really nice to be able to use my tinted shield again; I haven't used it in at least ten days with all the clouds and early morning commuting.

My feet have been cold lately, so I purchased this pack of Merino Wool socks at Costco $10 for four pairs! They are also the same blend (71% merino wool, 21% nylon, 7% polyester, 1% lycra spandex) as the $20 pair at REI. They work really well and have been keeping my feet warm and toasty since I purchased them.



Unfortunately, I was only able to get this one photo before my camera ran out of batteries. Apparently I forgot to charge it. The photo is of the St. Paul Cathedral. It was built in 1904 and is the 12th tallest building in St. Paul.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownOctober 26, 2009 at 10:36 AM

    Chris:

    from the angle you took the photo, the cathedral could have been somewhere in Europe. I used to have an SV, great for around town but for longer trips the I found the leg position too confining

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChrisOctober 26, 2009 at 2:28 PM

    Bob,

    You are right, the SV is great around town. I bought a few gallons of paint with it this weekend. They fit nicely in the top case.

    I have taken it on a few longer trips too. The longest was earlier this year: 4000 miles in 12 days. I found myself putting my heels on the ends of the foot peg to straighten my legs out a bit more. I'd like to get something different for long rides, but haven't decided what that is yet. It needs to have strong electrics and a good option for wind protection without buffeting.

    I saw you replaced yours with a DL650. How do you like it?

    -Chris

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownOctober 27, 2009 at 12:46 PM

    Chris:

    I also wanted something for longer trips. I took my SV on a short trip into the interior of BC and found my legs cramping too much. I had frame sliders so I put my legs up on them, and also hung off the rear passenger pegs for a while. The SV has a great engine, the same one is used on the DL650. As you know the DL is the poor man's version of the F650GS.
    I really like the Wee and the nearly upright seating position. I am going to get the frame sliders installed on it to rest my legs. I would have considered the F650GS but I read on the forums that they have a few problems. The DL is basically bulletproof and easy to maintain. I consider the Wee the SUV of bikes, able to transverse gravel and Forest service roads. (check out stromtrooper.com my handle there is bESS) I did a ride report in September to Port Renfrew, I also posted photos

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChrisOctober 30, 2009 at 8:35 AM

    Bob,

    I have frame sliders on the SV too, but have a hard time getting my feet on them. I frequently layed on the tank and put my feet on the passenger pegs. On long trips, you will find every position possible on the bike. ;)

    So funny you consider your DL650 the SUV of bikes, a friend has the DL1000 and we both call it the "pickup". He has a huge rack on the back and extra large ALU paniers.

    You had some nice photos in your ride report!

    ReplyDelete