Riding in Winter Weather

Since it's ice balling outside -- that's not sleet and not snow, but something in between -- it's not very nice for riding. Never mind the little balls of ice on the road, it's cold, too! However, some people must ride in all types of weather, even ice ball weather.

If you don't have a choice but to ride in the inclement weather, here are a few tips, other than the obvious: Be careful.

Dress in layers. Wear thermals under your clothing. If you have felt inserts for your boots, one pair of socks is probably fine, but if not, wear a normal pair and a thick pair. Wear an oversize sweat shirt and sweat pants over your regular clothes. Then, add a hoodie and a winter or leather jacket. If it's raining, add a rain slicker over everything, making sure you put the hood up before you put on your helmet.

Always wear a helmet in snowy weather, even if your state doesn't have a helmet law. Put the hood on the hoodie up, then put the helmet on. Use thick snowmobile gloves.

Now, you're good to go for riding in cold weather. You should stay quite warm. I used to ride to work on a bike in the Connecticut winters, and this kept me warm even after 25 miles. Granted, I looked pretty funny peeling off several layers, but I wasn't cold!

Tips for Your Bike

If you happen to hit a patch of ice or something slippery on the road, do not hit your brakes, especially your front brake. Let off the gas and try to keep the bike upright. As you slow down, you can gently tap the rear brake. This is especially a good idea if you have someone behind you and that person is clearly not paying attention.

Always get the snow/salt/mud off your bike as soon as you can. The mixture plays hell on paint!

Keep your bike covered in the winter. I used to use a tarp since I didn't have a garage -- this was way back when I was in my early 20s. The tarp kept snow and ice off the bike, and kept it from rusting, too.

Always ride in the part of the lane where the tires for cars ride. The heat from the tires dissipates the ice much quicker than in the center of the road.

Most of all, stay safe and keep your bike safe during winter riding!

Winter Weather and Video Cams

Well, it's too cold to ride for most people. The bike is in the garage for the winter. But, I got hubby a helmet cam for Christmas, so hopefully he'll get some great videos for the blog.

It's the day before Christmas and it's raining. Looks like it won't get cold enough to snow until the day after Christmas. I guess late is better than never!

Meanwhile, it's time to start prep for our first Christmas dinner on the mountain. Nothing fancy -- I do fancy for Thanksgiving. We're doing a ham, baked potatoes, veggies (I have not made up my mind what kind yet) and for dessert, an apple pie and a chocolate pudding cake.

I had a recipe that was excellent, but can't find it. I found another recipe that sounds similar, so I'll try that one and see how it goes.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tips for New Riders: Choosing a New Motorcycle

Get a new bike after you learn how to ride. Photo Credit: Cheryl Bowman

One of the best things to do is to ride on curvy, mountain roads such as the roads in Eastern Tennessee. Before you take your endorsement test, you should have some practice riding. But that’s a catch-22, isn’t it? You can’t legally ride without the endorsement, so it’s hard to get road practice.

If you don’t know how to ride at all, practice in a large field or on smooth, packed gravel roads. Be careful of the gravel — it shouldn’t be the large 2-inch or larger gravel — even a seasoned rider has a hard time riding on that. Pick a road that doesn’t have much rock left and the sand is packed where the car tires ride.

New Bike or Used Bike?

For your first bike, buy used. Make sure it runs properly. This way, if you dump it while learning, you don’t have quite as much money into the bike, and you won’t freak out quite as much if it gets scratched. Additional things to consider while choosing your first bike include:

• Size: Be sure to get a bike that you can pick up yourself. A 300- or 400-pound bike is easier for one person to life than a 900-pound bike.

• Type: A crotch rocket is probably not a good bike to start out on. The turning radius is very small and may cause a new rider to dump the bike, and at the very least, feel uncomfortable with riding it. Also, with a crotch rocket, you won’t be able to easily maneuver the course for the test. 

Checking a Used Bike:

When checking a bike, it is difficult to test drive it if you don’t know how to ride. The best way to circumvent this is to bring an experienced rider with you to test drive the bike. If you can’t find an experienced rider to test drive the bike, start the bike. It should run and idle smoothly. Some Harleys have a rough idle, but chances are, you won’t be looking at a Harley for a first bike, as in most cases, they are more expensive than other bikes. Have the owner run it through a short run so you can see whether he or she has problems keeping it running or shifting it.

Check the tires — they probably won’t be brand new, but there should be enough tread on them to go at least a few hundred miles. Motorcycle tires generally last only 7,000 to 10,000 miles.

Practicing on a large lawn or a mowed field gives you a softer place to land, and you won’t suffer nasty road rash if you fall. Tennessee also has a helmet law, so be sure to wear the helmet — not only because the law says to do it, but for your safety.

Overton County: Peaceful Streams and Muddy Pond

Waterfall - Large stream in Overton County

While riding anywhere in the Smokey Mountains, you will come across many streams, creeks and rivers that make the perfect photo opportunity. This location is actually on private property in Overton County, but it is the same stream that comes out under the bridge on Union B Road.

When biking through the mountains, bring a picnic lunch, because you'll never know when you'll come upon something this beautiful and serene. The waterfall here, though it doesn't look it from where this picture was taken, is 10 to 12 feet.

Same waterfall as above, just standing higher on the mountain, looking down.

In the first picture, I was standing at the edge of the bank, which you can see in the photo. This picture was taken from the old logging road, looking down.

Just above the waterfall.

This was taken just above the waterfall. It's a great wading pool. About 75 feet below the fall, there is a great swimming hole.

This stream also comes out and goes under the road closer to Muddy Pond -- there is another swimming hole under the bridge at that location. If you didn't bring a lunch with you, you can visit the deli at the Muddy Pond General Store. They have great sandwiches and cold soda. Pack up a lunch from there and bring it back down to the creek to enjoy.

If you really enjoy the area, you can check out the cabin rentals at Muddy Pond. They book up rather quickly, so call ahead. Also, stop and visit the Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill if you are in the area in September and October.

Dragon's Tail

Not that great of a video - it was taken with the Droid through the front window of the truck, but this is the Best. Motorcycle. Ride. Ever. We are getting ready to head up that way in March, so hope to get some great stuff for the blog. Hopefully gas prices won't be too crazy by then. Oh, what am I saying? They are already crazy.