Weather 2005-07-23

[Sparky_Bill]

I rode to Int'l Falls last week and came home Saturday. Coming in north of Forest Lake I could see the clouds zooming toward me from the west. Black formation leading with green sky behind. I was hoping that I could stay ahead of it but that did not happen.

Sky got back as night as I rode past Forest Lake. Leaves were blowing all over then the rain came down in a sheet and the wind got even worse. I was in the left lane as I wanted to take 35E. Bad place to be. I saw a bridge ahead and tried to make it over to the right. I was able to slow and and get over one lane and stated into the third when the wind gusted and took me over onto the edge of the left lane again. That was a gust moving me over 1 1/2 lanes. Damm scary with car and trucks all around. I slowed more and tired to get over and stopped under the bridge. I was able to finally stop 30 feet past as a result of traffic, wind and torrent rain.

Back the bike under the bridge. Another biker there already. On a Harley, no windshield, no helmet just sunglasses. That's what you need when it's dark as night. 7 cars and pickups stopped around us. The fellow rider was heading for the Viking "Ride For Life". When we got our rain gear on and the winds left up we headed out. He said he was still going to ride into the Dome.

I took 35E in. Branches all along the road. One dead tree fell onto the roadway even. Now just rain coming down but no strong winds.

At just south of downtown St. Paul I saw over a foot of standing water on the north bound side of 35E. Better that then the southbound I was in. Hit that a highway speeds with a bike. WOW!

Now let's hear the story from the guys that went to the "Ride for the Cure 07-23-05" which was to leave Chisago city around 11:00 A.M. That was about the time the storm hit me. It went across the north Metro. There was no damage south of the river.

Since I started riding in 1963, that was the worst WEATHER situation I have ever been in. Freeway traffic just made it worse.

[sid2002]

I was leading a group of six of us on our way to the ride. Mark, Allen, John, his wife lisa and ther two kids as passengers and one of their friends from Corp. Brooks. We took a scenic ride over on 96 then up 95 and Mark new of a short cut to Lindstrom. The weather was great all the way up. You know kinda cool but not chilly, over cast but bright, and not windy at all. We got up to highway eight and took a left toward Chisago and the horizon looked a little dark. As we progressed it got darker and darker. That green sky was what worried me. I decided to pull into a gas station so I could ask Mark how much further he thought it was. He said 3 miles or so. We decided to wait till the storm passed. Parked our bikes under the cannopy for the gas pumps walked inside and all hell broke loose. The wind was tremendous. Gushes and gushes of water in the rain that fell. Cars were pulling in just to avoid the torential rain.
We were watching Allens gorgeous King pin as it appeared one of the gas pumps was loosing some sheet metal. The attendant said he was not going out in the storm to put it back up and fortunately he didn't have to it held through the worst of it. Lisa asked if I thought the bikes would tip in the wind. I think we were intutive and had the Kick Stands all facing away from the wind direction which gave the bike more stability. None of them fell until after the storm Eh Johnny.
Turns out we were only 1/2 mile from our destination but somebody was watching over us because there would not have been a place to keep the bikes with out them being in the full impack of the storm. We did not hear of any damage to any of the bikes on the ride but it still could have been a disaster.
Due to the rain and wet roads we let the ride leave without us and we went to eat in town. We decided to do the route backwards and meet up with the ride somewhere along the way. When we met up with them they had gone alot further than we did so we decided to proceed on and finish the ride backwards. We beat them back and got to be the first group to have roast pork. It was a great day for a ride. The weather for us was perfect we even got to go shopping for jean jackets at Walmart along the way.
Nice to meet you Brooks look forward to riding with you in the future. As always John and family great riding with you.
Allen hope you got home OK. Mark see you soon thanks for guesing long on how far we had left to go to the sportsmans club.

[sks700]

I was just about to leave and meet up with the guys in Lindstrom when the storm hit here. I decided to leave the bike in the garage and get some things done here.

Lee

[Choirguy]

Last summer, I was on a trip with my Dad and a friend of his, and we were motorcycling through Montana. It was one of those nights without any sign of the moon to start off with, and we drove right into a wicked front in the dark. It was in one of those lovely spaces with no trees or wind barriers, and no bridges. I was pulling the trailer, and the gusts were pushing me from the right lane into the left lane, and we were instantly soaked.

I've driven through tornado weather before, but that was the worst weather...including riding through falling and accumulating snow on Beartooth...I'd ever driven in.

My big question is why the companies can't work together to put real-time weather radar on a GPS unit, so that you can see where the storm is at all times...whether in a car, on a motorcycle, in a truck, or simply at home. The technology exists...I just don't know why it can't happen.

[John Ritter]

I checked KARE11, WCCO, and KSTP before going out for a little toodle yesterday. The radar placed the storm at about Monticello. I decided to go from St. Paul Park to Afton and back.
Upon arriving in Afton I called my mother who was in transit to SPP. She was in Northwest Minneapolis and said it was coming down hard (they left my hometown Melrose right as the storm started there) thinking they would be able to drive out of it. Nope, the storm was traveling that fast.
As I hung up the phone, I decided to start getting home. I rode out of the Afton valley area. As I got out of the valley, day turned to night. Needless to say I too only had sunglasses and street clothes. After digging through my bags I found a little tossle hat, and come clear glasses that love to fog.
About 50 seconds after drving into the mouth of the beast, my undies were soaking wet. I stopped again to clear my fogged glasses. At that time I smiled and said "F-it" I am hear, I am wet...it would be easy, it wouldn't be fun. I did a giddey-up motion with my hand and challenged the storm to see if it could get me to stop again...
I made it the rest of the 10 miles or so pulling into Cottage Grove which had no power. The storm sewers could not keep up, and I actually hydro-planed. That was a real eye-opener that I would not like replicated. There were some downed trees and the emergency personnel were dispatched. I was glad I was home and more than 1 police car looked at me and chuckled.
I drove through a tornado 2 or 3 years ago and that was a little worse.

But, like I said earlier - if it would be easy, it wouldn't be fun. (and it helped that I only had 10 miles to go)

[Sparky_Bill]

About 50 seconds after drving into the mouth of the beast, my undies were soaking wet.

But, like I said earlier - if it would be easy, it wouldn't be fun. (and it helped that I only had 10 miles to go)

Well John you were better off driving INTO the wind. The cross wind is what I had the most trouble with. You have DIFFERENT fun than I and while you enjoyed the ride you might as well relesh the fact that no matter how much your bike leaked oil it could not stick in THAT rain. :lol:

BUT maybe you now have water IN your engine by being driven in by the wind. :riding:

[SmknAl]

This was a great ride with some special people. Sid and Mark took us though some of the best! Good roads, some hills, twisties, it had it all. I saw an Eagle with a 2-3 lb bass in its talons. Great sight, right here in the Twin Cities area.

It was nice to meet all the Gophers; Mr and Mrs :Angel: and all the little Gophers. Thanks for the invite and thanks to Sid and Mark for the route to the ride. Hope we did some good for the Cure. New friends and new experiences, that what it is all about :D

[JohnnyIron]

I think you mean Iron's not Gophers but what the heck....it was nice meeting you too Alan.

Sid was correct about none of the bikes tiping over until I filled up the new Ness. I was backing it up without sitting on it (big mistake) and I had to turn a little to avoid my next purchase, the green hammer. Well, needless to say, between the rain soaked grips, my turning it way from myself, and not being seated on the seat, she started to tip away from me and down she went! :burningMa The good news was since my son, Nick, was riding with me, the passanger peg was down, and stayed out to catch the bike! :action35: The mirror got a scratch on the end, and the passanger peg got a scratch also. The grip didn't scratch at all to my amazement!

Later, my left mirror decided to leave me so the $10 Ness mirrors are toast....thank goodness for employee sales!

It was a great ride! Too bad it didn't warm up until right after we stopped at Walmart to get little Iron some pants, darn kid had to wear shorts!

[SmknAl]

:o Sorry :o I've got to get the handles and the faces hooked up better, I aplogize, no offense to either the Iron's or the Gopher's I must be asleep at the wheel, :Zzzzzz:

To bad about the scratches, it appears that your ride came through pretty well, considering what could have happened. Just think of the fun yu will have shopping :cool: