Pre-Dawn Riding

Day: Friday, January 12, 2007
Temperature:32F
Time: 0600
Like many people in the world, I enjoy milk. Where you get your milk depends on many factors including which country you hail from, your economic status, or your traditions. Some people can go to the local supermarket and grab a gallon. Others must take a trip to the local town center to get some. Some is powered, some is fresh. What holds true in all cases is the source of milk; It all comes from an animal. This story is about my personal milk getting adventure
Midcoast Maine, predawn hours. The frost is still on the grass and the smoke from my chimney hangs over the yard in the morning stillness. The horizon is just starting to show a small amount of light in the east, hinting at a hopefully clear day. I pull on my gear, disconnect my battery tender, give the bike a pre-ride safety check, and fire it up. This is the beginning of a cold ride.
I get on the bike, kick it down to first and as I pull away I hear the chirping of my cold clutch as it complains about having to move the bike. Pulling out onto the main road, I have to cross a patch of crunchy ice. Not a problem now, but coming back might result in a fall, a mental note is taken.
As I accelerate down the road, feeling my bike struggle with thick, cold oil, I think back to the balmy days of summer. It seems to me every ride that begins pre-dawn whether it is in the summer, spring, fall or winter always starts cold. Due to my experience in these conditions, I’ve learned to be well clothed. That wearing good long underwear, multiple layers, neck fleece, and making sure all my vents are closed is the best way to be prepared. I would love to use heated gear, though I have yet to use anything that didn't catch on fire. Such are the challenges of motorcycling.
After about 15min on the road my tires are warmed up so they are sticking a tad bit better to the frozen tarmac. My heated grips are working well and the temperature gauge on the bike is finally indicating a couple of bars. The heat coming off of the engine is soothing to my wind frozen legs. It’s about time to stop for a hot beverage and get my body temp up.
One of the two most important things that you can do on a bike is to keep yourself hydrated and to keep you body temperature regulated. A deficiency in either place can lead to a dangerous situation caused by decreased mental ability. I minimized both risks by getting a cup of tea at the Fraternity Village store in Searsmont Maine on Rt 131. This store is a general store built back in the early 1800s. It has a nice front porch and is even haunted.
Once refreshed, I get back on the bike and continue heading to get my milk. While riding down the road, dipping into valleys, cresting hills and sweeping around curves I begin thinking about another hazard faced by such early rides: ICE!!!. Riding so late in the year in the pre-dawn darkness is a recipe for disaster. In order to minimize my risk and fortunately avoid a couple incidents in this ride, I slow down quite a bit, avoid sharp maneuvers, and try to stick to the grey (dry) not black (wet/ice) pavement.
I finally get to the farm in Camden, meet with my farmer for about an hour and get two gallons of milk for the price of a half gallon at the grocery store. I put them in my saddle bags, and start to head home. By this time, all the roads are dry, the sun is up and providing warmth. The ride back is a complete reverse of the pre-dawn ride down.
I never did forget about that first patch of ice though. It’s in such a place that I need to hit it going pretty fast as to avoid getting hit by traffic. Will it be a problem? I eventually get to my road to face that horrid patch of ice. Fortunatly, because the sun has been shining on it for a while now, I realize that it has melted to slush and plow through it.
Home at last, up two gallons of milk, and a bit more experienced in pre-dawn riding

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