OK so my version of cold is different from other peoples. My friends back east tell me cold is below 30, and my friends down south tell me cold is under 60. Well most of the country has had some kind of cold spell in the last week. So doesn't that seem like a perfectly good time to go to track and test out our new suspension components? Sure why not?
On Tuesday my friend Craig, and myself trailered our bikes up to Sears pt. The ambient temperature was 29°F when we arrived at the track our bikes being covered in frost from the short trip across the golden gate and to wine country. I'm not used to seeing my race bike with ice on it's windshield!
I went out for my first session around 9:30am, and the temp was still under 40°. I was wearing my normal Under Armor clothing as well as my LL Bean thermals under my leathers, and I had a sweatshirt on top of all of this. While sitting still in the pits I was nice and toasty, but holly **** it was another story all together when I got moving around the track. The wind cut right through my many layers, and I was cold quickly, but it was tolerable. I wish I could say the same for my fingers. I came in after about 4 laps because I was having trouble squeezing the clutch, and brake levers. One thing that I had no problem with was traction. Many riders that went out early where spinning tires, and slipping around the track as they slowly built heat into the ice cold tires. Not I! I had acquired a set of tire warmers before December, and thanks to help from friends and family over the holiday a brand new Yamaha generator. With my tires heated to a toasty 70°C (158°F) my bike stuck like glue to the track. Well unless I did something stupid like run over the curbing. Hitting one of those was like riding on ice, and for all I knew they may have been covered in ice! Eventually the day warmed up, and the lap times dropped. By no means was I hitting the times I was in August but it's good just to be out there.
After getting my forks rebuilt I was bottom out under hard braking. I cranked my preload down all the way, to stop the bottoming, but that is a bandaid fix. I spoke with my suspension guy, and he told me to add oil. He had put an amount based on what he thought I needed, but guess I brake harder then he expected. 50cc of 5wt in each fork should cure the bottoming out problem.
I plan on getting in a couple more days before racing season starts in March.
On Tuesday my friend Craig, and myself trailered our bikes up to Sears pt. The ambient temperature was 29°F when we arrived at the track our bikes being covered in frost from the short trip across the golden gate and to wine country. I'm not used to seeing my race bike with ice on it's windshield!
I went out for my first session around 9:30am, and the temp was still under 40°. I was wearing my normal Under Armor clothing as well as my LL Bean thermals under my leathers, and I had a sweatshirt on top of all of this. While sitting still in the pits I was nice and toasty, but holly **** it was another story all together when I got moving around the track. The wind cut right through my many layers, and I was cold quickly, but it was tolerable. I wish I could say the same for my fingers. I came in after about 4 laps because I was having trouble squeezing the clutch, and brake levers. One thing that I had no problem with was traction. Many riders that went out early where spinning tires, and slipping around the track as they slowly built heat into the ice cold tires. Not I! I had acquired a set of tire warmers before December, and thanks to help from friends and family over the holiday a brand new Yamaha generator. With my tires heated to a toasty 70°C (158°F) my bike stuck like glue to the track. Well unless I did something stupid like run over the curbing. Hitting one of those was like riding on ice, and for all I knew they may have been covered in ice! Eventually the day warmed up, and the lap times dropped. By no means was I hitting the times I was in August but it's good just to be out there.
After getting my forks rebuilt I was bottom out under hard braking. I cranked my preload down all the way, to stop the bottoming, but that is a bandaid fix. I spoke with my suspension guy, and he told me to add oil. He had put an amount based on what he thought I needed, but guess I brake harder then he expected. 50cc of 5wt in each fork should cure the bottoming out problem.
I plan on getting in a couple more days before racing season starts in March.
