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Whether your blank be your sunscreen, your cell phone or your camera memory card, missing crucial items can make a normally great ride less enjoyable. The information on this page may not ensure you pack everything you need but it will sure give you a start in the right direction!
| Colorado Weather: |
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Denver receives its heaviest, wettest snows in the early and mid spring months, March through May, but during this time, also receives days in the 60's and 70's. When taking rides during the spring months, dress in layers. Plan for a 35 degree morning with a 60 degree or warmer afternoon ride.
During the summer months, the weather in Denver becomes quite moderate. The months of June through August are warm and dry with most days bringing sunshine. Morning temperatures begin in the 60's and will warm through into the 90's by the afternoon. Denver is a semi-arid climate, meaning it doesn't receive much rainfall. The typical pattern during the summer months is to have a clear, sunny morning with thunderstorms rolling in by mid afternoon and heavy but short rainfall around 3 to 4 pm. Hail, tornados and severe thunderstorms are common in the plains east of Denver and this weather pattern has slowly moved west over the past several years to encompass the Metro area.
The last months of the year, September, October and early November are quite moderate. The thunderstorms seen during the summer months are much less frequent and the temperature settles into the moderate 70's and 80's in the afternoon. Overnight and morning temperatures can get chilly with frost but will warm up as the sun peaks.
| Short & Day Trips: |
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When taking any trip on a
motorcycle, I choose to pack lightly. It is my opinion that the
extra weight affects the handling and limits the freedom factor of the
ride. I do not like to carry items in my pockets; I would hate to
have my kidneys damaged by a cell phone in my jacket pocket as I fall to
the asphalt and can you imagine the damage a set of keys might inflict
on your legs? I do recognize, however, that there are a minimum
amount of items that need to come along to ensure that I am prepared for
the hazards of the road. The goal in packing a motorcycle is to
identify the items that are absolutely needed and bring only those
items.
When considering what to bring along on your next trip, consider what is
needed to: Keep the motorcycle moving, keep the rider alert,
protect the rider and patch the rider in the event of an injury. A
more specific way to look at the preceding list is: 1.) Tool
kit and spare parts
Most of the trips I've taken on a motorcycle are short, under 250 miles
or so and done in a day. I currently use a Nelson-Rigg tail bag
mounted firmly to my pillion seat, specifically their
CL-75 Mini tail
bag. It's about the size of an insulated lunchbox and holds
somewhere around 10 liters. I use it to carry all those items that
come along with me on a day ride but that I don't want to carry in my
pockets: cell phone, digital camera, wallet, house keys, sunglasses or
tinted visor, rotor lock and maps. Heavier items, like my tool-bag
and first aid kit are mounted securely in the rear under-tail of my
bike. The idea being to keep the heavier weight items toward the
center of the bike. I often forgo food/water, clothing and
anything more than basic tools on the short afternoon and day rides as
I’m typically only an hour or so away from home at any given moment.
That being said, for any ride I always carry at least the tool kit and
first-aid kit.
| Weekend Trips: |