All those leaves turning color are gorgeous, aren't they? If you live somewhere that has seasons and you know what it's like when the cold weather is actually painful, then you probably also have a nice fall season in there somewhere. It might only last a couple of weeks, just to spite you and those photos you want to take, but it's there.
And if you've spent a good amount of time already riding your motorcycle in it, then chances are good that you may already know some of what Dave from Canyon Chasers has to say in this video. He's a motorcycle instructor with a lot of years under his belt, so it's almost like a really good public service announcement when he puts out a video like this, running down a ton of useful information about keeping safe while riding during one of the most beautiful times of the year.
Jumping in the leaves is great when you're a kid, but falling in them on your motorcycle isn't. I've done it before, a long time ago, and I don't recommend it.
Let me set the scene. It's super early morning; the air is crisp, and it's cold enough that I have my heated gear plugged in. I'm toasty warm, but I know my tires aren't, and neither is the road. My ride to work is short, so it's questionable whether my tires will fully warm up or not anyway, unless I take the super long way to get there. It's also dark out, because I'm getting there so early that the sun isn't even up yet.
I slow down to take a corner, and I spot some fallen leaves on the ground. They look dry, so I'm not too worried. Unfortunately, the tops may have been dry, but what was underneath them absolutely wasn't. Even going at a super low speed (turning a corner from a dead stop), I'm down almost before I know what's happened. I'm not really hurt because I'm wearing all my gear, and I'm thankfully able to just pick my bike up and go on about my business.
But I learned a lesson, and was also grateful because it could've been a whole lot worse. Don't trust leaves and avoid them if you can, because you don't know what's underneath and what kind of traction-changing dangers might be present.
Similarly, because I'm the stubborn type of person who has liked to push riding season out as far as I can (I won't ride when there's ice on the ground, but heated gear makes it very likely that I'll still be out on two wheels when it's cold), I've also learned through trial and error about what kind of bulky layers under my gear are comfortable and allow ease of movement in the saddle, and what doesn't work.
This video covers both of these scenarios that I've just mentioned from my own personal experience, in addition to a whole lot more super-useful, actionable tips to help you reassess your riding readiness for some of the most beautiful miles you may see all year. So much of our riding calculus changes as the seasons, temperature, and light change; not to mention all the other environmental changes they bring with them.
If you stay on top of it and ride thoughtfully, you're in for a treat. But you simply can't treat it like the riding you did at the height of summer, because prevailing conditions will give you a bad time (and sometimes a worse time than others) if you do.
Ride safe, enjoy every minute, and see you out there.
