So down here in NZ, we got to wind our clocks forward an hour.

Yahhh, we are now in official Summertime.

And it was a beautiful day where I live.

Pottered about in the garden, picked up all the leaves and sh1te, and fired up a certain 27 year CBR1000.

Yep, looking forward to the next few months. My condolences to those of you in the northern hemisphere; but you've had your turn; now it's our turn to have summer.

Maybe I might have a better chance of getting those pesky Motorcycle Fun Challenge pictures now.

 

Teeks as the usps would put it

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

No clock change for us for another few weeks thankfully.
Have a great and safe riding season.

 

Yeah our clocks don't change for a while yet either.

To be honest where I live we've had an almost perfect summer, lots of sunshine but not too hot, temperatures rarely above 24C, above which I start to feel uncomfortable, unless wearing a mankini

September has been beautiful, a dry mild/warm month, extending the season to the point where my tyres are now almost down to the threads!

Still it can't last, but I'll enjoy it while it does.

Here's an appropriate song for us northerners

 

I maybe put 2200 miles in total on my bikes this year. Sold one bike 2 months ago and put the others up for winter the last time I was home.


I'll be home for about 4 days next week but will be very busy, hopefully I can squeeze a ride in. Already getting frost at home.


I'm currently working 7pm-7am with 1 hour drive and 15 minute walk on each end. I really don't care when the clock falls. Summer has passed and all I can do is look forward to next year. Ski season will start soon however and that's just fine with me.

 

That also happens to be the same temperature when everyone ELSE starts to feel uncomfortable around you hawk

But to be honest 25c is the threshold for me too when it gets less comfy. The summer here was incredibly hot with temps hovering around or over 30 for weeks in a row, I don't have the statistics at hand but I would not be surprised if it was the hottest summer in my lifetime. Extremely uncomfortable IMO, above 28c it stops cooling when riding, the air just feels hot all around... the fall has promised to be pretty mild and warm so basically I could still ride given it doesn't rain but my shoulders have been rock hard from all the driving and paper pushing on computer so I've had to settle enjoying the warm afternoons driving top down back home. Still trying to squeeze in some riding days but to be honest moping in the traffic around 75km/h for half an hour back and forth trying not to get trampled by some SUV doesn't exactly fulfill my conception of a pleasant ride... so I can confess choosing the Alfa on most of those mornings when I was planning to ride to work...

TBT this is actually the first winter ever when I actually wait and hope for plenty of snow and proper minus temps as there are now two big lakes at walking distance from our house so I expecting to get to do some snowkiting this winter. The last one was so warm the lakes didn't freeze properly until the end of january-mid february and even when they did there wasn't practically any snow on the ice for the snowboard to get a grip from anything so I didn't get a single session the whole winter. It's super fun but also very dangerous, the kite has enough power to lift you high into the air and slam down hard if you don't know what you're doing so I guess a little recap course with a trainer might be a good idea...

 

Interesting; one of the politicians that was elected back in 2011 made it his mission to make the NZ summers longer.

Introduced a bill to extend daylight saving for another month each end and got it passed. Our DST now extends for close on seven months of the year.

Yes, it was a bit nippy when I got up an hour earlier this morning, but I can live with that for the gorgeous day that resulted (even though I was working).

Matti; if you ever get the opportunity to come down my way, try and avoid Feb, consistently 35c +. Very draining on the body.

And just as an aside: The Good Lady Wife and I are off to Sydney, late Feb to catch an Eagles concert. The temp prediction for Sydney tonight was 33c. How feckin hot is it gonna be in late Feb?

And Bordo, if you're still around, a catch up may be in order?

 

The key here is, to let go. lol

News Years day 2015 I will be skiing Le Massif near Quebec City, CA and Mont-Saint-Anne the day after.

One thing for sure, I will be thinking about riding. All winter while skiing I'm thinking about riding and all summer while riding, I'm thinking about skiing.

should be nipply

 

Haha yea tbt but the thing is it's hooked to a harness on your waist! It does have an emergency release but it doesn't kill the pull 100% and if you're already 5m above rock hard ice I can guarantee pulling that "chicken loop" isn't the first thing on your mind.

Same here, all summer yap about the sailing thing and visa versa. I could buy a wetsuit and a waterboard but would have to drive all the way to the coast every time...

 

I hear where you're coming from TBT but in NZ the expression is :

"There's a bit of a nasty nip in the air today"

I think it relates to Pearl Harbor.

 

PM sent