Chaps...

As I looked at the weather (both the 500mb and the GEOS IR4 SAT) maps...

I planned my travel, thinking I would have the winds at my back.  Fortunately, I was in a constant left turn for most of my trip back to PHX!  I say fortunately, because although I had the latest information, I was still outdone.  Helps to remind me of my place.

Although, I was correct about the temperatures!  You are welcome PHX... I brought a brief warming trend with me... unfortunately it jumped off my bike and is continuing on...

30's in PHX... 40's in YUM... means a whole lot colder in between!  So I treated myself to an early Christmas present, and bought some chaps in Yuma to ride home with.  Now leather, is heavy.  And I was amazed by how much it blocks the wind effect... it took a few minutes to realize, understand, and adjust, yet it made my trek comfortable.  I can only imagine the ride with just a set of jeans...

Unfortunately, I do not have the necessary build to make them (the chaps) look good... Seems I lack the necessary mass in certain parts on my posterior aspect...  made the jeans look bunched up.  I know I brought you here, however, time to move on!

I think there will be few more layers needed this winter!  I can remember last year, just riding between downtown PHX and the East Valley.  A short 40 minute ride, yet chilly!  LJ's will be a must, will have to add an additional layer or two as well...

YUM sits at about 138 ft above see level.  When I first got back to PHX, I actually felt a little short of breath for a few hours!  To think that I went from PHX  to FLG... and did not have the same problem.  It must have been all of the exhaust I was breathing on the ride home!  Traffic mid-day on a holiday was quite a tad heavier than when I left.  Now there are a number of reasons, season, time, direction of travel, etc.

Leggings, have a past.  The result, many cultures and many times, realized that an extra layer offers protection.  Armas, chaparejos, chaparreras, chapos, chaps, stovepipes... from a horse, to a steel horse... it remains the same! 


Keep the rubber side down, and the shiny side up!