Winter Solstice Saddlesore

[Breeze]

The ride was a success!!!
I left Omaha at 9:00 AM, later than usual, to give the bridges time to thaw from the overnight drizzle.While I waited, I visited the Nebraska Department of roads webpage to check the live pictures and the temp sensors on the Platte river bridge just west of Omaha on I-80. Confident that I had a reasonable window to make the ride, I got a fuel receipt with a time stamp and took off.
The routing doesn't get much simpler.
I left Omaha and went west on I-80 to York, Ne. and turned left and headed south to Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. Made a u-turn and returned the same way. I wanted to keep it simple and go south. I had this misguided idea that it would get warmer the further south I rode. The total miles for the ride, was 1052 on the GPS. We spent more time than usual to accomplish this ride, right at 17 hours. You never consider how much time is lost at the pump, as the temp drops. Just taking gloves and liners off and on. Can be a thief of efficiency. Below I categorized the ride into 2 groups pro/con.

First the positives:
The temps were in the 30's and 40's and it rained and drizzled all day.
The time I spent thinking out mounts for GPS, cup holder and Spot. Was well spent.
A tail wind coming home and temps actually rising the later into the night it got.

The negatives:
20 year old winter gauntlet gloves have lived out their usefulness.
The heated grips helped, but never seemed to come up to full temp, according to the mfg. webpage.
The wind protection to the hands is really minimal at best, compared to my Harley.
The head wind going south, which required 2 extra fuel stops than I planed.

I am happy with what I learned and how little, I will have to address before the next ride.

The funny moment of the ride was provided by a young 50 year old in Oklahoma.
I had passed her before getting to the fuel stop. She pulled into the fuel pumps while I had my modular helmet open and said the following.
" I thought you would have been younger, to be out riding in this"

Winter Glove's whats everyone using?