Gail

When all of us test riders were talking about who was going to take the FX which day, I was pretty quick to claim last Friday. It was the nicest day of the week! When I left work for my 13 mile commute home it was a beautiful 54 degrees Fahrenheit. When I arrived home I reflected on what a pleasant ride it was. No buses to slow me down, no frozen fingers, no deer jumping out at me, just a nice spring day. But nothing interesting to blog about!

A couple of years ago I made a commitment to push myself out of my comfort zone. To not let fear or discomfort stop me from doing things. The first thing I did when I made this commitment was to get my motorcycle license, a bike and start riding. This was a huge leap for me! So when Andy asked me if I wanted to participate in the Zero below Zero project I jumped at the opportunity before I let fear get to me. Yet here I was picking all of the nice days to take the bike home. Not really pushing myself, am I…

So when I woke up on Saturday morning and saw that it was snowing hard, with a few inches already on the ground, I knew this was my chance to push myself. After a strong cup of coffee to get me going, I put on my Roadcrafter and grabbed the FX keys. On my way out the door I grabbed my photographer. Nobody at Aerostich was going to believe me without proof!

Off I went out into the snow and slush! Being a part of the Zero Below Zero project has given me the opportunity to become a better and more confident rider. Now I know I can ride in the rain, snow, slush and on icy or sandy roads. I am no longer the fair weather rider! I came home from my ride feeling very proud of myself. OK, it was only three miles but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day…