Winter riding....

Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake

On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:33:52 -0500, KLydesdale =
=

wrote:

Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake


Looks extremely co... co... cold!

-- =

Slacker

"Slacker" wrote in message
newspskao3qk4m83lxu@slacker...
On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:33:52 -0500, KLydesdale
wrote:

Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake


Looks extremely co... co... cold!

Let's see that was Dec 12. Temps for the day ranged between 30-36 degrees
F, actually very pleasant temps for winter riding. Once you get the right
clothing and learn to use it properly, it's really no big deal. The beauty
of the woods makes the hassle of the extra clothing well worth it. And
very so often we get a nice surprise - like the time a snowy owl flew down
the trail ahead of us right at head height. He was so close we could feel
the wash off his wings.

On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 14:50:00 -0500, KLydesdale =
=

wrote:


"Slacker" wrote in message
newspskao3qk4m83lxu@slacker...
On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:33:52 -0500, KLydesdale =
et
wrote:

Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake


Looks extremely co... co... cold!

Let's see that was Dec 12. Temps for the day ranged between 30-36 =

degrees
F, actually very pleasant temps for winter riding. Once you get the =

right
clothing and learn to use it properly, it's really no big deal. The =
=

beauty
of the woods makes the hassle of the extra clothing well worth it. A=
nd
very so often we get a nice surprise - like the time a snowy owl flew =
=

down
the trail ahead of us right at head height. He was so close we could=
=

feel
the wash off his wings.


That would be very cool. The closet I got to an experience like that was=
=

nearly getting kicked in the head by a rabid deer, and stocked by a hung=
ry =

puddy cat :-p

-- =

Slacker

"Slacker" wrote in message
newspskav3ut8m83lxu@slacker...
On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 14:50:00 -0500, KLydesdale
wrote:


"Slacker" wrote in message
newspskao3qk4m83lxu@slacker...
On Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:33:52 -0500, KLydesdale
wrote:

Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake


Looks extremely co... co... cold!

Let's see that was Dec 12. Temps for the day ranged between 30-36
degrees
F, actually very pleasant temps for winter riding. Once you get the
right
clothing and learn to use it properly, it's really no big deal. The
beauty
of the woods makes the hassle of the extra clothing well worth it. And
very so often we get a nice surprise - like the time a snowy owl flew
down
the trail ahead of us right at head height. He was so close we could
feel
the wash off his wings.


That would be very cool. The closet I got to an experience like that was
nearly getting kicked in the head by a rabid deer, and stocked by a hungry
puddy cat :-p

--
Slacker

It's even worse when the deer congregate in the middle of a fast road.

KLydesdale wrote:
Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake

Cool, I mean cold! The first 2 pics looked liked
b/w one 'til I had a closer look.

--
- Zilla
Cary, NC
(Remove XSPAM)

Per KLydesdale:

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake

Don't you have trouble with face planting due to the front wheel washing out on
things like patches of ice or frozen-over wet tree roots?
--
PeteCresswell

Now thats a non seasonal Mtber snow. Virgin the best
way to go and just below freezing makes it even better.

"KLydesdale" wrote in message
...
Not extreme but at least we're actually riding....

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake



Nice stuff. We just have rain and mud around here (Maryland). Looks like
its going to stay that way for awhile. Muddy that is.............

Marty

"(Pete Cresswell)" wrote in message
...
Per KLydesdale:

http://www.mmba.org/gallery/pontiaclake

Don't you have trouble with face planting due to the front wheel washing
out on
things like patches of ice or frozen-over wet tree roots?
--

On the day those photos were taken, there were no ice patches - only a
couple of inches of freshly fallen snow. As you can see from some of the
photos, tires are running right down to the dirt. Roots can be a bit
slippery when the snow first falls on them but after a couple of riders go
over, snow get removed and they're really not that much of a problem. If
we have several successive snowfalls, which gets packed down by riders (and
hikers and xc skiers) in between, you don't even feel the roots because the
snow evens the trail out.

Ice patches are generally only a problem later in the season after a good
frost layer has formed and we have a quick warm-up/refreeze cycle where the
snow on the surface melts down, can't drain off due to the frost layer and
then re-freezes in puddles when the temps get colder. In conditions like
this, I use my studded tires for safety. With these tires, I've safely
ridden in conditions where you could have ice-skated on the flatter parts of
the trail. Luckily the climbs and descents never really get icy because
the water runs off.

Riding on through a couple of inches of fresh-fallen snow or on a good
snowpack has been some of the most fun riding I've done. I've shared this
fun with several of my friends now by taking them out for their first winter
rides in these good conditions and they have all commented how amazed they
were amazed at the traction and control that they had when they expected to
be slipping and sliding all over the place.