Winter/Snow Riding

LifeCycles

I know riding in the cold is simply riding in the cold,
although it does supposedly weaken aluminum..

but my question is more of SNOW riding..

Being that my home-base is in a temperate climate,
I usually ride through to Decemeber and start back up in March,
and snow is little to no problem doing the road riding I'm accustomed to...

however being that I've just bought a new MTB at the end of this season,
I was wondering to what if any imput, suggestions, comments , etc. does anyone have to offer about riding in snowy back woods??

All imput is greatly appreciated.

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woodchuck

I rode a bit last year off-road in snow. I used nokian studded tires (which I use on the road too). It is OK until the snow gets deeper than 3 inches. After that it is a lot of work and you don't move too quickly. I would recommend staying on the road after that.

One note - after the ground freezes but before snow, it is good to use studded tires. Quite often there is frozen water under the leaves that the studs will help out on. Don't run the studs if the ground is not frozen as it will rip up the trail.

LifeCycles

Good tip~
Much appreciated!


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I've got something to add that I found out as a matter of course today,

Wear your hooded sweatshirt under your helmet and tie it firmly by your chin~
I've never been so warm and comfortable riding...ever~

All those contraptions and scarves/wraps and bullshit to cover your ears
and neck is such a mess~ this was a no-brainer~ should've thought of it years ago..

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2_D_Tom

I live in north yorkshire and last year we came accross maybe 5-6 inches of snow. I went out on my bike hehehehe it was fun, my tires dont like wet roads, ( tioga factory dh 2.1 ) but however once i left the blacktop and went off road my tires ate the snow up leaving a nice deep trail behind, unfortunatley i never got out of 1st gear. A technique when climbing a snow covered slope is to let a tiny bit of pressure out from the back tyre and lean precaiously over the back tyre, at the same time keeping your pedal stokes smooth, this prooves to be a heavy upper body exersize, however i never once lost traction

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dabac

There are two ways to approach snow riding:
A) use narrow tires to cut through to firm ground
B) use wide tires and low pressure to float on top.

The approach that works will be dependent on snow density and snow depth. A couple of inches of fluffy snow is easily ridden in narrow tires and will not support on-top riding regardless of tire width, while a couple of inches of dense snow can offer great floatability and cause severe steering problems if tackled by the cut-through approach.
I've heard rumours about special snow/sand bikes that used two rims mounted side by side for each wheel, but I've never actually seen one.

Studs doesn't do much in fresh snow but can provide critical traction on hard packed snow and of course ice.

Snow might lodge in your pedals and cleats during certain circumstances and may require something pointy, like a screwdriver, to chisel it out. I do not recommend using your keys for this purpose.

Make sure to carry spare tube(s). Not only does riding with low pressure increase the risk of flats, but also finding a puddle and breaking through the ice to be able locate where to put the patch can turn out to be a real challenge. Self-adhesive quick patches works as long as you warm them and the tube in your hands prior to application.

If toes, fingers or any other body part goes numb, make sure to warm them up "immediately". Frostbite is not a pleasant experience.

If you fall and sustain an injury that prevents you from riding/walking out heat loss will strike rapidly. Always bring a riding buddy if riding on rarely used trails. Consider carrying a bivvy bag/thermal blanket if help is more than one hour away.

With winter comes dark, either plan your rides according to the hours of daylight or bring decent lamps. Remember that batteries generally don't like the cold much.

Don't forget to drink. Cold air can hold less moisture tham warm air, so you'll dehydrate rather quickly even if you aren't sweating. If you start out with a warm camelback wrapped in an extra sweater you have some time before it freezes. Avoid ice formation in the hose either by blowing back into the bladder after each sip, of by using an insulated hose.

Inukshuk

Check this site out. Very informative.

http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/whichbike.htm

I may get into it as well.

Brain

yeah snow riding is sweet but I live in the far north of Michgan, where teh average snowfall can get up to like 80 or 90 inches on an average... yeah (mostly because were surounded by lake superior) so I cant get into it much... it makes me sad...

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kingsting

I just bought one of these crazy things. I can't wait until it snows....

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly-pugsley/

JM01

get a cheap winterbike...even with the best maintenance, parts rust, tires crack in the cold, and last year my free wheel rusted solid (nothing worse than a fixie in snow)

Also, stay on the packed trails, usually hikers will do this for you...when you sink 8" into the fluff, nothing moves

my new $72 winterbike for this year

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Rich8P

Lots of good advice on this post. I live in South Germany so we have snow for much of the time between November and March.

+1 for the carrying of warm clothes and an aluminium foil bag. Also some neoprene overshoes to keep out the snow and keep the feet dry. You can also add some tape inside the shoe over the cleat to prevent water comming in.

Take a look at the local junk yard. I found an old bike with Shimano Exage wheels so I took the wheels and use them in the snow. It doesn't matter how much you clean and oil the bike, stuff ceases up in snow and salt. Lots of spokes are good because you always hit things that are buried like stones and tree roots. You might even just use an old junk-yard bike and save the good stuff for nicer weather. Just swap out your nice saddle and cleats and you won't notice the difference

Also, don't wash the bike to often and try to store it in the cold. The corrosion is much faster if you keep warming up the bike with water. I just leave the bike dirty and in the cellar from November to March. It gets a spray of fine oil over everything except the bars and saddle after each use.

bonegirl

try the icebike website. I bought these fat ass rims from this really cool dude by the name of Simon. They're called snowcat rims. They make winter trail riding possible thru snow.

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