After a lunchtime ride with the Pilot (aka the NEW Flemish Wonder) on Wednesday and feeling like i want to keep some biking in my legs throughout the winter, I headed out for a late ride today. I was waiting for it to snow and get colder (to freeze the ground), in truth, before heading out as there was a 50% chance today and an 80% chance of snow tonight...but no such luck so far. At 4pm I headed out and up the hill a bit to the local zoolander spot. (Um, yeah...KB, best turn your eyes.)
On the upside of getting no snow and lots of wind (along with lots of snowshoers) I was able to get out on a pretty fun ride following a few of the local summer trails. The Hunter seemed overkill with it's studded tires when i first hit the road and took a left on a dirt road which was all clear of snow and almost totally dry. It was then that I noticed the trails seemed to be somewhat packed down! Usually, trying to ride trails in the winter here is an exercise in frustration involving postholing and stopping dead in the hollow sun and wind-crusted snow. Without a big-tire snowbike (which is sounding more enticing every day), the snow only holds your weight for a pedal or two, if that, and then drops you to the ground. But today, I was glad i tried the trails. It was kinda one of those out and back rides on the trails, but it was well worth the effort and I even found some drt, yes DRY singletrack, on the southwest exposed open areas. Snowshoers had packed a 1-2 foot wide trail so well that my tires (2.1's) were not sinking whatsoever and I was able to rail the corners with surprising speed because of the studs which was a totally new experience for me. Yes, it was a good ride.
1 comment:
Thanks for the warning - I stopped reading. But, was that you who left tire tracks on 'my' trails yesterday? If I hadn't been hiking out to do something totally fascinating, I definitely would've cried.
I am glad that you had fun on a bike yesterday!
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