Winter weather advisory bike ride

[us56456712]

Thank you, that's a good advice. My interest was basically if i should have an extra 2nd winter tire kit, if i decide to replace the ones i have now with BOA-G, and now the answer is clearly yes, since i was planning to get creme ones.

I wouldn't ride cream in the winter if it is anything like it is here, they will be badly stained. I just got back from a 5 mile ride around my neighborhood. It snowed 3 inches today and is blowing. I figured since it wasn't that far and that I would be riding in car tire tracks that I could avoid my protective bomb suit. I fell, on an ice rut that was covered in snow. I shouldn't have bragged about not falling for two years and I should have taken my own advice and worn knee pads. I got some minor leg scrapes is all. It was a good lesson. Be careful.

 

[us56456712]

Thank you, that's a good advice. My interest was basically if i should have an extra 2nd winter tire kit, if i decide to replace the ones i have now with BOA-G, and now the answer is clearly yes, since i was planning to get creme ones.

I rode 13 miles today on the bike path. It was cold and the snow was packed very hard. In some places there was hard packed snow over areas of ice. Perfect conditions for studs. I ran into a guy riding a 1970s Fuji road bike with 27 inch road tires. He was doing very well in these conditions. Those skinny tires can make riding difficult in mushy rutted snow, but I have seen people riding road bikes in these conditions. After watching him (he was in his 30s, I am in my 70s) I decided that younger people can ride just about any tire in snow as long as it's not too deep. This has reinforced my belief that BOA-Gs with their minimal grip pattern should work as well, and likely better, than the road bike tires I saw out on todays ride.

 

[horsefarmer]

Ugh. 6" of the messy super heavy snow fell yesterday. I feed horses square bales via a poly sled it would hardly move. Shovel the walk with a "scoop" the stuff stuck to the plastic surface and hat to pound it out! but beautiful today.

 

[us56456712]

Ugh. 6" of the messy super heavy snow fell yesterday. I feed horses square bales via a poly sled it would hardly move. Shovel the walk with a "scoop" the stuff stuck to the plastic surface and hat to pound it out! but beautiful today.

At last, you deserve it. It's still almost Feb so it ain't over yet.

 

[us56456712]

We are over 35 inches below our long term average snow fall this winter here in Marquette. In the Copper Country they are over 100 inches below normal but still have gotten about 240 inches of snow. It has been cold after a lot of warmth so I rode my non fat mountain bike on the snow bike trails today. It would have been a little easier with my fat bike but I wanted to see how good the crust was. It was a very hard frozen crust with only one small spot of ice in 7 miles. The only winter advisory for this ride was a wind chill advisory and it was cold at first with the wind going right through my jacket and wind pants. My face and body finally warmed up but by the end of 7 miles my fingers were not functioning so I quit. There is hardly any snow out there and if it gets just above freezing and sunny during the day, freezes at night and the rain hold off for two weeks we should have dry single track in no time. It is going to stay cold until Thursday but it is going to be in the upper 30s F through the weekend and hopefully longer, still in the 20s F at night. Not much snow left but we need what remains to melt of evenly over two weeks to avoid getting floods and mud pits on parts of our single track system. If it continues to be below freezing at night we should have more great night crust riding. There could be one more winter weather advisory ride in store.

 

[us56456712]

80 mph winds last night. Power out in a lot of places and poles snapped in half. Sure we get snow but we aren't use to wind storms. It was 50 F yesterday, today it is 30 F and snowing, up to 8 inches already in the area we will ride tomorrow for the Tuesday night Gravel Grind. It's going to be snowing another inch and 20 mph north winds for the 24 mile, 900 foot climb Tuesday night Gravel Grind. We had over 40 riders last Tuesday but there was very little snow and it was 40F. I think we will have about the same number of riders tomorrow but it will be a little more uncomfortable with the north wind. I am more worried about all the trees that will be blown down on the gravel back country roads. The locals usually go for jeep rides and cut the deadfalls out fairly rapidly so we should have minimal portaging. The sheriff's department has issued a warning to be wary if you are out in the woods because there are a lot of trees that didn't quite go down and will be falling unexpectedly for several days. I have been gravel grinding on my rigid Giant with 2.1 inch tires but now I don't know if I should take my fat bike or my winter rigid Giant with studded tires? 100 Km gravel racing events are popular up here around this time of year before the single tracks loose snow and dry up. The Tuesday night gravel grind is more of a fun social thing with all ages and abilities participating for free. We do different routs each week. This Tuesday we will be in the West end of the county, last week the East end. I may get some pictures if I remember my camera.

 

[us56456712]

The gravel grinder is cancelled. Schools across the region are canceled because there is ice from freezing rain under the foot of new snow, which is still coming down. This is my back yard at 9 AM this morning. My jump ramp between the two trees is buried and the 5 gallon bucket in front of the stacked ones is buried to it's top. Where we ride is almost 1000 feet higher than here so there will be a ton of snow there. April weather is schizoid and that is why everyone who is smart or that can leaves for Florida or Arizona. I will try and ride on my own tomorrow on my studded tire ice bike. I'll have to haul it down from the rafters. There is too much snow to pedal right now and it needs to be packed down from cars so that your pedals won't get stuck when you are trying to crank and it is also too deep to roll through for any distance. It is very bad driving as the ground was thawed on the surface and that warmth melts the bottom layer of ice/snow and you can't stop or turn. It is all most impossible to drive. The big rain yesterday washed all the salt away so I was planning to get out my good bikes but now we will have to wait for a thaw and another rain storm to wash away the salt. I'm going to work on the seat for the 1938 CWC Woman's bike I am building up for my daughter. Also read, watch TV and drink coffee. I'll have to walk to the Tuesday Liars Club lunch. It was warm enough two days ago that I went riding on the highway for 19 miles in my shorts and T shirt, but that was Yooper warm, everyone else would have been complaining about it being only 55F.

 

[horsefarmer]

Not much snow here in NE WI but plenty wet again. Ground feels like sponge rubber and sump pump is busy. Last Friday thru Sunday was very nice but windy, Wife and I got a ride in each day, was awesome cause we are both getting over head colds.
Monday was a shock with temps in 30's and wind chills in 20's! Probably smart to stay out of the woods for a while plenty of widow makers out there!

 

[us56456712]

Not much snow here in NE WI but plenty wet again. Ground feels like sponge rubber and sump pump is busy. Last Friday thru Sunday was very nice but windy, Wife and I got a ride in each day, was awesome cause we are both getting over head colds.
Monday was a shock with temps in 30's and wind chills in 20's! Probably smart to stay out of the woods for a while plenty of widow makers out there!

I just got a notice that the gravel grinder is still on but I'm out, too hard to pedal 25 miles through slush and ice.

 

[us56456712]

Two of us are getting together to work on bikes today. I thought we could do it in the shop. Ha, it's snowing - again. The fun will have to be in my basement by the wood stove. It's not going to get above freezing all day. Tomorrow, rain and 50F, it should all wash away. I rode a mile yesterday but it was cold and windy. I had to quit because I didn't dress warm enough, fingers got cold. I am working on 600 miles since January 1. We had a warm winter with a lot of thaws and the city bike path was plowed and with ice tires I could ride on it and quiet subdivisions all winter. We never got an extended period of -20F, which is unusual for us.

 

[horsefarmer]

Ha ha, working on a chainsaw and cleaning up some odds and ends of firewood pile today. Started snowing and only got up to 35f today!

 

[squirreldh]

I am not envious. I really dont want to tell you what the weather has been like here. I do worry about a dry summer with lots of forest fires though...

 

[horsefarmer]

I am not envious. I really dont want to tell you what the weather has been like here. I do worry about a dry summer with lots of forest fires though...

Yes, It does make you think, you do need rain/snow.
A few years ago we had 70 degree days in Feb and March - all they could talk about on the local news was how great it was for golfing! Really bad drought resulted and cost farmers dearly.

 

[us56456712]

80 percent chance of snow Thursday so Tonight I went riding on my new fixie in the rain and 19 mph winds. I put away my ice bike so I gotta ride when I can. Someday it will turn to spring.

 

[us56456712]

It's Thursday and snowing, just like I mentioned in my last post. I have been riding short 5 mile rides on my WBO fixie in the rain and winds as that is the best weather we have been getting. The week ahead forecast on the weather channel shows us getting snow or rain and snow mixed for 4 out of 7 days. We aren't susposed to get more than an inch of snow for any one day though. It just makes riding wet and cold. Give me 20F with the sun out any day over this. I can stay warm and dry and use studded tires. In this slop you get wet, cold, dirty apparel and your mouth gets full of salty sand. How cool it that? It will probably be a little warmer by 2 PM and it should just be raining. I'm working up my mind for a ride, doesn't sound that bad after all. I just have to decide which summer bike to ruin in the salt.

 

[us56456712]

I went for my weekly interval training ride today, although I don't know why I bother. My legs require a down shift in the same spot on the hills and I still can't keep up with anyone who is 60. No improvement in my strength. 12.36 miles and almost 1000 feet of climbing. I use all the hills in the city and ride up the steepest streets. Frozen rain made your face cold and resulted in an ice cream headache. Even my wallet got soaked. I used my fat bike as it has been ridden in the salt and has fenders which I thought might keep some of the wet off me. I don't know if I am bragging or complaining. Look how happy I am.

 

[horsefarmer]

 

[us56456712]

Skidziod weather continues. High of 64F today, snow tomorrow. Went for a 36 mile gravel/ single track ride yesterday with my daughter and son in law and we found snow banks in the woods 600 feet up from Lake Superior. Ran into a lot of riders on the gravel. The single track is really too wet as damage is occurring in places where I got off or rode a detour. People should wait. There are still large trees down across the trail as the crews have not cleared them yet in an effort to keep riders off. After about 4 miles I got off the trail and went on gravel. Fat bikeing tomorrow in the snow and frozen rain.

 

[squirreldh]

I feel for ya and the foul weather. I went out for a mtb ride yesterday here, because it was raining in Denver. Weird weather happens here sometimes, when it rains down in the city it is usually not raining up in the hills. The rain down there deterred most if not all the adventurous folk and I nearly had the trails to myself! Also, the dirt here is composed of mostly crushed granite and gets loose and dusty when dry. When wet its a whole different ballgame, the moisture causes it to get very grippy and packed in. The locals call it Hero dirt. I had moments of sunshine, some clouds, and it hailed on me for a little bit, but was a lot of fun! Oh, and 1000ft in 12 miles is nothing to sneeze at, well done!

keep the rubber side down!

 

[horsefarmer]

any trail named mayhem must be a good one!