Snowbiking Without a Dedicated Fat Bike

With the latest fad in off road cycling - the Fat Bike - you may think it's an absolute necessity for snowy trails, but that's not entirely true. While a fat bike would certainly help in some situations, a regular mountain bike will do fine if you just keep a few things in mind.

First off, riding wet trails is extremely damaging. Anyone who's done trail maintenance/building can tell you about the amount of effort it takes. If you haven't done maintenance, you should. It's good to give back whether it's an afternoon with a local group or a few minutes during your ride. That said, it's best to ride snowy trails when temperatures are near or below freezing - another matter I'll get to later. It's also better to ride well used trails. Packed snow provides much better traction than loose powder. If you're riding powder be prepared to walk up anything more than a slight incline.

About the bike. If you can't afford a new fat bike, you should try to get close. Rigid single speeds can be picked up used fairly cheap. Save the full squish race rig for nicer weather. You don't want your suspension icing up, and the same goes for derailleurs and shift cables. Pick a low gear if you can. You want to be able to sit and spin up hills to keep your weight back and give your rear wheel traction. If your budget doesn't allow that, some high volume tires and/or tubeless conversion for your current ride will certainly help. I run 29x2.25 Racing Ralphs that work pretty well; although, I'll go with the 2.35s next time. You'll also want to run lower pressure than normal for added floatation. Luckily the snow packs down between the rocks and smooths out the trail to help you avoid pinch flats and smacking your rims. I prefer quality platform pedals to clipless. Clipping in is nice, but ice around your cleats can mean poor engagement or worse, none at all. Riding in snow, you're likely to need to put a foot down more often than usual.

 

Riding in the cold is another concern. Your extremities are most important in terms of a comfortable ride. Bring two pair of gloves of varying warmth, along with shoe covers, and a balaclava. Standard tights, bike shorts and a long sleeve thermal under a jersey should be enough even in 20 degrees depending on how hard you're riding. I also bring a windproof jacket for stretches of road and long downhills. Sunglasses, or even ski goggles, and sunscreen (if you're not completely covered already)are essential to protect yourself from the snows damaging reflections. I also recommend a backpack to store layers. Be prepared to constantly remove and add layers to stay comfortable and prevent excessive sweating. There's no such thing as warm and wet.

To sum things up, get out and have fun. Make do with what you have. Fill up the water bottle with something hot, and enjoy the winter landscape.

TV: The Creativity Killer

It's been almost two weeks since I've been without TV, and I can honestly say I don't miss it. In fact, I'm glad it's gone. Sure, I still stream the occasional Big Bang Theory episode online, but the extra amount of effort and poor video quality encourages me to do other things. I don't even want to think about how many hours, days of my life I've wasted watching mediocre uninteresting shows. Instead I've been reading, drawing, writing, listening to music, taking Lucy to the dog park, and dreaming of adventures to come.

I spend a lot of time reading, recently the Hunger Games Trilogy for the second time - just as good as the first time, but I managed to slow down enough to pick up on more details. I am currently reading Insurgent, the second book of the Divergent Trilogy, and finding it hard to put down.

Lucy's first trip to the dog park made me feel like I was taking my child to school for the first time. She was nervous, shy, and excited all at the same time. Maybe after a few more trips she'll figure out she's supposed to play with the other dogs. She seems like a normal size dog at home, but she's always the smallest one at the park. She looks especially tiny next to full grown Siberian Huskies which seem to be pretty common here.

If you've been thinking about ditching the TV subscription and the ridiculous bill that goes along with it, I highly recommend it. Internet is nice as it contains valuable information and inspiring ideas. And although it has plenty of ways to waste time as well, you have to actively seek them out. So, throw out that TV and explore your creative side, try something new, have an Adventure!

The Awesomeness of Cyclocross Bikes

Like many things concerning cycling, my first thoughts of cyclocross (cx) bikes were that they were ridiculous. There's no way a bike with drop bars and skinny tires, however knobby, could offer any hints of performance or fun off road. Why would anyone ride one? Why would anyone ride a rigid single speed mountain bike? I ride one and still can't answer that. And now, I also ride a cx bike. The only thing it's great at is trips around town. With tires slightly bigger than a road bike's it can handle pot holes, curbs, and so much more. It's also decent enough for long road rides and moderate trails. Today's ride confirmed my love for cx bikes.

 

The Climb. It started off cold and windy. I warmed up fairly quickly, but the wind persisted head on. I passed by a group of roadies doing hill repeats. With so many mountain roads to explore, I'm not sure why they would want to trade an adventurous exciting ride for a repetitive fitness exercise. Once I got into Rist Canyon, the wind died; the only sounds were my labored breathing and a small creek. At first, the climb wasn't bad, but after a mile or so the road steepened. I was struggling to crank out 10mph. My bike was way over geared at 44 x 16. A ratio meant for town and flat roads. But, I pushed on. I took breaks. I contemplated turning around. I even walked some sections. The last few miles were agonizing. Every muscle was engaged, alternating between pushing and pulling. My lungs burned in search of oxygen that wasn't there. After walking a few switchbacks I knew I had to be close. I rode the last few hundred yards and admired the view. Snowy peaks to the west. To the east, mountains, foot hills, and in the distance, the high plains.

The Descent. I rode the brakes down the 12% grade and switchbacks near the top. Releasing them when I hit straighter roads. Having never descended mountain roads on a bike, I was cautious; yet, still managed to max out at 38mph under gravity alone. I wished for a windbreaker. I wondered if there was a speed rating for my tires. Getting down took less than a third of the time it took to get up, and I was thankful for warmer, oxygen rich air. Once out of the canyon, I decided to take the reservoir road back to town. As expected it was quite scenic. From there, I opted for the single track route seeing as it was dry and being ridden by others. Half the time it was all I could do to bounce along, riding the brakes, feet out to the side fending off rocks. Disk brakes and bigger, knobby tires would've helped. Being on a cross bike on a fairly rocky trail, I got several comments:

Lady "That's...bold. Riding a road bike on this trail."
Jogger "You're braver than me on a bike"
Cute Girl "Is that a cross bike?"
     Me "Yep"
     Her "I didn't know you could do that out here"
     Me "Well..." (it's not the best idea)

In the end it was a great ride. Next time I'll opt for gears. I love the versatility of cx bikes though. Also, I find my bike's model name ringing true - Il Pompino. To paraphrase the manufacturer: It's like an Italian love affair that leaves you breathless and smiling every time. The British have a great sense of humor.

Some Stats
Starting Elevation: 5084ft
Highest Elevation: 8067ft
(for the main climb)
Time Ascending: 1hr 30min
Time Descending: 25min
Average Speed: 12.9mph
Max Speed: 38.0mph
Total Mileage: 36
Total Ride Time: 3hr

Chapter 1: Deciding to Move

I'm calling this point in my life Chapter 1 simply because it feels right. Childhood, high school, even college were just parts of the prequel to get me where I am today: Fort Collins, CO. This is the start of a life long adventure. A decision I made less than two months ago.

Shortly after graduating college I was pretty desperate for a job. So, I took to delivering pizza in my hometown in Mississippi. I thought: I like driving enough; I know the streets; it won't be too bad. Soon, however, I realised this job was getting me nowhere. It didn't pay enough to rent my own apartment, and it certainly wasn't impressing any girls, not that there were any within a 20 mile radius. Also, 40 - 80 miles a night, around town is WAY too much wear and tear on a vehicle for barely above minimum wage. 2 months in, I quit. I wanted my own place. I wanted to be around people my age. And, I wanted independence.

With no friends around, no foreseeable dating, and no good job opportunities, this was the best time in my life to move. I started my search with Colorado because it's an awesome state, and that's where adventurous people go. I picked Fort Collins for the college atmosphere, beer, and biking. Then, started applying for jobs. When I didn't have much luck, I calculated the costs. I had just enough money saved up to drive out west and sustain myself for a few months. It was a risky move. But, the unemployment rate was low in the city and I was hopeful.

This was one of the biggest life decisions I've made so far, and I was nervous. I had never driven anywhere near that far - 1444 miles. Looking at a map of the US, it's not even halfway across, but it was still intimidating. Fear of the unknown was also intimidating. What if I can't find a job? What if my roommates are psychotic? What if I fall into a sinkhole in the desert? What if I hit snowy/icy roads that my little 4cyl 2wd Tacoma can't handle?

The drive was semi-exciting. Rain in Louisiana. On the way to Dallas, lifted F250s passing me doing 80-85mph while my little 4cyl struggles to do 65mph into a killer 30mph headwind/crosswind. Tackling Dallas at night. Sleeping for 5 1/2 hours in the driver's seat of my Tacoma, dog in my lap, in a truck stop. Eventually, I got too cold in the subfreezing temps and decided to start driving some more. Tumbleweeds in north Texas made me laugh, and dodging them kept my attention in an otherwise boring landscape. I hit snowy roads in Amarillo which continued off and on for the rest of the drive. Having never driven in snow, this kept me on edge for a while. Shortly before crossing into CO, I caught a glimpse of the Rockies, sparking more excitement. Other than missing the Denver bypass that's about it. However, if this becomes a regular thing, there may be a V6 4x4 with a camper shell in my future. Maybe.

Now, I sit here sipping some homebrew, pondering my future. Do I start a career in FoCo, do I work part time and explore, do I go back to school, or do I work to save money for more adventure?