I rode in the snow a couple of times this week. It went pretty well all things considered. On Tuesday I rode in 25 degree weather. The single-track I had been snowshoeing on was just barely rideable – my tires stayed on top of the snow OK, it just took a lot of power to keep moving, and I had to walk the steeper climbs. Today it was warmer, about 36 degrees. The single-track was much easier – I think the snow was sticky enough to get better grip. The fire roads packed by snowmobiles are pretty easy to ride, though a bit bumpy from the holes the horses make. It’s 45 degrees now – I wonder if it will be even better after it freezes up again.

Riding on the ice was really fun – I’m tempted to pick up some studded tires.

This was really the last ride. It started out cold and frozen, with the trail dry and fast. About one and a half hours into it, the snow started. It was light at first, but got thick pretty quickly. Soon there was an inch or two, no problem except that it hid ice underneath the low spots, then later it froze up my clipless pedals. I ended the ride on the eastern end of the part that I’m less familiar with, and did a few unintended loops searching for a way out. I finished it after 2:37, and rode about 13.7 miles.

Nope, that last ride wasn’t the last of 2009. I cross-country skied a couple of days before Christmas. Then it rained, got warm, etc. Today the snow was gone, but last night it dropped below freezing again, and the trail had hardened.

I got some bigger tires – WTB Stout 2.3’s, and put them on today. They fit pretty well, although I get a bit of interference on the front derailleur that I hope can be fixed by bringing in the stop for the small chain ring. I ran 22 lbs in the new tires, and the bike is just unstoppable. Even though things were a bit slick as the top layer of mud was thawing, they just didn’t slip ever. They weigh a good bit more than the Maxxis Ignitors that I had been running (2.1’s), so I’ll probably switch back once things dry out in June.

I rode the whole way around Willowdale – probably about 15 miles, in two and a half hours. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be down in the 20’s, so I should be able to do it again then.

I got out again today ahead of the snow storm. Cold, frozen and grey. The prediction is for a foot of snow here tonight, and it looks like snow off and on all week.

I missed Wednesday (too busy with kids’ school events) and Thursday (10 degrees, 30 mph winds), but I rode today as it had warmed up to 24 and was sunny. The trail was hard as a rock and oddly dry, making it very fast. I’m not crazy about riding in the cold, but it was fun to be out. I hope to ride every day it’s above 20 without snow cover. Once it snows, I’ll probably try XC skis.

It’s December, and I’m still riding pretty much every day. I think I’ve missed maybe 2-3 days this fall. Today it was hovering around 40 degrees. Colder than I’d like, but not too bad. This time of year, three weeks from the solstice, the sun is pretty low in the sky no matter when I ride. Last year I stopped regular riding mid-October, and my last ride of the season was the last day of October. This year, I’d like to keep going until there’s snow on the ground. After that, I’ll switch to either XC skis, or snowshoes.

I ran into Steve Arseneault’s Video of some nice single-track, This is pretty much what my rides in Willowdale look like, except I’m probably a bit slower.

Flowing Singletrack….A Short Ride Video from Steve Arseneault on Vimeo.

I thought I’d compare my typical daily ride with the new bike. Yesterday I did the usual run in just about 1 hour even, 6.4 mph average. This run is about 4 mi of singletrack, followed by 2 miles of double-track to get me back to the car.

Willowdale, New Bike at EveryTrail

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Here’s the same trip from a month ago, with the old bike. 10 min longer, and 1 mph slower. I’ve probably gained a bit fitness-wise in the last month, but still, that says a lot for the lighter, bigger-wheeled bike.

Willowdale, Old Bike at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share and Plan your Trips

The new bike, a Kona Big Kahuna, fit perfectly, and rode wonderfully. It’s a 29er hard-tail. I got the 18″ frame, which turns out to have an effective top-tube length of about one inch less than my old bike. This might still be a little bit big, but it’s pretty close. I took it out on my usual Willowdale ride today. The bike just seems much better balanced front-to-back. The top tube is shorter, but the chainstays are longer. This made climbs quite a bit easier, with less of the unicycle feel of the old bike, where I had to put my chin to the handlebars to keep balanced.

The 29er wheels are a huge improvement, with no real down-side that I could feel. They roll over things much better, and the bike feels much more stable at low speed, which makes the bike feel more nimble for tight spaces, rather than less, as you might expect given the larger wheels. Climbs were much easier, given the better balance and traction.

Brakes are the other major difference. They work, require light pull, and work the same every time. My old rim brakes seemed to be a bit random and spongy. Beyond that, everything about the bike is a step up in quality.

I’m hoping to get another month of riding in before winter. I dark cloud of sorts is that I have a nagging injury from a crash last week, perhaps a cracked rib, which may slow me down.