# Who's riding through the winter?



## Greg (Oct 10, 2008)

As much as I absolutely love mountain biking, winter is for skiing. I think in about 6 weeks the bike will be put away until April. I'm a little sad about that actually, but when it happens, it means we in the midst of ski season!  I have a feeling I'm going to be able to handle the end of the ski season better knowing the MTB is waiting for me.


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## gmcunni (Oct 10, 2008)

I don't plan on riding through the winter. i can see riding through the end of November but I think that would be about it until spring.


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## rueler (Oct 11, 2008)

I only ride during dry and warm winters! As soon as I board a ski lift, I usually am done with mtn biking until March. This year I started March 2nd or 3rd and there was still snow in the woods on the Nass. trails.


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## gorgonzola (Oct 11, 2008)

same, i usually don't get out much after thanksgiving except for maybe a quick ride here or there or if a group/club ride sparks my interest. Its always fun to try to do a "cali" day, throw the bike and the skis on the car and do both, just to say you did! I want to get out for a of couple trailbuilding/maintenance days though, theres a lot of cool new stuff happening down here


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## andyzee (Oct 11, 2008)

Nope, different seasons for different things.


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## awf170 (Oct 11, 2008)

Yep, still riding the during the winter.  Probably only once or twice a week though instead of four or five.  I would way rather go riding then night skiing at Wachusett.  If I had a cool place like Sundown close with a good crew of people I would probably give up riding though.


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## cbcbd (Oct 11, 2008)

This winter things will be different for me because:
-I'm <1hr away from a mountain that has night skiing
-I get off work at 2pm
-most good biking trails here will be too wet or have too much snow

So probably just once in a while during the weekdays at the Colonnade park.

The thing about winter riding in NE is that you now need a light if you want to keep doing the RAW thing, and good ones are pretty expensive. And I know lots of the Sundown biking crew has night skiing anyway, so it's not like you don't have skiing options after work.  There's no way I'd reserve a winter weekend day for biking instead of skiing. 

But winter trails can be fun in CT - not too much snow that it debilitates and even if it is lacking it doesn't tend to be too wet. I really like riding in the frozen dirt. I rode a few times last winter around Jan during the thaw and it was good stuff.


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## Greg (Oct 11, 2008)

cbcbd said:


> But winter trails can be fun in CT - not too much snow that it debilitates and even if it is lacking it doesn't tend to be too wet. I really like riding in the frozen dirt. I rode a few times last winter around Jan during the thaw and it was good stuff.



I could see myself wanting to ride during a thaw, but spring bumps in January are hard to pass up too...


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## bvibert (Oct 13, 2008)

I have no intentions of riding my bike once the snow starts falling.  It would be fun and all, but I only have the time to do skiing OR riding, not both.  I'll pick up the MTBing again once the snow melts and the lifts shut down.


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## deadheadskier (Oct 13, 2008)

awf170 said:


> Yep, still riding the during the winter.  Probably only once or twice a week though instead of four or five.  I would way rather go riding then night skiing at Wachusett.



woah there, easy with the blasphemy

Your words....a sure sign the apocalypse is upon us :lol:


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## Gremf (Oct 13, 2008)

I will be riding through the winter at least when I am not skiing with my daughter.  I have ridden every winter since I started MTB in 2005.  Can't get enough it and in the snow makes it even more challenging.

Hope to continue bike commuting as it get's colder, too.


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## marcski (Oct 13, 2008)

I ride all year long.  There are times when it's too cold (The upper teens is usually my limit) or the snow pack is too poor to ride on, but otherwise, I'm on the mtn bike.  I don't really ride the road, that wind is too stiff for me in the cold.  And, where I live, it doesn't stay down below the upper teens too often for any extended periods of time.  Also, with newer breathable fabrics, its easy...Usually no more than 3 layers on top and a pair of biking shorts with biking tights on the bottoms and by the time up the hill to the woods, I'm usually unzipping the necks of all three layers.

I can also ride right from my house so its not a huge time investment for me.  I use Mtn. biking as my aerobic activity that keeps me in shape.  I can usually get out for an hour before work a few times a week.   I still go skiing weekends, which I can not do during the week as I work Mondays through Fridays and of course, I do try and take a ski vacation or 2.   

Winter riding is great.  Depending on the condition of the snow pack, you can ride all the same terrain that you ride when its dry during warmer months.


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## Gremf (Oct 13, 2008)

marcski said:


> I can also ride right from my house so its not a huge time investment for me.  I use Mtn. biking as my aerobic activity that keeps me in shape.  I can usually get out for an hour before work a few times a week.



I hear you on that - I have three riding areas all a half mile from house that are sort of interconnected so as long as the conditions are suitable for riding I am on it.

I am also riding before work in the dark now that I have lights.


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## cbcbd (Oct 13, 2008)

Stream crossings in the winter are a lot more fun and interesting... no splashing


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## marcski (Oct 13, 2008)

Gremf said:


> I hear you on that - I have three riding areas all a half mile from house that are sort of interconnected so as long as the conditions are suitable for riding I am on it.
> 
> I am also riding before work in the dark now that I have lights.



Yeah, I'm going to surprise you and the AZ people around here and actually meet up with you all up at Trumbull one day, or perhaps get you over to Blue Mt. in Westchester and meet up with me and my posse!


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## Gremf (Oct 13, 2008)

marcski said:


> Yeah, I'm going to surprise you and the AZ people around here and actually meet up with you all up at Trumbull one day, or perhaps get you over to Blue Mt. in Westchester and meet up with me and my posse!



Or what about Mianus?  I definitely need to get back to Blue.  Buddy of mine works for school near Blue and rides there quite a bit.  I missed this year's WMBA event but definitely going next year.

Maybe we should do an AZ ride.  I organized something similar for another group once.  We rode Trumbull and then hit SBC (Southport Brewing Company) in Fairfield.


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## marcski (Oct 13, 2008)

Gremf said:


> Or what about Mianus?  I definitely need to get back to Blue.  Buddy of mine works for school near Blue and rides there quite a bit.  I missed this year's WMBA event but definitely going next year.
> 
> Maybe we should do an AZ ride.  I organized something similar for another group once.  We rode Trumbull and then hit SBC (Southport Brewing Company) in Fairfield.



Nice. I'd ride Mianus, much closer for me!!  I used to ride there often, as I lived in Greenwich for a time.


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## Charlie Schuessler (Oct 14, 2008)

Once the snow starts flying, I put a road bike on the basement trainer and take the MTB our during the winter only when it's sunny, and the roads are clear and dry.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Oct 15, 2008)

You guys are core..but at least you have the option to bike in the winter..locally..I wish I could ski in the summer locally..and Xanadu is 90 miles away..

In college I used to have a Marin neon orange mountain bike which I bought for $150 used.  It was good transportation around town and I remember riding through 4 inches of untrucked powder on downhill slope of one of the campus greens..almost like first tracks but no float..Next summer I might join your ranks..


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## BigJay (Oct 15, 2008)

I commute to work every day... 20-25min in the cold/snowy streets of Montreal... and i get my bike out once a week to ride trails on the mountain that pedestrians pack down real hard! But never on the weekends... I ride my boards on the weekend.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Oct 15, 2008)

BigJay said:


> I commute to work every day... 20-25min in the cold/snowy streets of Montreal... and i get my bike out once a week to ride trails on the mountain that pedestrians pack down real hard! But never on the weekends... I ride my boards on the weekend.



Mont Royal is sick..good sledding..


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## BigJay (Oct 15, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Mont Royal is sick..good sledding..



Great for biking in winter too! When there is 12in of snow on the ground, no one can blame you for erosion!


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## gorgonzola (Oct 15, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Next summer I might join your ranks..



let me know if you ever want to give it a go...jordan's a great place to get started and its close!


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Oct 15, 2008)

gorgonzola said:


> let me know if you ever want to give it a go...jordan's a great place to get started and its close!



I'm practically walking distance from there


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