October rides...

[ny biker]

Rain or snow for basically the next week for us. How much rain versus how much snow is a guess, given the temps will be right at that borderline for snow. Have been getting ready for winter snow riding, anyway, so I'm ready. Put the skinny tire bikes in the shed for the winter and dusted off the Norco (a Canadian bike company) Bigfoot with it's big 26x4.8" 45NTH studded Dillinger tires. It sits in the shed during the warm months as I ride my other fat bikes, but the warm months are gone, now. Ride my other fat bikes in the snow, too, but this one gets the call when things turn icy. Also what I ride out on our lake when it ices, over. Yeah, fat biking in the snow and ice is a whole different world, but, remember, fat bikes are what I mainly ride on trails in the summer, too.

Even if you get snow, if the temps aren't that cold I imagine it would melt pretty quickly since the ground probably isn't too cold either. But yes winter is just around the corner. (Though folks in southern California would disagree I suppose, given the heat wave they are having.)

Around here I worry most about borderline rain-snow temps because sometimes the result is ice, either freezing on contact with roads and sidewalks or weighing down tree limbs and knocking out power lines if it is really bad. Ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

My knee feels better -- yesterday there was some pain when I walked down stairs but today it's gone. I will try a short bike ride on Saturday afternoon. Must get out and enjoy the sun while it's here! Sunday is looking rainy all day. We do need the rain, though.

[Crankin]

I had a Norco full suspension mountain bike from 2004-8. It was nice, but I sucked at mountain biking and I was pressured into buying a small size, whenI needed an x small. But, I would definitely buy another Norco bike again.

[north woods gal]

Glad to hear the knee is better, NY. Yeah, ice storms are the worst. We actually had more of them, last winter, than is normal for us. Global warming?

Crankin, I get what you're saying about the mountain biking. It took me a lot of time, patience and getting over some of my fears to get where I am, now, not to mention developing a whole different kind of physical strength. To be sure, mountain biking is really a very different kind of biking than road biking, completely different sport, but I still do both, though mostly the MTB stuff because it's so darn convenient, what with trails right outside the door.

I like Norco. Their bikes are well-researched and designed with good components, but it's mostly their frames that I like on these fat bikes. Norco fat bikes handle very much like regular MTBs. Not at all slow or sluggish as some fat bikes are. Their fat bikes make great year round trail bikes.

[north woods gal]

Rode the trails late afternoon, yesterday, in a light rain and snow mix. Only sound was the dripping of water off the trees. Actually very pleasant. Reminded me of riding in the winter when I lived in Portland, Or.. Was riding the Pugsley, now rolling with the much more aggressive Nate 26x4 tires which I put on the day, before. Had been riding the very fast rolling Specialized Fast Track Fats - great summer trail and gravel road tire, but a wee bit out of its element in the deep, soft stuff or icy stuff or slick mud, which is what I had when riding yesterday. The Nate's stick like glue when things turn wet. No hesitation or slipping at all on climbs where it would have been too slick to safely walk.

Woke up this morning to a skiff of snow on the ground. I'm ready, though, and the bikes are ready.

[Crankin]

Rode 25 miles with our friends who are in from western MA. We have a time schedule today, as we are going into Boston later, so we stayed in Concord and Carlisle. It's beautiful out, 55-64 degrees and mostly sunny. There just seems like there's been a huge increase in cars, especially on the weekends. I think Concord Academy must have been having a visiting day, as it was like rush hour by there. Still, nice, and nice to be riding with friends. And, any 25 mile ride in the other direction would have involved big climbs. I did take my base layer off, though at lunch. Yes, in the bathroom at Ferns Country store.
Probably won't ride tomorrow, maybe just time for a walk. We'll see.

[emily_in_nc]

I visited family in NC from Oct. 18-29th and just flew back into the Orlando area yesterday afternoon, bringing cold weather and a north wind with me! No cycling the entire time I was there, since I had none of my bikes, but I did walk as often as I could, did yard work, and did a nice mountain hike with my brother. Today it was chilly, plus I had an orthodontist appointment and errands to run, so no riding. Hoping to get back out tomorrow. Depending on what time we get going, it may well be my first time in leg warmers and long-sleeve jersey this fall! Supposed to get back to normal weather by week's end, which means shorts and short sleeves. I can't wait!

[ny biker]

I ended up not riding this weekend. Kind of a long story. There is a Smithsonian Environmental Research facility located on a river that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay. It's about an hour from my house (by car). They have a few short hiking trails that are open to the public, a dock where you can put in a canoe or kayak, plus lectures and volunteer opportunities. They also lead short canoe trips (2-3 hours) on weekends during the warmer months, and this past Saturday was the last one for the year. I had planned to do it with a friend, with the idea that I would bring my bike and do a ride from there after the canoeing. I had a route all planned and a cue sheet ready. But my friend had to cancel at the last minute and I was too tired when I got home on Friday to get the bike stuff together. So I decided to do the canoe trip and then find a place for lunch and figure out what to do for the afternoon.

The weather was absolutely perfect, not cold in the shade or hot in the sun. We had a nice time canoeing on the river and a creek that fed into it. After we finished I decided to check out part of one of the hiking trails that went along the river. I ended up staying for more than three hours. They had benches at various points, and I kind of lollygagged, hanging out in one area for a while, taking pictures and just sitting, then heading up the trail a ways and stopping at the next bench, etc. It was very pleasant. I plan to go back again. I also want to plan some bike ride that stop there, since there are picnic tables as well as a visitors center with rest rooms and water.