February Groundhog rides

[Crankin]

Ha, I have enough trouble deciding clothing combinations for < 60 degrees! Actually, between 50 and 60 is the worst.
And I have waxless skis. I couldn't deal with worrying about that. Only thing I have is lube for when it's starting to get around freezing or higher and the snow gets sticky. It's not wax, though, just a roller stick of liquid stuff.
Yes, I m lazy.

[north woods gal]

"Waxless" is something of a misnomer. Waxless skis still need liquid glide wax to function at their best and when the temps drop down to around zero, I do have to resort to using regular cold weather hot wax or I basically find myself glued to the snow.

Good ride on my favorite fat bike, today. It's my lightest fattie, mostly by way of the tires (no studs and very light) and setting the tires up, tubeless (fat bike tubes are monsters.) Zipped off 7 miles of riding on my snow packed trails almost without effort. I find it interesting how it takes me a bit to adapt to the different bike setups as to the way they handle. Fat bikes may look like clunkers, but some of them actually ride very much like warm season, skinner tire trail bikes. These "fast" fat bikes are where the market is going, now, and why so many of us now ride fat bikes all year long, no matter of what the season.

[Crankin]

Still thinking about trying a fat bike, and I will have the chance this week. But, they would need to have one for a very short person. My Norco mountain bike was a small and I really needed an x-small.
Yes, liquid glide wax is the right term! I have a feeling I will be using lots of it on my trip. And I know that feeling of being glued to the snow. When we went to the Methow Valley, WA (the place that has 200k of trails, NOT at elevation and tons of snow), had no snow in 2015, when I finally went. On our last day, it was spitting snow and we went to a nordic center. I actually was getting stuck on a downhill. So frustrating! We had rental skis, so no glide with us.

[north woods gal]

Do give a fat bike a try if you get the chance. Very different riding experience than a standard MTB. Without getting all techy, those big balloon tires make for a very comfy and stable ride. Very confidence inspiring. Makes you feel you can boldly go where no bike has gone before.

[ny biker]

Catching up again. I rode my bike on Thursday night after work. It was humid and in the high 60s. It was a slow ride as I am so out of shape. Also I had to stop several times to take off extra layers because I was overdressed. But it was nice to just get out and pedal.

Cold and snowy today but not much accumulation and it will be sunny and above freezing tomorrow. I'm out of town for the holiday weekend and not doing anything exercise related other than stretching. But another warmup is coming in a few days; I am tentatively targeting Tuesday for another night ride.

[north woods gal]

Our long dry weather spell is coming to an end, this week. Should see upwards of six inches of snow and ice by the end of the week, maybe more. Oh, well. Will try to keep the trails cleared, or at least some of them, but won't fight it to the bitter end. I will use the snow for some skiing and some deep snow fat biking. Gotta adapt if you live up, here.

Was musing, this morning, how I've had such a life-long and entirely beneficial relationship with my bicycling. My bicycles have been to me what horses have been to some cultures. If the day ever comes when I stop riding, I'm probably not long for this world.

[Crankin]

I rode today. Outside. While I don't really like 73 degrees on February 22, it was a good ride. DH and I did a short 17.6 mile ride across town and back. Too fast on the way out, and more what I expected on the way back.
Only negative thing is that despite being slathered by sun block, the meds I am taking for a sinus infection gave me quite a sunburn, but it's almost all gone. I know it's a chemical reaction, but it's never happened before. Thank God, it was gone before I had to go out, later in the day.