March In Like a Lion Rides

[north woods gal]

Have to say that, as for me, I've been bitten by this snow biking bug. Have done more biking, this winter, than the previous ten winters combined, maybe more. It's catching on, up here, in snow country. We now have some fat bike races in the snow over some of the same courses used for XC ski races. Don't know if snow biking will ever become an Olympic event and I doubt it will become a major bicycle sport in this country, given that, like XC skiing, it's limited to snow country. It is fun and a great workout, though, and even in sub zero weather, doesn't take me long to warm up. It's actually very practical, too. It's not just a stunt. On hard pack snow/ice, you can really fly. Have had days when I logged the same average speed over my trails as what I do in the summer. Nowhere near as fussy about snow conditions as with XC skiing. For sure, my XC skiing has taken a big hit since I've been bitten by the snow biking bug.

[Crankin]

15 inches of heavy, wet snow here in West Concord. Not sure if I will go into work at all, already had 2 cancellations. I am thinking it's a xc ski day...
There's 2+ feet of snow where we are going to be skiing this weekend, outside of Bennington, VT.
I finally hit one right! Although I am glad I have already been out on my bike 4 times this year.

[north woods gal]

You folks seem to be stuck in that storm track. Hope everyone is doing oaky.

As for us, the season is changing, slowly, but surely, but still a good foot and a half to two feet of accumulated snow in the woods. Can't help but dream of spring, though, now that the days are getting longer. DST starts, this weekend, too. Spring ahead with those clocks.

Lot of shoveling, yesterday, and laid down some gravel on some of the icy turns. Still have to use the slower bikes with the studded tires to be safe. Tempting as it is to use the faster fat bikes without the studded tires, it would be pretty stupid to risk nasty spill for the sake of speed when I had studded tire bikes already setup and ready to go.

I'm still thinking about another bike, this spring. I want a faster bike than my 29x3" Krampus on pavement, but it still has to have wide enough tires for hard pack gravel and rough pavement, maybe an occasional ride down some logging roads.

Recently read an article about the environmental issues with carbon frames. They're toxic to manufacture, but mostly a problem of recycling, due to the glues they use to bond the fibers. Anyone else see that? Not sure if it's enough to talk me out of carbon, but still something to consider. Good old steel, of course, is easily recycled and will last a lifetime.

[ny biker]

I am not a big fan of carbon for a different reason -- about a year after I bought my current road bike, I found a crack in the top tube and have no idea what caused it. Cost $500 and many weeks to have it fixed. I know that many people have carbon bikes now and not many have similar problems, but I feel like I need to baby it much more than I did my aluminum bike. When it comes time for a new road bike I will look into steel and titanium first.

We got lucky with the first two nor'easters, in terms of snow. Nothing from the storm last week and flurries the other night with big flakes that added a bit of a visual challenge while driving home from work, but the wet heavy snow on my car when I went to bed was gone by morning. However we might get substantial snow from the next storm, which is due Sunday night-Monday. Needless to say I am hoping that doesn't happen. This morning I read that our current cold snap will be here through next week. Meanwhile pollen is still moderate-high and the cedar tree next to my kitchen window is still yellow, but today I saw that maple was listed first in the predominant pollen types so I'm hoping to be able to spend time outside soon.

[Crankin]

Damage here is a lot worse than I thought. Not for us, but all around me. Trees down everywhere, and some on electric wires. DH went for a walk when I was at work and he said the large neighborhood next to our street is like a war zone. Many of the streets are closed in neighboring towns, and a few in Concord. The main road in my old town was closed this morning; it connects to I-495, so it's a busy, yet rural street. I am glad I didn't xc ski today,because only the fields are open at the local center. The wooded trails have too many trees down.
On a positive note, there has been 2.5 feet of snow in Woodford, VT, where I am going tomorrow. I just watched a video of them grooming. I will be in heaven.

As far as the bike material, you are right, NY. I think what happened to you is very rare. I've had 3 carbon bikes, crashed them all, and have had no issues. I love the feel of my titanium bike, too. It's just a different smooth feeling, compared to the carbon smooth feeling. It is similar to steel, but the only steel bike I've had was a lower end one, the Jamis Coda. My next bike, an around town bike, will probably be aluminum or steel.

[rebeccaC]

Spent a couple of days doing renewable energy policy work on the Navajo Nation in Arizona last week. The environmental preservation in the Navajo’s Diné cultural teachings has made such positive contributions to their development of renewable sources of energy and makes, for me, very rewarding conversations with tribal members.
Anyway….the trip also gave me the opportunity to do some hiking in Bryce Canyon on the way back......and more importantly to spend a whole day bicycling, hiking and photographing in Nevada’s Valley of Fire state park with two friends from Las Vegas. Few vehicles this time of year, temps in the high 60’s and natures surrounding beauty made for an excellent day.

Bryce





Valley of Fire









Navajo Nation

[emily_in_nc]

Stunning photos, Rebecca!

We enjoyed hiking in Bryce Canyon way back in 2006. So beautiful! Have never been to the Valley of Fire state park. It looks gorgeous! And the lack of motor vehicle traffic is a huge plus. Most parks seem to have narrow roads with no shoulders, so it's always a huge plus to get to ride when traffic is low.

[rebeccaC]

Thanks Emily!!! Bryce is one of my favorite hiking areas….so beautiful!!

This is towards the end of the season of having a good ride in the Valley of Fire with its moderate temps now and low traffic and riding on a weekday helps too….and yeah, no shoulder could make for a nervous tension during more vehicle times of the year. Another consideration is the immense silence of the park and it being easy to hear vehicles approaching from farther behind. It was also probably my last desert ride until next fall.

It’s a rainy day here at home so Alex and I are just going to relax and enjoy being together today.

[rebeccaC]

good to read some are getting rides in...nwg…glad you’ve had some good pavement for road riding!!

We’ve been having some needed rain with morning temps in the 50’s and 60’s in late morning/afternoon. A heavy rain is predicted for the middle of next week that i'm actually looking forward to. I’ve had more commutes in the rain this winter than any since living here. Not enough to make me not want to ride in it though. I do like that rain gives me an opportunity to do/feel more than on the same old safe ride and that it may even turn into an epic storm ride. However, I do prefer heavy rains on the way home a whole lot more than in the morning. ...well, i guess the stop for a croissant and tea is nicer on a really wet morning commute....

Today was dry, overcast and in the mid to high 60’s so Alex and I rode to the farmers market this morning and I rode into downtown L.A. and East L.A. to do some photography late morning into late afternoon. I do a lot of alley riding in downtown (lots of street art there) and there are few if any cars. Sundays are also best for riding in the old industrial areas since there is very little traffic. Between bike paths, alleys and side streets, I seldom ride on any busy streets the entire route. The bike paths give me some good sprints into the ocean headwinds on the way home too. 48 miles total and just a nice relaxed day of riding and being creative…..and then there’s the chocolate cold brew and salty caramels from Stumptown coffee that help too

[north woods gal]

That is so cool! Amazing art work (and photography, as usual).

I got a little trail work in, yesterday, late afternoon, when everything was a bit mushy with our warm temps. Lots of mud, now, along with packed snow and icy sections, but it was warm enough for the tire studs to get a good bite on the soft ice. Still some tricky spots, though. Not ready to try without studded tires. Interestingly, too, that with all the melting by day and freezing by night, those tricky spots seem to change location, day by day, now. Never know what I'l get.

Temps, today, though, will be cooler and hovering right around that freezing point. From experience, I know that makes for some very dangerous ice - just enough melt on top to lubricate the hard ice beneath. Bad combo. Will most likely head out for some road work and play it safe, even though it's a bit chilly.

[north woods gal]

Have had it with trying to ride my icy trails. Oh, I can do it safe, enough, or at least mostly safe, but it means going slow and very, very, timidly. Like riding on eggshells, so to speak. That is totally alien to my usual all out and go for it trail riding technique. Takes all the fun out of it and not much of a workout, either.

So, while the weather holds and our paved roads stay open and dry, it's going to be road work for this gal until my trails melt off. Took my beloved Pugsley out for a 15 mile road ride, yesterday, even though it still wears the very aggressive Nate tires I've been using for snow work. Yeah, noisy, for sure, but I pumped them up to the max psi rating and they weren't too bad on the pavement as far as rolling resistance. She ain't fast, but the Pugs is uber stable and mucho comfy on the road. Kind of fun, too, to bop back and forth between riding the shoulder dirt and gravel and the pavement. That's one of the fun thing about fatties. Gives you that feeling that you can ride anywhere you want and that nothing can stop you.

Big wheels keep on rollin'.

[rebeccaC]

ny...hoping you have some interesting walks!!! A colleague commutes on a Marin urban Fairfax and really likes the way it handles....I've been thinking of replacing my Milano. only problem....I've gotten so use to it over the years and had so much use that it's a good mechanical friend now

nwg....ever think about a custom built steel frame, completely built up the way you want....you deserve it!!!!!!...you really do (Thinking learning brazing and building a bike would be a great journey one of these years) I haven't had one complaint about my Seven and haven't had any thoughts of wanting another road bike for a few years now. The only thing is, you need to keep doing the research in all of it...to share your knowledge

we're forecast to have winds in the 20-30 mph range, plus gusts of 40+.

thinking i would find a way to do a good one way ride with that tailwind

Not a lot of riders today…and tomorrow I get to ride in a good rain/wind storm on both commutes and Friday morning too.







A big plus with rain is I’ve gotten to know the potholes in the alleys I ride on my commute so I know the ones full of water I can have fun riding through

[north woods gal]

Yup, biege color on the ECR. Would not have ordered it if all I could get was the other option, the black. Yuk! Just something about some colors on bikes that turn me off. I am very color sensitive about things. Enough so that color is an important buying decision for me. I'm sure some of you would understand.

Also, medium and stayed with the 29+, just like my Krampus. Thought about trying another wheel size, such as the 27.5+, but could really see no performance advantage for me. A 29+wheel/tire diameter is very similar to a 26x4 fat bike wheel/tire diameter and I ride both all the time. I am totally comfortable on the 29+, now. I have the physical leg length for it (important if you want to go 29+) and, more importantly, I now have the leg strength to get that size up the steepest hills (talking trails, here, not roads). Be a different story if I was shorter in height or a bit weaker in the legs.

Yes, I did struggle a bit climbing some of the worst steeps with the 29+ and fat bikes when I got back into trail riding. A 26" or 27.5 is easier for climbing, but I'm glad I stuck it out with the 29+ because it has so many advantages for trail riding that I can't get with smaller wheels. The larger wheels are also best for eating up those long miles out on the road.

Speaking of trails, we got home too late in the day, yesterday, to head out on the road for a long ride, so Star and I decided to take our chances on our icy trail.

Hit my worst steep and, yup, got half way up and the studded tires on the fat bike spun out on the ice. Uh, oh! There I was, half way up an icy climb that was even too dangerous to walk. Couldn't even dismount, safely. Had to slide the bike back down the hill in reverse, doing my best to stay upright, keeping my balance by dragging my feet and using the brakes when I could. Meanwhile, Star knew I was in trouble, so she started barking to warn everyone to stay away. I made it, though.

Actually, it would have been hilarious to watch, though, of course, I was not having fun.

[north woods gal]

I'm fine on a bigger wheel, too. But when I built the Krampus, I was trying to keep prices low (ha! considering I had to rebuild with a new frameset). 29er tires and wheels are half the price of 29+.

And lots more tire choices! I may even try drop down to a 2.5" or so on the ECR since it will be doing a lot of pavement work.

[emily_in_nc]

Yup, biege color on the ECR. Would not have ordered it if all I could get was the other option, the black. Yuk! Just something about some colors on bikes that turn me off. I am very color sensitive about things. Enough so that color is an important buying decision for me. I'm sure some of you would understand.

Me (raising hand)! I just picked up a cheapie used cruiser bike (single speed, coaster brakes) for riding around the RV park, up to the pool, office, etc. Something I can just grab and go without having to worry about putting on all my bike gear. I bought it at the park's annual yard sale, and I was kinda disappointed that it was burgundy - not my fave -- I like lighter, brighter colors. But for the price, I had to relax my color requirements. I'll be donating it when I'm done with it anyway.

NWG, glad you made it back down that icy hill without crashing. Scary!

Returning your wave, Sheila!