Snow Where To Go

Took a trip out to Fraser, CO during the week of Christmas when the temps were cold in Nebraska but we has yet to get any real snow accumulation. They had plenty up in the mountains of Colorado however so we took the Fat Bikes up and got in a little riding, not as much as we would have liked but with most of Jackie's immediate family up there with us there wasn't much time for too much riding.


They do know how to do up the Christmas festivities up there though, the fireworks display on Christmas Eve is something to take in if you get a chance.


Not to be out done, we did have a blizzard here in Nebraska the day before we drove back. That made travel a bit more interesting than it should have been. All that mostly melted by the time we got around to the Saturday ride last week but the temps were still chilly. Side note, as I write this we are currently in another blowing snow warning with single digit temps and probably 10 or so inches of snow on the ground.

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Had a pretty good group on the ride on Saturday when you figure in the temps and the winds. Still haven't gotten around to replacing the Canon camera, definitely a step down on photo quality with the iPhone and screen grabs from the GoPro.




Made it out for a decent 37 mile ride to Bennet and back, I think that was more than enough cold gravel for everyone involved. So far winter in early 2024 is shaping up to be a cold and snowy one, been since about 2009 when we had single snow events in the double digits for accumulation... or at least that I can remember.

Video version of the ride.

 

I'm Beginning To See A Lot Of Fat Bikes

Sung to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"  
Very loosely sung to the tune BTW, I ride bikes, take pictures and write blogs... plagiarizing songs is  not tops on the list... at least you didn't have to listen to me sing it over and over again while writing it, that was an awful sound. 

I’m beginning to see a lot of Fat Bikes,

Ev'rywhere you go;

Take a look at the icy trail, glistening once again

Here comes Gary, Jamie and Janelle real slow.

I’m beginning to see a lot of Fat Bikes,

Wool socks on ev'ry leg,

But the scariest sight to see is the hairy that will be

Growing out to win some swag. 

A pair of really warm boots and a fatty that scoots

Is the wish of Jamie and Ed;

Tires that crush and will give you a rush

Is the hope of Matt and Janelle;

And Gary and I can hardly wait for Saturday to start again.

I’m beginning to see a lot of Fat Bikes,

Ev'rywhere you go;

There's a few at the deep ravine, one in the creek as well,

The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.

I’m beginning to see a lot of Fat Bikes;

Soon they all will see,

The grin upon your face from the fatty that you place

Right beneath your tree.

Plenty of Fat Bikes in stock at Cycle Works and plenty more on the way, stop in and grab one for your favorite person this Christmas... get one for yourself as well and then come out and join us on the Saturday morning rides.

Frozen Rain

It's going to snow, it's not going to snow... slight accumulation in our area with most pushing off to the south/north/east/west... oh wait, now we are getting snow again... 2"... 3"... 4"... 5"... who the hell knows, certainly not the weather people, the only guarantee they can give us is that there will be some sort of weather that will eventually change to other kinds of weather. Decided to throw caution to the wind today and just ride, regardless of what the weather dudes were predicting because those dudes lie a lot.


Managed to get in a good solid 20 miles in the wet, sloppy snow, temps were hovering right around freezing and we got soaked, snow from the sky and rain courtesy of really large tires coming from the ground. I have to say it was the first time since I got the Wolvhammers that my feet got cold, of course with all the moisture running down my legs, the half inch of water in the Wolvhammers might have contributed to the feet being cold. Great boots but definitely not rain/splash proof.


Wasn't much in the way of accumulation during the ride, seems to be sticking now but the totals are still up in the air. Laundry was a whole other story, with all that grit and wet snow the accumulation on that was massive, not a single stitch of clothing I wore didn't need washed.

Dashing Through The Snow?

Twas the month before winter, and all through the lands

Not a mitten was worn, there was no cold hands;

The wool stockings were folded with care,

In hopes that winter would be full of hot air;

The Fat Bikes were nestled all snug in their sheds;

While visions of snow banks danced on their treads...

October has been unseasonably warm, which is OK with me since the summer was unseasonably sucky with all the rain making the ability to ride dirt a crap shoot. Right now it might be all water bottles, short sleeves and t-shirts but Nebraskan weather is a fickle bitch and winter is never too far away once you reach the end of October; today could be 70° and tomorrow could be 25° with two feet of snow.  

Winter is coming it's really only a matter of what week at this point, which is why we decided it would be a good idea to stop in and participate in Cycle Works winter cycling clinic last night. While the clinic was geared more toward winter commuting, Rick and Damon had great tips about how to stay warm even if you were more of a weekend warrior when it came to winter riding. One of these days I'll try to get better about the commuting thing, I swear I will. 

Anyone who's ever ridden in the winter knows that a good pair of warm gloves, warm/wind proof shoes or shoe covers and a bright, good quality light are worth their weight in gold (and sometimes it seems like that's what they want for them), Cycle Works has all of those items and everything else you'll need for winter riding and at very competitive prices. Pair that with the added knowledge of people experienced with winter riding to help get you setup right and it just makes sense to shop local.

Despite having all of the above necessities, keeping my feet warm has always been a problem for me, it seems like even with dedicated winter cycling boots I'm lucky to get an hours worth of riding when the temps start to drop below 30° before my toes started to give signs of potential frostbite and I have to head in. So it was awesome when I learned about sock liners last night, going to give them a try this year and see if they help, to be honest didn't even know existed before last night and they seem like a simple way to try to help trap your body heat in. Learn something new every day as they say.


After the clinic we decided to head down to Ploughshare and grab a bite to eat; while it's a shame that they aren't serving their own brews yet they still have some really good food and not your typical barf-ood either, you won't find lasagna at many bars and definitely none this good. I've heard November 3rd is the day for them to start having their own beers so it looks like another trip to Ploughshare might be in order next month as well.