Theo

Hit Theo yesterday morning. It was another cold Minnesota day with temps hovering around the zero mark. The windchill wasn't much of a factor since I was in the woods. Somebody must have been out on Pugsley's that morning, because there were fresh tracks and the trail was groomed to near perfection. Everything was rideable, including the skinnies (although the expert loop at the beginning was pretty choppy and kind of tough with normal mtb tires). Theo is the perfect singlespeed trail in the summer, and in the winter it's even better. Those little ups become more challenging at slower speeds and with less traction, providing a good workout. Got 3 laps in and headed back to the parking lot, where I ran into the legendary John Schmidt. He claims to be in his early sixties, but I need to check his driver's license because he skis and rides like a man in his thirties. Good guy and a hell of an endurance athlete.

Another January Ride

Got out for about an hour and a half today, despite the Wind Chill Advisory. It was a balmy -2 with -20 to -30 windchills. I was a bit chilly starting out, but once I hit the unplowed section of Rice Creek I warmed up in a hurry. The path was covered by about a foot of super-compressed, choppy hardpack, making it feel almost like riding the singletrack at Leb. Riding the singlespeed meant keeping a high cadence and lots of weight shifting to maintain forward momentum. On the way back I saw this family of deer resting by the creek. Cool. My feet got a little cold towards the end of the ride, but the hands were super toasty with the ATV handlebar mitts. Best $20 I've spent in a while.

Winter Riding

Since the rain stopped in November and the cold and snow moved in, I've been riding outdoors 2-4 times a week. Here are a few things I have learned about riding outdoors in the Minnesota winter...

Bike Paths Don't Suck as Much (but they still suck)
In the summer, they suck. The only thing worse than riding on a bike path would be having to do it while watching the Rachel Ray show. They are filled with people like "takes up the entire width of the path rollerblader guy", "innattentive dog walker couple" and "iPod cranked so loud he can't hear your repeated shouts of 'on your left' and then yells at you when you pass for not warning him guy". Again, bike paths suck. But, in winter, they are mostly deserted, and provide an excellent route free of drunk drivers (but not necessarily free of drunks) and all that road salt and sand. String together a few trail systems and connector loops and you can get hours of traffic-free riding that won't destroy your drivetrain or components. Be aware that not all cities clear the paths of snow. You can be cruising along having a great ride only to run into an impassable suburban glacier. Have alternate routes planned, just in case. Studded tires are a good idea.

Your Favorite Summer Trail Probably Still Kicks Ass in the Winter
I've hit Lebanon Hills about 5 times this winter. 4 out of 5 times were absolutely killer. The last time out not so much, due to a pretty sizable snowfall. Riding on the paved paths or roads is ok to a point for fitness-purposes, but nothing feels as good as singletrack. When it's packed down just right, it's as fast and fun as summer. You get more of a workout due to the extra weight of your winter gear, plus the extra energy you have to put into body position and handling. Also a great way to work on balance and core strength. Bring a lunch -- you're gonna burn some calories. For the most part, no special gear is needed. Studded tires are great if you have 'em, but regular knobbies with low pressure work just fine. Bring a pair of snowshoes with as your backup plan if there's been a recent snowfall. If you can't ride you can go pack down the trail with the shoes to help get it in better riding condition. Good workout and good karma.

Your Summer Cycling Shoes Are No Match for Old Man Winter
For temps below freezing you can pretty much forget about it. If you want to keep all of your toes you're gonna need to invest in some SPD winter boots, or wear regular boots and run platform pedals. If buying SPD boots, get them a size larger than normal to accommodate a thicker sock. I picked up a pair of the old-style Lake boots for $50. Smart wool socks for near-freezing temps work fine. Rag wool for temps in the teens and 20's, and for the nasty stuff I'll also wear neoprene booties. Keep your fingers functional with lobster mitts and removable liners. For those truly arctic days I bought a pair of ATV handlebar mitts at Fleet Farm for $20. They even have pockets for chemical warmers if you need 'em. I've ridden a few times in -5 to -10 air temps with windchills in the -30 to -40 range with this setup, and I was fine.

More info on clothing in the next issue. Go ride.

Subzero singlespeed tempo ride

-6° with -20° windchill when I left the house. Went with an extra layer of shoe cover, but it wasn't enough. About 40 minutes in my feet were frozen. My hands were getting cold as well, but started to come around. The pogies are working well. Almost got t-boned by a deer, scared the crap out of me. Managed about an hour ride before heading home for a hot shower and some Guinness stew.

Saturday Leb Hills ride

Hit Leb at noon on Saturday. Temps were mid-teens and sunny, so not too bad weather-wise. Rode the singlespeed (32x16) and had a blast. Ran into Janet and friends at the start of the second section. I went up ahead and could see and hear them along the switchbacks, but after waiting for a while at the start of the next section I kept riding to stay warm. I was riding pretty well, grinding it out on some of the climbs, but riding everything. I decided to hit the X and XX loops, and was glad I did. The trail pack was about half as wide here as on the outer loop, but still 100% rideable. Most of the rock gardens were buried, so they were pretty easy to ride. Even Tedman's Curve was no problem. The only trouble spots were the log ladder climb and the stupid gnome tree. Exit loop was fast and fun. Got to the parking lot, grabbed a gel and did another lap (outer loop only this time).

Second time around fatigue and calorie deficit were setting in. Not nearly as smooth as first lap. I kept straying off the hardpack into the snow. Just about went OTB on the Exit Loop, but somehow saved it (but smacked the top of my thigh into the top tube repeatedly, making for a nice bruise). All in all, about 2-1/2 hours of riding and another trainer-free day.

Cold Bear

With a -4 air temp, -25 windchills and zero sleep from another night of screaming baby boy, it was a perfect day to race. Got to Hillside just in time to register and get the pre-race 411. I signed up for the advanced class which meant 2-laps. There were 3 of us, everyone else was on Pugsley's or doing sport (1-lap).

The pirate flag dropped and we made our way to the singletrack from the parking lot. As soon as I hit the trail I knew it was going to be brutal. I rode Leb yesterday and it was super packed down and very easy to ride. No such luck today -- very loose, deep snow the whole way. I stopped about 2 minutes in and let out as much air from my tires as I could. Even with studs it didn't do much good. Riding the singlespeed (32x16) wasn't the best idea either. So, I did a LOT of walking. Pretty much any incline meant hopping off and hoofing it.

Did I mention it was -4? About a quarter of the way through Lap 1 my fingers were stinging from the cold. I sat for a minute and thought about calling it a day. My Camelback was frozen solid, my fingers were frozen solid and this had turned into a long walk that was briefly interrupted by occasional bursts of biking. The part of my brain responsible for reasoning was frozen, so I continued the slog. My hands suddenly felt better, and now I was roasting. I finally made it to the pay lot and Section 1, meaning I was halfway back to the start/finish. Lots more hike-a-bike, then into Section 2, which I was able to ride most of. If the whole race had been like this it wouldn't have been so bad. I got to the lap/exit sign and looked at my watch. What would be about a 40 minute lap in the summer was today about an hour and 45 minutes. I took the exit and downgraded to sport (which was an option presented in the pre-race meeting). The reasoning part of brain must have thawed, because I did not have the energy, desire or need for a 4-hour day on the bike (well, mostly on my feet). Saw one of the other advanced riders I started with throw in the towel after attempting a second lap.

Next time I need better gearing on my singlespeed or a geared bike. Otherwise, it's not a lot of fun. Think I finished 5th or something like that, but my overall concern was just to finish one lap, and keep all my fingers and toes. Managed that much.