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2022 Mountain Biking

Slim

Making fresh tracks
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We had a lot of rain on Wednesday and Thursday, then it got below freezing on Friday, so by Saturday we had huge tall frost heave crystals, looked like a playdo machine on spaghetti setting, some of them were over 2” tall!
 
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nay

nay

dirt heel pusher
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Little bit of snow here, but still pretty dry. Was thinking about skiing today, but then didn’t. This was Sunday.

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Tom K.

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A fun story today, perhaps of particular interest to @cantunamunch.

A nice overlook of a frozen lake:

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Heard some noise below, and figured there were a couple other nuts out biking, but it was skaters on the lake!

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One mile away, on a much smaller lake, there were ducks swimming?

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Tom K.

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I like the smooth ice, talk about fast cold snaps. But maybe a bit scary without even an ice testing stick?

They were using the handle end of hockey sticks and had sounded the entire lakeshore. So cool. Getting colder here for even better ice, but we might get just a skiff of snow on top to spoil things.....
 

Erik Timmerman

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They were using the handle end of hockey sticks and had sounded the entire lakeshore. So cool. Getting colder here for even better ice, but we might get just a skiff of snow on top to spoil things.....
Leafblower?
 

Tom K.

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Also could you propel yourself with the leaf blower?

For some reason, this made me immediately think "that would be a great Red Green skit".

Some of the best, "quietest" Canadian humor ever. Keep your stick on the ice!
 

firebanex

Making fresh tracks
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Fairbanks, Alaska
I've been sick for over two weeks and not riding. Whatever cold is going around is absolutely nasty and I'm still not 100% over it even today.

Anywaysssss, Saturday afternoon was my post sickness ride and it was in the daylight! I am so not used to meeting people and seeing people on the trails since I ride at night almost exclusively in the winter months. Been putting together a good little 10-12 mile loop that I can do from work that heads in a different direction than the mushing trails behind my work place. I have a couple alternate bits along the loop that I can mix in as I feel. Good times!
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Doug Briggs

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BV just keeps on giving. Today was a wonderfully sunny, cool (low 40s) day for a repeat of the Midland Trail along with all the meat and money trails.

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Near CR 315 where we park and begin riding on the Midland Trail, a former railroad grade. There are a fair number of these cuts. They were mostly frozen tread or loose gravel.

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Someone had skinned a rabbit and lost/left the hide on the trail. I wonder if an animal absconded with it and deposited it.

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The Collegiates yet again.

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Returning on the Midland Trail.

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A game trail. The angle of the sun made it more evident than usual.

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Getting closer to the trailhead.

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And closer. I'd never seen a wooden cattle guard before this one.

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We park at the upper right on a county road. This saves a few miles more of driving and provides a secluded experience as the railroad grade is is only ridden in the area where the large loop is. Given our weather forecast of hardly any snow and 50° and sunny next weekend, we may just ride this again this season. Skiing has its attraction, but until there are more interesting runs open, I'm going to mix it up with riding dirt (I don't ride snow these days) as long as possible.
 

firebanex

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20221121_191917.jpg

Saw a shooting star during my ride tonight, made me feel special.

I changed from an 80mm +/-7* stem to a 65mm 0* stem last week. I like it. Slows down the steering and makes it less twitchy. It's still a 69* head angle so there is only so much that can be done to it. Ive had this bike since 2016 and it's really dialed into what I have found I need in a winter fat bike. Really makes the rides that much more enjoyable.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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View attachment 183773
Saw a shooting star during my ride tonight, made me feel special.

I changed from an 80mm +/-7* stem to a 65mm 0* stem last week. I like it. Slows down the steering and makes it less twitchy. It's still a 69* head angle so there is only so much that can be done to it. Ive had this bike since 2016 and it's really dialed into what I have found I need in a winter fat bike. Really makes the rides that much more enjoyable.
Cool photo!
 

firebanex

Making fresh tracks
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I keep telling you guys, running Outbound Lighting lights is game changing for riding bikes. Lumens are cool but how they get thrown out it what counts.

It also helps that my phone has a really good night mode compared to the phone I was taking pictures with last winter. I went for a galaxy s8 to an s22, huge improvement in the camera.
 

Tom K.

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Started Thanksgiving with a glorious sunrise (missed peak by a few minutes for the photo):

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No real intention of riding today. Dog walk, snow tire swap, but then the sun came out, so I snapped this quick pic of our small, local "split rock". I'm working up to the real thing with @Slim when Mrs. K and I head back to MN next summer for some mtb. ;)

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Tried out my early Christmas present of a Silky Big Boy folding saw. Channeling my inner @Doug Briggs. That saw is fearsome, and made quick work fo 6 or 8 small windfalls.

QUESTION: I'd like some kind of holster-type of carrier for the saw that I could put on the fork leg of my fat bike. It could either zip-tie on, or better yet, use all those bike packing bolts on the fork that I've so far had no use for. Mrs. K can make one, but I suspect it's already out there. Anybody have a source?
 

cantunamunch

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QUESTION: I'd like some kind of holster-type of carrier for the saw that I could put on the fork leg of my fat bike.... yet, use all those bike packing bolts on the fork that I've so far had no use for.

I would just like to point out that this kind of application is absolutely begging for a Kydex bending project. Or leather punching for the old schoolers.

Note the body worn "hard plastic" scabbards.
 

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