2024 Mountain Biking

[Tom K.]

Roll 'em!

Cheating a bit, by a few days.

 

[Tom K.]

Yesterday, since skiing is NOT HAPPENING for us, I decided to take a gray day, modified version of my standard Tour of the Lakes ride on the fat bike.

Started with Warren Lake:

Moved on to Woods Lake:

Then got bored with riding the same old thing since May, so went with the dog bite.

Not pictured: The three lakes I didn't make it to -- but hoping for tomorrow!

I'm fine. It's not a bid deal, but it's not nothin, either....going forward, this ride will now be known as The Dog Bite Loop.

 

[scott43]

Did you shoot the dog??? Or better yet the owner?;?! Fscker...

 

[Tom K.]

Did you shoot the dog??? Or better yet the owner?;?! Fscker...

No, neither. But i did "involuntarily" boot him in the head with my other foot. Which was housed in a pretty substantial winter biking boot. He got some good air. Quarantined for 10 days. Bites a second time, and he goes for the Neverending Quarantine.

 

[Tom K.]

And, the last ride of 2023 on the 30th with an old, wonderful, college and dirt bike racing friend (and, no, I am NOT taking a nap in the second shot)!

 

[firebanex]

Finally got back out on my bike. Life was busy this last week as I had relatives visiting for Christmas and my sister got married on the 28th.

"Sunrise" bike ride at 11am, not too shabby at all. Temps right around 0f in the hills, -15f in the valley, and hardpacked trails with a little bit of new snow on them. Easy riding.

 

[cantunamunch]

And, the last ride of 2023 on the 30th with an old, wonderful, college and dirt bike racing friend (and, no, I am NOT taking a nap in the second shot)!

That's not a 'nap' face. That's a face for a different sort of bliss entirely

 

[Tom K.]

Stellar fat bike single track ride today with a visiting friend at the end of his trip.

Mixed clouds against a beautiful blue sky.

About 3/4" of often untracked powder the entire way (early start).

Here are the photos........but I left the camera in the car, darn it!

 

[cantunamunch]

I crunched my hand last night - don't worry the ss is fine except for a bit of stem misalignment. The click finger and the scroll wheel finger took one for the team:/

 

[4ster]

I'm fine. It's not a bid deal, but it's not nothin, either....going forward, this ride will now be known as The Dog Bite Loop.

Glad you’re ok. I think I posted but I got bit in the thigh this Fall. I was so shocked l neglected to get any information about the dog or the owners except that they assured me it had all its shots. I did watch closely for infection & was sore for a week but luckily healed without complications besides the holes in my shorts.

 

[Tom K.]

I crunched my hand last night - don't worry the ss is fine except for a bit of stem misalignment. The click finger and the scroll wheel finger took one for the team:/

Ouch. Good healing to you. I am going to go ahead and tell you that hand injuries can be tricky buggers that sneak up on you later. Get it looked at by a pro. Pics of mine on request.

Sorry for the lecture. Just super-sensitive to hand stuff.

Glad you’re ok. I think I posted but I got bit in the thigh this Fall. I was so shocked l neglected to get any information about the dog or the owners except that they assured me it had all its shots. I did watch closely for infection & was sore for a week but luckily healed without complications besides the holes in my shorts.

Damn. Glad you're OK. And no odd transformations during full moons?

My bite was through winter tights, then winter knee socks, then the skin. Still got a ways to go before full healing, and should get the formal rabies OK from Animal Control on Monday.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

The click finger and the scroll wheel finger took one for the team:/

Ugh, hopefully not too bad. At least you don’t have to shift on a ss?

 

[cantunamunch]

Ugh, hopefully not too bad. At least you don’t have to shift on a ss?

Still working on 'holding a handlebar' .

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Still working on 'holding a handlebar' .

Dang, thats no bueno. Can you hold a beer can ambidextrously?

 

[Tom K.]

I've got him covered on the beer if he is overly "sided":

 

[firebanex]

Straws work great. That's how I drink my beverages of choice while holding my 3 month old.

Ski area was unexpectedly closed today, too many staff out sick I think. Got a couple hours to go for a Sunday bike ride! The trails are hard as a rock and so so so fast. Got passed by a dog team but was too worried about yielding to them to get my phone out and take a picture. At some point I'll share the yield triangle with all of you.. gotta remember to take a picture.

 

[Tom K.]

Woke up to this:

But it warmed up to -12 so we suited up:

Saddled up:

And off we went for a nice 1.5 hour tour:

Beat the heck out of an hour on the "dreadmill" inside!

 

[firebanex]

Dang, beat me to -30f this year. We have dropped that low but I didn't get the opportunity to ride in it yet. Possibly this coming couple of days but the forecast keeps warming up a touch. Now, a question for you, I've always found the difference in clothing between -10 and -30 to be fairly minor when on a bike. I use the same puffy and vest, they just get fully zipped up instead of partially unzipped. Mainly cover more of the face and make sure the chemical heat packs are working. How did you find it?

I'm supposed to lead a ride on Tuesday night.. but it snowed like 4" over the weekend (The skiing was fantastic BTW). I hadn't ridden the route I was planning for a couple of weeks, so I woke up before the baby and went and did a bit of recon to make sure the trails were still there. It rode well! First tracks on pretty much the entire 10 mile route I had in mind. It was slow going and I had a couple short spots of hike-a-bike that I would have normally ridden. So as long as it doesn't snow more than an inch tonight, we should have a pretty good ride on Tuesday night.

 

[Tom K.]

Dang, beat me to -30f this year. We have dropped that low but I didn't get the opportunity to ride in it yet.

Thanks, but we DID wait for it to "warm" up to minus 12 before setting off, and......it was back down to minus 15 when we finished.

Now, a question for you, I've always found the difference in clothing between -10 and -30 to be fairly minor when on a bike. I use the same puffy and vest, they just get fully zipped up instead of partially unzipped. Mainly cover more of the face and make sure the chemical heat packs are working. How did you find it?

I don't think I have a lot to offer here. I normally cut things off at zero or minus 5, but my buddy was heading back to TX and really wanted to squeeze in one more ride before heading back to "real" life. So, with that long-winded caveat, when it's really cold by my standards:

1. Warm biking-specific bib knickers, with an old but trusty pair of North Face Gore something or other tights. I have PI Amphib tights, but have concluded they are too warm for anything active.

2. Light wool base layer, overlaid by medium wool sweater.

3. Puffy down sweater. Not quite jacket weight. Zipped going down, unzipped going up.

4. A Seirus magnetic face mask that lets me easily pull the mag part down for nose blowing and slower climbing. At 65, I've frozen my face too darn many times, and don't want to do it again.

5. Cheap, but serviceable Zeal goggles with the foam torn out of the top vents so they breat better. Beat to hell Anon goggles with all the foam if it's snowing.

6. Some kind of Castelli gauntlet gloves that use -fancy synthetic insulation (gold something or other?) that is far warmer than its lack of bulk would suggest. Electric ski gloves get too warm.

7. Bontrager Old Man Winter Boots without the felt liners, instead opting for wool insoles, and two layers of thick, cheap Carhartt socks.

Hope that helps!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Got passed by a dog team but was too worried about yielding to them to get my phone out and take a picture. At some point I'll share the yield triangle with all of you.. gotta remember to take a picture.

Is that a ptarmigan?