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Fat Bikes Winter Rides 2021/2022

Ron

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my first non-snow winter ride. More of a training ride but fun none-the-less. All the snow is falling above 9K. 2 miles, 1K in vert, avg about 10% I was at sea level for about a month and I suffered but made it up non-stop. Legs felt fine.
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firebanex

firebanex

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-8* tonight and lightly snowing. Still not enough snow on the ground to even out the trails and make them good yet. This was pretty much like trying to ride a skinny the entire time, only the skinny was loose snow and full of ruts. Still rather fun adventure up the trail, we found a bunch of creek wash out areas that eventually fill in with ice and snow later in the winter and make for a pleasent smooth ride. Tonight had to dismount and skirt around the wash outs and sink holes, I had a pretty dumb little crash and didn't really want to try to ride some of the really yucky looking stuff. Not hurt, just the confidence was a bit shaken since it was a rather small off camber rut/roll that I should have just gone over.

My riding buddy pretty much always brings his Jack Russel Terrier along with us, this little dog is more hard core than most I've seen when it comes to doing things outside in the cold. She's come on rides where it's more than -30 and has a blast. She wears two coats, booties, and has chemical hand warmers stuffed into the back pockets of the coat. She's small enough that when she does get cold and tired, my friend just stuffs her into his jacket to rest and warm up.

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Tom K.

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MIGHT be time for fat biking here after tomorrow.

In the meantime, rode perfect frozen dirt today. Fast as the dickens. No drag!
 
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firebanex

firebanex

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@Ron Dogwood Designs insulated winter poagies, its a small local shop that sews them up. Might be hard to get your hands on if you are looking online, but the local bike shops in Fairbanks have them in the full rainbow of colors right now. Completely worth the $140 a pair. They've kept my hands and forearms toasty warm even at -35 and that's with fairly light weight liner gloves on inside. Just cinch up the arm holes and don't touch metal brake levers! I got a pair of Magura MT8 SL's because they had carbon levers out of the box and I had frost bit my fingers last season with the metal levers on the sram level brakes I had. Also the levels sucked horribly.

Frozen dirt is kinda scary. It doesn't give in the same way you think it should when riding. It honestly freaks me out to ride on it with my regular mtb.
 

Tom K.

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Frozen dirt is kinda scary. It doesn't give in the same way you think it should when riding. It honestly freaks me out to ride on it with my regular mtb.

Yes, at times, but yesterday it was the seldom seen combination of no drag and astounding cornering traction.

I mean, not quite "brown pow" level, but close, and 100% consistent.

Today, snow! Pics to follow at some point.
 

Ron

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a little off topic, but I have been riding with the Wolftooth pogies but they arent very warm so I went with a lightly insulated brand made here in CO called Bedrock Bags and their Redwall Pogies. Very impressed so far with the design, light weight and construction. I went with the silver which matches silver/Ti frame very nicely. Of course, the proof is how they ride and how well they insulate and potentially keep those levers from getting so cold.

 
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firebanex

firebanex

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Little cold weather trick. Get pool noodles or pipe insulation and cut off a short 3" length of it and tape it around your bars where the poagies and hoses come out. Keeps the air from sneaking in if that section isn't cinched up well.
 
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Ron

Seeking the next best ski
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Little cold weather trick. Get pool noodles or pipe insulation and cut off a short 3" length of it and tape it around your bars where the poagies and hoses come out. Keeps the air from sneaking in if that section isn't cinched up well.
could be the best tip of 2021. :)
 

Tom K.

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Well, nothing special, but the first snow ride of the year still counts for something!

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Tom K.

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A beautiful, if slightly skinny, new snow ride.

Note the daytime moon at the top of the shot.

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Happy Turkey Day, Ski Talkers!
 
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firebanex

firebanex

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Fairbanks, Alaska
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Had a really difficult time picking the pictures from Tuesday's ride. I'm trying not to spam ALL the pictures I take during a ride.. just the good ones. Still lacking in the snow department, but things are getting slowly better. We hit up one of the valley trails that eventually becomes a pretty major dog mushing route in the winter. About 60% of the trail had enough snowmachine traffic or a groomer drag that it was fairly quick moving but the rest was.. very much tussocks and bushwacking our way through following a couple sets of foot prints.

Next weeks ride, we are bringing the wives along and riding through the town to find christmas lights! Gonna be fun!
 

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