Winter is here. The frost on the windscreens was the first clue. Lucky I ride a bike so I don't have to scrape the cold stuff off to see out. But the first part of winter wasn't to bad, mostly cold, rainy and well muddy.
So the second time I went off on the cx bike I tried riding in mud. I SUCK! Well my tyres weren't the best, and I'm still not great at handling a bike in the mud, my back end was sliding around like a fat lady covered in oil on a slip n slide. I need to learn to trust myself, but I always panic, scream, and put a foot down. And by the way, putting your foot down in mud is a stupid idea!! And the sound it makes when you pull your foot out of the mud, well if you've had crazy wet sex you know exactly what I mean :-/
The cx bike also needs new tyres, riding through grassy fields and sheep shit and I collected all of it on my front tyre and had to scrape the shit off with a stick. Oh and as I'm sure I wrote in a previous blog, I couldn't fucking stop! So muddy feet, sheep shit, grass, cold air and I was still happier then a kid in a candy shop.
So the first major snow fall and learning to ride a mtb in snow was the next step. Hmmm not to clever in mud, will snow be any different? Yep you don't get as dirty when you fall on your ass! And wow do you fall on your ass!!! But hey at least its a soft landing.
I didn't think snow would be that hard going, but it was. Another back end wobbly. How the hell do you control your back end?? They should make Imodium for bikes :) or maybe I should stop being such a loser? I did have good riding partners though.
So yesterday after some studded tyres were fitted on the mtb I chose to ride to Brockhole to watch a cx race. Riding on hard crusty snow, sucks! All over the place, getting stuck in icy rutts, vibrating over icy footprints, then sliding around in the slushy parts, and it wouldn't seem to me it would be a soft landing. Good thing I stayed upright!!
Oh and winter riding. How many fucking layers? I now say, enough so you can still kinda pedal! I was cold, cold, cold. Next time Im wearing more layers! I don't care if I look like a blimp! As long as I can pedal!
So riding in the winter, FUN!!! Sometimes scary! Always cold. But hey if your pedalling then who the fuck cares.
Riding in snow is a whole new game. We find hard pack or "old snow that's going icy" is OK, the sort of stuff that crunches as you ride over it. Soft powder is no good if it's deep, you just burrow down into it. It's fun, but you have to be prepared - getting stuck in the middle of nowhere is a potential killer in this weather.
ReplyDeleteOne of our adventures...
http://mtbyorkshire.blogspot.com/2009/12/snowy-day-at-mines.html
After years of cycling during the winter months I still can't get the number of clothes layers right. Either to much and getting too hot or not enough and remaining cold..!!
ReplyDeleteStill all cycling is fun - keep spinning those pedals.