Cycling in snow – worth the effort?

I’ve seen some lovely snowy pics on here, but the comments reflect that there wasn’t much riding done, just falling off and pushing/carrying.
So on Saturday I put my red socks on and went hiking with me mates instead: jumped in snowdrifts, lobbed snowballs and rolled snow boulders, without hazard and encumbrance of a bike. Hiking is fun, especially without all those nasty cyclists haring about. 8)

yep, but only if it the right kind of snow for getting massive drifts going

i reckon cycling in the snow is good fun, keeps you on your toes so to speak! obviously if its too deep then it is just a case of carrying the bike. if it aint too deep though its a good laugh, can add some variety to a trail you ride lots and tests your skills.
PS i had a good snowball fight with some mates whie riding today

Cycling in snow – worth the effort?

Hell yes.

Absolutely! Bloody good laugh, as long as you expect it to be a bit of a slog on the climbs.

yeah it definitely is a slog on the climbs, especially on a singlespeed! wheel spin tastic!!

3 words

big snowy drifts

that is why

Its awesome!

Great for your balance, works your central core muscles as ur constantly adjusting your position and its twice as hard to pedal. And because it is sooo fun you dont notice the hardcore work out you are getting 😀

Supreme fun. Two wheel drifty descents – oh yes.

It is brilliant,
Makes for very fun and slidy action,
but the snow can hide BIG holes in the tracks and have been known to send you straight over the bars when you put your front wheel in them………..
😀

oh yes

All very pictureskew. But hellishly hard work. I was out for four hours riding a three hour route.

yes see above

YEE HAR!!

Only 4 hours for a 3 hour route oldgit! You werent in deep enough snow 😀

yes. don’t stand around too long as you develop great big clumps of ice attached to the cleat on your shoe.

http://www.pictures-of-wildlife.com/Downhill

Just come back from a weekend in the Quantocks, 1 and 1/2 foot snow – absoulte waste of time even trying to ride, climbed up one side of the hill wading through snow with your bike on your back and rode for erm about 10 minutes !

I love riding in the snow when its nice and fluffy, but it is really no joke when its snow with a sheet of ice underneath it as I found out when I attempted to cycle to work on Friday!

The good thing about riding in snow is you can’t see the scary looking rocks.
The bad thing about riding in snow is you can’t see the scary looking rocks

Anywhere between about 2-6″ is fantastic for riding in, especially fluffy powdery snow. I’ve had a few great rides this year, one in Malham, a couple in the Peaks and 2 last week in London. Got to make the most of it, it’s rare to get this much snow! 🙂

“I know there’s a drop off round here somewhere… Fuuuuuuu*k!!!!!” Is a phrase often used when biking in the snow.

It changes your usual ride into something different. I love those ‘moments’ that just throw your wheel of to the side whilst riding in a straight line.

It’s ok for half an hour or so, then it just gets on my nerves & I want it all to go away…

love it!
especially at night!

Wednesday night went for a ride in the snow between Chesterfield and Darley Dale, was fantastic fun, plenty of pushing to be done but some of the soft snow was a dream to ride through, sooooo smooth.
Interesting sensation trying to work out what was going on as well but no damage done to man or machine.

My best day’s training this year up at the woods below Aston Hill (what happened to the Bike Demo Day – bl$$dy whimps!) where there’s a decent hill climb on packed snow, which is no test really, but the single track was testing and interesting.
Got to be on the ball or the front (2.1 NNics) slides more than is comfortable.
In fact it was those stupid 2.3 Conti Verticals on the rear,that, whilst they grip in a straight line, breakaway all too easily everywhere else.
5 laps and I felt so much better equipped for future snow.
Well worth the effort.
And yes, that is my pet fox, Roxy in the static shot of the Turner Flux.
Tim
(pics: [/url]

Peak stuff around Hayfield was mostly awesome today, riding that was nightmarish and drifted up on Thursday night is now like a toboggan track, except for the top of Chinley Churn, which is well blocked up. It’s been trodden down by walkers and the result is deceptively fast and grippy, Middle Moor / Shooting Cabin was spot on in an insane slot-car sort of way. Definitely well wort the effort 🙂

13 proper snowy rides this winter so far, none of your pishy commutes, proper off road. Only one was bad as it was a slushy thaw and the weight of the snow had brought down so many trees I had to stop and get the saw out every 100 yards or so. Inshriach would have been too hard aswell but some kind 4×4 had driven up and left tracks for us to ride up. One we did with no lights at night and it is right up there in my top 3 rides ever. looking at metcheck it looks like I’ll get snowy rides all week too. Brilliant.

aston hill took the decision to close yesterday morning.

snow, ice and down trees.
closed next weekend too for clear up prior to black run race.