DAYLIGHT LENGTHENINGDEC 22
DAYLIGHT LENGTHENINGDEC 22
Brian Wolff, Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports mechanic in Bellingham, Washington, suggests that you prepare everything ahead of time. The lights should be charged before you go to sleep, with the necessary cold and wet gear ready and the chain lubed, and the tire pressure adjusted. You can load everything that night. You can store it safely and haul it to work the next morning. You can now leave work immediately to go to the trailhead meet, without losing a moment.
WINTER SOLUTIONS AND YOU
The 21st December is the official start of winter. This day marks the shortest day in the year. MBA likes to refer to the Winter Solstice, which is the true start of summer. It marks the beginning of a six-month COUNT UP where each day becomes longer. This is where the point is made: maximizing short days requires attitude, flexibility, and preparation. Remember that the days are growing longer and not getting shorter.
MBA has a lot of knowledge about riding in Standard Time. We also wanted to hear about shops in places where the days are shorter, cooler and wetter.
FLEXIBLE
Kevin Corsello of Chicago Get A Grip Cycles says it is easy to adapt. Just get up in the morning to go for a ride. It’s not dark yet at 5 a.m., but it will soon. We are also near the lit lakefront path. Flexibility doesn’t mean being able to get up earlier. This could also mean that you spend more time on the asphalt. Kevin says that the shop opens earlier in the off-season. We will arrange a meet at 12 p.m., then close the shop for two hour and go riding. Sometimes it involves a lot of road riding, as we spend too much time driving to the best singletrack.
Winter is a time when mountain bikes dominate the streets. Mountain bike clothing is more able to withstand the cold and wet than mountain bikes. You can’t ride too far before you come across dirt or obstacles that you want to jump off.
UNDER COVER
Scott Likly, owner of New York’s Rochester Towpath Bike Shop, explains that his guys only ride in areas where snow has been ploughed. Covered parking garages are the best urban spot for when the weather is bad. Covered lots are great for dry riding, provided you don’t make it a gathering place or stay out after business hours.
WHITE SINGLETRACK
Brain Treptow is the assistant manager at Eriks Bike Shop, Burnsville, Minnesota. He tells us all about the great snowmobile trails. The trails are difficult enough for regular knobbies to ride. We do have some guys who stud their tires. The crown is attached to the side with 1/10 cm screws. They are positioned every 4 or 6 inches around the circumference. The knob should be equal in length to the screw. Stans can be converted to tubeless by running a Mr. Tuffy liner. Nokian, IRC, and Innova offer studded production tires.
BRIGHT NIGHTLIGHTS
Continues Towpaths Scott Likly. Other than the temperature, this time of year is the same for me as any other. Because I have three children and run a business, the only time that I ride is at night. We meet at my house and ride to the abandoned railroad tracks. We can then access any legal trails that are still available.
Your lighting system will determine how much fun you have. Scott states that you need at least 15w of halogen NiMH lighting. My Cygo Lite HID mounted Cygo Lite bar-mounted system is my primary light. For backup, I mount a NiteRider Digital head trip.
TRAIL ETIQUETTE
Wet trails, short days and cold weather all go hand-in-hand. This is also a time when we all need to be more alert. Stay off the trail if your favorite singletrack involves digging six inches deep up the switchbacks. You must be careful on the trail, even if it is easily navigated. Do not skid into corners. This can cause double damage to the soil. Closed trails are the result of trails that have been damaged.
CHILIN TO THE BONE
Get A Grips Kevin from Chicago: I advise against going out when it is below 20 degrees. It is difficult to properly dress in that cold. It will be necessary to layer up to be outside. Then you’ll get too hot. The wind chill can be blocked by removing a layer. However, it’s not difficult to get out of your car when it’s 20-30 degrees outside. Personally, I prefer to be dressed warmly so that I don’t get too cold. It wakes me up, since we ride in the early morning. Once I’m warmed up, I’ll be comfortable the rest of the ride.
Eriks Bike Shop says that the most important areas to protect in the cold is the face, hands and feet. Many of these guys wear boots, gloves and balaclavas to commute to work on their mountain bikes. A thrasher winterbike will be available to them so that they can keep their summer bikes from getting rusty and dry out bearings.
JUMP
Brian, Fairhaven Bike Washington says it is so wet in Bellingham that waterproofing is a must. Many of the men add fenders to their bikes, in addition to dressing up with Gortex. Fairhaven’s crew does a lot stunt riding this time of year. You can find the obstacles deep in the woods, under a lot canopy, and they are protected from the rain. It is so warm that we wear armor. To attach to the existing stuff, we have added traction.
Brian also notes that we go dirt jumping. Winter is a great time to jump. The dirt is very easy to work with, as long as you are in a legal area. We are always at the Bellingham and Glacier dirt jumps. You can get some intense workouts without getting stuck on a far-off trail.
SHUTTLE SERIES
Brian from Fairhaven advises that it is important to stay close to your destination because there is so little daylight. There are many great shuttle rides nearby, such as at Chuckanut and Academy Trails. This is a great advantage because you won’t be spending most of your ride up and down, stopping, changing gears, and then running out of light to get to the top. Hire a shuttle service to take you up the mountain. Enjoy the most enjoyable part of the journey, the return trip down, in comfort, warmth, and style.
WEEKENDS are FOR WARMTH
Fairhaven Bikes Brian Wolff has great advice about free Saturdays or Sundays. I recommend that you travel with a group to warmer destinations over the weekend. It could rain here, but it won’t rain if we travel to the east side Cascades like Levenworth.
AND FOR THE LAST RESORT
Yes, we were talking about indoor riding. Kristine Jagdeo, manager at New York’s E-T Cycle Center in Croton-On-Hudson, says that spin classes begin in January. We also offer a Wednesday class for women, and a regular Thursday session. Mountain bikes can be used as long as they have a good slick. You can borrow trainers from the shop. We often spin to Chris Carmichaels Train Right cycling video. Air conditioning is available in the shop. We also circulate plenty of air. The group size can range from 18 to 25. This is a concentrated workout that lasts approximately one-half hours.
Indoor training should be done by you. You need to have sufficient ventilation, fan blasting, and all audio and visual remotes within reach. A towel can be placed over the bar/stem to provide fluids. You should not train indoors for more than half the time as outdoors.
SHORT DAY CHEAT LIST
Here are 15 ways you can lengthen your short days.
1. The night before you ride, prepare the bike completely and lubricate it.
2. You should also have all your riding gear ready and waiting for you to take off.
3. Ride during lunch. You can also skip lunch and go to work earlier.
4. You don’t have to travel far to ride.
If possible, pick a spot near you and ride to the meet. This will allow you to get more riding in. 5. Make sure you have the right gear for both cold and wet conditions. Louis Garneau is the best in breathable, warm and windproof riding gear. It’s so great that you will want to ride in both the rain and the cold. They can be reached at 878-4135
6. Only ride in inclement weather conditions for as long as it is comfortable.
7. For the beginning of the ride, dress slightly under. It is not a good idea to take off your clothes just 20 minutes into the ride and then to carry the jackets and warms with you for the rest of the journey.
8. You can use your winter bike and save the main bike for warmer weather. Keep your chain and brake pads in good condition. Wet conditions can significantly reduce the lifespan of these components.
9. Learn how to maintain a reliable and effective lighting system. MBA’s January 2003 back issue has a great article about how to get the best out of your lighting system. You can order a copy by calling 767 0345 or visiting www.mbacton.com.
10. Stay off the singletrack if it is too muddy. Instead, ride urban.
11. Use your mountain bike if you are going to be doing any road riding. It is easier to keep the intensity you desire without going 48 km/h and fighting wind chill with knobbies.
12. Do not spend too much time indoors riding. It’s fun to do it every once in a while.
13. You can always load everything up to take with you on a morning ride. This will allow you to be ready to go at a moment’s notice and not waste any time.
14. This is the off-season. You should have three months of weekends free, with the exception of a cyclocross event. Travel with a group to explore new trails that are dryer and warmer.
15. Good attitude, hot chocolate, and espresso
PAYBACK
These guys know more about riding in the rainy days than anyone. Give them a shout.
*Get a grip cycle in Chicago, Illinois by calling 427-4747
*E-T Cycle Center, Croton-On-Hudson (New York): 271-6661.
*Eriks Bike Shop, Burnsville, Minnesota 898-5111
*Fairhaven Bike & Mountain Sports, Bellingham, Washington 733-4433
*Towpath Bike Shop in Rochester, New York: 381-2808
