Who's Hanging Up The Rig For The Winter For Their Snow Slider?

Madness

New Member
It's that crucial time of year when I finally decide wether or not to finally hang the rig up for the winter and break out the snow slider. I have noticed myself riding less and less dure to mainly the weather and the trail conditions being super muddy and not wanting to be "that guy" that's effin up the trails causing more ruts and what not. Has anybody else come to the conclusion that you are going to get a couple more rides in and hanging it up for the season and going snowboarding instead? As some of you know I work in the snowboard industry and with all the new videos hitting the streets and everybody starting to kick the season off, it's been harder to get motivated to go mt. biking in the cold and really want to get back on my snow slider. Just wanted to know if anybody else is going through this transition. By the way if anybody is looking for any snow gear, hit me up I've got enough to open a store.
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
It's that crucial time of year when I finally decide wether or not to finally hang the rig up for the winter and break out the snow slider. I have noticed myself riding less and less dure to mainly the weather and the trail conditions being super muddy and not wanting to be "that guy" that's effin up the trails causing more ruts and what not. Has anybody else come to the conclusion that you are going to get a couple more rides in and hanging it up for the season and going snowboarding instead? As some of you know I work in the snowboard industry and with all the new videos hitting the streets and everybody starting to kick the season off, it's been harder to get motivated to go mt. biking in the cold and really want to get back on my snow slider. Just wanted to know if anybody else is going through this transition. By the way if anybody is looking for any snow gear, hit me up I've got enough to open a store.


I ride year round. I ride less this time of year, mostly on the road bike because of trail conditions.

Wait for some snow before you hang up the bike, for snow.... :hmmm: :D
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i like riding the TRAILS a lot this time of year. the road, eh, not so much.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I still don't understand how people just "hang it up". As stated by others ride all year!
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
Coming back in the spring would hurt way too much if I hung it up. About 10 years ago there was a winter where I rode much less, then hit a big hill in the spring - with the way I felt on that hill, I said I would never do that again! Gotta ride all year.
 

Fogerson

Former Resident Nerd
Coming back in the spring would hurt way too much if I hung it up. About 10 years ago there was a winter where I rode much less, then hit a big hill in the spring - with the way I felt on that hill, I said I would never do that again! Gotta ride all year.

+1 Billion on that...

Back in my roadie days I lived in Minnesota. I'd hang the bike up late October and wouldn't ride until the team's first training ride the first weekend of March. I just thought it was nuts to ride in such extreme cold.

There were a few problems with that:

1. *Most* guys on the team would ride their mtn bikes all winter, and thusly, not lose much
2. I kept eating to support a 200-250 miles/week regimen back then, though I hung the bike up ==> +20 lbs over the winter.
3. I didn't even ride stationary. I did jack sh!t. Well, in February I'd try to do stationary riding, but really didn't accomplish much.

Then that nasty 20 degree Saturday, with snow still on the side of the road, would come in March :puke:

For that day, and about 5-6 weeks following, I was lucky if I could make it into double digits on a ride before getting dropped like a sack of taters. It was painful, miserable, and full of "viscous burps".

Every year I swore I wasn't gonna' do that again, but I did it again. And again.

Eh, at least I was young and by the end of April I was rid of the 20 lbs and was coming on strong. Now, I'd simply die.

So, yeah, ride over the winter...it is actually pretty dang fun.
 

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
Long time no see!

I'm not hanging it up per say, but I plan on thoroughly doing an overhaul maintenance on my geared bikes and keep the SSpeeds alive through winter on frozen grounds/canal path/roads. Riding/running with proper gear is not bad. Dress in layers that you can zip up and down for any time you get overheated or cold and wear a windbreaker type of thingy jacket. I ran this morning and it started getting really hot by end.

BUT I will be trying to hit the slopes whenever I can! Time for change of scenery.

.... By the way if anybody is looking for any snow gear, hit me up I've got enough to open a store.

What you got? I'm actually looking for a uuuber flexy freestyle board. My Soloman Forecast Era is a 156. What else? Helmet? PM me...
 

Mare

Well-Known Member
Wonderful visuals, Tim!

I totally forgot to mention the cold factor because it's not the biggest issue on my mind anymore - if you ride all year, you don't shock your body when spring rolls around and it's really not warm yet. If you ride all year, your body adapts as the temps change so your body won't turn into a ball of phlegm with your lungs feeling like they are on fire.

The worst part for me with the cold is getting out of the warm car to get my bike off the roof, then changing in the parking lot afterwards.
 

al415

Banned
Perhaps when I retire to Colorado... 'Round my way you could not fill a soup bowl with the amount of snow we've seen these past couple of winters. This is my favorite time of year to be in the woods. The north jersey barbarians have all retreated to their caves for the winter, so the trails are pretty empty first thing in the morning. If the ground is too soft I blow the dust off the road bike and wear an extra lair of wool. My one concession to the idea of "winter" sports was to buy some snow shoes a few years ago. That purchase cooincided with the last ever snow to stick in Monmouth County... well, not quite but you get the idea.
 

Fogerson

Former Resident Nerd
Wonderful visuals, Tim!

You're welcome Mare :D

Another thing I failed to mention is the last year I was in MN and road racing, I blew up my left knee the first week of April sprinting up a hill (I was actually beating my team mates until I felt a "pop" in my knee).

It sidelined me (surgery) until I moved to NJ, then I busted up my ribs, then my back went to sh!t, and well, that was it for me & bikes until last year.

My point is that if you do take the winter off, make sure you "ease" back into it during the spring...ya' could hurt yourself.
 

743power

Shop: Bicycle Pro
Shop Keep
The worst part for me with the cold is getting out of the warm car to get my bike off the roof, then changing in the parking lot afterwards.

that's the worst. What I do is turn off the heat and put the windows down a mile before the parking lot. Gets your body heat flowing a bit before you head out.


I ride all year. Whether it's on the trainer inside, out on the bmx riding street or skatepark, or riding trails on the mtb, I need to be on my bike all year or I will go crazy.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Hang it up? Please... Some of the most fun rides I have ever done have been in the snow. When you get that perfect crust on the snow that makes even the most techy places paved...that's kinda cool. When you're riding through your favorite park with snow flakes flying everywhere as your headlight illuminates them...absolutely awesome! Winter riding is some of the most fun riding out there. I'll be at the mountains many times this winter but the bike will also be in full effect. My new training plan for 2009 starts Dec 1st. I'll be found on the bike for sure all winter long....
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I think you really just have to love riding any bike to ride through the winter. I got out on the road for 3 hours this morning. I'm just really loving it right now. Basically you have to be cool with just gettng on any bike and enjoying it. If the trails are in bad shape hit the roads. They'll be frozen before you know it.
 

Ian F

Well-Known Member
A lot of the parks around here are much better to ride during the Winter: not at crowded with hikers and with better visibility you can see through corners and are thus more comfortable going faster. At least this was the case when riding at Wissahickon.

I'm hoping to ride more over the Winter than I did all Summer... :eek:
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Some of the most fun rides I have ever done have been in the snow. When you get that perfect crust on the snow that makes even the most techy places paved...that's kinda cool.

i had one of my most fun rides ever on just such a day @ KVSP. me, grady, the goat, norm and i forget who else. soooo much fun, it was a full-on free ride festival. well, not so much for norm who blew out a pedal. wait, was woody there too?
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i had one of my most fun rides ever on just such a day @ KVSP. me, grady, the goat, norm and i forget who else. soooo much fun, it was a full-on free ride festival. well, not so much for norm who blew out a pedal. wait, was woody there too?

Yup, Woody as well. That's the day I rode on my spindle the whole ride. That was a lot of fun, I remember it well. Brett called me a dog that day.
 
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