Ride Before the Storm

There was a huge winter storm that hit Edmonton on January 7th, 2011 and continues to dump snow on us.  In just over a week we have seen almost 2 feet of snow and deep freeze conditions with temperatures colder than -30 degrees Celsius when factoring in the wind chill.  What do you  do when the weather is like that?  Well, there is a lot of shoveling, but I also had some spare time on my hands to edit some video.

This video was shot on January 3rd, 2011, my last ride before the storm.  It was my last day off during the Christmas break and the weather was beautiful.  I headed out solo from DaCapo Cafe then rode along the south side of the North Saskatchewan River to the Dawson bridge and back.  It wasn't a long ride, but definitely good to get out for a spin. 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W0fIQSP-os

Boxing Day Ride

I guess Santa read my Christmas Wish List because under the tree on December 25th was a GoPro HD camera!  I couldn't wait to try it out but I managed to hold off until Boxing Day. 

My friend Jason and I hit the trails starting in Mill Creek on December 26th.  We rode some of the east Canada Cup trails, over to Conner's Hill and back through Mill Creek.  Here is some of the video I managed to capture.  Being a noob, I wasn't able to capture the first half of the ride as I had the settings wrong.

We also stopped by the river boat fire pit for a while to work on our skillz.  Apparently they still need some tuning...

Here is the updated, high quality (720p) version as promised.  I combined both videos into one and added music, as requested.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhnpK2mlkwE

Winter Cycling Gear continued...

To continue from the prior post, this is the conclusion to my winter riding gear overview. 

Head Gear

There are many options when it comes to keeping you head warm, depending on how much of your face you also want to protect. If you are looking around in your closet for something, keep in mind whatever you choose needs to fit comfortably under your helmet. My primary concern when out in the cold, in addition to keeping my head warm, is keeping my ears from freezing. For this, I found the Sugoi SubZero Skull Cap to be an excellent choice. It is very thin and barely noticeable on your head, yet holds the heat in as well as most thick winter toques. If you are looking for additional protection, a balaclava would be a fine choice to increase coverage to your cheeks, chin and neck. There are many other head and face protection options available and they seem to be universal for many winter activities that use helmets including skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling.  For those guys looking for an excuse not to shave, keeping your face warm is the perfect reason to grow a beard.

Shoes

I saved the most important for last. You can use your shoes that you use all season, but your feet will be cold, more accurately, frozen by the time your ride comes to an end. Even with a couple layers of socks, you will need some cold weather assistance in the footwear department. There are a couple options available, one of which is winter booties, which slip on over your existing cycling shoes. My friend Sheldon over at Bikeridr.com did a great review of the Sugoi winter riding bootie.  These booties definitely help keep the snow and cold off your feet but they are a hassle. Booties are difficult to get on and the toes tend to come up if you encounter a hike-a-bike section allowing snow to get in your shoe vents.  Finally, they are not very durable as I have wore out the pair I purchased last season in about 15 rides. That being said, this is definitely the way to go if you are only going to ride a few times over the winter or if you just want to see if winter riding is for you.

If you have already made the decision that you will be riding in the winter on a regular basis, the only option is a winter specific cycling shoe or boot. A few of us had a good discussion about winter footwear prior to our ride last Sunday. There are plenty of good options available but brand that seemed to be getting the most support was Lake, specifically the MXZ302 model. The opinions were that warmth of the Lake was similar to some other premium boots on the market, but what makes these stand out for users is the Vibram soul which provides superior traction on icy surfaces compared to any other MTB shoe available.  If you find you aren't doing much walking, other less expensive options are available including popular cycling shoe brands such as Sidi and Shimano.

Conclusion

There are several alternatives to going out and buying cold weather gear.  The most important thing to keeping warm, no matter the sport, is dressing in layers and keep the layers as thin as possible.  If you are serious about winter riding, winter cycling shoes/boots are a necessity.  Booties, although better than nothing, aren't of much use and will need to be replaced regularly. 

If you are riding in the winter months, make sure you take a look at the forecast prior to heading out and keep an eye on the time as it gets dark early.  If you are going out by yourself, tell someone where you are going and when they can expect you back in case you are injured.  It wouldn't take long to suffer hypothermia if you are laying in the snow unconscious or with a broken leg.  Take a cell phone in case you experience mechanical troubles beyond your trail side ability to fix.  There are fewer people out and about in the winter months so there is less of a chance someone will find you if you are in trouble.

Winter Cycling Gear

In my previous post I discussed winter cycling and the joys of riding in the snow.  After heading out this past Sunday as the mercury dipped down to a frosty -16*C, I have a few thoughts on cold weather gear.

Cold weather gear specific to cycling is definitely the best option as far as performance and comfort is concerned but there are other options you can try that are a little less costly, especially if you are trying winter cycling for the first time or you are only planning to ride occasionally during the winter months. Also, if you participate in any other outdoor winter activities, some of the winter cycling gear doesn’t transfer well to another winter sport.

Upper Body

I think the most important thing you can do when preparing for outdoor winter activities is to layer your clothing. I use a Nike Dryfit compression fit long sleeve shirt (it doubles as my shirt I wear under my hockey equipment), a long sleeve cycling jersey and one of a couple different light weight, cold weather jackets I use for XC skiing. I doubt these jackets are much different that the cold weather cycling gear so if you already have something similar in your closet you may not have to shell out any additional money.

Lower Body

There are plenty of options for cold weather cycling tights and even though I don’t use them, I have heard that they are well liked by those cyclists who do. I feel that this is one of the items that I can come up with a customized option from my existing wardrobe. Like most people who ride frequently, I already have a large chamois collection which have no other use than cycling. As far as keeping my lower legs warm, I have Nike Dryfit compression fit pants (also wear these under my hockey equipment) and I have a pair of cold weather pants that I use for XC skiing. When I layer these items I don’t think there is any reduction in performance and I stay warm the entire ride. I would say my current mix-and-match of gear is an adequate alternative to specific cold weather tights.

Gloves

Cycling specific winter gloves are great. The most commonly used style is called Lobster Claws. They are a combination of mitts and gloves with only a thumb and two fingers. Your index and middle fingers go in one side and your ring and pinkie fingers go in the other side. This will keep your fingers a bit warmer in the way mitts do as each finger isn’t isolated as they are in gloves, but still allows you to two finger brake. Again, I use my existing winter gear as I have plenty of gloves that I use for XC skiing. On colder days gloves aren’t as effective as Lobster Claws, but in temperatures warmer than -15*C I have not required anything warmer than my existing gloves.

I will come back to this topic on my next post to address the last two, and in my opinion most important, areas of concern - your head and your feet.  Stay tuned!

Winter Cycling

As the days get shorter, the leaves turn colors and fall off the trees, and the temperature drops, it is just a matter of time before the snow flies when you live in Alberta. That day came on Wednesday here in Edmonton.  For the people who live an active lifestyle, when the cold and snow arrives it signals the time to take up indoor sports or visit the gym more often.  For those who don`t mind the elements, their focus turns to hockey or skiing. Then there are the few crazy individuals who continue to bike throughout the winter months over the snow and ice. At least that is what I thought before I tried winter riding last year.

The most common question I get after being asked if I ride all year long is how do you ride on the snow and ice? Do you use studded tires? Don't you fall a lot? Honestly, I think this is why most people in Edmonton can't drive their cars in the winter. I say this because the same logic applies when driving on snow and ice, regardless of whether it is a car or a bike on top of set of tires. You need to reduce your speed, give yourself more time to stop and don't try to make sudden turns. There is a bit more to pay attention to when on your bike that doesn't apply to your vehicle such as leaning and how much to use your front vs. rear brakes, but the basic winter driving rules apply to both. 

I enjoy winter cycling for the same reason I enjoy night riding - it makes old trails new again. Even though we are blessed to have so much excellent single track in our river valley, trails get a bit boring after riding them through the spring, summer and autumn. Adding a layer of snow adds a new twist to the same old trails and you have to shift your attention as areas of difficulty tend to change. Even though snow will reduce the technical features when roots become covered with snow, climbs and descents can become more difficult.

I found that the skills I was required to improve the most were slow speed bike handling and balance. When you are on a snow covered trail you need to keep on the hard packed area. On the less travelled trails the packed area can be as narrow as 6 inches wide. If your front wheel goes off the hard packed trail it will sink into the soft snow, killing your momentum. If you go off the trail at a high speed you might go over the handlebars, so it is best to reduce your speed.  I compare the skill required to ride these very narrow snow trails similar to that necessary to ride ladder bridges.  But unlike the potentially painful penalty if you fall off a ladder bridge, typically on the snowy trails the worst that happens is you have to put your foot down in a the soft powder and some snow gets in your shoes.

Cycling in the winter isn`t dangerous or crazy any more than it is during the summer.  The most extreme part of winter cycling is the temperatures so just like every other winter sport, you need to dress appropriate for the weather.  I will continue with this theme next post with a look into what you need for riding gear.  Stay tuned!

*photo credits to Sheldon Smart