Winter 2013
This year, I decided not to let the snowy weather force me on to the trainer. The collegiate road race season begins in early March, so January is a key training time, but riding a road bike in the winter in my hometown of Jackson, WY is nearly impossible. Typical winter road conditions look like this:
Right after landing in Jackson for winter break from MIT, I eagerly snatched up my dad's "snow bike". It is a Surly Pugsley that weighs about 40 lbs, looks like a dirtbike, and has no trouble whatsoever riding over packed snow and ice, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace.
In a high-volume training week back on campus, I ride 500km many weeks. However, during the Rapha Festive 500 challenge (#festive500), I was stuck on the snow bike for the first 3 days so didn't think my chances of completing the challenge were very good. (I did end up completing it, by riding a lot in CA on a family vacation for the last 4 days -- 26 hour riding week, in total, which was exhausting!)
Anyway, I decided just to enjoy the snowy conditions and do some fun rides. One memorable excursion took me and my dad to Granite Hot Springs, a pool located 10 miles up a U.S. Forest Service road that was only accessible by snowmobile, dog-sled, or snow bike. Road conditions were awful; it had snowed recently, and the snowmobiles stirred up the powder so that it felt like riding up a mountain through sand that randomly moved and slipped around. By the time we reached the hot springs (over 2 hours after beginning), my upper body ached from stabilizing myself and minimizing slips and falls. (I don't get much upper-body exercise now that I'm focused mainly on road biking, hah). We dipped in the pool, then bundled up again to begin the descent:
This year, I decided not to let the snowy weather force me on to the trainer. The collegiate road race season begins in early March, so January is a key training time, but riding a road bike in the winter in my hometown of Jackson, WY is nearly impossible. Typical winter road conditions look like this:
Right after landing in Jackson for winter break from MIT, I eagerly snatched up my dad's "snow bike". It is a Surly Pugsley that weighs about 40 lbs, looks like a dirtbike, and has no trouble whatsoever riding over packed snow and ice, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace.
In a high-volume training week back on campus, I ride 500km many weeks. However, during the Rapha Festive 500 challenge (#festive500), I was stuck on the snow bike for the first 3 days so didn't think my chances of completing the challenge were very good. (I did end up completing it, by riding a lot in CA on a family vacation for the last 4 days -- 26 hour riding week, in total, which was exhausting!)
Anyway, I decided just to enjoy the snowy conditions and do some fun rides. One memorable excursion took me and my dad to Granite Hot Springs, a pool located 10 miles up a U.S. Forest Service road that was only accessible by snowmobile, dog-sled, or snow bike. Road conditions were awful; it had snowed recently, and the snowmobiles stirred up the powder so that it felt like riding up a mountain through sand that randomly moved and slipped around. By the time we reached the hot springs (over 2 hours after beginning), my upper body ached from stabilizing myself and minimizing slips and falls. (I don't get much upper-body exercise now that I'm focused mainly on road biking, hah). We dipped in the pool, then bundled up again to begin the descent:
The descent was not relaxing. In fact, it took just as long to ride down as it did to ride up, so slow were the road conditions! After a grueling riding down, we finally reached the car, freezing with our wet clothes and the setting sun.
Much more of an adventure than riding on a trainer!
This is very good information.i think it's useful advice. really nice blog. keep it up!!!
ReplyDeletesnow conditions