Do you ever dream about dry trails during the winter? Or wonder how you could push yourself to use your car less during the winter months? Recently, we caught up with a couple of locals who swear by year-round biking: Patrick Nagle, an RCR Trail Ambassador, civil engineer, and year-round bike commuter, and Kyle Pietras, Routt County Riders Board Vice President (aka KP-VP) who finds singletrack regardless of the season (when he’s not guiding guests through the powder havens of Buff Pass with Steamboat Powdercats). These two inspire us to ditch the engines and “embrace the suck”. Read on for some of their winter biking advice!
RCR: What inspires you to keep biking year-round, and what keeps you motivated during the winter months?
Patrick Nagle (PN): I guess my winter cycling motivation might just be denial that the bike season ever ends, the fact that I first made a habit of commuting year-round in seasonless Southern California, or maybe it’s just because I love a challenge! Like many things in life, one of the most important parts of staying motivated and actually enjoying winter commuting is your attitude! So, when things get uncomfortable I focus on the positives like the fact that I’m getting exercise, I’m saving gas, I didn’t have to scrape ice off my windshield, I’m not looking for parking, and I get the Core Trail almost all to myself… and when that isn’t working, I just embrace the suck!
Kyle Pietras (KP): Winter biking is not only fun but it’s hard, it’s a great source for cardio and leg strength in winter if you only ride chairlifts. Generally, I will only ride if it hasn’t snowed in a few days, skiing can beat you up if it’s not soft. I like to ride our Emerald trails, but for more of a challenge, I will ride Rabbit Ears West Summit trails, Uranium Mine Trail or Fish Creek.
RCR: How do you prepare yourself and your bike for riding, and what gear or tips would you recommend to others?
PN: I prepare myself similarly to how I would prepare for XC skiing or backcountry touring. Trying to keep my face, hands, and feet warm without overheating my core. So headbands, buffs, eye protection, thick socks, warm boots, etc. but a lighter jacket than I would wear if I was just walking my dog. I find rain pants to be a great bottom layer! Helpful gear includes pogies (aka bar mitts), studded tires (especially in the front), a pair of lights (front and back) for these short days, and a good set of fenders for the shoulder season slush. There’s a lot of trial and error for sure, so expect to have some frozen and/or sweaty rides as you dial in your setup for a given temperature.
KP: I usually dress lightly, under shell layers, pedaling for an hour or 2 will keep you warm enough. Sometimes I’ll bring a change of under-layers for the downhill or for longer rides. I ride with a pump and water, maybe a snack. The snow is always different, so I adjust air pressure on the fly, and by the feel of the snow. Let air out for the climb, maybe once or twice, and pump it back up a bit for the descent. Usually my front tire will stay the same. Better to have extra stuff in case something goes wrong, like extra layers in your pack.
RCR: Do you have any memorable stories or advice for someone considering winter biking?
PN: My memorable winter commuting moments are pretty consistent year-to-year. Watching the river ice come and go, making first tracks in fresh snow on the Core Trail, and trying to time my ride home so I can watch the alpenglow fire up on Mt. Werner! My advice is to just give it a try on a nice day with what you’ve already got and see what you think! Be careful, be patient, and have fun!
KP: Before RCR groomed fat bike trails, we would snowshoe up to the Quarry via Lupine from Brooklyn where I live. You could make the trail go wherever you wanted. We would ride with snowshoes and extend the trails during rides, for the next ride, sometimes up Quarry Mountain Trail or across Blair Witch to MGM. It seemed the Fairview neighborhood access would take care of Molly’s and MGM, so they were usually good to ride. This was also before we could ride on the nordic trails, but we were allowed to cross them. I would get harassed by the Nordic Ambassadors occasionally, they didn’t want to share. Then it would snow and we would start over. It was a lot of work – sometimes I felt like more of a snowshoer than a biker. It was always worth it though, there’s nothing like ripping down snow trails as fast as you can, occasionally flipping into the soft powder. Super fun!!
Huge thanks to Patrick and Kyle for inspiring us to get back on two (un-stationary) wheels. Now on to the social media marketplace to hunt for used fat bikes…
Lucy Winslow – Programs & Events Coordinator
lucy@routtcountyriders.org