Don’t about your neck of the woods, however snow nation out within the West goes bonkers. Perhaps you’d nonetheless wish to get out in your bike although – even for some honest-to-goodness adventures. Well, right here’s your information. This is a part of our archive of 1000’s of tales. Felt acceptable to reshare contemplating the bonkers climate. – Ed.
I can’t say that I’m a lot of a winter particular person nowadays, and I’m definitely no fats bike fanatic. Sure, I grew up as a Nordic ski racer in Minnesota, however nowadays, I reside in Arizona and relish using and mountaineering on dry grime and rocks all yr lengthy. It’s not that I dislike adventuring within the snow – it’s merely not my choice. But final week, I unexpectedly discovered myself in Idaho, chasing bike owner/information/writer Jay Petervary up a groomed singletrack climb on obnoxiously large tires by means of the forest above Victor. And boy was I ever grinning. Petervary is the organizer of the Fat Pursuit, a winter extremely on the snowmobile path community west of Yellowstone National Park with 200-mile and 200-kilometer distances. The race was a scant week away, and he and different mates within the Teton Valley had been all encouraging me to throw my hat in. The solely drawback was that I had introduced just about no winter gear to Idaho, I didn’t have a fats bike, and I hadn’t actually ridden on snow in years. No drawback, the buddies all stated, providing up the whole lot I’d want, together with a motorbike and ample recommendation. After just a few days of attempting, and failing, to generate excuses for why I shouldn’t do the race, I registered for the 200-miler.
That week was a whirlwind of studying the whole lot I wanted to find out about using snow, winter gear, protecting heat and dry, clothes redundancy, tire strain, frozen meals, protecting my water from solidifying, and a lot extra. And luckily, I had a crack staff of skilled mates keen to assist out with the educational. This is what I realized about longer-distance winter pedaling and winter ultras.
After almost 20 hours of racing, Neil Beltchenko pushes his bike up the final pitch to the Continental Divide close to Two Top Mountain beneath a pastel daybreak. Photo: Refsnider
• Proper pogies (boxing glove-like handwarmers on your bars), using boots, and a very good sock system are sport changers. Growing up within the Midwest, I used to journey with outsized cross-country sneakers, additional pairs of socks, and two pairs of booties, and my toes nonetheless froze. I additionally rode in two-piece expedition mitts to maintain my arms heat. But pogies just like the Cobrafist from 45NRTH or the notably hotter Expedition Pogies from Revelate Designs let you journey with simply gentle gloves (or none in any respect) in your arms in chilly climate. And footwear designed for winter using (I used the 45NRTH Wölvhammer boot) saved my toes principally heat down to five °F. Along with the boots, I wore a liner sock, a vapor barrier, and a thicker insulating sock. The vapor barrier retains any sweat locked in in order that the insulating sock and the boot’s insulation stay dry and efficient. This is crucial for protecting my sweaty toes heat for any journey longer than a few hours. I really used thick rooster roasting luggage picked up on the grocery retailer. They are sturdy sufficient for use a number of occasions with out worrying about your massive toe poking by means of the tip.
• If your entrance tire is feeling squirrely, let air out. And if you happen to really feel your rear tire is slipping, let air out. Mike Barklow, who completed the 200-miler fully self-supported this yr, defined this easy idea. The concept of low tire strain in fats tires was nothing new to me, however seeing how he and others would generally journey with 2 psi or much less was a bit stunning. And it certain as heck labored like a allure in delicate snow. Starting out a journey at 6 psi or so and progressively letting air out as wanted labored effectively for me. And then when circumstances firmed up, out got here the pump to place extra air again in. Carrying the pump in a pocket or someplace in your physique will even assist be sure that the pump works if you want it – rubber o-rings may be fussy when temperatures dip too low. And merely put, the broader the tire, the higher the flotation. The softer the path and the heavier the load, the extra you’ll need a large tire (large being one thing shut to five” throughout).
• Don’t let your self sweat—ever. Everyone gave me this similar recommendation. And for somebody who sweats readily when working onerous, this had me a bit nervous. But using in only a pair of softshell pants and a long-sleeve base layer and long-sleeve wool jersey saved me snug if temperatures had been between 10 and 25 °F. But as quickly as I’d cease, I’d have so as to add a layer to maintain from getting instantly chilled. A wind vest was additionally nice for serving to modulate core temperature simply. Below 10 °F, a softshell jacket and a skinny base layer beneath my pants was important.
• Bring additional of the whole lot. Petervary emphasised this packing method. He’s been racing ultras for longer than just about anybody, and he by no means has essentially the most svelte, minimalist equipment in a race. But when circumstances deteriorate, his additional gear has served him effectively, and I’ve a lot respect for such an strategy. I carried 2 additional pairs of sunshine gloves, an additional hat, buff, and headband, a full change of socks and vapor obstacles, an additional base layer, mid-weight expedition mitts, rain knickers, and a lightweight down jacket. I’d even have carried a rain shell and gaiters had snow been within the forecast. I didn’t want all that additional clothes, however ought to something have gone fallacious, I’d have been glad to have had it.
At simply 2 psi or much less, large tires may even discover some traction amid a dump of contemporary snow. Photo: Refsnider
• Bring finger meals. “I like to cut my snacks and treats up into bite-sized pieces,” bike adventurer Nan Pugh informed me together with her typical grin. “Then you can let them defrost in your mouth.” Figuring out what didn’t freeze stable was a enjoyable experiment, after which I did simply as she prompt, filling a feedbag on the bike’s stem with bite-sized morsels. Perfect Bars, Bobo’s Oat Bars, peanut butter cups, and squares of darkish chocolate saved me shifting.
• The greatest approach to preserve water from freezing is both in a well-insulated thermos or in a bladder worn over your base layer and beneath any extra layering. I carried as a lot as 100 ounces of water in a bladder on this method, and so long as I used to be good about protecting the hose and mouthpiece tucked into my shirt and towards my chest, it by no means froze up. After each drink you are taking, additionally blow the water again by means of the hose to maintain all of the water near the warmth of your again.
• Having a approach to soften snow for water and prepare dinner a heat meal is indispensable. In the Fat Pursuit, stoves had been required tools, and the primary assist station insisted on seeing riders boil water instantly upon arrival! But don’t essentially rely in your typical warm-weather bikepacking range to work within the chilly. White fuel stoves are usually incredible in wintery circumstances, whereas fuel canister stoves that use propane or isobutane may be way more problematic. For these stoves, winter gasoline mixtures that embrace increased propane-to-isobutane ratios are crucial at sub-freezing temperatures, and doing no matter you possibly can to maintain the canister heat will assist. Heat the canister in your jacket earlier than it’s essential to use it, transfer your arms backwards and forwards between the nice and cozy pot and the canister whereas heating up water, and utilizing a windscreen will all assist dramatically. But if you happen to plan to do a lot winter tenting, investing in a white fuel range could be clever.
Boots just like the 45NRTH Wölvhammer are designed particularly for winter using – a reasonably stiff sole, deep lugs for mountaineering traction, SPD cleat compatibility, and a little bit of insulation. Size up 1-2 sizes or extra for additional quantity for carrying a multi-layer sock system. Photo: Refsnider
• An insulating sleeping pad is crucial. Foam pads nonetheless reign supreme in chilly temperatures, and though they’re cumbersome, they’ll actually assist insulate when sleeping on chilly snow. Insulated inflatable pads are simple to search out in outside shops, however they received’t be almost as efficient as a foam pad. I didn’t plan to sleep throughout the race, so simply I carried an inflatable pad, however for any extra relaxed journey, a foam pad would most definitely be a part of my equipment, doubtless along with the insulated inflatable pad for a style of winter tenting luxurious.
• A typical bikepacking setup is ok. I carried all my gear on my bike utilizing a reasonably typical system – 0 °F sleeping bag, pad, and bivy on the handlebars, all my additional clothes within the seatbag, spare elements, instruments, range, and gasoline in my body bag, and goodies to maintain me fueled in smaller luggage on the highest tube and stem. Alternatively, placing extra weight on a rear rack and taking weight off the handlebars will help with dealing with on delicate snow.
All the information I used to be given earlier than going through the Fat Pursuit paid enormous dividends. I rode a Pivot LES Fat that I had simply been loaned a pair days earlier than the occasion, packed it up with all my loaned gear, introduced far more layers than I assumed I’d want, and settled into pedaling by means of the attractive wintery panorama at or close to the pinnacle of affairs. I finished often so as to add or take away clothes layers, adjusted tire strain often, and swapped out my sock system as soon as. 27 hours after the beginning I sprinted throughout the end line. Remarkably, my untested system labored out phenomenally effectively, due to all the oldsters who shared their greatest recommendation.
The small items of equipment that Kurt carried throughout the Fat Pursuit, from prime left: Glue-on patch equipment, chain lube, multi-tools, tire pump, tire lever, zip ties, tire plugs, chain hyperlinks, spare cleat and bolts, small first-aid equipment, Garmin eTrex 20 GPS for navigation, Fenix HL25 headlamp, Fenix BC21R handlebar gentle, additional lithium batteries for lights and GPS, Dermatone, Vargo BOT 700 pot, Olicamp 4-season range gasoline, Snowpeak range, windscreen, hand heaters (6 pairs), spare tube, and emergency bivy. Photo: Refsnider