Sud-zero Temps Settle into Minnesota for the Week / Fresh Snow / Excellent Fat Tire Biking Times

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A ride along the Minnesota River this week with real time Winter weather, 2 degrees, I'll call it 0. Close enough for a good mtb ride. River was iced up pretty good with just a few open stretches. On this day Jeff commutes to work 25 miles on his LAMERE Fat Tire Bike, then I hook up with him at the Bloomington Ferry Bridge. We ride the river trail East towards 35W and double back. Trail was in great shape and we get a chance to try different tire combinations.  

 Sub-zero Midweek Early Morning Mountain Bike Adventure

 Up at 3:30am and pack the truck. Overnight temps dropped to -11 degrees. At the River Bottoms trailhead and on the bike by 5:00am. Out on the bike till 8:15am for over 3 hours, loaded the truck and swung into a Perkins Restaurant and had a hearty breakfast of steal and eggs. I was at work by 10:45am for my 8 hour work day. Ended with a 23 hour day, not bad...

Nailed the clothing layers pretty good. A bit cool at first, by the first mile I had opened the vents on my pants and jacket.Had a sip of ice tea I had mixed and did some riding and exploring across the river. Then crossed back over the river bridge and rode the singletrack East. The moon was bright in the sky and shining down on my bike.

 Hanging in the moon light...

 With sub-zero temps and fresh snow, the only tracks on most of the trail were Coyote and a few deer tracks.

 It is good time to be out in the early morning darkness. Stopped several times to soak in the solitude and moonlight.

 Daybreak!

Good to have an adventure in true Winter conditions and have my clothing and bike perform flawlessly at -11 degrees. The River is different every ride...

Ride On!!

Hazardous Weather Condition

Fair

-17°F

-27°C

• Humidity76%
• Wind SpeedE 5 mph
• Barometer30.01 in
• Dewpoint-22°F (-30°C)
• Visibility10.00 mi
• Wind Chill-30°F (-34°C)

Last Update on 28 Feb 2:19 am CST

Current conditions at

Minneapolis, Airlake Airport (KLVN)

Lat: 44.64°N Lon: 93.24°W Elev: 961ft.

More Local Wx | 3 Day History | Mobile Weather

Apple Valley MN

7 Day Forecast

Twin Cities/Chanhassen, MN

NWS Weather Forecast Office

Overnight

Partly
Cloudy

Low: -13 °F

Friday

Snow

High: 14 °F

Friday
Night

Slight Chc
Light Snow

Low: -4 °F

Saturday

Chance
Snow

High: 3 °F

Saturday
Night

Decreasing
Clouds

Low: -16 °F

Sunday

Best Winter Ever / Cold & Snow / Fat Tire Surly

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Good ride down along the Minnesota River on a beautiful evening. Started out in the late afternoon and rode into the dark. The snow conditions were very good and the temps were about 5 degrees at the start and dropped to about -2 degrees after 2 hours on the trails. We were treated to a moonlight ride back to the truck.

 The moon came out bright on the ride back and the Coyotes started their chorus of howling. It always adds to the adventure of being out and sharing a cold winter night with the sounds of the night.

Ride On!!

Moon over the Fat Tire...

Surley Pugsley + -15 Degree Temp / Moonlit Winter Night + 3 hours on the Trail = Good Time

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Riding along the river trail on a late winter afternoon. With temperatures at the start of the ride -13 degrees and dropping down to -15, the preparation is very important. I am making small changes to adjust to different temps. I bought a new lightweight shell jacket that has been a great addition to my winter mountain biking gear. I have been on subzero rides for the past month, so I have been able to fine tune my clothing.

There are going to be details like fingers and feet getting cold, they go through a cycle of cold and ya move your fingers and they warm up. With the feet, I just get off the bike and hike along for a bit, they warm right up. It has alot to do with regulating your body heat, you don't want to sweat. A couple of clothing rules that I follow are, wind protection, layer, having a vent system to move your body heat so as not to build up sweat. On my feet I wear a lightweight polyester / rayon sock. My boots are a mid weight Gore-tex boot, I don't want my feet restricted or sweaty. Over my boots I wear a neoprene boot cover that slips on easily.

I stop and snack on high protein snacks along with zero sugar energy drinks, Monster and Rockstar. Calories and caffeine keeps the blood warm, yeah!

It's not a race. It's just out enjoying the winter and as darkness settles in, the dark is my favorite time to be out, the woods are awesome. The moon was out tonight and with the bitter cold, there were tiny ice crystals floating in the air. I would stop and take a break, listen to the Hoot Owl in the distance. It's all good as long as I'm in the zone and have the proper mix of quality clothes.          

 Riding the snowmobile trails tonight along the river.

 This a 3 sided shelter with firewood and a fire pit. It was a good place to take a break after a climb out of the valley. My body was totally adjusted to the weather. The moon was bright over head.

  Rockstar...

 There are some massive logs laying on the ground along the river. So I can't resist climbing up and looking around. Kinda a neat view of the Pugsley below. 

 The face shot, a bit frosty tonight @ -15 degrees after 3 hours out on the trail.

 The High Life with snow crystals floating in the air.

Dashboard shot...Ride On!

Last Week of 2013 / Couple of Pugsley MTB Rides on the Snow Trails in Sub Zero Temps

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Snow biking the last week of 2013, the snow is deep and the temps are cold. With temperatures below zero degrees and a couple days of fresh snow it has been a blast to get out and have a winter adventure. Last week I had the -7 night and built the fire. That was all good.

Had another good ride on Christmas night with a few inches of fresh snow. I decided during that ride that I needed to try platform pedals and see how they would work compared to the step in cleats. Christmas ride was in fresh snow and I had to pop out of the pedals a few times and it was tougher then it needed to be.

On Monday, the last ride of 2013, there was about 2 inches of fresh snow on top of a solid base singletrack trail along the river. I used platform pedals and found that with the platform pedals, I was able to keep my feet warmer. I used my pack boots. Also, I could dab my foot quicker and keep my balance a bit easier riding on the narrow packed trail. I will be riding on the platform pedals any time that the conditions are tough and for sure on the narrow singletrack trails.  

 Every ride and hike down along the river, I am amazed at the trees and their shapes. This is the tree of the day.

 This is a fallen log that I came across, with it's roots in the air and the size of the tree, it must of shook the ground the day it toppled. It makes one wonder why one tree is uprooted and it is surrounded by trees that are still standing tall.

 I got a birds eye view of the Pugsley below. It was a dark night and the temps weren't as cold, about 2 degrees below zero.

As I was standing atop the massive fallen tree, a coyote began to bark and then progressed to an all out howl. He was close, maybe 30-40 yards away. I couldn't see him in the dark, I believe he was down along the river, just below the river bank. It was all good and I remained standing on the log and just listened to the night noises. It is at these times that I feel connected to the weather, landscape and any critters that happen to be in the area.

 The view from the saddle using the flash in the dark. Below is the view from my headlamp.

Here's looking to 2014 and more adventures to come...Ride On!!

Old Time Minnesota Winter / Snow & Cold / -7 Degrees Tonight on the Pugsley Ride

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A Minnesota winter brunch. Wash it down with a Monster Zero and I'm ready to tackle the sub-zero temps comin' our way. The plan is a Pugsley MTB ride later today along the Minnesota River.

It sure is good having Sunday and Monday off all winter, I am making the most of the 2 days to have a couple adventures each week. In the month of January we have a backcountry snowshoe, snowboard trip into the mountains of Coloradohttp://www.huts.org/The_Huts/10th_mountain.html. The weekly snowboarding with Ski Patrol and a mountain bike ride day will enable me to be fit and ready for the trip.   

Starting out in the late afternoon daylight is nice to get into the ride. The temps are about 0 degrees when I leave the truck, I'm wondering if this is a good idea. It's cold.

I'm getting the clothing layers sorted out with the different temps. I need to be warm but not too warm, dry is good and I feel comfortable. The first 20 minutes are always tough on the fingers. My left hand was very cold, my pinky finger was numb, I started working it around in my glove and the feeling started coming back. When one leaves the warmth of the truck or house, your body has to adjust and get the circulation out to your extremities. It happens every time with extreme temperatures. Ya got to accept it, that's the way it is.    

 I've been wanting to practice my fire starting this winter and tonight was perfect for it. The temps are sub zero and I rode about 7 miles out to the middle of nowhere. took a couple breaks to adjust to the temps and adjust clothing. Plenty of dead wood along the river so I gathered a small amount and had at it. I had the fire going in just a few minutes. Hydrated up, had a protein bar and savored the solitude of the remote location along the river banks. Mission accomplished.

 Stopped on the narrow bridge and listened to the creek burbling below. The water is still running even at -7 degrees.

 This sign is at the top of a climb out of the river valley, took a short break, still 3 miles to the truck.

Stopped for one more break before the last 1.5 miles. My body has adjusted to the temps and I feel like I could ride all night. It's not a race, it's get back alive and feel the adventure...Ride On!!