Winter riding

derpderpson77

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum. It's obvious that alphalt freezes in winter, But is it safe to ride on soil? Does it get slippery and does the snow make it harder to ride? I mean, let's just have a conversation about winter riding on this thread. I have never done it before and I would like to get some advice from more experienced riders.

The Rookie

Icey mud can give more grip if it's rough than wet mud, less if its smooth, ice on roots and rocks turns treacherous into lethal, falling on frozen soil is the same as falling on concrete.

As always, read the trail ahead, pick and line and ride it, make sure the tyres are suitable for your terrain and your surface conditions.

Snow is predicatable on grip, you need a similar tyre to sloppy mud unless you get a spiked ice tyre.

WindyG

I enjoyed the recent frosty days we had, had better grip than the mud of the last few months. Just need to be more alert to iced over puddles and roots.

cooldad

Disagree with the snow bit. Fresh snow can give loads of grip, but can be hard work to pedal through. Once it packs down to ice though things get interesting.
Nothing better than a fresh snowfall and a blue sky.

Start of Monaco in Swinley - awesome ride with lots of crashes. And the day the youngster decided to give up SPD's.

cooldad

Even a grey sky. Pitch hill, your well dressed hero centre.

derpderpson77

Though I'm too late, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

ilovedirt

I quite like frozen dirt for riding on, plenty of grip, almost like riding in summer! (just watch the roots and rocks). It can give way quite suddenly though.