Riding in Edmonton, the Fall 2011 thread

[newfangled]

If you're just looking to see dirt then there's a sheltered section on Victoria Secret that's snowfree, and the new trail by Roland Drive/Riverside golfcourse has spots too. But they're pretty short, so it's not really like summer riding, but it is a nice reminder.

[2 wheels and proud]

Anyone been in the rivere valley latetly? is it too icey to ride? I got a smoken deal on a hei hei 100 And i want to take it out.

[newfangled]

^ Last week the conditions were terrific, but this week it's getting to be pretty crummy in spots. I was out yesterday at lunch, and even with plenty of daylight and studded tires I had a couple of unexpected near-washouts.

That being said...you got a new bike? Ride it!

[jonb505]

Very slick but managed to get some riding in tonight in Terwillegar park on the pugsley.
climbed the first hill right out of the parking lot just fine. After that i hit some singletrack at the top of the first hill and it was very icy from there on in. Back wheel slipped out the first few mins on the flat singletrack. Decided to come back down to the dog park/parking lot area and try riding round the big loop and through the field which had some bare spots. Pretty well had to sit on my but and drag the bike down behind me while sliding down the nearest hill. It was crazy.
It was actually pretty fun once i got down by the parking lot and just ripped around in the field a bit. The ice made a cool squeaky sound under the tires and ripping through the field smashing through the icy snow sounded like breaking glass.
Studded tires would be the cat's pyjamas right now!
Tempted to get a set of those Nokian studded tires i saw at RVC today and put em on one of my other bikes so i can rip around on the ice. Can't stand being stuck inside, not being able to really do any proper riding.
Heres some shots from tonight:

[jonb505]

well i couldn't take it anymore so i did a little research and got to work this afternoon studding the tires on the pugsley. The results are spectacular. I've got a new weapon to attack the icy trails of the edmonton river valley!





Took a quick test run at the school yard next door. Serious bite on the off camber and lumpy ice! Can't wait to try this out in terwillegar again, maybe tomorrow. Should be able to ride everything out there now minus the really steep technical stuff. Took a lot of courage to throw this thing down an icy bank on my test run but it just stuck like glue, which i was thankful for, since i wasn't wearing a helmet.

Ride on, enjoy the weather!

[newfangled]

^ very nice!

And y'know, I always see pictures of bikes in peoples' living rooms and I think "how do they keep it so clean? My bike it way to gross to be allowed inside." It's nice to see a bike that's actually dirty.

[jonb505]

Originally Posted by newfangled

^ very nice!

And y'know, I always see pictures of bikes in peoples' living rooms and I think "how do they keep it so clean? My bike it way to gross to be allowed inside." It's nice to see a bike that's actually dirty.

Haha, well it helps that I am single. or maybe thats why i'm still single
So yes all my bikes get to sleep inside the house, mainly because I don't have anywhere else to put them safe from thieves. Living in a small townhouse with no garage, not even a basement so the only safe place to keep them where they are out of the way is hung on wall racks in my room.

I just try not to get em too dirty when i'm out riding in the winter, but if the frame gets a bit grimy i shake em off and wipe with a rag before bringing them inside so nothing drops off on the floor. Winters actually the best for keeping things clean cause the snow and ice is pretty much just water so the most i have to do is a quick wipe with the rag after a ride to dry the frame. Summer can be a challenge with dirt and mud but by that time its warmer outside so i take em out back and hose em off before i bring em inside. Good incentive to keep the bikes clean too i suppose.

[Psycho Mike]

Well, I managed to get downto Bikeworks on Saturday...the rear wheel of the DT is now built up. All I need to do it get the cassette and rotor back on and I'm good to throw it on the bike. Man, in spite of all the ice, I may need to take it for a little spin here soon

[Psycho Mike]

The DT is back together....Saturday I'll probably get the drivelines on both bikes cleaned up, maybe throw the slick on the Cx bike and get it set up for training in the basement and then start my training for the Ride this year.

If anyone needs a good cause to contribute to, I've added a couple "bonus" things to my efforts for the Ride to Conquer Cancer this year. 1) I am doing it on the DT again 2) if I raise $7500 I'll shave my legs (go "roadie") and if I manage $10k I'm shaving the head and moustache off. For either "bonus" I'll keep the shave until the Ride. To put this in perspective, I usually raise ~$5000 through my "normal" fund raising, so getting into shave territory is dangerously close to within reach.

I'm even looking at doing a bit of a bottle drive by bike this year...if anyone has a stash of bottles and cans they'd like to contribute, I'm willing to bring bike and trailer up to haul away (plus, if it totals more than $15, I'll still make sure you get the tax receipt for it).

[jkirkpatri]

Not really a winter ride, but I figured since I posted the video for the re-design of 99 Street by the Old Timers Cabin, I might as well through up the new Walter Dale Bridge video out now.

Very cool. How it will look to drive into downtown Edmonton after 2015 | Edmonton Journal

[dana109]

Hello,

haven't posted for a long time because I haven't been able to ride for a while.

I'm recovering from knee surgery and hoping to be able to ride come spring. Can't wait.

[newfangled]

Good luck, Dana.

So just how ridiculous is this weather? I've commuted everyday, and have been in my "Level 1" gear almost the whole time. There was the coldsnap two weeks ago and a few days back in mid-November when I broke out the Level 3 and 4 gear, but other than that it might as well be fall.

Not sure who's still riding, but the trails are in good shape. Before the coldsnap they were getting treacherously icy, but the extra bit of snow really helped things out.

Will we make it to April without needing a "Riding in Edmonton, the Winter 2012" thread? (of course now I've jinxed it)

[jkirkpatri]

Yeah, the weather has been great for commuting. I've had so many opportunities to get out and ride and I've always passed. The weather is warmer now that some of the pre-snow night rides I went out on, so I've no excuse!

One bad thing about no snow is no snow playing with the Jeep. Last year was a hoot and this year it's blah.

[joewill]

I was out for my first snow ride a couple of weeks ago (I'd post pictures but I think I'm too new). I stuck to roads and some bike paths. A couple of sketchy moments on the ice where the bike got out a bit from under me.

So that got me thinking about studded tires. I've been visiting shops in the area looking for a bike for my girlfriend. So while I'm at the shops I've been checking out the studded tires. The price seems a bit steep for me to invest this year, spring almost feels right around the corner. Next year I'll be more prepared.

[HankMcCoy]

Last year was my first season of full-on river valley riding and the wait until spring is killing me... Can any of you seasoned vets give me an idea of when trails will be rideable? I realize it depends on what type of spring we have but I'm trying to set realistic expectations of when I'll be able to start up again.

[newfangled]

Right now is actually a pretty good time to hit the trails. It's not sloppy, and there's no ice, and basic knobby mountain bike tires should work fine. In a normal winter a lot of the singletrack becomes really impassable, but this year everything is still open but just a little narrower than normal. The temperatures are great, and you can't beat riding in a gentle snowfall.



But that being said, in a normal year I think most stuff is dry by mid-April and we'll probably be a little earlier this year. Last year it was supercold in March, and after that the melt took a solid month because of all the snow, but even with all that everything was open again by late April.

[P-Tron]

Can't wait to get out there this Spring! Over the Winter I ditched the worn-out stock tires (Maxxis Aspens) for a Kenda Nevegal up front and Panaracer FireXCPro for the rear - as much as I can tell by just looking at them, they should be really good for early season stuff. Topped it off with a front fender (SKS shockboard) and rear splashguard
Also picked up a CygoLite 740 so I can ride early and late Should be a good year!

I bought my bike in the middle of Summer last year and put on 1000km, I'm guessing I'll do 2500km this year!

[jkirkpatri]

I've done zero riding since last autumn. I am way out of shape and will get my ass handed to me often this spring. Can't wait!

[newfangled]

It's amazing what a difference a couple of days or even a couple of hours makes. I was out yesterday at lunchhour on my slick-tired cruiser, and I was slipping all over the place on all the slush. By the time I headed home everything was melted and gone. At this rate the trails could be clear pretty soon (especially if we get the rain that the forecast is calling for).

Originally Posted by P-Tron

Over the Winter I ditched the worn-out stock tires (Maxxis Aspens) for a Kenda Nevegal up front and Panaracer FireXCPro for the rear - as much as I can tell by just looking at them, they should be really good for early season stuff.

I've got a firexc on the back of my hardtail, and it has lasted forever. This will be it's 3rd season, and I figure it's got at least 6000km of commuting/trails on it, and there's still plenty of life left in it. The only thing is that it's always been a really terrible wet weather tire. If the trails are a little muddy, or if the roots are a little damp then it will slide all over the place.

[Psycho Mike]

Originally Posted by newfangled

I've got a firexc on the back of my hardtail, and it has lasted forever. This will be it's 3rd season, and I figure it's got at least 6000km of commuting/trails on it, and there's still plenty of life left in it. The only thing is that it's always been a really terrible wet weather tire. If the trails are a little muddy, or if the roots are a little damp then it will slide all over the place.

The FireXC's last forever, but yeah, they suck when things get wet. Even if it is moderately damp, they can clog up pretty good. In snow, I ccutally find they do respectably well, but not in mud.

FWIW, I'm running Spesh tires on the DT: Purgatory on the front and Eskar on the back (both tubeless). Handle the mud better, but won't last nearly as long

[HankMcCoy]

I'm getting ready to buy a new hardtail... I'm looking at a Rocky Mountain Soul 29er. What experiences have you guys had in test riding bikes? I'd want to take it out on a trail instead of just the parking lot but I'm not sure if many stores in town allow this.
Redbike and Revolution are the two lbs that carry the bike; any feedback on purchases from either store?

[newfangled]

I'm curious to hear this too, but I haven't done a test ride at either Redbike or Revolution.

I know that whenever I go to Revolution they've always got people riding around in the back lot. When I bought a hardtail from Western a few springs ago they weren't even letting people do that, because there was too much gravel on the ground.

[Psycho Mike]

Originally Posted by newfangled

I'm curious to hear this too, but I haven't done a test ride at either Redbike or Revolution.

I know that whenever I go to Revolution they've always got people riding around in the back lot. When I bought a hardtail from Western a few springs ago they weren't even letting people do that, because there was too much gravel on the ground.

Heck, last time I was looking at Revolution, Dennis suggested I go take the bike for a spin down MacKinnon which is only a couple blocks away. (He did ask I try to keep the bike clean, though).

[HankMcCoy]

Originally Posted by Psycho Mike

Heck, last time I was looking at Revolution, Dennis suggested I go take the bike for a spin down MacKinnon which is only a couple blocks away. (He did ask I try to keep the bike clean, though).

I just talked to someone at Revolution and he said that they'd only allow parking lot test rides... I imagine it's different if you know someone who works there.