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Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Old 01-06-22, 09:32 AM
  #9676  
rholland1951
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Originally Posted by sherbornpeddler
"New Year Ice Sculpture" was supposed to be the header to my post and it was supposed to be a whimsical reference to your ice goatee, the frozen puddle on the trail and a few of my own recent mental images of Boston ice sculptures. I suppose my inability to corral spell check and my hunt peck typing are to be part of the "good ole, reliable, just like last year and the year before that". Your new bike though is sweet. All these winter riding posts are inspirational. Thank you and all you Metro Boston family of posters.
Much like Santa Claus, Spell Check Is Watching You.

Best wishes for the coming year!

rod
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Old 01-06-22, 12:03 PM
  #9677  
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All excited for my new Salsa Beargrease fat bike to get its tires wet!
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Old 01-06-22, 11:41 PM
  #9678  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
All excited for my new Salsa Beargrease fat bike to get its tires wet!
Enjoy!

rod
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Old 01-07-22, 12:02 AM
  #9679  
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Thursday, I found a sliver of time in the early afternoon to take the Rivendell Appaloosa for a quick ride up the Minuteman, just seven miles, but that was enough to convince me that the bike was friendly and wasn't looking to kill me the first chance it gets. I just need to be broad-minded about its many eccentricities, which, after all, are not its fault.


By the end of the ride I fancied I had learned to ride this one. I had certainly learned to make myself at home on it, and was enjoying the combination of long wheelbase, fat, supple knobbies, and light steering. The upright riding posture will take some getting used to.


It's all subject to change, of course... just not this week.

rod
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Old 01-07-22, 09:26 AM
  #9680  
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got out for some early morning fun, not far from my house





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Old 01-07-22, 10:13 AM
  #9681  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
got out for some early morning fun, not far from my house




Snow! Bravo! No more false alarms! Where's my shovel?
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Old 01-07-22, 01:59 PM
  #9682  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Snow! Bravo! No more false alarms! Where's my shovel?
lol, I know, it finally came! timing a ride was tricky. I like the start of storms, before it gets too deep! today that meant super early! can't wait to get home from work & crash w/ my feet up tonight! we have 1 shovel out but more snow equipment will have to rise from the basement ... here we go, kicking & screaming, into the heart of NE winter ...
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Old 01-07-22, 05:44 PM
  #9683  
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It was waaaayyyy slower and harder than I imagined. My HR zone was about the same as my avg speed. I was running 4” 27.5 tires at 6 psi tubeless. They still sank in the snow, riding in ski tracks or other tire tracks turned out to be a questionable idea, even if I could go a tad bit faster. I didn’t fall or crash but made about a dozen unplanned and uncoreographed dismounts, now iI understand why flat pedals are so popular.




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Old 01-08-22, 12:11 AM
  #9684  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
It was waaaayyyy slower and harder than I imagined. My HR zone was about the same as my avg speed. I was running 4” 27.5 tires at 6 psi tubeless. They still sank in the snow, riding in ski tracks or other tire tracks turned out to be a questionable idea, even if I could go a tad bit faster. I didn’t fall or crash but made about a dozen unplanned and uncoreographed dismounts, now iI understand why flat pedals are so popular.




A new domain! Bravo!

rod
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Old 01-08-22, 06:04 AM
  #9685  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
It was waaaayyyy slower and harder than I imagined. My HR zone was about the same as my avg speed. I was running 4” 27.5 tires at 6 psi tubeless. They still sank in the snow, riding in ski tracks or other tire tracks turned out to be a questionable idea, even if I could go a tad bit faster. I didn’t fall or crash but made about a dozen unplanned and uncoreographed dismounts, now iI understand why flat pedals are so popular.
oh man, good thing you're young! hehe I found my ride to be surprisingly strenuous. I think snow adds rolling resistance. I've read fat bikers enjoying "groomed" trails. and with snow conditions being so variable, even groomed trails in March can be tricky. I'd like to get one before I'm too old to operate one. good on you mate! keep at it!
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Old 01-08-22, 06:09 AM
  #9686  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
lol, I know, it finally came! timing a ride was tricky. I like the start of storms, before it gets too deep! today that meant super early! can't wait to get home from work & crash w/ my feet up tonight! we have 1 shovel out but more snow equipment will have to rise from the basement ... here we go, kicking & screaming, into the heart of NE winter ...
up at 3 to ride 4-5:30, at work by 7:45, gym at 12, back to office, home by 5 & under sheets by 5:15. woke a 9 for something to eat. I'd love to ride (somewhere) today but I might just stay in & play w/ video editing
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Old 01-08-22, 06:47 AM
  #9687  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
oh man, good thing you're young! hehe I found my ride to be surprisingly strenuous. I think snow adds rolling resistance. I've read fat bikers enjoying "groomed" trails. and with snow conditions being so variable, even groomed trails in March can be tricky. I'd like to get one before I'm too old to operate one. good on you mate! keep at it!
it’s a whole new world of tire choices, variable conditions, gear and configuration changes. It’ll keep me thinking for a while. Compared to a drop bar thickness my hands were getting sore from death gripping the relatively skinny handlebar. Do I get user to it or do I get thicker grips, time will tell. So far I can say that flat on one side SPD on the other pedals are a serious consideration. I also am going to try a lower PSI for today’s ride.
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Old 01-08-22, 09:29 AM
  #9688  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
it’s a whole new world of tire choices, variable conditions, gear and configuration changes. It’ll keep me thinking for a while. Compared to a drop bar thickness my hands were getting sore from death gripping the relatively skinny handlebar. Do I get user to it or do I get thicker grips, time will tell. So far I can say that flat on one side SPD on the other pedals are a serious consideration. I also am going to try a lower PSI for today’s ride.
just got back from a cat visit at the Vet's. a bit colder today! I only have cleated pedals/shoes on my road bike. a forum friend has lots of videos on a few diff bikes incl fat bikes. it's been interesting watching the various trails & conditions, some ideal. some not so much. you've probably seen some of his posts. he likes to post in the over 50 subform. goes by Zipp 2001. I've ridden w/ him. tough to keep up with. good soul

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt...UibHJkA/videos

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Old 01-08-22, 12:04 PM
  #9689  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
just got back from a cat visit at the Vet's. a bit colder today! I only have cleated pedals.shoes on my road bike. a forum friend has lots of videos on a few diff bikes incl fat bikes. it's been interesting watching the various trails & conditions, some ideal. some not so much. you've probably seen some of his posts. he likes to post in the over 50 subform. goes by Zipp 2001. I've ridden w/ him. tough to keep up with. good soul

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnt...UibHJkA/videos
Zipp is one of the founding members of this long-running thread. Hey, Zipp!

rod
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Old 01-08-22, 12:55 PM
  #9690  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Zipp is one of the founding members of this long-running thread. Hey, Zipp!
lol, learn something new every day! good man
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Old 01-08-22, 02:53 PM
  #9691  
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Yeah, I’ve seen a few of his posts with videos. Today rather than ride the 1.25 miles to the Mass Central Rail Trail end in Waltham and risk slipping on roadside ice I drove to the trailhead in Wayland and rode the other side of the trail today. Way super slow on heavily trodden trail. Far too soon to make any replacement decisions yet but my initial impression of the Vanhelga tire is they aren’t particularly good in snow, they lost traction easily when the trail was a steep 2% incline which isn’t very steep. I ran 4.5 PSI today. 8 miles at 5pm average.



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Old 01-08-22, 05:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Yeah, I’ve seen a few of his posts with videos. Today rather than ride the 1.25 miles to the Mass Central Rail Trail end in Waltham and risk slipping on roadside ice I drove to the trailhead in Wayland and rode the other side of the trail today. Way super slow on heavily trodden trail. Far too soon to make any replacement decisions yet but my initial impression of the Vanhelga tire is they aren’t particularly good in snow, they lost traction easily when the trail was a steep 2% incline which isn’t very steep. I ran 4.5 PSI today. 8 miles at 5pm average.
maybe they will be perfect on packed snow. looks idyllic!
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Old 01-11-22, 05:00 AM
  #9693  
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snow pack on my lawn seems to be gone. got a fresh dusting. ground is super hard & crunchy. cats have 0 interest in going out. wondering where the good riding is. maybe the plowed trails with a little snow & ice on a studded hybrid? wind chill is ridiculous tho. don't know when I can get on the bike again w/ work & travel to parents out of state. not sure I have the gumption for a night ride after work this week. finally brought all bikes in the house before/after the storm. so maybe some drive train maintenance will ensue? maybe mount the studs on the hybrid, seems like it's time

for you fat bikers, that snow in the woods should be a lot firmer, now?
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Old 01-11-22, 10:27 AM
  #9694  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
It was waaaayyyy slower and harder than I imagined. My HR zone was about the same as my avg speed. I was running 4” 27.5 tires at 6 psi tubeless. They still sank in the snow, riding in ski tracks or other tire tracks turned out to be a questionable idea, even if I could go a tad bit faster. I didn’t fall or crash but made about a dozen unplanned and uncoreographed dismounts, now iI understand why flat pedals are so popular.
Wowza, looks like one heck of a workout there! I switch to a different mode of transport in those condition

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Old 01-11-22, 02:30 PM
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I took the 1987 GT Karakoram in its ice bike persona--studded Nokian W240s and fenders--on an opportunistic ride up the Minuteman to Lexington Center on Monday, when the temperature was hovering in the mid-20s with a breeze, and only worse was forecast for the following days. Idea was to assess the Minuteman trail surface in the second freeze of the latest freeze-thaw-freeze cycle, assess my gear for riding in the 20s, and remind myself what riding in this season is about.


Somewhat to my surprise, the Minuteman in Arlington was clean, dry asphalt. If you wanted snow and ice, you had to leave the trail (or maybe ride to Bedford).




Even the bridge surfaces, which are often the first to freeze and the last to thaw, were just fine.


And Lexington was much the same, with a few more icy stretches (not shown) to avoid, unless your studs were hungry and wanted to bite something.


The Mile 4.0 Cairn Builders had something austere and arctic to show us.


The ghost bike continued its time travel.


Motion is where you find it. Sometimes, you bring your own, and lend it out.


Uh-huh!


Yeah, that was Monday. It's Tuesday now, and the deep cold is here. My ambitions extend no farther than feeding the cat. Which coincide nicely with the cat's ambitions.


rod

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Old 01-11-22, 02:39 PM
  #9696  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Uh-huh!
hehe good man! thank you for the trail report! I was eye balling the BFRT in Acton this morning. there's a thin frozen layer of footprints. rideable w/ studs but I'm sure, would be unpleasantly bumpy
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Old 01-12-22, 04:34 AM
  #9697  
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Speaking of studs. Somehow the same shop in Portsmouth that actually had Salsa fat bikes in stock in November when everyone else had no available lead time also had 45Nrth Dillinger 5 studded tires in stock this week when all other LBS’S and online retailers were sold out. I stopped in while driving home from Bangor yesterday to pick up a pair. I eagerly scooped the sealant out of the stock tires and mounted them up last night.
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Old 01-12-22, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Speaking of studs. Somehow the same shop in Portsmouth that actually had Salsa fat bikes in stock in November when everyone else had no available lead time also had 45Nrth Dillinger 5 studded tires in stock this week when all other LBS’S and online retailers were sold out. I stopped in while driving home from Bangor yesterday to pick up a pair. I eagerly scooped the sealant out of the stock tires and mounted them up last night.
tubeless eh? are the tires as expensive as I've heard? $200 ea.? sounds awesome tho!
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Old 01-12-22, 10:42 AM
  #9699  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
tubeless eh? are the tires as expensive as I've heard? $200 ea.? sounds awesome tho!
$243 each to be exact up in tax free NH.
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Old 01-12-22, 12:53 PM
  #9700  
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
$243 each to be exact up in tax free NH.
oh man ... enjoy!
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