# What do you do when Ol' Man Winter arrives?



## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Well, it looks like Ol' Man Winter has finally arrived in the Northeast and I'll be putting my bike up for the next 3-4 months. I won't lie - I'm bummed! While I have several friends I ride with who are eager for the snow to pile up so they can ski, I am having trouble getting that excited about it. I don't downhill, so it's just cross-country skiing for me. I know it's great exercise, and I used to enjoy it a lot, but, I'm not sure why I haven't been able to get excited about it as I once did. Snowboarding intrigues me - but the cost of the equipment and lift passes, etc. kind of puts a damper on it. Funny how spending $ on mountain biking never seems to offend me . What do some of you do to get you through the winter?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Skier here. My hubby is on the ski patrol so we get season passes. I try to go at least 2x a week, plus spend some time on the trainer.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I learned to downhill ski last year and really enjoyed swooshing!

As long as the snow isn't too deep though, we still ride all winter


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pics! I had a blast riding around on my 29er singlespeed last winter - but we had little to no snow. It was so much fun! We've already gotten over a foot of snow, and it looks like it's going to stick around for a while.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

yeah, i'm waiting for the latest snowstorm to get packed down so i can ride my bike. As for now, snowshoeing!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

In addition to the fatbike for snow riding, the studded 26'r for road commutes, xc skis, and snowshoes, this year I got a new winter toy that I am really enjoying. They are Marquettes, fat short plastic skis that are great for deep snow or skimpy snow and more fun than the snowshoes for packing a trail for the fatbike from my yard to the nearby snowmo trails. They're compatible with a bunch of different bindings and shoes, if you have some kicking around. They're marketed as 70% ski, 30% snowshoe, and 100% fun - I have to say I agree.

Here's a video of the kind of stuff I'm* not *doing with them. 





Caution: THIN COVER from AdventureSkier on Vimeo.


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## noendos (Dec 30, 2012)

Trail running/hiking on the North Shore of Vancouver, BC. The Baden Powell trail crosses the entire north shore, can be very muddy, wet, snowy, and only occasionally some dry patches. No matter the conditions or how much rain is falling in the city, still a pretty nice spot


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## jaclynj (Jun 11, 2007)

Trail running on the North Shore for me too!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> In addition to the fatbike for snow riding, the studded 26'r for road commutes, xc skis, and snowshoes, this year I got a new winter toy that I am really enjoying. They are Marquettes, fat short plastic skis that are great for deep snow or skimpy snow and more fun than the snowshoes for packing a trail for the fatbike from my yard to the nearby snowmo trails. They're compatible with a bunch of different bindings and shoes, if you have some kicking around. They're marketed as 70% ski, 30% snowshoe, and 100% fun - I have to say I agree.
> 
> Here's a video of the kind of stuff I'm* not *doing with them.
> 
> ...


Wow - that's cool! I am going to have to check those out - thanks for sharing!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Those are the skis that I am interested in! They are perfect for the type of skiing we do!
Thanks so much for sharing


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

XC skiing, classic and skate. It's a SUPER workout and works a lot of muscle groups that aren't used as much (or at all) on bikes. Plus it's just fun. 

I grind on rollers indoor all winter to keep my butt used to the saddle though, and starting mid-January those roller workouts will progressively get longer so we can hit some early season rides without totally killing ourselves.


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## sooshee (Jun 16, 2012)

I suffer on the trainer. We were blessed/cursed with a late beginning to winter here in Wyoming, and I was riding outdoors through mid-December, but now everything is very snowed in, even for road biking. I was going to pick up some cross country skis, but not sure finances will allow so trainer it is, and also the gym to work on core strength and other areas I'm lacking in.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*Marquettes*



petey15 said:


> Wow - that's cool! I am going to have to check those out - thanks for sharing!





cyclelicious said:


> Those are the skis that I am interested in! They are perfect for the type of skiing we do!
> Thanks so much for sharing


I learned about them over on the MTBR fatbike forum, so only appropriate to pass it on here. If you don't have a local retailer for them, I recommend our local bike/outdoor shop, esp if you're in the NE.
2013 Marquette Backcountry Skis - Ultra Wide & Short Telemark Backcountry Touring Skis


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

sooshee said:


> I suffer on the trainer. We were blessed/cursed with a late beginning to winter here in Wyoming, and I was riding outdoors through mid-December, but now everything is very snowed in, even for road biking. I was going to pick up some cross country skis, but not sure finances will allow so trainer it is, and also the gym to work on core strength and other areas I'm lacking in.


Heck, just get some GoodWill poles and start breaking your own trail someplace in the neighborhood.... you'll find your heart rate right up there as you take off another layer of clothes! :thumbsup:

My secret sauce for surviving long roller sessions is the Simpsons DVDs set on 'play all'. That's 5-6 episodes in a row before I have to dink with the DVD player again. If it gets extra hard, I try to recall that aroma of dust and the pines when the sun hits them... it's the quintessential 'smell of trail' around here, and the only way I'm gonna get more is to put my time in before the snow melts.


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

Ski baby, ski! Heading up to Copper Mountain tomorrow to celebrate the New Year. Should be nice and cold.

I got a great deal on some telemark gear so this is the year I'm going to learn to tele. That should be fun, too.

I snowshoe a few times per season, too. And spin classes to keep the legs in biking shape.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

I like the excuse to get more warm goodies  Gloves, hats etc. As long as the bike is set up and the gear is the proper ensemble for the temperature, I find road riding in the winter to sometimes be a bit nicer. The other day when I rode home from work in slush/snow it was quite a bit nicer since the cars were considerably slower. Trail riding is a bit more cumbersome but this area doesn't have much trail to work with anyhow. Of course I'd rather freeze riding outside than be stuck indoor training(ironic for a gym repair tech)


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

I'm in So Cal. I'm going riding tomorrow, wearing he same thing I would wear on a hot summer day.


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## chuky (Apr 3, 2005)

*Hike, Splitboard, Skate Ski and a Little Trainer Time*

Taking a break keeps bikes fresh for us - after 20 years, this is important for me. We go into winter mode for November, December and January. Come February, we are back in Moab to get our miles in before the season starts.

The dog needs exercise, no matter what season. Winter hiking is great with poles and Yaktrax or snowshoes. I just use GoreTex running shoes for most of these. It is nice to take time for things in places where bikes aren't allowed, like these ruins in SE Utah.





Backcountry touring is amazing and a great work out. I splitboard, some of my friends ski. We had an all MTBr group yesterday. Here, Mr. Welcorn drops in to the legendary Utah steep and deep on New Year's Day:


We also skate ski as the conditions allow. That sh*t is just painful. Heh. I am a terrible skate skier.

Winter is also a great time to accomplish time-heavy things I can't do in summer. This November, I completed my Wilderness First Responder training, and feel like is is something that I should have done long ago. It took a week, but it was SO SO SO worth it. I think I will probably post about it in depth later on Passion...

Cheers,
C


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Wow - breathtaking scenery, chuky! It looks like you've found plenty to keep you busy - thanks for sharing! I am going to have to look up split boarding. I've never heard of it before. mtbxplorer turned me onto those Marquette backcountry skis, which led me to something similar - the Altai Hok ski. I'm busy researching these as I think they would be a lot of fun on the trails I normally bike on - and as she suggested, pack them down a bit for a potential ride. 
The Hok - Altai Skis


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

I live in the desert so fortunately that means comfortable temps with less crowded trails, but I still love winter fun...
Here's a few pics from a 2+ week excursion to Jackson with my splitboarding boyfriend.
The last 2 pics are some unexpected snow riding here in the desert surrounding El Paso!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Just checked out what this splitboarding thing is. Very interesting. I've never seen or heard of it before this forum. All my friends either xc, alpine, or teleski. I'm jealous of all the powder and trails you have out west!


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## mtbeagle (Jan 23, 2009)

Maybe I'm not allowed to post here being of the wrong gender, but I can't resist. For years I have dreaded the winter. Since I wasn't into any of the winter sports anymore winter just became too cold and made it harder to go biking. However, I have just jumped onto the fat bike band wagon. Now I am actually excited to go out and play in the snow. Maybe you should look at a fat bike.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

petey15 said:


> Just checked out what this splitboarding thing is. Very interesting. I've never seen or heard of it before this forum. All my friends either xc, alpine, or teleski. I'm jealous of all the powder and trails you have out west!


Splitboarding is definitely becoming more popular which means the technology and gear is getting better. I'm an AT skier, but the boyfriend is a splitboard who is very proficient with his change overs and just as fast me when we are skinning up or de-skinning. Really the only places he has issues with is when the fall line isn't continuous or we need to traverse a lot on a line.

Here's a link to our trip report if anyone is interested. This website also has a lot of good info for all comers

Splitboard.com Forums • View topic - Dos texas renegados invadir las Tetons para las vacaciones


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbeagle said:


> Maybe I'm not allowed to post here being of the wrong gender, but I can't resist. For years I have dreaded the winter. Since I wasn't into any of the winter sports anymore winter just became too cold and made it harder to go biking. However, I have just jumped onto the fat bike band wagon. Now I am actually excited to go out and play in the snow. Maybe you should look at a fat bike.


Oh, believe me, I have. Unfortunately it appears that the XS Salsa Mukluks are sold out for this season. I'll have to wait until next year. Also, when the snow is too deep for even the fat bike, I'll need other alternatives. I do xc ski. mtbxplorer turned me onto the Marquette ski idea to pack down a trail and then fat bike. Looks like I'll be able to secure a ski package easier than a fat bike, so I'm researching that. :thumbsup:


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## Niner Bikes (Dec 9, 2004)

Message removed, wrong thread, Heh.

Cheers,
Carla


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Gorgeous pics Chuky and Kinsler! 

I live in flatland Ontario. The downhill ski trails takes 3 minutes to get to the bottom. The chairlift to the top takes longer! Oh well I shouldn't complain because we are still able to ride packed trails.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 25, 2009)

Bundle up- 









Or ride the trainer-


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Death by trainer!!


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