I got outdoor rides in both Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday was a 25 mile road ride on my cyclocross bike. I mounted some studded Nokians on there, and headed out. The ride was slow, but went pretty well. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground, somewhere around 6-8 inches. It was also really slushy and wet. I was soaked, numb, and freezing by the time I got back.
Those Nokians are incredible! I got 35 mm wide ones with 106 studs. Faster rolling than some of the highly studded ones, but still really slow compared to other tires I've used. Riding on ice is feels more like riding on wet pavement. I picked up the set for $100, which seems expensive, but knowing that they will save a couple wipeouts and boring trainer hours makes it worth it.
Sunday I went to Theodore Wirth Park and hit some singletrack with my buddy Richie. He had an old Bridgestone rigid mountain bike with homemade studded tires. Those things were beasts.... 450 sheet metal screws on each, portruding about 1/4". I definitely struggled on my cyclocross bike. My tires sunk into the semi-packed snow. I ended up shouldering and running a lot. Still was fun though.
Three guys on Pugsleys rolled by. Wow I want one of them. I saw Puglsey tracks earlier in the ride, and thought someone had rolled by on a snowmobile. Unfortunately such a bike is out of my budget, and would only be used a handful of times each year. Maybe a more versatile Karate Monkey is a possibility.
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Hey, good to see other people ride in the snow. The trails in Cedar Rapids are bare except for the occasional walker. I use every excuse I get to ride somewhere with the Bianchi, and the Schwinn is nice when the streets are dry. 48 15 gearing isn't too bad to get going, but there is no way I'd trust myself stopping it. I like brakes.
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