Winter mountain biking is a great way to give your local trails a different vibe! We all know the winter can be be a difficult time to be motivated to go riding. Specially if you live in an area that gets below freezing and snow. Living in the northeast I learned how to dress and ride during this time of year.
Over the last couple years I have found some gear for this time of year that is budget friendly as we know mountain bike gear can get crazy expensive. As just an average mountain bike rider with limited funds I would like to share the gear I found and even some tips to keep you motivated and warm when winter mountain biking.
Why ride in the winter?
First off the more time you take off the harder it is to get back into shape. Even if you work out all winter nothing is quite the same as riding your mounting bike. Using the right gear and technique you can enjoy rides during this season and stay in shape.
Second if you have never mountain biked in the snow before it can be a BLAST! You don’t need a fat tire bike although I am sure that helps. My mountain bike has 2.6in MAXXIS Minion DHF tires and rides great in snow.
Couple items to note:
1. 3 to 4 inches of snow max seems to be the sweet spot. Anything more can be tough unless others have ridden and packed it in already
2. Snow should be packable for extra grip. If yo can make a snowball with it go ride. The light fluffy snow that doesn’t pack doesn’t have much traction.
How to get motivated?
Ok this is the tough part. I don’t have any one size fits all method here as everyone is motivated differently. Here are two tips for winter mountain biking:
1. Invite others on the ride in advance and tell them you are going. This will help build some commitment to the ride more than if you were going alone.
2. As with many things in life 80% of doing it is getting started. Start by loading your bike and gear. Then tell yourself you are going for a short ride. Once you get out and start riding you may just find that you extend your short ride. Just get started!
Gear to Keep you warm winter mountain biking without Breaking the Bank
Riding pants that you don’t have to spend $200+ on.
If you are like me you will ride in the winter but not enough to warrant spending that kind of money on pants. I have had a pair of these pants for two seasons now (that’s only $20 dollars a season!) and they work great. They have an inner fleece that not only keeps your legs warm but is comfortable to wear on and off the bike. They come with a couple zipper pockets which are great for stashing some items during a ride.
Water Proof Socks, what!
These sock are fantastic once i found these i realized there is no need for an expensive new set of water proof shoes just for this season. Go get a set or two of these waterproof socks and put them on under your normal riding shoes. They break wind and prevent your feet from getting wet. Probably my winter riding gear find.
Grips something to consider but not required.
I have ben riding with these ESI extra chunky grips for a couple years all season long not just in winter. One thing I noticed was that in winter my hands were always warmer them my friends. We all had regular riding gloves on but I was the only one with these grips. What I realized is these grips tend to insulate your hands better from the ice cold handlebars and therefore keep them warmer. Since i already ride with these all year round this was just an added bonus in the winter.
Balaclava yes that’s the ride word.
The balaclava fits under any helmet and can be worn many ways to keep both your head and face warm, Also easy to take off and store in bag or pocket if you get too warm.
Wind breaker, or light rain jacket.
A wind breaker/rain shell on top of a standard mountain biking jersey I find is more than enough to keep you warm These break the wind and keep you dry. Both critical to staying warm this time of year. Also can come off and store in a bag if need along the ride.
Winter mountain biking riding tips
Ok so now that you have all the gear hear are some basic tips to ride in the winter:
- Maintain a steady pace to stay warm. You want to keep riding versus taking breaks Breaks are when you remember its cold out. Remember this is a maintenance season not a Strava medal season.
- Trails handle and look different (if covered i snow). Be careful and tale your time getting used to how your bike handles
- Ride with friends as mentioned above always easier to ride this time of year when others are involved.
- Check your tire tread and if needed this is a good time of year to get new ones. They will still be in great shape for the warmer riding season.
Hope this helps get you out on the trails and keep you warm. Winter mountain biking is a great way to make sure you ride your bike as much as you can!
