In this second installment of winter riding and how to enjoy it, or at least survive, I’m focusing on the all-important toes and feet. Keeping this area of the body warm and dry when the temperature drops below freezing can be a struggle. With the proper foot gear though, a trail ride or commute to work can be as easy as slipping on a pair of socks.
As with any cold weather riding gear, the layers used should first block the wind, then provide warmth, while managing perspiration. The climate you live in will dictate the footwear and layers used, but here in the north a full range of options is beneficial for the fall and winter months and the huge weather changes experienced from day to day, or even from morning to night. Where you ride is also a factor, but I use the same footwear for both commuting and mountain biking.
My biggest dilemma used to be keeping my feet warm and dry without causing discomfort to my toes when wearing thick socks by squishing them into the toe-box of a shoe. As the weather becomes chilly, below 50 degrees, my typical transition begins by wearing a thicker wool sock and adding neoprene toe covers to the outside of my mountain bike shoes. Just covering the shoe vents and blocking some of the wind from directly contacting my feet is enough to keep me happy. The problem with toe or shoe covers is that they end up ripping when used for mountain biking. Or if they don’t fit over your shoe properly, the cleat opening could flip over the toe of the shoe and expose your toes to the elements.
Unfortunately the temperature doesn’t stop falling at 50 degrees and my ankles are the first to feel the cold of the morning commute. Around the 40 degree mark, or if it’s raining, I upgrade my footwear to a full-fledged pair of riding boots. There are many options on the market depending on your budget and needs, but Lake, Northwave, Sidi and many others offer clipless compatible boots that are warm, cover the ankles, and offer some degree of water resistance or a waterproof lining like GORE-TEX®. They also have no vents and therefore block the wind adequately.
When shopping for riding boots, take the thickest sock that you would ride in with you and try the boot on with that sock. I recommend purchasing a pair of boots that is up to one size larger than your normal size. Having a larger size boot will allow you to make changes to the insoles and give your toes room to move as different thickness of socks are used. I like to wear over-the-calf, wool, hunting socks for their breathability and warmth. If it’s really cold I may also add a liner sock underneath the wool sock. The key to warmth is to allow blood to circulate to the toes, while creating a pocket of warm air inside your footwear. If your toes are smashed in the shoe they will become cold or go numb, neither of which is comfortable.
Most of the insoles that come with the boots are on the thin side and replacing them with thicker insoles will make the boot fit more snug. Pull the supplied insole out of the boot and inspect its thickness and quality, or take your favorite insole with you and try the boot on with it in place. The bottom of your foot is going to be exposed to the cold too, as well as snow and water during hike-a-bike sections. Ask yourself if you would use the provided insole in a hiking boot? If not, head to an Army surplus store. They carry thick wool insoles with a moisture barrier for around five dollars that offer protection for the bottom of you feet. I use an Aline insole with wedges to keep my knees in line with the pedal spindle. The size larger shoe allows me to use this insole in conjunction with the stock insole, which I cut to custom fit the toe area. Using two insoles also allows me to remove one if I have to wear Eskimo grade socks or if I use a heated footbed or toe warmers during an all-day ride, like Punk Bike.
On a side note, I have narrow feet and have ridden in two different brands of boots and many shoes. In most shoes and both boots, I’ve felt like the heel cup has been too roomy, which allows my heel to slide around and causes a blister. Tying the boot tight enough to correct this has created sore spots on the top of my foot, even with thick socks. A simple fix for heel slop is to cut a strip of sticky-backed bar tape from a roll and adhere it to the inside of the heel cup. It’s tacky enough to remain in place, but easy enough to remove or reposition if needed.
Once you have boots that you feel comfortable wearing, the outside of the boot should be weather treated. To add longevity and water repellency to the exterior I apply mink oil or Nikwax. Mink oil is pretty inexpensive, just a few bucks, and Nixwax is around eight dollars a tube but both work awesome. Whether you treat the boot with a spray or a rub-in-compound, be sure that if your boots have a waterproof lining, like GORE-TEX®, that the product used on the outside is compatible with it. Those are the tricks I use for warm feet. If you have some of your own, share them on the Dirt Rag forums or comment below.
We previously told you about an upcoming National Park Service regulation change that will benefit Americans by improving mountain biking experiences in national parks. We just received additional information and clarification from IMBA:
Expected Rule Change Would Benefit Bicycling in National Parks
For Immediate Release
11-19-08
Contact: Mark Eller, IMBA Communications Director
303-545-9011
An upcoming National Park Service (NPS) rule change could greatly benefit mountain bicycling by improving the administrative process for opening trails to bicyclists. IMBA has been asking the agency to revise its policies since 1992, because the current “special regulations” process is needlessly cumbersome and treats bicycles like motorized vehicles.
The NPS has said the proposal for new rules will be formally announced later this year. IMBA hopes the enhanced procedure will allow park superintendents to make trail access decisions locally, instead of being tied to a Washington-based, multi-year regulatory journey. The new rule would treat bicycling like other non-motorized trail users, such as equestrians.
The suggested NPS rule change would only apply to places where including bicycling is deemed non controversial, and would maintain current requirements for environmental review and public notice. Opening a trail to bicycling must be done in compliance with the National Park Service Organic Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Historic Preservation Act, and all NPS General Management Planning processes.
Proposed Rule Subject of Misunderstandings
Recently, the American Hiking Society (AHS) published a national action alert opposing the as-yet-unreleased NPS rule. This alert is based on the incorrect assumption that requirements for comprehensive environmental review and public commentary about opening a trail to bicycling will be discarded. In fact, these safeguards will remain in place, as required by federal law. IMBA and AHS leaders met nationally on this issue a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately, the alert has rippled through the hiking community, causing consternation and confusion amongst the shared-use trails community. Some hiking-based groups have expressed concern that mountain biking will infringe on foot travel, but IMBA remains confident that shared-use trails can succeed in national parks, as they do in countless public land settings around the globe.
The alert also suggests that this regulatory change could affect how Wilderness, or areas proposed for Wilderness, will be managed. In fact, these issues are completely separate. IMBA recognizes that cycling is not allowed in areas designated as Wilderness. The NPS proposed rule change would have no impact on Wilderness regulations.
National parks that are not interested in expanding opportunities for bicycling will not be affected by the rule change. The new proceedures will not force mountain biking on any park unit, and superintendents that do not see opportunities for mountain biking in their parks will not be asked to adopt it.
IMBA Encourages Clubs to Reach Out to Hiking Groups and NPS Leaders
IMBA encourages mountain bike organizations to reach out to their local hiking trail partners and NPS local leaders with our fact sheet on the issue, to address concerns and answer questions about the rule change.
Creating opportunities for mountain biking will not diminish experiences for existing users such as hikers or equestrians. Park staff are skilled at selecting appropriate trails for shared-use experiences. Hikers and bikers can work together to repair eroded trails, get kids exercising in parks and build excitement about our national parks.
More on What the Rule Change Will Achieve
The current “special regulations” process for opening NPS trail to bicycling is onerous and cumbersome, often typically taking years to complete. Only two of the roughly 24 parks that currently allow singletrack mountain biking have managed to complete special regulations, highlighting the unrealistic and unnecessary burden it places on NPS staff. The special regulations process required for bicycles also applies to snowmobiles, jet skis, airplanes, commercial trucking and other similarly intensive park uses. IMBA believes local park management, using the inclusive NEPA process, can best make decisions regarding bicycle use on the trails that they oversee.
In one real-world example, Tennessee’s Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, trail users and park staff worked for many years to open two existing routes to bicycling, detailing the process publicly in environmental reviews, park planning documents and rigorous scientific research. Regardless, the trail opening was prohibited because special regulations had not been completed. While bicyclists, NPS staff, hikers and equestrians all support opening these trails to bicycles, the opening date is likely several years in the future, at best.
Another example can be found in Washington, DC, at Fort Dupont National Park. IMBA affiliated club Trips for Kids has been bringing inner-city youth to the park to ride the existing network of singletrack trails for many years. This program helps build self-esteem, get kids exercising and exposes an often underserved population to the benefits of bicycling and national parks. Technically, these trails are out of compliance with this bureaucratic, special regulations process—although all groups involved would call this program wildly successful.
For more information on this issue, please contact IMBA’s Government Affairs Director Jenn Dice, or Policy Analyst Drew Vankat .
We’ve just posted a new video on the Dirt Rag YouTube Channel. Dirt Rag was on the scene at the SSWC08 festivities in NorCal, where we filmed a helmet-cam video of singlespeeders making a scenic crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy:
How’s it ride? That’s usually the first question somebody ask when they spy me riding a test bike for Dirt Rag. An innocent sounding question, but not an easy one to answer.
Describing how a bike rides is a subjective exercise. Many variables come into play. Not the least of which are: riding style, type of trails ridden, intended use of the bike (design), component mix, and bike set-up. Sprinkle in biases and limiting factors such as: rider skill level, rider fitness and the rider’s preferences—and the wicket becomes rather sticky.
Yep, bike testing is a tough job, but that’s why we get paid the big bucks. In an effort to try and earn my keep, I’m here to talk about how the EWR Bikes OWB29er rides. To properly evaluate a bike, one first needs to understand what the bike was designed to do. To that end, I asked Jay de Jesus of EWR Bikes about his design goals for the OWB29er.
Karl Rosengarth: Talk a bit about how the frame’s key geometry numbers combine with the new-generation (offset) 29er forks to produce the handling characteristics you desire.
Jay de Jesus: I’ve always preferred a long front/short rear end since my first EWR frame in 1991—very BMX oriented, efficient and really fun to ride for everything. Wheelie monster, steer off the rear wheel, absorb big landings. In the new generation of my designs, I’d learned the importance of a relatively slackened head angle (for instance my original 26″ frames were 72 degrees and current ones are 69 degrees) in relation to the head tube height, BB height, front end length and overall cockpit. My new designs have a slightly longer front center, a taller head tube and a slightly more slack head angle to the norm. It is my philosophy to steer the bike either off of the rear wheel or by leaning in and pinning it at speed. The 70.75 degree head angle is designed around the new fork offset of 46mm, we are able to achieve a frame that can be nimble and precise at trail-riding pace plus stable and comfortably flick-able at speed. This is a combination of head angle, seat angle, BB height, front center and cockpit height.
KR: Did you design the OWB29er to handle differently than most other 29ers, and if so, in what respect?
JdJ: I designed it for balance. Our bikes wheelie, manual, climb, accelerate and descend very well—those are not traits that riders generally associate 29ers with. I firmly believe that we have the best handling frame out there, which is why we label it as the “World’s Most Versatile Hardtail.”
Sounds great, let’s ride! Fortunately, my local trails are chock full of technical features and tight handling challenges—perfect for putting the OWB29er through it paces. In fact, Hartwood park, right out of the Dirt Rag backdoor, is all that and more. It even offers great photo opportunities, with rocks to drop and logs to hop [thanks to Dirt Rag publisher Maurice Tierney for the photos used in this post, and to his son, intern Maurice Jr., for producing the video posted below].
One of the reasons that I scored the assignment to test the OWB29er is that one of my personal bikes is a first-generation EWR, so I’m familiar with the signature EWR handling characteristics. I have a frame of reference. I was already used to “steering off the rear wheel,” as Jay describes it. The OWB29er makes it easy to weight the rear wheel, which lightens up the front, enabling the rider to either flick or float the front end through turns—while keeping power to the rear wheel. The technique is similar to riding on the loose, decomposed granite of the western states, where the trick is shifting your weight rearward and letting the front wheel drift through turns. I call it “unicycling” through a turn. It’s the opposite of railing a tacky bermed turn, where you’d crouch forward to weight the front end and use it to carve your way through the berm. I don’t have the skills required to ride manuals, but the bike inspires confidence on the rear wheel, making wheelie drops flow naturally. If you like to pop wheelies, pull manuals or ride the rear wheel, I think you’ll like the way this bike handles.
Speaking of handling, over the course of this test I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with the handling of the OWB29er. In tight, twisty singletrack I find the OWB29er retains the flickability of the heritage EWR design, but toned down a bit (as Jay pointed out). The original EWR front end was a bit steep, which could make handling a bit sketchy at times. I put a “longer-travel than it was designed for” suspension fork on my old-school EWR to tone down the “twitch” a bit. Fortunately, the feeling at the handlebars on the new-generation OWB29er is snappy, but far from twitchy.
Sometimes you have to get a bit “uncomfortable” to calibrate your thinking. I decided that “pushing my limits” a bit would be a good way to also test the bike’s limits. During my test rides, including the aforementioned photo-shoot in Hartwood, I’ve sought out technical obstacles. One such obstacle is a downed log, taller than the bottom bracket, and just about at the limit of my log-hopping ability. I repeatedly sessioned it on the OWB29er, with some runs being smoother than others, but feeling confident in the bike’s ability to propel me up and over my nemesis.
Same goes for the big rock on the “Heebie Jeebie” downhill that you can either straight launch off, or pull up and wheelie off. As I sessioned the rock for the camera, not only was I having great time, but I was also feeling comfortably at home on the bike. As I climbed back the trail, up onto the rock, I realized how nicely this bike pops onto, and over, big ole obstacles. I also had great fun hitting the many “log piles” in the park—up and over, lickety split.
Is the OWB29er “the world’s’ most versatile hardtail”? I’m not qualified to answer that question, but so far the bike has responded well to everything that I’ve been able to dish out. Stay tuned.
For more info on my EWR OWB29er testing experience, check out Part 1 and Part 2 in this series. In the video below I do my best to put the OWB29er through its paces on some technical trail features (gimme a break, I’m an old fart with mediocre technical stills).
One thing about time is that it sure moves fast. When I sat down to write this article, I couldn’t believe that I’ve been riding the Yeti ASR for about a month now. I meant to give a first impression of it weeks ago, but somehow time passed my by. My first ride aboard the ASR was done wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey. Taking the quick photographs in the backyard today my hands were freezing (hence the bad lighting, my fault) and as you can see, there’s snow on the ground.
The Yeti ASR itself though has unique lines that were designed, sculpted, and manufactured in Golden, CO and it fits right in with the cult following that Yeti seems to have created for their bicycles. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to test the ASR, to see what all the fuss has been about with this somewhat mysterious brand. Plus the signature turquoise paint has always caught my attention. (Hope that doesn’t sound shallow.)
The weight of the bike surprised me at 24.91 pounds out of the box and without pedals. This is a great weight for a 3.89” rear travel full suspension rig with mostly XT parts. A small metal chainstay protector lightly adhered to the right chainstay near the chainrings is a nice touch, and a supplied neoprene protector covers the rest. The top tube is definitely worth checking out in further detail, so zoom in or find a local Yeti dealer and inspect it.
Aboard the machine the handling characteristics were only a tire swap away from being right to my liking. Combine the aggressive tread pattern of the Continental Rubber Queen, slick trails covered with leaves and storm debris and add the Yeti ASR with forward momentum and a good day in the saddle has been the reward.
That’s all I have to give, for now. The Yeti ASR will be fully reviewed in Dirt Rag #140, after it’s been put through the annual Punk Bike Enduro this December. MwaHaHa. (Make it sound menacing in your head.)
When the temperature drops and daylight wanes, many riders confine themselves to an indoor trainer or hang up their bikes altogether for the winter months. True, winter riding presents unique challenges, but it also reaps great rewards. Aside from the physical benefits of riding all year long, winter riding opens up a world of opportunities for adventure, fun, and natural beauty. Over the next several weeks, the Dirt Rag staff will share some valuable tips, tricks and experiences to keep you riding this winter.
In this first installment in our series on winter riding, we begin with a single step…outside. The mental decision to brave the elements is often times harder than choosing the appropriate gear for your ride. When you’re warm and cozy inside your bed/house/car, the prospect of getting all geared up and facing physical discomfort in the form of cold, ice, snow, and/or rain doesn’t seem like it would be all that much fun. Indeed, often times the first 15 minutes of a winter ride are uncomfortable, but after a good warm-up the fun begins.
I know this fact well, but on some foul weather mornings I still find myself rationalizing about why I’d rather drive to work or skip the trail ride and stay at home and drink coffee. The reason? Inertia or resistance to change your state of comfort. On one hand, you’re warm and dry. On the other, you choose to exchange those luxuries to be cold and wet. When I think about it, I know I will be happier if I ride no matter what the weather. But the mental and physical preparation for the ride often times seems insurmountable. Obviously they’re not, and what it comes down to is that you just have to push on through and get on your bike. Below are a few tips that make it a little easier for me to get moving during the winter months.
If you know you’re riding in the morning, get up a little earlier than usual so that you can fully wake up and get your body physically and mentally prepared.
Before a ride, I try and warm up a little inside before leaving the house. Not so much that I break a sweat. Something as simple as climbing up and down the steps a few times or doing a few push-ups or sit-ups to increase my heart rate is all that it takes.
Get enough sleep the night before a ride. This is sound advice all year long, but it’s especially important in the low-motivation months of winter.
The more you ride during the winter, the easier it is to get motivated to ride. Again, this is true all year long, but more pronounced in winter.
Get your bike and gear ready to go the night before you ride. Riding in the winter takes a little more preparation, so it’s best not to leave it until the last minute. That only gives you an excuse not to ride.
Once you get outside, your comfort level on the bike is critical so that you actually stay on your bike and enjoy the ride. The right gear can make that happen. Tune in next week to learn a little about foul-weather footwear. It’s always good to keep the piggies happy.
