February Riding

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Jeff Moser

So far, February has been more wintry than January. The good news is that most of the recent snow fall has stuck up in the mountains, but has been melting quickly down here in the city. This has provided fairly decent mountain bike conditions. I went into the Bike Carson archives, and saw that we were on road bikes quite often last February. All the pictures had lots of snow in them.

Scott R

We’ve been finding that the Lakeview / V&T Trail loop is great to ride after a morning of fresh snow. The climb up Combs Canyon is mostly road, so you don’t blow up your body trying to get to the top. The canyon that descends to the V&T Trail doesn’t receive much sun, so the cold powdery snow still provides decent traction. I’ve also noticed that the sun is high enough in the sky now to melt a little bit of snow off northern pieces of the trail, so there is often a wet sandy patch to ride on.

The 29er

The V&T trail is a little soggy coming back, but at least it’s not real muddy. The sand seems to stay on the ground instead of on your bike. By contrast, we rode up in Ash Canyon on Tuesday, and came back with mud all over us. The clay/sand dirt up in Ash Canyon seems to need a little longer to drain and dry out.

Jeff

Having said that, it looks like we’re in for some spring like conditions for the next few days, with temperatures in the 50′s and lots of sun! There should be great mountain biking all around town into the weekend.

The Snow is Back

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Jeff Moser

On Sunday Jeff Potter and I got together to brainstorm some ideas for May’s Bike Month. We decided to have a rolling meeting, and go see what the trails were like while we were talking. It turned out the trails were pretty good!

First we climbed Combs Canyon.

Combs Canyon

Then we dropped down to the V&T Trail.

Snowy Self Portrait

Once back to Vicee Canyon, we climbed the Jackrabbit Trail, Postal Route, and took the Deer Run into Ash Canyon.

Jeff Potter on the Four Day Trail

We took Ash Canyon Road to the top of the Four Day Trail and began our descent back home.

Above Carson City

The climbing had been slow going in the accumulating snow, but the descent was fast! My speed downhill was not limited by traction, but by diminished braking power. My rim brakes were wet from the snow, so I was overshooting corners. I had to brake early in the turns to compensate.

We descended down the Four Day Trail, Baldy Green, Deer Run, 7 Steps, Vicee Canyon, and finished up with the Jackrabbit Trail. A mob of deer was waiting for us at the trail head. We told them Marcus was not among us, and they let us go.

Trail Head Deer

Once back on the asphalt it was an easy ride back home to a warm fire and some cold brews. It was a great day of riding, and we even came up with good ideas for Bike Month. Stay tuned for the kick off meeting later this week.

Ash Canyon Traffic Report

Posted on December 30, 2008 by Jeff Moser

Daytime temperatures in the 50′s have turned the snowy hillside of Carson’s west side into a sloppy mess. If it’s not slushy, it’s muddy. An attempted ride up there yesterday resulted in A LOT of walking, and mostly just to get the hell out of there! There is still quite a bit of snow and slush, so it’s like a time release SUCK capsule. It will most likely be like this for days.

Soggy Trails

It also appears that the Nevada Appeal is expanding their circulation, giving the Ash Canyon market a try. I think it’s been successful, because they were already out of papers.

Nevada Appeal in Ash Canyon

Ron P tells me that he saw the tracks of a large ATV or small truck going over the embankment of Ash Canyon road. The tracks led down the steep hillside all the way down to the creek between the 2 bridges! That must have been one scary ride! Not to mention an expensive winching out. And the guys in the truck last week thought WE were crazy for riding bicycles up there in the snow!

It’s a good time for road riding with these warmer temperatures though, so get out there and explore the roads! Just watch out for ice in the shade…

The Continuing Snowy Adventures

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Jeff Moser

And the snowy adventures continue! We got some fresh snow on Tuesday, and the streets were in pretty good shape for the morning commute. Packed, but not so hard that the knobbies wouldn’t bite in. You could ride pretty fast.

Mills Park

The parking lots, or as I like to call them now, “Death Rinks”, were another story altogether. The parking lots were plowed, shaving off that precious bit of snow that bicycle tires need for traction. All that was left was shiny snow that looked like it was recently Zambonied.

Out of habit, I came into a parking lot I shortcut through as I normally do, attempting to make a big S curve through the cars to get to Highway 50. I realized it was icy too late, and had to do my turn VERY wide. I came close to crashing into someone’s car! The next turn I wasn’t so lucky, and my back end slid out. I hit my knee pretty good, and the coffee cup in my water bottle holder went flying. I got up and smiled, hoping that I gave the folks in the office windows a good show. My studded snow tires should be at the Bicycle Authority before year’s end, and it can’t be soon enough!

Ash Canyon Road

Naturally, most folks are busy right before Christmas, and I ended up doing the lunch ride by myself. With the high rider participation this year, it’s been a while since I’ve flown solo at lunch. I really enjoy the conversation and camaraderie, but was looking forward to some alone time.

The roads started off slushy near the office, but started to firm up nicely as I headed west. When I finally got to Ash Canyon Road, the view of the climb and mountains before me was breathtaking! Visually at first, and then as I started climbing, physically as well!

Fork in the Road

There are some good truck tire tracks up the Ash Canyon Road climb. They provided a firm climbing surface, but since the sun was out, were starting to get a little slippery. I hike-a-biked a few sections, climbing as far as the entrance to the Deer Run. I also noticed that another rider was up here before me, but their tracks kept going up past where I was turning.

Deer Run

The descent was phenomenal! I had mostly fresh powder all the way down, with only a few animal tracks crossing here and there. After doing Deer Run, I descended the 7 Steps Trail. Some have been wondering how the cobblestones would be in winter, so I was curious to find out. I hit the brakes on purpose over them, and they seemed to grip well enough. You really don’t need to brake until after you’re through with them though. Going down the little steps in the snow was also an all new experience.

I finished up the mountain portion of the ride with a fun twisty descent down the Vicee Rim Trail, stopping once to do a self portrait. Skimming the edge of the canyon and fighting for traction in the turns all the way down was unbelievably fun!

Self Portrait on the Vicee Rim Trail

I met up with Jesse for a very slow ride home. The snow on the streets had melted during the day, but they never dried out. It refroze just in time for our commute. Neither one of us hit the ground, but “Oh Crap!” and “Whoa!” were frequently blurted out along with some very close calls!

Winter Adventures

Posted on December 23, 2008 by Jeff Moser

I was thinking I’d write a post about what trails are currently open to ride, but by the time I got around to writing it, it may no longer be true! It looks like we got a decent dusting of snow last night, so who knows what things are like up on the mountain today?

Nice Buck on Ash Canyon Road

I think that’s what is so cool about riding this time of year though. Each day is an adventure. Sure it’s a pain to throw on all the extra clothes, but once you get out there, you almost always have a great time. You just never know what you’re going to see or experience. The beautiful buck in the picture above crossed the road in front of us. I was able to get a decent picture of him on full zoom (optical plus digital) after he headed through the bushes for a feed bucket. I wouldn’t have seen this wonderful creature had I decided to stay back at the office.

View of Washoe Valley

Jesse and I opted to head up Combs Canyon for Lakeview. We thought we’d give the mountain pass that heads down to the V&T Trail a try. The descent of this little pass is hidden in the shadows most of the time, and you just never know how it’s going to be. It can either be a lot of fun or a death march in snow up to your knees. Luckily for us it was a lot of fun! Light snow over wet sand made for fast conditions with lots of traction.

Descent to the V&T

It’s always a good feeling to get outdoors during lunch, but for some reason, riding in the cold wintery conditions enhances the feeling of solitude for me. We were never too far away from it all, but it sure felt like it. The snow seems to quiet and slow everything down, possibly making time go a little slower. There is also a feeling of survivalism going on. In the summer you’re worried about a full water bottle and a lubed chain, but in the winter, you could actually freeze to death! So not only do you have the terrain to conquer on the bike, but you also get satisfaction from feeling that you stayed dry and comfortable during your outing.

Jesse on the V&T

Like I said, it snowed some more last night, and probably will off and on today. Who knows what today’s adventure will be?

Winter Bicycling is Here!

Posted on December 16, 2008 by Jeff Moser

Well, it’s finally here. Winter Bicycling is back in Carson City! Just because it’s snowing doesn’t mean you have to garage the bike or get out the living room trainer. There is still much fun to be had outdoors, and it’s probably much more pleasant than most riders would imagine.

Scott R, Jesse, Jon

Days like Monday, overcast, cold, and snowy, usually make for great winter cycling conditions. As long as it’s not too deep, cold fresh powder has plenty of traction for your knobby mountain bike tires. Snow can transform your everyday trails into something new altogether. While the contour of the land is the same, the scenery, traction, and bike handling are completely different.

Jon, Jesse, Scott R

On the Monday lunch ride, Scott R, Jon, Jesse, and I climbed the Ash Canyon road up to Deer Run. I had to walk a couple times, but some of the guys pedaled the snow the whole way. A pick-up truck passed us and made a few comments. They couldn’t believe we were up in the canyon on bikes! We thought the same thing about them. One slip, and their truck would be at the bottom of the canyon. If we slipped, we’d just fall over!

We were pretty winded by Deer Run, so we began our descent there. I got squirrelly on a few of the bermed turns, trying to take them like I normally do. You could almost hit full speed in the straights though! I could hear Scott R whooping and hollering up ahead, and I noticed I had a smile on my face the whole way down. The fresh powder provided a whole new experience. You really didn’t know what to expect from the terrain, keeping you on your toes the whole way down.

Jon

Pretty much any mountain bike will work for snow biking, but I recommend using a single speed or one of your spare bikes. A simple single speed will collect a lot less snow, and you don’t have to worry about contaminating expensive suspension parts with crud. The single speed’s higher chain line keeps the drive train cleaner too. Some of the more elaborate full suspension designs can collect a lot of snow in all the nooks and crannies. Don’t concern yourself with rotating mass. Big fat knobby tires are your friend in the snow. Leave the semi-slick race tires at home.

Later in the week, I’ll discuss bicycle commuting in the snow. Urban snow riding is quite a bit different than trail riding in the snow. Additionally, the conditions can be quite a bit different early in the morning, but especially after the sun goes down. I hit the ground on an icy patch on the way home last night!

Winter Brew

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Jeff Moser

No riding this weekend for me, but I did hear one report from Ron P that the riding was still decent in Ash Canyon. A couple trees down, one on the Four Day Trail and another on the Creek Trail, but nothing too serious. That could change tonight though! Snow is moving in according to the latest reports. Here are a couple of recommendations in case you get snowed in.

Bristlecone Brown Porter

There’s nothing like a dark brown beer on a cold winter night! Here’s a Porter brewed in eastern Nevada by the Ruby Mountain Brewing Company. “Five different types of Malt are used in brewing our Brown Porter. Low hopping rates help accentuate the roasty, chocolatey malt character of this very drinkable Brown Porter.”

Moose Drool Brown Ale

Here’s another good one from Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, Montana.

Moose Drool Brown Ale. “It’s chocolate brown in color with a creamy texture. A malty beer with just enough hop presence to keep it from being too sweet. The aroma mostly comes from the malt with a hint of spice added by the hops. Moose Drool is brewed with pale, caramel, chocolate, and whole black malts; and Kent Goldings, Liberty, and Willamette Hops.”

Bonus: A fortune cookie like bottle cap to enjoy after pouring the brew!

Like a Fortune Cookie, but Different

Bike Carson

Bicycle News, Culture, and Lifestyle in Carson City, Nevada

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