Are you a four season mountain biker? Living on Vancouver Island affords us one of the longest riding seasons around. With a bit of preparation your winter rides can be more than just a slog, they can be downright fun and adventurous. Here’s what I’ve learned after many winter seasons on the pedals:
1. Merino wool: This time of year I’m always checking my inventory of wool socks, long johns, and base layers. Wool truly makes the difference between being cold and damp vs being wet and warm. Wool has insulating properties that are superior to synthetic and cotton garments. The key difference is that even when your wool clothing gets wet (which it will either from rain or sweat) it doesn’t sap away your core body temperature like other fabrics. Think of how a wetsuit keeps a warm layer of water between you and the ocean. Wool helps keep that layer of air between your skin and outer layers much warmer than cotton or polyester blends. Additionally merino wool is moisture wicking, it can absorb a large amount of moisture (like sweat) without feeling wet. The result of these wonderful properties is that you stay much warmer, drier, and especially comfortable when you’re riding in the wet conditions! 10/10 would recommend (Hint: did you know Costco carries merino wool base layers?)
2. Your Tires Matter: A bit of context might help. Typically when we are riding in wet and greasy conditions, we aren’t trying to ride as fast as possible, and that change in our riding style is a key factor in managing traction. Grip, traction, whatever you call it when your tires stick to things, this performance factor is key for enjoying slippery conditions. How can you get more of it? Here are a few ways I manage traction/grip during the rainy season: a) tire pressure comes down, since I’m not trying to charge as hard, I am getting less feedback from the trail and therefore can come down a few PSI without compromising my wheels. b) Tire compounds and tread patterns are also big factors, so I’ll equip my bike with an ultra soft rubber compound, and choose a tread pattern that has larger knobs that are a bit more spread out. Currently I’m running Schwalbe Magic Marys front and back in the ultra soft rubber, with the radial casing!
3. Your Suspension Setup: Keeping the theme of riding less for speed and more for fun and adventure, I tend to slow down my suspension by adjusting my rebound on my fork and shock. Since I’m not pushing as hard and fast into the trail, I don’t need my bike reacting so quickly, and therefore my bike can feel less reactive and twitchy and more stable and predictable! Similarly I also tend to run a bit less compression in my suspension so that I can have more suppleness and traction versus support and bottom out control.
4. Your Gear: I think this can be a tough one because who wants to spend a ton of money on a waterproof riding jacket only to have a crash and rip it to shreds (been there). This is why I tend to run a lighter duty rain shell, and make sure my layers are on point. For super long days in the saddle I carry a 2nd rain shell in my bag (which has a rain cover on it btw) and typically swap my shells half way through the ride. Some areas I do think are worth spending on when it comes to your gear are: gloves (there are winter specific gloves), footwear (waterproof ‘ish” shoes are quite nice), good riding pants (I have recently adopted waterproof pants) can really make your ride more enjoyable, my go to is Leatt HydriDri 5.0 pants with merino wool long johns underneath. On a super heavy day I’m happy to sport my Leatt monosuit. Oh and take care of your eyes! Nothing worse than trying to pick bits of muck out of your eyeball, get yourself some decent glasses or goggles and throw a mudguard on your fork!
5. Don’t forget to eat and drink on winter rides: You might be less thirsty but you are still dehydrating over time, drink water. Some good snacks go a long way to helping your body keep warm while adventuring out in the woods.
6. Plan for your future: Having comfortable warm/dry clothes waiting for you at the end of a ride is peace of mind. A towel or poncho to change with, and a tote bag or bin to store your soggy clothes in is the pro move for living on the Island and riding year round! Don’t get in your vehicle, or your parents or friends for that matter like some kind of swamp monster. Be civilized, change yourself into something nice and cozy, and stow away your wet stuff into a waterproof container, and enjoy your favourite post ride beverage or snack with friends!
7. Don’t put your bike away wet and dirty: Your future self will be so stoked that you hosed your bike down, lubed your chain, and stored it indoors somewhere. It will make the prospect of getting out for your next ride that much easier knowing that your bike and gear has already been dealt with and is ready for the next adventure!
That’s all I’ve got for now folks, I’m sure my list is incomplete, what do you do to make braving the rainy season an easier choice? I’d love to hear your winter mountain biking tips, so please leave a comment, and then I’ll make a social media post sharing some of the updated tips! Happy trails and we’ll see you in the woods.
Want to keep the riding stoke going through the holidays? Gift your loved ones a Nolan Riding giftcard or program voucher!
– Patrick Nolan