Essay: On the Snow Route
Once the celebration died down over the announcement of a snow day, the next thought turned to routing a bike ride mid snowfall. Over the past few weeks, our area has received small amounts of frozen precipitation. For those lucky enough to live in an area with the potential for winter’s glory as well as possessing a bike that can handle it, we present some of our own findings on the enjoyment of snow day riding. From clothing to timing to bike setup, we have only added to our excitement of snow in the forecast.
The Inuit language is said to have dozens of words describing snow. While the English language only captures snow to mean frozen precipitation, it becomes clear there are numerous types of snow across the darkest months. Around here we have everything from fine granules to sopping wet heavy snow. Rarely do we see powder or blizzards, but we have had our share of diamond dust signifying extreme cold. Prior to gearing up for a cold ride, it is necessary to gauge what type of snow is collecting on the roads and paths.
Today’s ride hovered below the freezing mark. Luckily there was little wind. Fleece-lined deep winter tights, deep winter base layer, and a fleece-lined long sleeve jersey started the dress-up. Prior to zipping the tights, a dab of embrocation was applied to provide a warming boost. Moving to the service course, into the cooler areas, the merino wool socks and shoes were slipped on. The winter jacket was zipped. The winter cap and gloves were the last items pulled on before the garage door was opened. Just on the other side was the white noise sound of snow collecting on surfaces. The dark skies betrayed a continued storm for hours to come.
According to the weather service, accumulation was to start some time after sunrise. Timing is important when riding in snowfall. Today the road crews seemed apathetic to clearing the roads. It felt more like a wait-and-see approach from the department of transportation. With low pressure tires, the ride out was peaceful, albeit slow. I went looking for frozen tire tracks when moving in straight lines; untouched snow was for turns. If the road was heavily crowned, the bike rode at a yaw. Only one major road had been salted enough to create slush. This corrosive slurry can damage bikes, particularly when washing immediately after a ride is not possible. Yet a majority of the roads were still untreated. It is important to consider when road clearing operations may begin to time the ride perfectly. Being sprayed with a salt truck is hardly enjoyable.
The gravel bike was altered prior to rolling out of the service course. An AssSaver was mounted to prevent any flying slush. Tires were a bit overinflated to 30 psi (2 bar). Snow collected on the treads often, proving the rubber was too firm for slippery conditions. A red light was mounted on the back just in case any motorist passed by. (At least three vehicles overtook me.)
There is something special about riding in snow, particularly in the middle of the snow storm. It feels as if the whole world is bundled up indoors unaware of the fun riding in the snow provides. Each turn was anticipation to see if the next few miles would be untreated roads. Most were. The miles continued on quietly while euphoria set in. I even juxtaposed a moment with the memory of it being seventy degrees hotter last time I had pedaled a road. A return to the garage signified a successful snow day, especially considering the snow had stopped falling and salt trucks started patrolling. It would not matter if I were called in to work at that moment. Nothing would top a bike ride in the snow.
