Photo David D’Agostino
Trails that are raked or leaf blown get a new lease on life in the fall. Cleared trails, like this stretch on Ganny Transit, are safer, more enjoyable to ride, and tend to dry out faster in the spring.
“The future’s uncertain and the end is always near.”
Jim Morrison probably wasn’t riding a bicycle in a late autumn forest when he wrote that lyric but he wouldn’t have been wrong. The end is near but is it imminent? Will we wake up in a week to snow covered streets and surrender to the inevitability of winter? Or, will fall persevere and reward us with six more weeks of riding? Not even Wiarton Willie dares to weigh in on this one.
Suffice to say, it will very likely snow between now and the New Year and that snow will also very likely melt. How many times this cycle repeats itself is the bigger question and how you handle the in-between days can really help you extend your season.
Hardwood forested trails like Backstage Pass, Trench Town, and Ganny Transit spent most of October blanketed in a thick layer of leaves. However, thanks to a devoted group of local volunteers (read: heroes), armed with leaf blowers and rakes, November, although colder, typically brings with it a huge boost in visibility and traction.
The upside of leaves dropping off trees is that they also drop from the undergrowth. This vastly improves sightlines that can otherwise be obstructed by the countless tree and plant species that adorn the forest floor. Long ribbons of trail reappear in a way that is only rivaled by the re-emergence of spring’s rich brown dirt, as April showers wash away the dregs of winter.
At this time of year, the ground often cycles between frozen and slick and timing matters.
As frozen trails thaw, the top layer of frost in the ground melts causing the trail surface to feel greasy and slick. This makes for challenging riding and the resulting skids and smears can mess up the trail surface if they harden or freeze. Fortunately, these tricky conditions only persist for a few hours, just as the mercury climbs above 0 degrees. Watching the hourly forecast can help you avoid this time of day.
You shouldn’t be afraid of a little chill, though. Subzero weather is still great riding weather. Frozen trails are firm and grippy. Dress as you would for any cold weather aerobic exercise and you’ll have a blast. Layers are key. Plus, the sun is low in the sky and you’ll regularly catch glimpses of your shadow getting rad as you ride. You owe it to your shadow to get out there and let it get rad.
This month’s trail tip: Add air. If you typically store or setup your bike indoors, it may feel sluggish when riding in the cold. As a rule of thumb, I add 1psi for every 15psi of pressure to keep things feeling normal (for a 20°C temperature drop). i.e. if your fork normally has 75 psi in it, increase it by 5 psi to 80 psi. The same goes for your tires (add 1-2 psi) and rear shock (add 10-15 psi).
A Singletrack Mind by David D’Agostino
