8 experiences unique to Canadian winter mountain biking
Familiar features of riding through the forest in February
Canadians are known to take pride in toughing out the harshest of winter conditions as if it were just another summer day (then talking about how brutal those conditions were to anyone who will listen). If you’re one of the brave few who plows your bike through snow banks and icicles from December until … well, it feels like June, here are a few unique winter riding experiences you’re likely familiar with.
Frozen feet that can’t feel the pedals
You finally fiind the pedals, only to find your cleats and pedals are too packed with ice to clip in. Nothing’s more fun than a clipless sized flat pedal made of ice. Why not just start with flats? Same problem, but a larger ice platform. Different brake systems break down at different points, but whether it’s frozen levers, pads, or rotors, every Canadian knows the fear of grabbing the skid lever and getting nothing in return.
Frozen fingers
At a certain temperature you’re left choosing between gloves too bulky to shift and fingers too cold to tell the difference between shift paddles. Don’t worry though, soon the cassette will be so caked in ice that trying to shift is a lost cause anyway.
RELATED: Top tips to cure cold hands this winter
Being frozen into your layers
Yet somehow still warm. Scarves, toques, buffs, and whatever else you use to keep your face from freezing make winter riding functional and fun. They’re especially effective when a layer of ice forms on the outside surface to really block out the wind. Less fun is trying to separate these frozen layers from each other when you get back inside.
Discovering what layers are windproof, the hard way
Windproof and waterproof are two very different things. Both can make you feel invincible facing Canada’s harsh winter, whether that is sub-zero snow or near-zero west coast rain, as long as you remember which one your jacket is. Few experiences are as humbling, and bone chilling, as thinking you’ve perfected your mad alchemy of winter layering until you hit a headwind that feels like it’s blowing directly onto your skin.
Finding your water bottle has frozen solid
Electrolytes can delay the ice, but add a bit of bourbon to your bottle to keep its contents liquid
RELATED: Equipment tips for fat biking this winter
Peeing on something to make it work again
Ok, maybe not everyone’s done this before, or even thought about doing it. Mountain biking tends to happen far away from any source of warm water, though, so when it’s February and your freewheel feels fixed … drink up. Before you call B.S., a new years eve ride provided recent evidence that this works, and saved the rider from a long, snowy walk out on foot. Just make sure you really hose your hubs off after.
Powder days
On the more fun end of the scale, there are few warm weather conditions that can replicate the absolute joy, and maybe a little tinge of fear, that comes from sliding down a powder filled trail or service road on the edge of control. There’s something magical about that point when the snow starts flying up off your tires and you only sort of have traction, and steering becomes a suggestion more than a certainty . Winter biking is a silly endeavour, for all the reasons listed above. But every now and then you’re crashing through snow with childlike glee, and winter riding totally redeems itself.
