New England Fall Riding

[guitarsark]

I'm not really prepared for the cool rainy stuff, also the fact that it's getting dark earlier, but I hope to continue to rice until it snows (then I'll be snowboarding). Can anyone recomend some good cold rainy clothing and maybe a light for my bike. I'll be riding primarily off-road.
thanks,
karen

[Mr_Cheeze]

How can I pass up helping a llama fan.

I can't really recommend anything in particular, Karen, as there are good deals and quality lighting systems abound depending upon who you talk to and where you buy. Nashbar www.nashbar.com (http://www.nashbar.com) and Performance bicycles www.performancebike.com (http://www.performancebike.com) are good places to find deals on clothing and gloves in particular. The trick is knowing your size as some manufacturers of clothing tend to size differently.

[Mt.A TODD]

Think Modular, Think Layers. Waterproof tends to get too hot, water & wind resistant fabrics work great! Jackets that convert to vests, arm & leg warmers, the more vent zippers the better. I have a pair of Nike water resistant pants that with a few ZIPS, convert to shorts, luv em! Maintain balance from head too toe, what I mean is don't bulk up your top half with insulation and expect that to keep your buns warm. Which brings me to toes, the very first thing that gets cold and wet. Gore-Tex socks, Gore-Tex socks, Gore-Tex socks!!! Go to a store that sells hunting crap, and buy'em. Some days you may need a baclava, other days just a ear warmer. My gear bag in the car has a variety of stuff that I can choose from, because the weather conditions in New England are so unpredictable. Unlike road riding, your body will go trough a whole range of temperature changes.Think Modular, Think Layers. A bigger pack is a plus for cold weather mountainbiking, there are many times I have needed that extra pair of "dry" gloves. When shopping for new "stuff", don't limit yourself to biking specific, take a look at cross county skiing & running gear. As far as lights go, there is only one! NiteRider H.I.D. Storm! Pricey, but worth it.

[NEMBA_bkr-dude]

www.pricepoint.com they have every biking thing you will ever need for half the normal price

[ruckerz]

Totally off topic, just my $0.02


New England Fall riding is absolutely the best. Warm temps, but very low humidity.

But the cons are early sunsets and falling leaves (which can make a very-well-known-rock-garden become a new challenge). Plus the falling leaves cover up all the trails making navigation more of a challenge :) All in good fun though.


Francis

[steve_b]

I find that other than the start / finish of a fall or winter ride that I warm up quite quickly. Even in rides where the temp. stays around 30, staying warm isn't an issue until you stop. If you stop for a rest, make it short, 'cause once you cool off your going to freeze. :o

My fall rides use the same clothing as summer, but with a breathable or nylon long-sleeved layer on the outside (usually only on top), and some good socks. If you use nylon wind pants, make sure they are not too big. Hooking them on the big chainring could get ugly.

Btw: The leaves do add a new challenge to the rocky trails. Especially on unfamiliar ones.

[Paula]

Love riding in the fall! Less bugs! But one time in the winter, when the ground was frozen hard (not good to ride when the ground is thawing) , my camelback started to leak. Soon, not only was the ground frozen, but I was pretty darn cold myself. This only encourged me to ride better (faster) so I could get back to the parking lot and turn on the heat in the car. Fortunetly, I hadn't locked the keys in the car. All those booties, shoes, and accesories have velcro on them. Since I throw everything into a big bag for riding, all the velcros stick together and I have now learn a new skill- untangling the mass of velcros! So you see there are many advantages to riding in the off season. If only my camelback tube wouldn't freeze! If only my toes would stay warm!

[ruckerz]

Anyone try putting a little salt / sugar in their mix? It tastes a little off, but we all need some electrolytes in our system!

Another common one is blowing the water back into the bag after taking a sip...


ruckerz