Snow Machine

I almost forgot that winter was a thing you have to deal with. Last year I missed the very small bit of snow we had, because I was out punching SUVs. This year I didn't get out in time, so I've had a chance to take the Surly Moonlander for some proper winter fatbiking.

Obese Patricia, but her friends call her... wait for it... Fatty Patty

Parts of the trails I hit up yesterday were packed down by snowshoers, and the fatties (4" wide tires) did great hugging the trails. Even better were the places I had to break trail- it felt like I was floating up and over the snow. I was expecting the steering to be squirrely, but it felt stable for the most part. That could also be due to the fact I was going very slow. Very, very slow. If I needed to make one or two changes (and I do) the first is that the bike is geared very high for snow travel. Since this is a bit of a frankenbike build, I'll have to see what kind of granny gear situation I can work up. The other thing I'm going to have to change up is the pedal choice. I prefer clipless pedals for all types of riding (except for commuting, usually), but both the pedals and the bottoms of my shoes were getting clogged up with snow making them super frustrating to get into. Next ride I'm going platform, fo sho.

I like that the rear tire, the venerable Endomorph,  leaves recognizable tracks, reminiscent of another snow machine. I did a nice little loop, with a quick out-n-back section. There I saw the tracks and thought "Somebody else is out here on a bike!", before I realized that it was me. Heh.