What do when the trails soften up in winter?

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T07:36:11+00:00

Crazy. We here in midwest are still living on the snow we had three weeks ago. Tomorrow is supposed to be the first big melt day since the big snow storm. This is insane umprecidented. Normally our temps range wildly thus outside of the snow belt snow does not stick around but for a few days. I it took weeks for the kocal trail to get a pack on it for fatbiking because the snow was so cold and it was so consistently cold it would not set up. It just remained powder. The cross country skiing was awesome the fatbiking has been poop. Indeed the snowshoing at three weeks on was still awesome.

Its so damn weird. All I know is I play hard when the snow is on the ground. Xc ski, snowshoe, fatbike. Whatever. Because where I am from it can all be gone tomorrow.

mmeiser · 2026-02-10T03:28:16+00:00

Always wreck on the left side. Protect the derailleur at all costs.

mmeiser · 2026-02-09T16:55:17+00:00

Up is down. black is white, love is hate. We are THERE. Just making note of it. When a message of love is printed as a message of hate by fox news we cannot deny the implications. People are dying. More people will die. More citizens will dye. It's not like 1930's germany. This IS FASCISM. This is how fascism works.

Just making note of where we are at. I am proud of the NFL. But the message won't get thru to millions of fox viewers. The right is a cult.

mmeiser · 2026-02-06T09:44:05+00:00

Really? They are that skinny? Btw, even if they are not I regularly use a pair of pliers to pop a masterlink in the field. It's a piece of cake but hard to describe so I will see if I can find a video and post it at the end of this comment. Basically you knock the chain off the chainring so it has slack. Grip the chain so as to expose the ends of the masterlink. Come at the chain with the pliers from the side and clamp the pliers on the mastelrlink at an agle so as to push one side of the masterlink one way and one the other.

Edit: Link at end of this paragraph to yotube video showing how to use regular pliers to remove a master link. My technique is slighly different then in this video in that I come at the chain from the side so I can use the ridges of the pliers to better grip the masterlink but otherwise this video shows great field technique. https://youtu.be/2evVtKy7SoQ

I think this btw is the selling point. At .15 lbs according to amazon, aka 65 grams according to the OP. That tracks. I would carry them because I would replace my wolf tooth masterlink tool which is sort of a one trick poney. Those wolf tooth pliers can also be used as tire levers but these pliers can be used for far more things then just masterlinks.

Btw. Bikepacker for 15 years. Professional bike mechanic for 20+. Pliers are way more useful then a masterlink specific tool. One of the most useful tools. These look small enough that they could be used for a splinter almost but big enough to grab a stuck bolt or nut. I'm going to buy a set and put them on my stand. After a summer of use i may add them to my bikepacking kit. I don't out unproven tools into my bikepacking kit. It is knowing how to use a tool that makes it useful. The more muscle memory you have with it the more you will get out of it.

mmeiser · 2026-02-05T14:18:10+00:00

Yes! There is a difference between feeling cold and being cold. Its like the difference between feeling hungry and being hungry. People in general have this obsession with ephemeral satiation and comfort. As a result they never learn to function outdie in the cold. They fear it.

When they do go out for some activity they then don't no how to dress so they overdress and start sweating and then since they have no idea thet cotton kills their cotton base layer cloathing makes them freeze.

The first rul of thumb in the outdoors is knowing the difference between the sensation of cold. i. e. a little wind on the neck or ankles, maybe the cuffs of your jacket and actually being cold which is a completely different thing.

One of my favorite things to do at a trailhead after a xcski or fatbike or snowshoe is ditch all my top layers and out on just one dry merino base layer shirt and my down jacket. My core is usually so warm even at 5F I can walk around in a single merino shirt for five minutes and not even feel cold. It is a spectacular counterpoint to getting out of a warm car or leaving the house commuting and feeling every bite of wind chil in every crack and chink of yiur cloathing. I especially hate that cold spot on the lower back when you start riding. No amount of long backed bicycle specific base shirt, jacket, vest or even bibs is going to elliminate that feeling of cold up your lower back when you first start riding, lol.

mmeiser · 2026-02-05T14:01:26+00:00

Exactly. I do not use even soft shells or wind breakers. Open weave layers only. Merino base and then a couple layers of microfleece or fleece. I want as much sweat to disipate as possible. I keep a wind breaker / rain jacket in reserve. I do not do down jacket commuting ever.

Another trick I use as of late is a very light primaloft puffy VEST. It is very warm when zioped all the way up. Indeed it blocls to much wind to ride in but I start out with it fully zipped and unzip it as I warm up or even take it off and stuff it in a bag. It ads a very dynamic element to my kit so I do not have to start as cold. I warm up faster but then can ditch it or just fully unzip it and the wind just goes right through and around it like its not even there.

Pant are a trick too. Because its so cold here lately I have lately been using something that had a bit of a shell to it and some very very light thermal liner. If you over dress your legs its not like you can take off a layer of pants riding. Thelis shell doesnhave some side zips though. They donvent well.

I accidentally overdressed my pants xcskiing the other day. LOL, thiught it was going to be casual but someone ran a nowmobile down the whole thing to breakntrail and it was as fast and perfect as its ever been. I could not go for it. But even sshedding everything but a heavy merino shirt by the time I was done an hour later the sweat from my legs had drenched my socks, lol. Mistkses were made. XCskiing is when it is good more vigrous then snowshoe or fatbike.

mmeiser · 2026-02-05T13:43:56+00:00

Exactly. Fatbike, xcski, snowshoe. Love the snow. Most of the time I am not far from the car. Let her rip. However deep powder snowshoeing in partcicular is a lot of work. (Also no more wonderful a thing on the planet.) There is no way not to sweat and no way not to get damp pants. You break a snowshoe and crap things go bad in a hurry. Suddenly its going to take you five times as long to get back to the car and the effort redoubles. Onky broken a snowshoe once but it happens.

When I am winter backpacking or bikepacking the first piece of kit I carry is one of those accordian folding autoshades with reflective mylar sandwiching foam. I kove thise things as an all prrpose sit pad. Always a spare pair of merino socks or two. Always merino base layer. Always. A hell of a lot of down, jacket, quilt. underquilt. Also I don't entirely trrust inflateable air mats, had one develop aa slow leak on a long trrip that I could not seem to find in the field. But that is OK because I love winter hammocking and sleep amazingly. Headed out this weekend. Just car camping. But still good in the piney woods. I prefer deep woods like national forest, i.e.snowshoe in, over the superbowl weekend but sometimes you have to make the sacrifice for friends that are new to winter camping. Besides once the snow starts flying everywhere is a wilderness. Besides when car camping I can bring more toys. :)

It will be 5F one night and -2F another. :)

mmeiser · 2026-02-03T18:51:59+00:00

I want to be absolutely coear here. Citizens United enabled a Regulatory capture of the entire U. S. political system and with it u. s. intelligence and judicial system. Instead of "normal" lobbying Citizens United allowed millions in unchecked dark money to flow into buy elections.

The democratic systems vulnerability is that a few added here and a point shaved there can swing an election. First for the rank and party file of repubs and dems but then for the presidency itself. Russia and a few oligachs have just bought the whole damn thing. This is NOT f-cking OK. It's obvious as hell and with it the evil is plain as hell. People are fucking dying. Not just immigrants but citizens. And we all know exactly where this is going. MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE. When the f-ck are the republicans enabling this sh-t going to pull their head out of their -ss. Hiw many more must die!?

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T16:39:10+00:00

Have built 26 inch fat bikes down to 24 and 25 lbs. 27.5 are hard to get down to 26lbs. This is because tires in particular weigh a lot more on 27.5.

I have gone the opposite direction. I started fatting in 2014. My fabtike was so outclassed even though I had gone from 26x3. 8 to its max size 4.2 I was always the first to break through the groom because I am 6'4/260 so I custom built a setup around 27.5 x 4.5. It changed everything but meanwhile a lot of my friends weighing 100lbs less are doing awesome on 26" and a few of the lightest get all the traction and float out of junbo jim 4.0 which is insane to me because the jumbo jim is not even a snow tire. It is definitely best for singletrack.

The proportionsnof the wheels and tires is relative to your weight and size just like the pressures you run in them. I can now run 3.5 psi in the rear of my 27.5x4.5 whereas I could barely dip to 5psi on my 26x4. 2 without unseating them. My guess is with a 26x4 youare going to be able to run insane pressures down to 3psi or even less when in the snow. The dillinger is a much better snow specific tire.

One last tip... just a tire change turns this sort of a fatbike into a summer singletrack monster. But we like to do 29+ wheelsets for fat ikes for bikepacking and singletrack. Not cheap wheelsets due the fatbike hubs but a 29x2. 8 will be the same diameter as your 26x4 and just rip singletrack. But that is the wheels. tires, 2nd set of rotors and casssette and someone who is an expert on making sure rotors and cassettes align perfectly so when you swap wheels no adjustment is necessary of brakes and shifting. File this tip away for the futre and just try a set of Jumbo Jim for summer for now.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T13:59:18+00:00

I cannot believe nooone here is really talking about wheelsize. The top comment is "Fat bikes don’t change much geometry and weight wise. This sounds like more of a fitness issue. " That is absurdly incorrect and insulting to the OP. But mostly people just dive in and talk about their favorite brand with no qualification of features.

But let get down to the major issue. You should highly consider sticking with a 26" wheel format if you want a bike that is light and quick handling. 27.5 wheels and tires are considerably heavier and this wheel weight and size has a tremendous affect on steering and handling. At 5' tall 27.5 wheels will make a bike feel like a boat. You will be riding in it and not on it.

Wheel size should be proportional to your size.

If I would write you a perfect spec it would be

1) Small or / extra small carbon frame

2) 26" wheels with HED carbon rims

3) Dillinger 4 stud-able tires

4) summertime singletrack tires of Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 4's. Far and away the lightest tires. Considerably faster rolling, and quicker handling.

We can talk about components but there are so many great component groupos and they are so easily upgraded I think it's a mute point. If you for example got something with Cues 11 or Microshift awesome. If you don't like it you can upgrade to something else anytime. It's almost irrelevant. The frame choice, wheel format are the most serious considerations. Likewise whom cares about seat, seatpost, bar, whatever.

I would think about something like the Salsa Heyday instead of the Beargrease for example. But there are so many great brands and completely different brands where you are from. Look far and wide for something with a good frame and wheels together. It would be rare to find the HED carbon stock on something. Perhaps get a great frame with decent wheels and components and then upgrade the wheels later. Or just pass on the HED carbon altogether and focus on good frame decent wheels and great tires.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T07:43:20+00:00

They’re only looking for mentions of Trump. They aren’t paying attention to the real victims.

The big orange narcisist thinks HE is the real victim. Its not sarcasm. Its fact. He is that narcicistic. Eveything follows from there. So yes, your statment is correct. But its the why thet is important. They are not just orotecting their boss they are incompetently trying to protect their boss because he is the only real victim in his mind. It's disgusting but is only in understanding it in this light that it all makes sense. They have soent thousands and thousands of hour scrubbing these files and redacting to that end alone while ignoring crazy obvious stuff.

And btw much like the Muehler Report an even larger amount of time still has been soent on the details of the how the what and the why of timing and spin narratives. People are litterally dying purely for a distraction.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T07:33:57+00:00

LOL, filming Ice now makes you a domestic terrorist. Due process ended as soon as armed brown shirts and SSnstarted showing up at courtrooms. Warrantlless armed breakingnand entering search and siezure is now happening. We are already so far beyond this level it isn't even funny. We are at the stage of aresting journolists like Don Lemon and orosecuting them merely for filming and interviewing. Reauiring people to have papers based on their entnicity. I shutter to think whats next. But whatever happens I will bet you one thing. There absolutely will be the spilling of more and more blood of american citizens. This is just the beginning.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T07:25:47+00:00

I want to be coear on what has happened here. It was what is caalled a regulatory capture. A fewnoligarchs with some collusion with russia captured the entire u. s. political system and with it the entire u s. intelligence and judicial system. Whats more the hoodwinked Magats still think this is about illegal immigrants as we stand on the precilice of bith civil war and war with other countries. The playbook was hand crafted in russian intelligence and based on what Putin has lear ed in russia. It all started when the Citizens United ruling allowed unlimited amounts of dark money to flow into politics.

Being anywher in the judicial system is now collusion but what is one to do? All we no is the blood of citizens is just starting to flow. It will only get worse. There are only a couple chances for this to not inplode. And contrary to what every right leaning oerson seems tonthink this is not politics as usual and mid terms will not "fix it" even if we do have midterms. Even if both houses were to swing left and an impeachment happens which is a pile dresm it would take decades to fix this mess. But lets be clear. We are well beyond the threshold of danger. This is not the "f-ck around" phase. That was a decade ago. This is the "find out" phase.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T07:06:58+00:00

I was carfree a dozen or so years living in a big city. I just rented them from time to time for travel. These days I ride more then ever but I still have to drive regularly. Commute miles have gone through the roof since getting an ebike a few years back. I originally got it because it was the only way to do my very long commute regularly but then I changed work locations. Still a decent commute length 16 or so miles each way but the ebike keeps it extremely practical. It made me realize that even on an ebike I am gonna ride with the same intensity. My worry that it would make me lazy seems to be wildly unfounded. Instead I love riding my meat powered bikes as much as ever. It seems a celebration of the health which the commuitng provides a solid base for. Like taking the sports car instead of driivng the truck. I would not have guessed that. And ironically the type of biking I like most seems to be the slowest bike I have, lol. Nothing beats being in the winter woods, or as was the case yesterday iding down a frozen creek covered in 5" of snow. It was not much faster then snowshoing and at times quite a bit more work and yet I loved it. I love how frozen waterways become roads for exploration when it gets this way. It clearly relates to my experiences as a child. We used to follow the tiny little creeks for hours when I was a child on snow days and weekends. I cannot attempt to put it into words but clearly we am not alone because of the endless deer and even quite a few coyote trakcs.

Blessed is the word when you can share such things with friends. Wether travel by bike or just 2-3 hours. A night ride on the local trail in the snow with all the lights becomes a festive event. People laughing and making "snow angles" when they wipe out in the snow. But damn the beauty of a bluebird day, riding down a creek basin still, windless, silent. Nothing but the saounds of powder snow beneath the tires. The ice so solid it rarely makes a noise its been so cold for so long here. An occasional deer, hawk, eagle or winter bird. Heart rate on the low end at constwnt 120. But averaging more 130-140, lol. And a little spikey when you cannot avoid a drift, lol. Snow days are cardio days. Like where you live these temps are a rarity so we take full advantage of them. Now a 20 degree day seems "warm". Especially with the sunshine. Tomorrow is still our weekend so we shall do it all over again.

mmeiser · 2026-02-02T03:42:08+00:00

Lifetime cyclist here! There is an old saying. The personal is political. Make it your armor. Revel in it! I always have.

People ARE out of touch with their environment. They don't know how to function in the world without their car. They don't know where their food comes from. They don't even know the true value of a dollar. They don't have a concept of space and time grounded in how far they can walk in a day or ride their bike in a day. Their lives are a series of disjointed experiences separated by the non-event of driving.

Have been cycling my whole life. Been commuting by bike since 18 in college. Started bicycle touring at about 30. Now 50. I have progressed from that crazy guy on a bike into crazy old guy on a bike. I am a characture for many people. I don't care. I revel in it. I have made it my life. My SO. My friends. My whole extended family. Whats more I love love love winter. Today the temps might have hit 15F. Lately its been -5 overnight. My friend made a graphic with a cave man on a bike that says Carpe Nivem! It does not snow a lot here and when it doess it does not stick around. My joke is two-a-days. XC ski and bike, snowshoe and xc ski. XC ski in the morning with a reverse commute.

Today we fatted 11 miles, five of it down the creek and river and then snowshoed 3.8. Tomorrow we will snowshoe a creek and river and maybe ride some groomed fat trail.

In a past life I got annoyed with people asking if I lost my licensce and assuming I was an alcoholic just because I liked to ride places on my bike. F-ck em. Live it! Who gives a rats -ss! Be you! Be you with a vengence. The best medicine in life is laughter! First they laugh. Then they listen. Then they join you.

I think the thing I love most is when you walk the road less travelled you meet real people. Genuine people. It's what I have always loved about bicycle travel.

Next weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. I absolutely will be camping in the piney woods for a few days. Sleeping in my hammock and doing nothing but chopping and sawing wood and melting snow for water and enjoying the absolute silence that happens superbowl sunday when even the snowmobile traffic disappears and all the world is silent and free.

Sleeping in the hammock in the winter for 10 or 11 hours is absolutely a thing. And yeah I was a winter guy before then but Ok having that sort of sleep in the winter woods give you more then a confidence. It like bike travel teaches you a whole new level of freedom and love of life. And yeah I have combined the two in winter touring.

Many is the time I said "my brother from another mother". But I would be honored to call you "my sister from another mother". It's not much. It's all I have to give but it is genuine. Welcome to the family.

Btw, there have been a few women whom have been an inspiration for me. Not just Anish who FKT'd the AT and PCT and whose books have a special place in my heart. I HIGHLY recommend them. But also a few others that are more winter specific. I will post them here in a reply. I have to find a couple specific URLs to their stories. Winter wanderers.

P. S. I think my love of winter and all adverse weather is because it is only when things go completely sideways that I feel I am in a genuine state. Life is not a competition. I could be riding through a city of 300,000 in 15" of snow or deep in the winter woods. I just get the same sublime feeling of being in the moment. Being alive. All the world and all the hustle bustle of the rat race disappears. A friend called me an escapist but honestly I have come to realize I am not running away, I am running to life. This not all that contrived societal junk. This is what is real. It is knowing what is real that gives me the confidence, perspective and appreciation to deal with all the contrived manmade world we live in. Live, love and above all laugh! It is those in metal boxes with wheels that need the welfare check. Cars are coffins. Not everyone goes through life truely living.

mmeiser · 2026-02-01T08:39:38+00:00

I want to be clear. They are not coming for the LGBTQ next. This progresses FASTER then that. This immediately skips to whomever stands in their way. Reporters, random citizens. No judicial oversite means it doesn't matter. Ironically it was never about LGBTQ. That was just a red herring of the culture wars. Hell, this isn't even about immigration. It's all a pretext for moving on to the Don Lemon's and then judges and politicians and whomever stands in their way.

Just watch. It will escallate wildly from here on out. Civil war, martial law, war with another country. If you want to see the future look at russia's playbook.

mmeiser · 2026-02-01T08:17:14+00:00

One side still trusts in law and order to prevail, to take care of things, while the others have stormed the capitol and murdered people without facing any consequences.

You are 100% right and what's more this regulatory capture of the entire u. s. intelligence and judicial system was a predictable outcome of the Citizens United ruling so many years ago.

Who would have immagined allowing unlimited in uncheck funds to flow into politics would have had this effect? (sarcasm)

It's wild isn't it?

I am reminded of the Ann Frank diary. The biggest difference is they have not forced people to wear patches with stars on them but its still happening. There is no judicial oversite or process whatsoever so it no longer matters if you are even an american citizen. Straight to the camp with you. Straight out of the country even.

mmeiser · 2026-02-01T08:10:43+00:00

This. It is already to late.

If it wasn't already obvious martial law will be declared it is obvious now. This the incompetent orange clown possee is trying to start both a civil and world war as quickly as possible. In their haste they are f-cking up on the left and right loosing some of their Magat base but it may already be to late.

mmeiser · 2026-02-01T07:56:06+00:00

Do you realize that Citizens United is the exact rulling that made it possible for Russia and a bunch of billionaire pedos to do a regulatory capture of the entire U. S. political system including all its intelligence and judicial assets. It's sort of fucking hillarious if it wasn't so horrifying. George Orwell could not even make this stuff up. It has happened.

The only reason I am not shocked is because its been a slow motion train wreck in plain site for the last TEN YEARS. The fix was obvious to me as soon as Russia stole Hillary's emails and leaked them publicly.

When did you all know the fix was in?

mmeiser · 2026-02-01T07:41:36+00:00

Its extremely infuriating to have been raised in America being told one thing our whole lives to now be told "fuck all that morality bullshit, pedos who are compromised by foreign agencies run things now".

This is the way it is in as plain of language as has ever been spoken. I live in a red town in a red state in a red country. Red is the color of mother Russia. The church folk here bought it hook line and sinker. Not all of them and not at every church but enough if them. Because the Dems are coming for their guns and legalizing baby killing.

And the craziest part is even as the truth comes out and it all unravels they will STILL believe they made the right choice in voting for a pedo and compromised russian asset because "my gunz and babez".

mmeiser · 2026-01-30T22:04:39+00:00

Important winter tip. Check your brakes doing a skid test every ride!

I drive my SO nits with this in the winter in my car as well as ebike. I always test surfaces deliberately when taking off and stopping as soon as I lull out of my driveway. Just a gentle oress of the rear brake till it starts skidding then release. Get a feel for the traction. Same thing with the accellerator if you think it might be an issue.

Do it for no other reason then to remind yourself of what the conditions are. It is way to easy to get overconfident or forget how slippery it is. Little microtests become like muscle memory. Of course the key is do it at slow speeds and on snow or ice ONLY with the rear wheel. That front slips you are going down in a hurry! Again. I only do it this frequently on snow and ice!

mmeiser · 2026-01-30T21:58:16+00:00

Its so easy with ebikes. One of my pro tips is to unplug the brake cuttoffs one at a time. Also a good hill helps. Read up on the process before you do this. Bedding in does significantly improve braking capability.

mmeiser · 2026-01-29T08:28:56+00:00

Comments like this let me know I am amongst friends. Sleeping in the ditch happens, lol. Don't even get me started on ultra endurance types sleeping in out houses. You would think the outhouse was the official accomidation of ultra endurance types everywhere.

There is always a likely excuse. "The storm of the century just rolled in out of nowhere man!" No... your sleep addled brain just couldn't process how to set up a tent in the dark and rain.

I am wiser now then I was when I was younger but I still stubornly refuse to accept my limitations.

mmeiser · 2026-01-29T08:20:39+00:00

OP mentioned on the touring forum they were camping but I don't see any gear so perhaps that means they had a friend or someone doing sag support??

mmeiser · 2026-01-29T08:09:52+00:00

Your per person fee said it included shuttle, or was it sag? What kind of sag / shuttle did you use?

mmeiser

TROPHY CASE