Mountain Biking
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Saratoga Fat Bike Rally Recap
Hi folks! It has an exciting weekend of outdoorsy adventures. This past Saturday the fourth annual Saratoga Fat Bike Rally was held at the Warming Hut in Saratoga Spa State Park. Even though the weather was looking a bit dreary, my friend Margaret and I drove up with our fat bikes (she borrowed one from my other friend) to check it out! We arrived at around 10:30, just in time for the first group ride. We tagged along (and were two of four women out of about 20 riders). The ride looped around the park a few times on snow-covered sidewalks and paths. The temperatures were a bit warm, so the snow…
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Fat Biking at Kingdom Trails, VT
Saturday morning, Margaret and I braved the cold temperatures and drove from our rental on Lake Willoughby to Kingdom Trails in East Burke (~30 min drive). (Check out my post about what to wear fat biking in cold weather!) We got Margaret’s rental bike and started pedaling straight from the shop on Darling Hill. The temperature was zero degrees F when we started, and about five minutes into our ride my gear shifters FROZE! I brought my bike into the shop to thaw out but as soon as we got back out they froze again. I was unable to change gears, but thankfully it was frozen in an easier gear.…
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What to Wear Fat Biking in Cold Weather
Yesterday the high was about 8 degrees F. Despite the frigid temps, the sun was shining and I wanted to get outside. Many people think going out in this type of the weather is nuts, but if you have the proper clothing you can ride comfortably! The key is layers. Here’s what I wore yesterday: EMS Excel Thermo ½ Zip Hoodie EMS zip-up sweater fleece Columbia Sportswear Voodoo Falls 590 Down Jacket – 550 Fill Power Balaclava/face mask Avalanche Mogul fleece-lined leggings Pearl Izumi mountain biking shorts (over the tights) Ski socks Khombu insulated, waterproof boots w/ hand warmers inside the boots. Next time I would wear my hiking gaiters with my…
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Mtb Holiday Gift Guide – For Her
It’s that time of year again! Have a mountain biker in your life and no idea what to get them this holiday season? Well, you are in luck because I love making gift guides! Here is one just for a lady shredder. 1. Blackburn Barrier XL Mud Guard Mudguards are essential for your mountain bike if you don’t want to get muck splashed on your face when riding a wet trail. These Blackburn guards are size XL (for a fat bike tire) and have an awesome topo design on them. I would love a set of them for my fat bike! 2. Crankbrothers M19 Multi-Tool Multi-tools are a necessary piece of…
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Where to Mountain Bike in the Capital Region
Now that I’ve been mountain biking for about 2.5 years, I think it’s time I shared a post about my favorite places to ride locally! I learned to mountain bike on these trails, so they are as good as any to learn to ride, improve your skills, and get some exercise! My favorite app for finding new trails is called TrailForks and you can find maps of all these trails on this app. Best Bet for Beginners: North Bethlehem Town Park, Guilderland Not only is North Bethlehem close to Albany, it has many features, such as bridges, berms, wooden drops, and obstacles like logs to ride over. It is a…