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Kuat are awesome racks. I recently picked up an NV 2.0 from REI. They retail for $700. However, if you plan ahead and are a co-op member, you can use your dividend and a 20% off coupon. I ended up getting one for $350!
Stop pedaling and let your momentum carry you through chunky sections. Keep those pedals at 3 and 9 o’clock in straightaways and drop the outside pedal to 6 o’clock in corners.
Farleys not Harleys.
I live in the twin cities and have timed out the trips to both. Copper harbor is a quicker (and beautiful) drive but you got to remember the switch to eastern time zone. Haven’t ridin Bentonville yet but I plan on going down there during the spring thaw next year to escape the Minnesota “off season”. The weather might be ideal in the U.P. in a few weeks. Add CAMBA and Marquette and hit up Duluth on your way home and you got yourself a trip!
I found this site simply by doing web searches for trails in my area. At the time, I was getting back into the sport and eager to ride the best trails in my region. Having a site that has maps, reviews, photos, etc helped me find new trails and progress as a rider (and probably as human).
I’m guessing you were at Theo Wirth?? Going from a road bike and a xc bike, it doesn’t surpise me that a fat bike would seem hard to pedal. 20 psi is way too much for me on the trail in winter. I would be sliding out everywhere. It really depends on your weight to find the sweet spot. Firm enough to avoid pedal “bounce” on the back tire and soft enough to corner and maintain grip in the front. The big tires also help dampen the trails for a smooth, more controlled ride. For my rigid fatty, i run 8psi in the back and 6 in the front and i weigh 225lbs. I tend to run more in the summer time. It is “Wirth” playing around with. Start a ride with you tires pumped up and as you go let a little air out and see what happens. Topeak makes a nice digital tire gauge that makes it easy to get dialed in. Good luck!
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I’m a little scetched out on those Princeton Tec lights. I had two of them and the battery port door broke on both. I do like the idea of taking off the band of a head lamp and zip tieing it to a helmet. Nice hack.</p>
I am a fan of the Cateye Volt series. I recently upgraded and run the 800 on the bar and 400 on the helmet. This seems to be plenty of light for now but it’s winter here in Minnesota and the snow on the ground reflects a lot of light. May need to go bigger in summer. These lights last about 2 hours on max output. They do have a removable, replaceable battery so bringing a backup battery in you pack is no big deal.
I bought a pair of Five Ten Freeriders off the internet because I thought they looked cool. I used to only run clipless but these shoes were super grippy and comfy. I now run flats most of the time and picked up a pair of EPS Freeriders for winter.
The pedals the I’ve paired these with also surprised me. The cheap, lightweight yet strong RaceFace Chesters. Not sure if I’ll ever grab a pair of metal flats after riding the Chesters.
I appreciate everyone’s input. In my experience the neoprene chainstay covers tend to not stay in place for me. Innertubes seem okay, but maybe not wrapped but filled opened. How do people feel about gorilla tape for the chainstay? Realize it’s a similar stupid question….
With all bikes, you have to factor in the cost of design and engineering the bike, especially on higher end models. Fat bikes tend to be more money simply because more raw material is used in manufacturing. Example: 4″ fat bike tires will run you around $100 a piece compared to a $30 2.5″ xc tire.
I believe Seth’s Bike Hacks has a couple of videos tackling this subject on youtube. Chinese lights definitely seem to be a gamble at best. Lately I’ve been trying to stick with one brand manly because the mounts tend to be the same and it’s easy to switch from bike to bike with a light. It seems to make sense to put more brightness on your helmet but at a weight penalty. Also, I’ve heard the difference between flood and spot but rarely do I see that indicated on the packaging. Currently I’m running the Volt 400 and it’s not nearly enough. Does anyone have a recommendation for a stronger Cat Eye floodlight? The 400 is more of a spotlight.
Eyewear is a must. It seems like every time i forget my shades, a small bug gets in my eye. I did have a bee go in my mouth once. No sting but it was still pretty unpleasant. Not sure how to prevent that one. Maybe grit my teeth together while riding… During group rides, it’s innevitable that we need to stop at a trailfork to wait up for someone usually getting devoured by mosquitoes in the process. On really bad days, we started doing “rolling breaks”. Usually an easy, flatter area. Slow enough to catch your breath but fast enough to not let those vampires catch up to you. One more thing, Deep Woods Off makes bug repellent “towelettes”. Super lightweight and compact, perfect for stowing away in your bag. If you have a mechanical or need to stop, you’ll be glad you have these.
There’s one in Northern Wisconsin called LAMBO: Lakeland area mountain bike organization.
<p style=”text-align: left;”> I usually wear nothing at all… No wait, Five-Ten’s. I’m having a hard time convincing my friends that they’re worth it. Maybe I need new friends… The Skechers seem sketchy. I like my pedals flat and my shoes flatter.</p>
For maximum mobility, I wear a red and blue full body suit. Feelsp like I’m wearing nothing at all. Nothing at all.. Nothing at all…
Looks like you already have some great suggestions but here are a few more. If you are traveling on Interstate 94, there’s a cool little spot right off the freeway in Eau Claire, WI called Lowes Creek. I hit this place up when in traveling and visiting friends and family in Wisconsin. One other spot I like for some easy, chill riding is the Minnesota river bottoms. These extensive trails run along the river banks and offer some cool scenery. The terrain is pretty flat and a little sand in spots but you can really rack up the miles quick. The trails are multi use so watch it around those corners.
In the middle of replacing my rear derailleur, rear shifter, and chain on my old Trek 8000. Old Deore XT derailleur was in rough shape. Chain was worn out too. The front shifter started missing shifts and felt sticky. Instead of pulling it apart, I opted to swap out the rapid fire for a SRAM X5 dual thumb trigger shifter. I have a SRAM GX shifter on my new Framed Alaskan and got used to it quickly. I like that these shifters free up your pointer finger for braking. Now my old horse will have a similar setup.
I think when the locals are accepting is a big one for me. Nobody likes getting flipped off or run off the road by townies on the way to the trailhead. That brings up another point, easy access to the trails from town. Here in the midwest, we don’t have too many ride centers but two that stand out are Cuyuna Lakes near Ironton and Crosby, MN and Copper Harbor, MI. Both have easy access to trails from town, campgrounds and resorts that are adjacent to the trails, friendly and helpful locals, and plenty of other outdoor fun to be had. I almost forgot the most important factor. Beer. Copper Harbor is home to Brickside Brewery, a small but great place to catch up with fellow “mountain” bikers after a long day of riding. Cuyuna Brewing Company is set to open in a few days in Crosby. A bonus factor is having a shop in town. These guys and gals are a great resource for finding the best trails to ride, especially if your time is limited. Plus, if you need a part or a fix, you’re set!
