Wombat Track near Woodend, Australia.
While many parts of the country already have snow in the forecast, there are a few places where mountain biking season is just getting started. Hard-core skiers follow the snow from the northern hemisphere in winter to the southern hemisphere in summer so why shouldn’t mountain bikers do the same?
Fortunately in November and December you won’t have to head to the southern hemisphere just yet. According to an article on FresnoBee.com fall is the best time of year to ride Fresno area mountain bike trails. In central California the weather starts to cool a bit starting in late October and the trails get some much needed moisture which means less dust and fast, grippy trails. The article goes on to say that most Fresno area mountain bike trails aren’t nearly as crowded as more well known routes in Northern California and the SF Bay area so in many places you may have the trail all to yourself. That is, of course, until the secret gets out (oops).
When winter finally hits here in the US the best riding conditions can be found in the south – waaay south – in Australia. Just this weekend the first race of the Australian MTB series was held in Adelaide where Jared Graves won the individual downhill event. And officials in Adelaide are newly committed to opening more trails to mountain bikers due to a “substantial increase” in demand for trails and the plan is to spend $2.7 million over the next few years to add more dirt. Projects in places like Belair National Park, Flinders Ranges National Park, Innes National Park, and Mount Remarkable National Park should give mountain bikers even more places to ride. Start saving for your ticket now!
For me, winter riding means shifting my riding focus from the north Georgia mountains to the piedmont and plains areas – places like FATS, Dauset, and even Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama. For the really cold months (you know, highs in the 40s 😉 ) I hope to get down and ride in Florida a bit. No matter where you live in the US, there are always (relatively) warmer winter trails to explore to the south – how far will you travel to ride this winter?
