As we all know the weather in MN for this winter has been terrible. We got some snow it disappeared quickly. Then we got some freezing temps that made it too cold to safely ride for extended periods. Now that it is finally warm enough all the snow is melting. It is such a yo-yo and real makes it hard to get out and just enjoy biking.
I have attempted to just make the best of it. When those temps get way cold, I make it a challenge to get outside and ride. I find enjoyment in being out in the cold. Being one of the few people out risking the temperatures rekindles my sense of adventure. I still try to be safe. I lay out a plan tell my wife how long I'll be gone and when to call me. If she can't get a hold of me then call for help. The worst part is it is too cold for my kids and I to ride together.
Now it has warmed up and there is ice in my usual spots. It has forced me to find new trails and areas to ride. I find the adventure in finding these new trails and exploring them. For me my rides have been lasting about an hour. You can make almost anywhere a fun ride for an hour. It doesn't take much. I have found some new logging roads on state land and crossed some swamps I wouldn't be able to in the summer.
I know weather sucks but you just have to get out and enjoy the bike. It is one of the reasons I was drawn to fat bikes. The exploratory nature. They just open up new trails anywhere you want. I don't think you have to plan a multi day excursion on some crazy mountain path. Just explore a back road near where you live.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
Night lights
Currently in MN it is freezing out. The days are extremely short, and it is hard to get a ride in without riding in the dark. So looking at budget options for lights we have found a couple we have come to like. Versatility for us is hugely important. The light may have to ride on handlebars one day and be on a helmet the next. It has to be easy for a five year old to set up. The light also has to be cheap. Our local bike shop sells Sigma lights, and Infini lights. I like the helmet light interface of the Infini light that one is mounted on my helmet and does not leave.
The sigma lights have a silicone strap. This makes it incredibly easy to put the light on a helmet or handlebar. With the silicone strap it is easy to mount just about anywhere.
The Sigma lights are 100 Lumen lights. They also came with a red tail light. We bought them for around $25. This is a great deal and works well for us. The lights work well for around town and riding our speed at night.
With the snow on the ground the 100 lumen light seems brighter due to the reflectivity of the snow. My wife and I have been running a light on the handlebars and on our helmets. With the double lights we are able to see good enough for our riding speed. I'm not sure if you are able to ride a lot faster if these lights would be bright enough.
In the extreme cold the light batteries do not have the same amount of run time. We were able to do our rides without the lights dyeing. With it being cold our rides were probably around an hour. If you were going to go on longer rides you might want to bring spare lights tucked into you jacket to keep warm until you needed them.
The Infini light I purchased is a $45 light. I keep it mounted on my helmet. It is a 300 lumen light. This light is noticeably brighter. I like running it on my helmet and being able to see where I look. My helmet is the Bell Super 2. It came with a go pro mount which works well with the mount included with the infini light. I will run the 300 lumen infini light on the lowest setting and it is comparable to the Sigma light on full power. I'm able to run the Inifini light for a longer time this way.
I know there is a million lights out there we have found some that work well for us. I would encourage anyone to go to their local bike shop and see what they have there. We were able to find good usable light kits for under $30. This mean we were able to purchase more lights and make them more usable for all of us riding.
I recently did a night ride by myself. I put two lights on my handlebar and wore my helmet light. With only a half moon. I ran only one handlebar light and my helmet light. I was saving the second light in case my other lights died. Due to the cold I rode only an hour so well within the lights capabilities.
Below I have a comparison of the lights on different settings. Being only a 100 lumen light the Sigma light on its lowest setting in the woods is noticeably dim. It may not provide enough light by itself. It would work well in a commuter setting but in an area with no light the dim setting just does not have enough light. Once the Sigma light is used on full power it you can begin to see more of the trail and it becomes usable as a riding light. If you compare the Infini light on its lowest setting it provides almost as much usable light as the Sigma light. The biggest advantage to running two lights is the ability to look around and light up what you look at. The bar lights are nice to angle down immediately in front of your bike and have your helmet light set up for looking further down the trail, and around corners. The riding I have been doing has been around hiking trails in the woods. no downhill mostly flat terrain.
The Sigma lights are 100 Lumen lights. They also came with a red tail light. We bought them for around $25. This is a great deal and works well for us. The lights work well for around town and riding our speed at night.
With the snow on the ground the 100 lumen light seems brighter due to the reflectivity of the snow. My wife and I have been running a light on the handlebars and on our helmets. With the double lights we are able to see good enough for our riding speed. I'm not sure if you are able to ride a lot faster if these lights would be bright enough.
The Infini light I purchased is a $45 light. I keep it mounted on my helmet. It is a 300 lumen light. This light is noticeably brighter. I like running it on my helmet and being able to see where I look. My helmet is the Bell Super 2. It came with a go pro mount which works well with the mount included with the infini light. I will run the 300 lumen infini light on the lowest setting and it is comparable to the Sigma light on full power. I'm able to run the Inifini light for a longer time this way.
I know there is a million lights out there we have found some that work well for us. I would encourage anyone to go to their local bike shop and see what they have there. We were able to find good usable light kits for under $30. This mean we were able to purchase more lights and make them more usable for all of us riding.
I recently did a night ride by myself. I put two lights on my handlebar and wore my helmet light. With only a half moon. I ran only one handlebar light and my helmet light. I was saving the second light in case my other lights died. Due to the cold I rode only an hour so well within the lights capabilities.
Below I have a comparison of the lights on different settings. Being only a 100 lumen light the Sigma light on its lowest setting in the woods is noticeably dim. It may not provide enough light by itself. It would work well in a commuter setting but in an area with no light the dim setting just does not have enough light. Once the Sigma light is used on full power it you can begin to see more of the trail and it becomes usable as a riding light. If you compare the Infini light on its lowest setting it provides almost as much usable light as the Sigma light. The biggest advantage to running two lights is the ability to look around and light up what you look at. The bar lights are nice to angle down immediately in front of your bike and have your helmet light set up for looking further down the trail, and around corners. The riding I have been doing has been around hiking trails in the woods. no downhill mostly flat terrain.
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| Infini light full power |
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| Infini light low power |
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| Both lights on |
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| Sigma light lowest by itself |
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| Sigma light full power |
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Kids Bikes
Initially we had purchased my oldest daughter a Raleigh 24" mountain bike called the Lily. We bought it used from a local bike shop it was a prior rental. We purchased the bike for $150. Easily within our budget. It was a great starter bike for us to begin off road riding together. The bike did have some short comings though. It was a large leap up from the cheap Walmart bike my daughter had previously been riding. I would recommend this bike for a family looking for a starter option. It is a great bike for introducing gears and brake levers. It was great on paved trails and worked well. Once we started riding off road is where the bike shortcomings were apparent.
The twist grip shift did not work well for my daughter. She struggled to shift it prior to going uphill or on a downhill. She stated "it was hard to hang on and shift" Also the brakes aren't the greatest hard to adjust and lack good stopping power. The brake levers aren't the most comfortable and hard to get into the right position. The gearing also does not seem to be set up for mountain biking. The bike is geared as a 1x7. The cassette has a large granny gear, it makes a large jump on the last gear. My daughter would spend a lot time in the largest gear and would find it hard to shift into the higher gears to keep up her momentum. Several times after crashing the rims would be bent. The bike did not seem to hold up to the abuse we put it through. The off road trails we ride on are rocky. Being on the skinny tires my daughter ended up getting bounced around on the rocks a lot.
We have currently updated my daughter to a fat bike. We purchased it new from a local bike shop for around $600. The bike we ended up getting was the Framed Wolftrax 24." The bike fits my daughter well. The brakes are improved, better stopping power. The mechanical disc brakes are much improved. My daughter likes the thumb shifters according to her she can hang on to the handlebars and shift. The gearing is 1x10, the cassette is well spaced and seems to give her all the range she wants or needs. I was surprised at how much faster my daughter became on this bike. Suddenly she was keeping up with me much more easily and our overall speed increased. Living in Minnesota it also opens up winter time riding for us. Instead of renting we now can just take off from our house and ride.
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| v-brakes |
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| 7speed cassette |
The twist grip shift did not work well for my daughter. She struggled to shift it prior to going uphill or on a downhill. She stated "it was hard to hang on and shift" Also the brakes aren't the greatest hard to adjust and lack good stopping power. The brake levers aren't the most comfortable and hard to get into the right position. The gearing also does not seem to be set up for mountain biking. The bike is geared as a 1x7. The cassette has a large granny gear, it makes a large jump on the last gear. My daughter would spend a lot time in the largest gear and would find it hard to shift into the higher gears to keep up her momentum. Several times after crashing the rims would be bent. The bike did not seem to hold up to the abuse we put it through. The off road trails we ride on are rocky. Being on the skinny tires my daughter ended up getting bounced around on the rocks a lot.
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| twist grip shifter |
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| Thumb shifters |
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| 10 speed cassette |
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| new framed wolftrax |
Either bike is a great improvement over a Walmart bike. If you primary goal is to ride off road or you would like to ride in snow I think fat bike is really worth the money. If you primarily want to ride on paved trails or around town the Raleigh bike was great. It works well and is a great way to introduce you child to gears and bar brakes. Keep an eye out and you can find a great deal on a kids bike to get out and ride with your family.
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Introduction
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| My wife and I |
Hello I'm just going to introduce myself and the purpose of this blog. In the spring of 2015 I bought my first fat bike. It was a Framed MN 2.0. I bought it to mostly mountain bike. I fell in love very quickly with this hobby. I started to introduce the rest of my family to this hobby. My wife, 3 daughters and, my parents. As well as several of my friends. This hobby is amazing and has opened up all sorts of fun adventures. Just starting to bike with a family comes with its own challenges. It feels as though the bike industry does not cater to new bikers or families. Anyways I just wanted a place for people to go who are starting out. A budget for a family of 5 is much different than the budget for a singe rider. Instead of buying one piece of equipment for myself I may have to buy five of something which really limits your options. My hope is to encourage others who are interested that it is possible to ride with your family and really enjoy the sport of biking.
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| Our Family |
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