12/11/2016 Visibility Zero

[ditchparrot]

My 7-year-old daughter is begging for us to get snow this winter, but I secretly hope it doesn't happen. I'll just take her a few miles up the hill a couple times to play around in it over Christmas vacation.

I like looking at snow and participating in certain activities in it, but I can do without having it be a big part of my daily existence.

[Tape]

I miss snow and snow storms so bad

[ditto1958]

I miss snow and snow storms so bad

So... that's your story, and you're sticking to it?

[Tape]

Got that right buddy

[Deadwood Dutch]

Having lived in Pennsylvania all my life I have seen snow and snowstorms, probably not like some members who live in upstate New York where they get the lake effect snows from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario near Buffalo, and like in Canada and parts of the West, but last year we had a record 30" snowstorm in south central Pa. and other parts and that Toro snow blower surely came in handy. For many years I have had all wheel drive as is the case now with my RAV4.

[Bish1309]

We're missing the really heavy stuff. Probably three inches, today. The snow is more of a snow mist. I will be taking the fat bike out and then finish up with some XC skiing. Snow time is still fun time, for me, just not shooting time.

Love those bicycles and the tires are just cool as can be. My neighbor has one of those....Thinking of getting one myself....uh who am I kidding?

[North Country Gal]

Those are called fat bikes and have been around, now, for about ten years, though they never really hit the market, big time, till a few years, later. We have four. That one is a Surly Pugsley, the first commercially popular fat bike and much beloved in the fat bike world, which is one of the reasons I own it.

Fat bikes were originally designed as a bike to ride in snow or beach sand, but now a lot of us use them as our main mountain bike for all our trail work, year round. They're a great bike in the summer on our gnarly north woods remote trails. Even folks in the city are using them as all weather commuter bikes. They're sort of the ATV of the mountain bike world. They just roll over about anything in the trail. Lots and lots of fun. They won't take the place of skis or snowshoes in the really deep snow, but are still ridable on groomed trails and snow packed roads.

Here's a Salsa with even fatter tires. This is the one I use when things really get rough.

[PT7]

Have a Q for you, NCG.

Is it tougher to get going and keep going with the fat tire, say as opposed to a racing bike with the really skinny tires? Seems to me there would be quite a bit of resistance with what I see in your photo here. But I'd also guess it rides smoother, too.

Interesting and healthful way to travel!