Originally Posted by HaroX2
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Just a thought, but I for one think it's strange NOT to ride all year round... Why do some (or most) people just ride during the hot summer months, and only on weekends? Those are the two WORST times to ride in my opinion! I rarely ride on weekends, instead I ride Mon/Wed/Fri year 'round for the past 11 yrs. anyway....
It's really a whole different type of rider that I always see on weekends (a very few times a year). They usually drive up in either a brand new (bank owned) SUV from BMW, Lexus or some other so called 4x4, that'd break if they were ever to actually go 4 wheeling with it.... The people are color coordinated from head to toe, and all their clothing looks brand new (which it probably is only used on weekends for 3 months/year), and they never stoop low enough to actually speak to you after I say hi first.... The only thing I really like riding during those times is the look on their faces when I blow by every last one of them... All of a sudden they realize that their Santa Cruz are only as fast as the person pedalling it.... The joke is on them!!!! I love it too!
The comments about riding year round are easy for someone to say who lives toward the south. I ride year round in Ohio and while not the coldest place in the world the winters can be pretty bad. I rode a few days where the wind chill was -10f and many when there was lots of snow and ice. Fortunately my rides to campus are never more than 2 miles at a time and it rarely is over 8 miles a day.
About body armor, I just started riding XC, so I dont have a lot of experience. It seems a pair of shin guards could be helpful at times. Full finger gloves might also be useful. I think a helmet is all that is needed for most purposes though. So far I seem to do pretty well landing primarily on my feet when I fall.