Not often you get one of "those days" for riding. Temperature in the mid wenties...with brutal winds making it feel like 11... so, I pull out the single-speed mountain bike and head for the trailhead. It was cold riding...lots of ice/snow pile near the side of the road from the weather we have had around here. Got to the traillhead--no one around. head down the hill...pretty dry, bits of ice on the trail, but I can plow through them without a problem. Very silent. Just the crackling of my tires on the frozen surface. Good thing about this is I don't get muddy

A couple of places I have to get off the bike and walk it--because of the ice/snow on the trail, but for the most part, I can get through it. At around the halfway point, the trail goes through some lowland swamps that were frozen over. I tried to go across what looked like very thin ice--with the hopes of breaking through it and getting a grip...but it was thincker than it looked, and mountain bike tires are no match for ice, so down I went.. and of course my body weight broke through the ice, so I got wet on the 1/4 inch of water below the ice. Oh well-- it's part of the experience. The rest of the ride went well. Got back on the W&OD (MUP) and there I felt the wrath of the wind. Wow--what a difference being in the woods makes. I just put my head down and kept pedalling.

Ended up riding 25 miles in a bit over 2 hours. Pure enjoyment though. There is something about being in the woods on a mountainbike that is hard to beat.

train safe-

Now class myself as a road biker but those Mountain bike rides I take are pure fun. Like you I don't find Ice too good for grip but what a challenge. Harder than Mud when you fall but that is part of the game.

I discovered singletrack riding a few months ago. For me, it's the most fun I can have on a bicycle. I wouldn't mind if that is the only kind of riding I did from now on. Only problem is there are no trails near my house. I've got to go 30-45 minutes to the nearest ones. My mtb is sporting Nokian studded tires and they really make a difference. Now, I look for smooth ice to ride on. I see very few other riders out on these cold days. I guess they just haven't learned about studded tires.

Our cold weather does not compare to yours, but tomorrow's predicted high of 42 with gusty wind will have me abandoning the roads and seeking the shelter of singletrack trails through the woods. I wouldn't be surprised to see some frost in the shaded areas, but hopefully no sheets of ice.