Nah, I have a Pathfinder.

I actually like the styling of the Element. It was one of my choices before I settled on my station wagon. I like the styling and the features that you noted were the same ones I liked. I'm also anti-SUV but the Element really stood out for me.

Yes they are.

I also tried out a twin turbo Volvo wagon. My wife said she didn't see that as a good idea. That thing was wicked fast.

You talking about the V50? I like that car. I'm not a fan of front-wheel-drive and large power, but if you spring for the T5 AWD I think you'll have a pretty nice car.

Make sure you check out what the toe hitch options are for all your options. As I found out, some cars only have expensive options for getting a toe hitch installed. That's if you are looking to pull or put a hitch-mount bike rack.

Both the cars I'm looking at are used.I've been looking for about a month to find one in good shape. I can't wait to hear the salesman when I cut his price by about 1500.00. That should be good for a laugh.They have hitches already installed.

Will I be seeing you soon?

That is a great visual.



Anti-SUV? Now I'm offended because so much of my self-worth is tied up in my SUV.

Reported to moderator.

Isn't tongue weight also a consideration? Didn't Madonna write a book that involved toes and tongues?

That's the plan but I have to see what my work situation is like. Some stuff recently changed in terms of delivery schedule and I have to see what is getting re-assigned to me and when I have to deliver the stuff. I find out in the next week or so.

Some guy at the trail today who I budded up with and rode with had a really nice dual. gary fisher.
It was like god compared to my bike,

Thats nuts Santiago!

Someone describe me the texture of snow, and what it's like to ride in.

There are different textures of snow depending on the temperature when it fell and the temperature after it fell. Sometimes it can be very granular like large sand particles. Other times it can come down as large light flakes the size of a relatively large coin. It can be a meter thick and you can kick it up like feathers. Other times it can be very dense and humid.

I don't ride in the winter but I know plenty that do. They've described their ideal conditions as being several days after a snowfall, with relatively cool temperatures (-10C) and after the hikers/snowshoers have packed down the trails. That gives a nice solid surface that offers decent traction and is still fun to ride through.

I gather that riding through deep snow is no fun, probably very similar to riding through sand but with less give since sand will not compress but snow will.

It's a true pain in the arse - - going downhill does not mean you can build any momentum.

Also, if you encounter a set of 4-wheeler (ATV) tracks, it is no help at all to try to ride in them - - the tire's rounded profile leaves a slippery trough that your tires keep trying to slip down into the bottom of.

The most fun snow to ride on is the 'corduroy' of a machine-groomed ski run.

Then if you are lucky enough, you hit an ice patch and crash. Which will leave you hurting for the next couple of days.

My most memorable snow rides always seemed to involve a couple buddies and a flask full of something 80 proof or better.

I know some guys that like riding on snowmobile trails. I'm not sure if I'd want to do that given the speeds those guys can reach and how often drinking and snowmobiling go hand in hand.

I hear riding on snow is fun.

Snow sucks.

In Alaska, the snow was usually Light and fluffy when it first fell. The older snow usually got hard and frozen and rough, and when it started to melt it was really wet and heavy.
Riding my BMX in the snow sucked, and if it got to deep it would pack itself in between the spokes, got really heavy and sloppy handling.

Sounds like North Idaho: drinking and any motorize off-road vehicle seem to go together there

Sled tracks are much nicer than ATV tracks, because they pack a flat track.

I hate to ruin a good snow discussion but......

I just noticed that there's one corner of my yard where the 5' fence is actually covered in snow.

It was cold today, but sunny. I could feel the warmth of the sun, man was that nice. I can not wait for spring. I might actually be able to get out this weekend. We'll see.

And cross country ski trails aren't bad to bike on, as long as there was enough traffic to make a nice wide trail.

That normal for you guys up there? My parents live in Buffalo, and they've had a pretty mild year. Usually they get a couple big storms and random lake effect. This last week was really the only true storm of the season for them.

See, the news is littered with snow from places like ohio, and new york...
Then in the summer, California is always on the news for burning to the ground.

Poor Alaska never gets mentioned =(

We endured 6 months of darkness and 6 months of light
-60+ temps,
Major fires every year, my last summer there the USAF base was almost evacuated...

The only time I remember That alaska was on the news was a 10 second clip about a 7.9 earthquake, lol
I'll have to get pictures from that one..

As long as it's a multi-use trail or an hors-piste type of thing. Classic XC trails that had tracks laid down are a no-no for bike riding. I don't know about skate-style skiing. I figured it would be less of an issue but not for classic-style trails.

No, this is out of the ordinary. Our total cumulative snowfall far this year is about 3.7m. I looked up what our annual snowfall is, it's usually about 2.2m. We have had warm days so it's not like we have 12' snow everywhere but where the snow has a chance to accumulate it can get deep.

Yeah, the tracks they leave look like they will make a nice surface to ride on but I've seen those guys keeping up with me at highway speeds when the trail runs parallel to the highway. Wouldn't want to get in the way of that.