Zen & The Art of Riding In Snow

Riding in snow is fun but can be frustrating if you can’t keep going!! The key to this is momentum but that is hard to achieve even when you have to pedal down hill so here are a few tips for riding in the white stuff.



Tyre Choice - An open aggressive tread pattern will give you plenty of grip in snow so a good mud tyre is key here. Something like a Bontrager Mud X, or a Panaracer Trailraker work well but even something like a Continental Mountain King or Maxxis Hi-Roller will give you plenty of grip if used correctly. No matter what you have on the rear though the only way to get the best out of it is to let the pressure down. This way you are using as much of the tread as possible and spreading you weight over a greater contact area - which gives you better traction.

Gear Choice - This one is difficult to advise on but which ever one you decide on (or which one your left with when things ice up!) the key is smooth round circles. Not that again I hear you cry! Too heavy a gear is difficult to push through the snow and will have you standing out the bike. This will lighten the rear end and then it will spin up giving you no grip. Too lighter a gear will see you spinning up the back all the time which is a waste of your energy (and it’s hard enough already so you need all you can get). The ideal choice is personal to fitness level, gradient of trail, tyre tread pattern etc but choose one somewhere in the middle that will let you sit in the bike and pedal in those smooth round circles. That way you maximise your travelling for the energy you are putting in.

Steering – This has to be long and slow. All too often in snow the bike will stall at the front from twitchy steering. Balance on the bike helps a lot, so steer as much as you can with your body. The best way to achieve smooth slow steering is to pick your eyes up and look down the trail about twice as far as you normally do. This way you aren’t reacting to what’s immediately in-front of you so the physical steer on the bars is less and it becomes more instinctive with the body.

Braking – Grabbing handfuls of brake in snow is only good for one thing and that’s sliding down the trail on your.....well, you get the picture! Anticipate the trail, brake well in advance of any obstacle but ultimately try not to. The drag of the snow will help slow you down naturally but if you have to brake, do it gently.

Line Choice – Depending on the type of snow you are riding in line choice can be key to keeping going. For example, in powder it’s easier sometimes to plough your own line as you get better traction from compressing the snow under your tyres than you would get from following someone else’s tracks in-front as that line can be slippery now. Of course you have to balance the effort of pushing against the snow with the traction you gain but sometimes this also helps with the steering as you look at the trail rather than someone else’s line and you don’t stall where they stalled etc. In heavier snows often someone else’s track is the easiest line as the energy expenditure of pushing against the snow is too great otherwise, but just remember to anticipate where a stall has occurred and try to correct it before you succumb too.


Besides riding tips there are a few other things to consider when riding in cold conditions:

A very good idea before you head in to the white stuff is to spray the mechs, exposed cable ends & spd’s with de-icer. This way you stand half a chance of keeping them working. It’s not guaranteed but it’s certainly better than the alternative of having the gears stick the first time you go to shift them or spend the whole ride not being able to clip-in. Avoid spraying the brake rotors when spraying the rear end though.

Be aware that the brakes will feel sluggish and the forks/rear shock will be slower in operation due to the “thickening” effect the cold has on oil. They will still work just a lot slower. Also wind chill on the gear pods can make them colder than the air temp and they do stop working due to the grease in them getting stiffer or any water in them freezing up.

Not to state the obvious but snow is white. In bright sunlight it’s very white so don’t underestimate the advantage of a pair of sunglasses. Staring at a white canvass tends to flatten the trail so you end up concentrating on it twice as hard as normal. This will give you a headache in no time and coupled with a cold head is not a good place to be in.

Take your normal pack with you but be aware that the hose on your bladder might freeze up at some point. This can be avoided by using an insulated one or tucking it in the pack and removing it when you need it, just don’t forget to put it back.

Obviously when its cold it pays to wrap up warm, but biking in the snow in no cool affair. Kit choice is very important as it’s very easy to put too many layers on and you end up sweating too much. While your working this isn’t too bad but if you have to stop for a while you do chill down very quickly as the sweat draws heat away from you as it evaporates. Wicking base layers are a good way of avoiding “wetting out” from the inside leaving you dryer on the inside when you have to stop. A waterproof jacket that breathes is a must also, as its no good drawing the moisture away from your skin and not allowing it out to the air. Some sort of headwear is also a good idea as cold ears or a cold forehead for any prolonged period of time are no fun at all. Gloves are very important as cold fingers make doing anything on the bike a real chore. A good wind & waterproof pair of gloves are essential and if they are insulated with “Thinsulate” they will keep you warm even when they do get wet as nothing is totally waterproof!

Above all when it comes to kit I can not stress the importance of dry warm feet too much. If you put your money into any winter specific clobber make it the best pair of boots you can afford. Cold legs, arms, fingers etc compare nothing to cold wet toes. If you’ve ever spent an hour waiting for your feet to warm up after a snowy ride you’ll know what I mean. Just standing on the snow will draw heat away from your feet and as much as it’s supposed to be a ride there is always plenty of pushing to do in the snow.


If you want any more advice from riding tips, to bike setup or kit choice just ask in the shop we are always happy to discuss anything you need.