Biking in the snow and skid stops.

Akron has been in the grips of a snow storm for what seems like the past month. My last ride was January 1st for CAMBA's New Years Day Poker Run. Since then we've had over a foot of snow and sub zero tempatures. Not god weather to be out on a bike. I've spent the last three weeks holed up inside on my trainer. Cabin Fever was starting to set in. Today I decided to try one of my favorites trails with one of my riding partners Glynis. 

The weather was warmer, 24 f, and we had hoped that hikers and cross country skiers had made the trail passible. So this morning I set off to try to get my second ride of the season. The first picture should have been a hint of what was to come, yes, that is a paved road. I pulled into the parking lot and shortly after Glynis showed up, we suited up and attempted to ride Quails Hollow. Ten feet into the trail I knew there was going to be problems. The trails had not been packed down and the trail had accumulated another two inches of snow since the night before. Trying to stay on the bike was next to impossible as every dip and steering correction sent the front tire slipping out from underneath me. We trumbled along at a blistering 3 mph, walking up any incline. It became better when we stopped and let some of the air out of our tires, mine ended up near 6 psi. 

A mile in we had both come tothe conclusion that this was not going to work. I found a bailout point and we road out to the parking lot. Not wanting to get our ride on we decided to ride around the road of Quails Hollow State Park. A small hill put our hill sprinting to the test. First time up we stayed neck and neck, neither one of us could even gain a foot on the other. The second time around I pulled a 100 meter lead before the top. This was followed by some light riding around the park seeing parts of the park I had never seen before. Finally, we went back to the parking lot and on the slight hill we practiced out skidding in the snow. I have to admit Glynis was better at holding his skids for longer, but I could get more angle. I'm sure this looked odd for all the cars driving by, but it was a blast.

Overall, it was a fun ride. Two hours out on the bike. Not exactly the workout I had hoped for but the fun was worth it. Thanks Glynis for a fun Sunday.