Category Archives: Group Rides

Wednesday Night Ride: Fire and Flats

January 3, 2012 Tom Kolesnik

Fat Ian’s Post:

Last Friday, I had the interesting experience of helping to change a flat in the dark, with wet clothes, on the open prairie, with a 40km/hr wind. Fortunately I was collaborating with a couple other riders and we weren’t reliant on the flatee’s pump which had decided to freeze up. Oh, and we hunkered down in the ditch on the leeward side of the road.

For this Wednesday’s ride, meeting spot is the usual – Grant @ Chalfont at 7. Let’s roll north to the Assiniboine River and find a spot out of the wind to work on some technical skills: starting a fire, boiling water, changing a flat, etc. If you’ve got any of the following feel free to bring them:

– a small stove, such as you might use as survival gear on a long winter ride (whisper lite, pocket rocket, solid fuel tablet, etc.)

– firewood (whatever you can carry – even a few offcuts of lumber)

– stuff to change a flat (pump, tire levers)

– a mug, tea bag or hot chocolate

If you don’t have a stove or whatever, still c’mon out and learn something – like how to keep warm mid-ride by throwing on an extra layer (so bring an extra jacket/hat/mitts to throw on), or how you can help with changing a flat (it certainly helps to have a team working together). We’ll be close to the duck/skating pond where folks can get inside in case you get chilled.

Hopefully the outcome will be that we all feel a little more confident in our abilities to deal with the kinds of adversity that we all face sooner or later on winter rides.

Actif Epica, Group Rides, Ride Report

Round up and looking ahead

December 19, 2011 Tom Kolesnik

Fat Ian’s Post:

Phew. The last week has been busy. Last Wednesday was a well-attended info night for the Actif Epica bike challenge (here’s the record on twitter, and CycleChick reports here). More than 35 people attended, and Ernie, Hal and Lindsay shared their thoughts on winter survival and biking. The summary version would be: know your limits & be aware of what you are doing, test your equipment as much as you can, and ride your own ride/don’t give up too easily. Mixed in there somewhere was Ernie’s advice: talk to others who are doing what you want to do. To that end, feel free to drop a comment on this (or other) posts, or on the ManitobaFatBike blog.

On the weekend there were lots of things going on.

FatDan, FatDallas and I went and did a 100km fatbike ride (gravel road ride) in Grand Forks. If you think we don’t have much snow, you should see GF – they have none. It was a hard day in the wind, but we *did* reach climax.

…And that was good for at least 20km of risque jokes. Never mind that Dallas met the Mayor of Climax. Whatever that means.

And then on Sunday we had the “applied” portion of the info session: 9 riders showed up for an easy-paced group ride.
Group-ride-300x224
We headed out west on the Harte Trail, and then, via a detour that Serge spotted, headed further west on Wilkes to loop around via Hall Rd and the Grand Trunk trail. The detour involves turning left/south off of the Harte trail just at the edge of that clearing close to the perimeter (maybe 1km or so from the perimeter). Serge’s trail “zigs” south and east until it “zags” west again close to Wilkes. It’s a nice off-road section that adds some distance and variety. And it saves you from having to cross the perimeter if you go under the Wilkes overpass (yay, safety!).

Other rides this weekend included Guy checking out the Seine north of Windsor Park Golf Course (rideable) and Hal and Dan (and Lindsay, separately) riding the LaSalle between LaBarriere and the town and LaSalle (also rideable). These ride reports were as of Sunday afternoon. Keep in mind things (like ice) change, so pay attention unless you want wet feet (or worse).

Meanwhile FatAl was down in Tuscobia riding 75 miles. I know he finished, and that he may have inadvertently ridden a few extra miles, but we’ll wait for his full report. For now we can only speculate that it was awesome and that he rocked it.

LOOKING AHEAD:

This Wednesday, there will be the usual group ride at Assiniboine Forest at 7 p.m. Neither Hal nor I can make it, but hopefully some others can.

Christmas weekend/week after: it’d be great to get some rides in. If you’re heading out, why not drop a comment and find some buddies to ride with.

New Year’s Eve/Day: Jon L., FatSteve and others have mused about riding the Epinette loop at Spruce Woods Provincial Park (40km loop, with 3? cabins with woodstoves, hilly, fun). I personally can’t ride those days, but it sure sounds like a fun idea. If you’re interested, leave a comment or start your own thread for a New Years Ride (see also comments on the post below this one).

See ya out there.

Actif Epica, Group Rides

We are rolling

November 3, 2011 Tom Kolesnik

Fat Ian’s MFB Post:

Yesterday felt like a big day in my fat bike world. I woke up and there was a dusting of snow on my garden (probably frost, but it looked like snow), I finished a first draft of a race plan for Actif Epica (more on that coming soon), went for a sweet ride in the evening, and when I came home, I exchanged emails with Ben from twenty2cycles.

On the ride – the first Wednesday night ride – was a pleasant roll out the Harte Trail. Four of us – Al, Guy, Deanna and me had some great conversations and pledged to carry on Fat Wednesdays. Guy suggested he’d host a Seine River ride as soon as there is solid river ice (sounds great).

On the emails with Ben – twenty2cycles, out of Colorado, is trying to build “the” fat bike calendar. I contributed our weekly ride and the Actif Epica event (Feb 18th, be there or be square). You can check them out (and their nice looking ti snow bike) online or on Facebook or Twitter, and check back in a week or so when they add a bunch of new content including an updated calendar that should include Manitoba details.

Group Rides

(the first) Wednesday Night Fat Ride

October 31, 2011 Tom Kolesnik

Fat Ian’s MFB Post:

As discussed informally a while ago, Wednesday night will be a group ride night, with “the usual” meeting spot of the Assiniboine Forest (repeat: Forest) parking lot on the south side of Grant Avenue at 7 p.m. If another spot isn’t specified assume the usual spot is the spot. This Wednesday will be ride #1. At the soon-to-be-usual spot.

Come out for a spin and hear about FatAl’s little hotties, FatIan’s adventures in battery legislation (Li-ion is king & the king will kill you), and whatever skill-related challenge Fa(s)tLindsay has cooked up (or is cooking up for a future Wednesday).

See you there.