Sunday, December 8, 2013
Winter Wonderland
I can't think of anything more difficult than riding single-track in the winter. Especially after a heavy snowfall. I've spent a good deal of time on the ground this past weekend and despite the snowfall the ground is still hard. I'm battered, bruised, but non the worse for wear. One thing I have learned is that the Surly Larry's really suck in these dry snow conditions. My front tire slid out from under me countless times. Even with extremely low tire pressure (4-6 psi) they wouldn't grip in the loose snow. I'll be seeking a pair of Nates this week :)
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5 comments:
I whole heartly agree about the Larry blowing as a front tire!! One winter was all I could take with it!
I too played with psi and could never get it to hook up.
The best thing I ever did was hang that thing in the garage!
Also Bill...... Thanks for the advice about the T3i from Canon.... She freaking loves it!! ;)
Peace
I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My new Mukluk came with Nates, which are amazing on trails on or this weeks recent snow. But on yesterday's coffee roll I thought I was going to blow a gasket during the 15 miles of road riding.. So in the future, I'll b looking for some gravel-appropriate tires.
This post had me re-thinking my tire choices. I replaced an Endomorph on the front of my Pugsley last season with a Larry. I rode that Endomorph through 6 winters, more than 3,000 miles on snow alone and 2 Arrowhead 135 starts. The Larry was like a gift from heaven after the riding the Endo for six years. In comparison the Larry seems to have loads of traction and provides more control. Or I thought so until I read your post. Because of the more than two feet of snow here and bitter cold I commuted on my Pugsley all week. I paid much more attention to how the Larry works on the front.
I still came up with the same conclusion. ?? It works great.
Tim and Doug, The Larry's were/are great tires under regular riding conditions and I'm planning on keeping them for summer dirt and gravel. However, on technical single track, especially in the conditions we currently have here in most of MN they just are not practical. I've never had issues with them otherwise. Last weekend when I rode the local trails I couldn't keep the bike under me no matter what. Especially in the more technical sections of our local single track. The front kept sliding out from under me on corners and off camber uphills and downhills were an absolute nightmare. Most of the guys who also rode last weekend have switched to the Nates or are planning on switching. Those that have made the move have reported a world of difference. Tim, I would recommend the Larry or the 45NRTH Husker Du for gravel, if you can find them.
Treefortbikes.com has a good supply of the H.D's
I had to order my set from them at the end of Nov. Since my LBS could t even sniff one out.
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