Despite the recent sun, it is not a good day for Mountain Biking. Yesterday’s Nor’easter blew in more than expected snowfall. Today higher temperatures are going to cause a brutal thaw. Expect snow, water and mud out there, nothing but muck and damaging trails.
Even the gravel roads and trails may be too wet to ride. Significant damage to ETSU single-track as been committed this off-season and will need to be repaired. Winged Deer Mountain Bike Park saw trail closures due to people not abiding by rules to stay off wet trails.
Do not fret! There are alternatives to riding in the wet. If one is going to head out stick to a road course, in this weather pavement is friend. Projected highs today means ice should not be an issue. Keep your eyes peeled on early morning rides or spots in the shade.
Other options include spinning indoors. The Basler Center for Physical Activity offers a variety of fitness classes including spin classes. Spinning is a high-intensity workout that involves adding and subtracting resistance while pedaling as hard as one can. Conducted in groups, many patrons attend for the atmosphere, but one can do this alone too.
If you have never tried spinning and worried about becoming bored, try placing your stationary bike in front of a window. A view of a continuing road or path can provide the illusion of traveling outside. One can try to put on a Point of View video of a favorite trail and watch while spinning.
There are multiple ways to mitigate the monotony of riding a stationary bike. Finding one that works for you can be a challenge. However, it is worth it to squeeze in a ride/workout without tearing up community trails. Remember, most mountain bike trails and bike paths are the result of donations, grants and volunteer work.
There is a volunteer opportunity coming up with local mountain bike club SORBA Tri-Cities. This Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. SORBA will be making a push on the Main Loop at Winged Deer Mountain Bike Park next the to disc golf course.
The Bike Shop Johnson City will provide pizza for volunteers afterward. There will be plenty of socializing and hard work to go around. SORBA is hoping to make the Main Loop ride-able before the season officially kicks off.
This will also be the last opportunity to earn Trek Dig Dollars with Trek Bicycle Store Johnson City. This is a program for volunteers to earn money toward the purchase of a mountain bike for volunteer hours. The Trek Dig Dollars program will reset on April 1, 2018.
