Snow mountain bike rides sound risky – but are they worth considering? The truth is that snow mountain biking can be a lot of fun if you know what you are doing and what conditions to watch out for. Read on for everything you need to know about riding your mountain bike in the snow.
Can you ride a regular mountain bike in the snow?
Yes, you can ride your regular mountain bike in the snow, but it will depend on the conditions. Most mountain bike tires have good tread and are able to handle snow-packed trails. Navigating these trails can be challenging but can be a lot of fun, too.
Tips for mountain biking in the snow
Here are the most important things to keep in mind when you venture onto snowy trails on your mountain bike:
Adjust your expectations
You need to adjust your mindset and expectations to line up with the conditions you will be riding. You wouldn’t expect to set record times on trails that are wet and muddy, and the same principle applies to riding in the snow.
Snow-covered trails will require you to be more cautious, especially on sharp turns and descents, which will result in a slower pace than you would expect on clear, dry trails.
You should understand riding in the snow and the cold weather that goes with it can also affect how your bike performs, especially the moving parts like your dropper post and suspension.
Riders often notice their suspension becomes less responsive during cold weather riding, and your dropper post might not move as fluidly as you’re used to.
Reduce your tire pressure
Riding with a lower tire pressure is a key adjustment to make to your bike setup for riding on snow-covered trails.
When trails have snow packed on top of them, they get nice and smooth which means you can get away with riding with quite a low tire pressure. Running a lower pressure on your mountain bike tires will increase the contact area between the tires and the snow, increasing your traction.
This adjustment to your tire pressure will be very helpful, especially on turns and descents, by reducing the amount your bike is slipping around on the trail
Avoid clipping in
Clipping into your pedals can work wonders for your speed and control out on the mountain bike trails, but when riding in the snow, we think it’s just plain dangerous.
Why do we say this? Because when you are riding in the snow, slipping will be inevitable. You will slip, and you will need to catch yourself with your feet. You will need to be prepared to do this quickly.
If you’re clipped in, it will make catching yourself to prevent falling over much more difficult. There is a good chance you won’t be able to unclip in time, and if you don’t, you will be going down hard. Best to avoid this risk and use flat pedals when riding in the snow.
Avoid sudden turns and braking
When you’re riding on slippery, snow-covered trails, you are going to need to be more calculating in how you approach them. Two of the biggest problem areas people have when they begin riding on snow are on turns and when braking.
Taking a turn too fast is a common cause of having your bike slide out from under you. You need to approach turns without leaning into them too much, as the more you lean, the more likely you are to slide. The only way to do this is to approach turns more slowly and take them more gradually, rather than trying to make a sudden sharp turn.
You will also be more likely to slide when braking and trying to slow down. Your goal with braking should be to avoid having your tires slide while braking as much as possible. You will need to have a lighter touch on the brakes to do this, which means you will have to begin braking sooner than you normally would.
If you carry too much speed into a turn and leave braking to the last second, there is a good chance you will lose control and end up going off the trail or “off piste” as skiers would call it.
Pick your trail conditions wisely
When it comes to mountain biking in the snow and in the winter generally, you will need to accept that the conditions won’t always be rideable. This will be especially true if you plan on riding your regular mountain bike you use in non-winter months.
The snow on the trails will need to be the right quality if you want to be able to have a good winter ride. What you want to watch for is solid packed snow without ice patches, and that doesn’t have much loose snow on the surface (almost like a hard packed dirt trail).
Sometimes dry snow, even when somewhat packed, is too light and moves around too much to provide enough traction.
The best conditions will usually be when there hasn’t been much recent snow, and the temperatures have consistently been below freezing.
Freeze thaw cycles, where the weather warms to above freezing in the day but goes below freezing overnight, tend to create a lot of ice, and once there are lots of ice patches on the trails it isn’t usually advisable to ride them unless you’ve equipped your bike with studded tires.
Ride familiar trails
When you go mountain biking in the snow, it is a good idea to ride trails already familiar to you from warmer months. Riding familiar trails will allow you to plan your approach to different sections and be more calculating.
You will be better able to time your braking to allow yourself to slow down gradually, and to know about and be ready for upcoming turns.
Riding unfamiliar trails will increase the risk of a mistake and of you losing control or taking a tumble. If you are doing some mountain biking in the snow on unfamiliar trails, make sure you ride cautiously and keep in mind you don’t know what’s coming up ahead.
Watch out for ice and other trouble spots
Even though we don’t recommend riding in icy conditions (without studded tires, at least), it is impossible to be 100 percent sure what the conditions will be on the entire trail or trail network you will be riding on. Even on days with good conditions for snow mountain biking, there are still likely to be some icy patches and other trouble spots to watch out for.
In addition to ice, there can also be patches of soft or deeper snow that is not well packed down. Riding into this can bring your bike to a dead stop and it’s not uncommon for people to get sent flying over the handlebars when this happens to them. You will also want to watch out for ruts made by others, both because your tires can get caught in them and they can be a sign of a soft spot.
It’s a good idea to be continually scanning ahead to watch out for these trouble spots and to hopefully avoid them. The last thing you want is to be hitting either a patch of ice or a pocket of deep snow at high speed.
Fat bikes
Fat bikes are a great option for someone who enjoys riding a lot in the snow. Many riders actually keep a fat bike as their dedicated winter mountain bike.
The reason these are so good in the snow is as you can probably guess, the fat tires. These tires create a bigger area of contact with the ground as compared to regular tires, and provide better traction as a result.
They are also a lot of fun to break in a trail on after a snow fall. Those with regular mountain bikes will often wait for the riders on fat bikes to take a few laps to pack the trail down.
Fat bikes can be used on regular mountain bike trails in non-winter conditions too, but they really shine in the snow. For more details, see Everything You Need to Know About Fat Bikes.
Studded tires
Studded tires are another thing to consider if you do a lot of winter and snow mountain biking. There are several companies that make these tires, which are essentially just regular mountain bike tires with studs on them. Models exist that can fit most regular mountain bike wheels.
Having studded tires will allow you to ride on trails that are icy. These are especially useful if your area usually goes through a freeze thaw cycle that creates a lot of ice on the trails, and you will be able to get a lot more riding in during the colder months.
Equipment and attire for winter mountain biking
When you go riding in the snow, you will want to wear clothing that is warm enough for you when you start your ride but doesn’t get too warm while you are out there.
Wearing some sort of water-resistant outer layer is a good idea because you are likely to have snow fly up off your tires and hit you. You will also want to wear either a winter hat under your helmet, or if it doesn’t fit you may want to purchase a warmer helmet for your winter riding, such as a full-face helmet.
Goggles are also useful to keep the cold wind out of your eyes, and to block any snow and other debris that can fly up while you’re riding. Many riders tend to have their eyes water when riding in the cold without goggles.
If your regular mountain bike gloves are not warm enough, upgrading to a warmer winter pair or even finding other warm gloves that provide plenty of grip is a good idea.
Frequently asked questions
No, fat bikes are not the only bikes that can be ridden in the snow. Regular mountain bikes work well for snow riding too, you just have to be more selective of what conditions you ride in. Hard packed snow is best to ride in for regular mountain bikes.
Yes, snow mountain biking is a safe activity as long as you understand the conditions you are riding in, watch out for trouble spots and approach the ride with caution.
On a regular mountain bike, it is best to ride when the snow is hard-packed but not icy.
Conclusion
Winter mountain biking can be a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors during colder months. Be sure to take into account the conditions, dress appropriately, and ride with caution to make the most of your winter MTB experience. Have you tried mountain biking in the snow? What was your experience like?