Shore Night Rides

Hi NSMB,

I'm fairly new to night riding (I've been out a few times at the Woodlot) and was wondering about some fun trails to ride this time of year on the Shore . I'm asking as I'm concerned about the freezing level being that we are averaging about 4-5 degrees above freezing during daylight.

I'm guessing that trails like LADIES may not fair well if the woodwork is frozen?
Hence the reason I'm looking for some sugestions and insight.

Thanks in advance

I just started night riding last year. I try to get out once a week, because it's ridiculous fun.

I mostly ride Seymour. It's a little lower in elevation, and seems to get less snow. Severed or Ned's is a pretty standard loop. I avoid Bottletop, but just because it gets so cold down at the river.

The rare time I get over to Fromme for a night loop, I stick to Pipeline if it's cold. Ladies is good fun at night, but not if the wood is frozen!

Try some familiar trails first to get confident. Bobsled, Floppy Bunny, Roadside Attraction are good ways to get started. Plus if you have light issues you're never far from the road.

I'm good to go, no lack of confidnece….just ignorance.

So if it 4-5 above freezing during the day, Its gonna be below freezing at Fromme, and even colder at night….so stay away from wood built trails like LADIES? What about the nar rock shutes…do they freeze up a night this time of year?

Pipeline was fine when I did it during the coldest parts of last winter. Definitely some slick sections. Ice on some of the surfaces, regardless of the material: rock, wood, and dirt. Just use caution when approaching sections that you can't tell if they're icy or not.

Sometimes frozen conditions are actually very grippy. Hard to predict though.

Sometimes frozen conditions are actually very grippy. Hard to predict though.

Thanks ,
So the same rules apply in the winter for the day or the night, it may be icy…it may not.

Thanks ,
So the same rules apply in the winter for the day or the night, it may be icy…it may not.

When the trails are mostly dry and clear of snow but very cold: pure gold. Dry grippy gold. It's that sheen of frozenness (that could be mistaken for plain old water), and/or wood slime that makes things really exciting.

been out every wednesday for the last few months.

Floppy/Bobled/roadside are fun, especially if you do them a few times and know your lines.

Seymour is excellent - Corkscrew/Pangor seem to hold up really well and you can shuttle this. Corkscrew is still well below the snow line

Just did TNT and Neds. I don't recommend TNT, it was at the snowline and the trail isn't too forgiving for night. But we did Ned's/bottletop and those 2 were sweet.

When the trails are mostly dry and clear of snow but very cold: pure gold. Dry grippy gold. It's that sheen of frozenness (that could be mistaken for plain old water), and/or wood slime that makes things really exciting.

This!

I think some of my best rides have been in the middle of winter on frozen gold ground, also some of my nastiest falls :lol: sometimes you don't realise just how slick that woodwork is until you are being fired off of it.

Nice thing how it's easier to ride in armour when it's freezing cold. :)

This!

I think some of my best rides have been in the middle of winter on frozen gold ground, also some of my nastiest falls :lol: sometimes you don't realise just how slick that woodwork is until you are being fired off of it.

"Maybe I just need a little front brake here…"

Sometimes frozen conditions are actually very grippy. Hard to predict though.

Yep, love grippy frozen trails! I don't have much experience riding wood stunts in the freezing cold though I imagine it could be pretty slick.

Yep, love grippy frozen trails! I don't have much experience riding wood stunts in the freezing cold though I imagine it could be pretty slick.

It all depends. We rode Ladies in the snow last week and the wood was relatively fine. Slid down some of it and it made some of the normally tricky sections just plain old nasty. But, the wood was pretty much good to go. It was during the day, but night rides in the snow aren't much different. The snow amplifies the light as it reflects everywehere.