The Natepocalypse

Last Friday I stopped in to the Angry Catfish to order a new Surly Nate 3.8" tire... just so happens they were putting in the order that day, and the tire would be in my hands later that afternoon.  Sweet!  Talk about instant gratification.

I bought the Nate to be a front snow tire for the PMP, but couldn't resist mounting it to my fat front Fargo and taking it for a test ride.  I hadn't ridden Leb all year (I think?), and figured I was due.  Leb was dry and dusty, with plenty of braking bumps and rocks... a good test for Nate.

The Nate weighs more than Larry, and it must have more rolling resistance, but it makes up for all that with its massive amount of traction.  Having a fatbike wheel up front instills a lot of confidence, but Nate brings it to a whole new level.

Part of me wants to keep the Nate on the Fargo, but I think all that traction will be put to better use once the snow flies and I'm riding the PMP on snow-covered singletrack.  I've never had issues with a lack of traction while riding dirt with the Larry up front, but now that I've tried it I wonder if I'll miss Nate's exceptional grip.  If these tires weren't so expensive (I even bought the 'cheaper' version) I'd consider getting another one for the Fargo.  At the same time, it's very tempting to start saving for a Big Fat Larry... so maybe Nate will make it back on the Fargo after all.


Stopping can be as much fun as riding...

Holy Crap!

Surly just blew my mind with this post on their blog...

A 29er version of the Troll called the Ogre... damn.  And it's available in a 24" model... sweet!!

Photos and info on the Moonlander, Big Fat Larry 4.7" tire, and the new offset Mr. Whirly cranks... heck yeah!
Plus TWO new 3.8" tires: a slick tire called Black Floyd, and a knobby called Nate... Holy Crap!

And there's more... go check out the Surly blog.

Cuyuna Country Singletrack (Revisited)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I just got back from another trip up to Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.

On my last trip to the area I only rode the Yawkey and Portsmouth area trails.  This time I headed over to the Huntington Lake area in the Mahnomen Unit, which has the highest concentration of trails in the CCSRA.  If the Yawkey area is a mountain bike playground, then the Huntington area is a mountain bike amusement park.  There is a similar feel to the trails, but they exist on a larger scale... more berms, more rollers, more diverse terrain, and more scenic overlooks.

I especially liked riding through the birch forests... Mucker Mountain is a fun, easy trail through some really nice stands of birch.

There are 3 "must ride" trails in the Huntington Lake area: Sand Hog Mountain, Ferrous Wheel, and Screamer.  All of them have fast, bermed downhills and are a ton of fun.  Screamer was my favorite of the bunch (video of the trail is in the previous post).  The trail starts out with a bunch of tall, fast rollers immediately followed by a series of bermed turns.  The one thing the Yawkey trails (specifically Bobsled) had over these trails is the tread in the berms... the berms in the Huntington area were often rougher and rockier, whereas the berms on Bobsled were super smooth.

The Huntington trails are basically laid out on 4 hills - Mucker Mountain, Sand Hog Mountain, Hopper Hill and Miner's Mountain.  The extensive trails in the area made for a fun day of riding... you can ride one hill once or twice then move on to the next, or ride them (somewhat) consecutively and go back and re-ride your favorite spots.

All of the CCSRA units are accessible via the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail, a 7-mile paved trail running between Crosby and Riverton.  It makes getting to and from the different areas of singletack (or town) quick and easy.  It's a nice trail, and even has some really scenic spots of its own...

If you are within a few hours of Crosby, MN, and you haven't ridden these trails, I highly recommend checking them out.  It is well-worth the drive.


Stopping can be as much fun as riding...

Cuyuna Video

Just got back from another trip up to the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.  I'll post some pics and info in the next day or so.  Until then, here is a quick video.  The trail is called "Screamer"... it's a short trail segment, but a lot of fun.  I used a handlebar mounted camera on my "rigid" fat front Fargo, so just to warn you, it's bouncy...

Screamer from Fat Tire MN on Vimeo.

Stopping can be as much fun as riding...

Cuyuna Country Singletrack

Earlier this week I got an opportunity to ride some of the new singletrack in Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.  The area has long been abandoned by the mining companies, and is now a 5000 acre state recreation area with a campground, multiple clear mine lakes, and most importantly, 25 miles of new mountain bike trail.  The new trail was gorgeous.

I was tight on time, so I only rode a fraction of the trail system.  I hit all of the Yawkey Unit trails (some of them multiple times), and almost all of the Portsmouth Unit trails.  Next time I'm in the area I plan to ride the trails in the Mahnomen Unit.

The Yawkey trails were a ton of fun, especially Bobsled, Tugger, and the advanced trails south of the Yawkey Lake parking lot.  The entire Yawkey area felt like a mountain bike playground... everything from pump track-esque rollers and berms, to technical rock sections.

Two of my favorite trails in the Yawkey Unit were Tugger and Bobsled.  Tugger is a fun intermediate trail with an especially fast section that dumps you out into the parking lot.  The trail also cuts across some slopes that are rocky enough to remind me of trails out west.

The crown jewel for the Yawkey Unit is a trail called Bobsled... my guess is that it's the most popular trail in this neck of the woods.  The trail starts by climbing to the highest elevation in the area, then crosses fields of jagged rocks all while following the edge of a steep slope dropping off to your left. Once the trail heads west across the flat hilltop you get to see why this trail is so aptly named.

The trail ends with a long series of really fast, banked turns that run the length of a shallow gully.

Bobsled is a LOT of fun.  It eventually dumps you back into the Yawkey parking lot, where you can head back up the hill and do it all over again.

After spending some quality time in the Yawkey Unit, I headed west for an out-and-back ride through the Portsmouth Unit.  It was a nice change from the mtb playground of the often tightly packed Yawkey trails.  Riding the Portsmouth trails gives you the feeling you're traveling across the land, that you are covering some distance to get to a destination.  Unfortunately I was running low on time and had to turn around before reaching that destination... the extensive singletrack north of Huntington Lake.  That'll have to wait until next time.

Below was my turn around point, and the first time I got a close look at the clear Cuyuna waters.

It was tough to leave... the Cuyuna singletrack trails are beautifully built into some gorgeous terrain.

I'm already planning the next trip north to ride the red dirt...

Stopping can be as much fun as riding...

Under the Bridge

Just a quick bike pic today.  I checked on the MN Valley Trail yesterday... it's getting close, but it's not there yet.  I'm guessing once the river recedes another 3-4 feet it should be passable from Sibley House to Hwy 77.


Stopping can be as much fun as riding...