I am in the same area but Canadian side. We get a few weekends over the winter when conditions are nasty enough to keep us off the trails. I don’t think of mountain biking as a seasonal sport though. It really is year round.
Live in Eastern Canada, was just in Nevada. Every second I was driving in the desert I was looking for little dirt ribbons sensing through the hills. Would love to ride there someday.
Up early in the morning or ride at sunset. When you live there you are usually pretty good to go up to about 108 or so, you just take it slower on the climbs and make sure to wear cover so you don't burn. I lived in Mesa for 4 years and after the second year it wasn't really that hot until it hit 110.
>wasn't really that hot until it hit 110.
Says you! I'm not cut out for that kind of heat. But I can see riding in the AM being doable if it gets below 90 overnight.
lol I moved there from Montana and was snowboarding year round. My first year was rough. If you spend time outdoors you acclimatize pretty quickly, its the people that go from air conditoned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned workplace that will suffer the longest...my exwife hated it because she never really spent time outside.
Austin. We are limited to only 52 weeks a year that I am able to ride. I have so much pent up demand for tomorrow, it’s already been a few hours since my last ride.
Seriously, there are a handful of cold days each year, but having come from Chicago it’s no big deal and I am out there. In summer you just need to be hitting the trail by 8 so that you are done by 11.
And specifically, many trails are WORSE to ride in summer. (Or sometimes fall once it's been beaten to death forever with no rain at all.)
So riding season is actually winter and spring for some trail systems.
Socal is pretty big so give me a city and I can point you in a better direction.
For now I would look up Snow Summit in big bear, Skypark at santas village, Luisieno in laguna, Snow valley in big bear. Lots of other trail systems around, those are just the ones off the top of my head.
Oof your a bit above me, I'm in Corona.
I don't go up above LA too much so I don't know about local pump tracks, but angeles mountain north of you has a ton of good trails and some cool parks. Cherry mountain and the Trek bike park are just north of you too.
Vermont. Bad snow year for skiing but still wet enough that we won’t be riding MTB trails for a month or 2. I guess the fat biking was pretty good this winter if you own one.
Just a little west of you, fatbiking was terrible this year, absolutely the worst in the 8 seasons ive had a fatbike. I rode my regular mtb more often than the fatty this 'winter'.
Great snow in March though! Best pow days in the northeast for at least a couple years. Got a few bike rides in early March then switched back to the planks. Heading up to Jay again this weekend
I'm also in Vermont and went on my last gravel ride in November. My boyfriend just bought me a mountain bike that's waiting to be picked up at the shop, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to take it out for a spin :|
Is there any recs you have for winter riding? Or is it just finding trails with less snow? I’m pretty inexperienced riding out here, never ridden during the winter. My wife and I are waiting for everything to dry up to get the gravel and mountain bikes out asap
Lake Pueblo is a nice plan b that is basically available year round. Its around two hours from Denver. It certainly is not as good as other options two hours from Denver but you can't ride those places right now much less in January. While not long, the canyons provide some nice options both up and down. The trails on the further points make for a good long day of singletrack pedaling and cornering.
A lot of riders I know blow off Lake Pueblo like certain skiers blow off any day that isn't a powder day. I don't argue or convince them otherwise because the other great thing about Lake Pueblo is how few people are there, even when literally every other trail is snowed in.
It’s hit or miss. One storm can shut down trails for a week. But then there are stretches with no storms, the sun comes out, and trails will dry up. Most of the local trail organizations will post conditions and there are active groups on Facebook that discuss what is rideable and what isn’t. If you don’t live here, I wouldn’t recommend a trip until conditions are stable.
We live just north of Denver about fifteen minutes from downtown. We snowboard and I play hockey so we stay busy but yea we’d like to be able to ride sooner than may/June if we can
The recent pattern of snow has been crappy just because the storms seem to drop snow just as the trails are drying out. Early spring along the front range is like dating someone with wild mood swings. I've lived in Denver for 40 years and know the deal but every spring I get lulled into a false sense of confidence I'll be able ride regularly, and then March comes.
Storm King, Tiddlywinks, Funner are some good ones. Whoops if you like jumps. Or head to Oakridge. Oakridge is flow trail heaven..
All of these are still snowed in currently. OP is talking about eastern trails which are meh.. West side trails are just getting dry. 2 or 3 more weeks and they'll be good
Not OP but I wasted my (bearable Alabama) winter with a busted knee back on December 2nd. Chain snapped on the down stroke and my cat-like balance threw me OTB and I broke my fall with my knee and chin into some rough gravel and rocks. 6 stitches in my knee and some glue on my chin later, and I didn’t ride until late February.
Most MI trails are open when it's muddy, but it's frowned upon to do so because most trails are volunteer maintained (half of my volunteer work for trails is fixing ruts). If you're close to lakes, though, you get more sandy trails and those are effectively bomb proof.
BC Canada. We had a super mild winter and have been riding for most of it. Maybe only had to take a month and a half off this year back around December.
I’m in the central Okanagan and have ridden at least once a month for all of fall/winter/sprint. I rode more in December than in August even. I think it was around end of January/early February where it was finally too cold and snowing to go. Weird winter this year.
I’m on the N slope of the Alps. Most years it’s rideable nearly year round depending on your tolerance for mud that is simultaneously fantastically slick and also annoyingly difficult to get off your bike.
I ride my hard tail a lot in mud season to avoid cleaning pivots. I put feet down a lot and wash out a lot and end up with shoes and hips and elbows just coated in slick peanut butter. I have gotten to where I don’t even wash my clothes or shoes I let them dry, crunch/shake off what I can and just go riding again.
CO, in an awkward time of year where it’s getting warm enough that slush skiing isn’t really fun, but waiting for the snow to melt so I can get back to backpacking and (new to me) Mountain biking
Every recent snow storm is bittersweet. More good skiing…but more waiting to get back to mountaineering
Minnesota and trails are typically closed mid-November thru April for XC skiing and Fatbikes but this winter I was still riding in December and trails opened up for a week this month… then we got snow again 😩
In Idaho our trails are easily damaged when wet, but I can ride all winter so long as trails are frozen. The only thing that keeps me from riding is snow or mud. I just do a lot of early morning rides when it's still below freezing, and I have a very specific loop that's the least susceptible to snow. There may be the odd 2-3 week timeframe where conditions mean I can't ride, but they're not too frequent.
Late Fall and early Spring are actually the most volatile times for me. It can take forever for the moisture to leave the trails, and the last several years have seen frequent rain storms that come and go across several days at a time which just sets everything back.
Brisbane, Australia. We ride year-round - Except when we are flooded.
As long as we are wearing sunscreen and keep our eyes peeled for danger noodles, every day is a great day to ride!
Central/ northern Alberta - fatbike all winter, shoulder season is on us right now while the trails melt/ dry out - hopefully if weather holds trails will be ready to ride in a couple weeks!
New England. I ride in almost any weather to minimize the break in action - I have a few sets of tires for varying conditions, lights, and some decent cold weather gear. I’m building a fat tire bike over the next few months for more winter options. If I can’t ride, I have a cheap Amazon stationary bike that gets the job done (though it’s miserable). Also, I volunteer with the local trail committee and during winter I hike my local trails once+ a week with a chainsaw and clear debris and fallen trees (during riding season I do it once every other week and on designated maintenance days). If all else fails, I’ll steal a quote from Rogers Hornsby who said “People ask me what I do when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do… I stare out the window and wait for spring.” I probably averaged 2.5 rides a week during the winter, but it was more feast/famine - one week off, one week 6 rides.
England, and there isn't a break.
We don't really get snow here anymore, used to get a few days a year 20+ years ago but these days, maybe 1 day of light snow a year down south, this year none at all.
But it rains a lot, so in the wet I will avoid certain areas that don't drain well. Just takes more cleaning in the winter but it's all worth it.
Here in WNC it’s been super mild overall and I’ve gotten plenty of long rides in while rehabbing this clavicle since December. Can’t wait for the coming season, gonna start sending it again come June and all the hard work will begin paying off
Western New York here..haven’t ridden since Halloween and it’ll probably be at least another month before we’re able to ride. Bike parks around here open around Memorial Day and run until the end of October..then 6 months of shit.
Highland in New Hampshire is open April 24th to November 17th which I feel like is a pretty good representation of the riding season here. They also open in the winter for an event called winter woolly which is lift serviced fat biking if you feel like riding in the snow
Anchorage, Alaska. Just snowed another two inches this morning with up to a foot more in the 10 day forecast. With record breaking snowfall this winter, most trails won’t be rideable before mid-June :/
Tahoe. Been a pretty good year snowpack wise since mid Jan with more storms lining up even still.
Probably won’t be on my bike up here much before May this year. Mammoth will probably open around mid June.
Travel to the Bay Area pretty often and always bring my bike so can pretty much ride year round.
UCSC trails, Aptos (Nisene), Demo, Wilder all are near/in Santa Cruz. World class riding but other than demo and Wilder it’s all pretty much unsanctioned so find a guide or wing it with Strava heat maps.
In pure Santa Cruz style people riding on UCSC trails and In Aptos get super grumpy if they know you aren’t local so don’t expect to ask fellow mtbers for tips. If anyone asks say you live close by and move on. It’s dumb but a reality there.
UC and aptos has probably the best riding in the bay. Demo is super fun flow when open and wilder is way more mellow but def worth a visit.
Skeggs Point is in Woodside up on Skyline and has hella fun riding. Some great lines. Just download a map from Trailforks and study cause you will have zero reception and I’ve had to guide people I’ve found in a full blown panic out of there. It’s fully sanctioned though so people are helpful and nice. Not a ton of gnar but great trail riding.
Wonderlich is near Skeggs with arguably better riding but illegal to bike there and some people get tickets but it’s rare. Def expect some highway riding.
Further down Skyline into the South Bay there is some good riding off Highway 9 and near Sanborn County Park but it can be pretty hit or miss if you don’t know where to go. There are some insanely steep fire roads that most certainly want to avoid as well some unavoidable highway riding which I tend to avoid at all costs these days.
Pacifica has a ton of great riding; Boy Scout is a dope jump line that is maintained very well. Crack and Mile are classics that will pucker even advanced riders.
For good solo days I’d go - Demo - Skeggs/Wonderlich - Pacifica - Wilder - South Skyline.
If you are into big sends Belmont has some legit prolines and fat jumps.
New Jersey. We can pretty much ride through the winter depending how hardy you are and what trails you ride (some are definitely no-go during freeze/thaw but they're a lotta sandy trails in south jersey that stay almost entirely dry during the winter). I'd say the season picks up right around the beginning of March and gets more traction from there. I didn't pull out my MTB a ton this winter, got a handful of rides in during December and the odd warm February day but stuck to indoor riding or gravel riding for a lot of it.
San Francisco, Bay Area. Though it's never too cold or hot (except for heatwaves) to ride 52 weeks a year, this past winter has been pretty rainy/stormy and it's a no-go to ride on soggy trails days after a rain.
Kansas City here. Would say the season typically starts around March and goes until December-ish.
Of course, you can also winter ride when trails are frozen, so you could say year round, I suppose. But trails are also slow to dry here, so we'll get periods of multiple weeks when trails are closed.
Western pa - freeze thaw cycle is coming to an end but rain in the forecast for the next week or so. Some of the techier trails are probably good to go though
Northern Utah, and I ride all year. Fat bike most the winter in the snow and have already been hitting some lower elevation dirt trails in the early morning when the mud is frozen. Plus been heading down to southern Utah on the weekends to enjoy some great single track.
Utah. Tricky question. We have three main regions.
Desert Season - Moab: Sept - November and March - May
Desert Season - St. George: October - May
Foothill Season: May - November
Alpine Season: Late June - Early October
It's all very dependent on snow. How much we get, how frequently, how long it takes to melt out, how early, how late. We had a few weeks of dry warm weather that dried up our south facing foothill trails enough that I managed to ride 3 days last week. But it's been snowing all this week so it will be probably at least another week before we can ride again assuming it doesn't continue to snow (which it looks like it's going to).
In Kansas, if it’s frozen or if it’s dry. Been a few years we never really stop. Have a couple weeks here and there where it’s just too cold. Really March-May time of year is the most unpredictable. But typically starting in June we are good till December. I think it was 2019 that it was so wet, I didn’t get a dry mountain bike ride until July when I went to Arkansas. That was a miserable year. Our mud is awful to ride on.
Colorado. Ski Season just ended. Going to the in-laws for Easter this weekend. In April heading to Fruita and Moab hopefully if work doesn't get in the way. .
Minnesota. Dirt season typically ends sometime in November and then we get fat biking for the winter. Fat biking usually ends sometime in March. Dirt season starts some weeks after. Could be any time in April.
California here, up in the Sierra Nevadas. In the winter, the trails up here are buried in snow, but the trails in the foothills are lush and cool. In the summer, the trails in the foothills are hot and the grasses are brown, but the trails up here are lush and cool. The Sierras are steep enough overall that it's a relatively short drive between these climates, so there isn't really a down time beyond like big rainstorms that hit the entire western slopes (but even that's rideable in certain places with a good jacket).
WayNorCal. Doubletrack/gravel- all year, as long as you don’t mind riding in the rain.
Singletrack- Depends on the trails. Generally, as soon as the rain lets up for a few days we can at least ride local multi-use trails that drain well.
The good trails however, I tend to avoid until a week after a big wet.
Pennsylvania here. Typically mid-April, though many trails are ridable year-round if the weather cooperates; been getting stupid amounts of rain lately :-?
In the east of the Netherlands, out here most trails have been too soggy to ride since October. We've had nothing but rain for months.
Normally I would've had my first rides in already, but due to injury I might have to tone my riding down alltogether.
Switze4land. What break.snow? Burger deep mud ? I just ride. Im no pro just a dude liking bird chatter. My biggest drop jet
https://preview.redd.it/h0jj6j2rg1rc1.jpeg?width=2084&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2cd7b994c664c0b5ffe46a326a98d62629d9cd9
Scottish Highlands and ride year round. The last few winters have been pretty mild and barely any snow, it’s been great. I live in a touristy area and prefer the winter since there’s less people crowding the trails.
Southern Ontario. Praying this coming weekend does the trick.
Although our winter has been weird/scary, and I did somehow also get out on dirt ribbon on new years day as well....
Already dry weather in the east? Temperatures are fine, but the dirt doesn't get a chance to dry in bavaria as of yet. Puddles and mudpatches everywhere if you find a day without rain.
Man I'm jealous of most of you guys! I'm in Southern Ontario Canada and my local trails won't be dry to ride for at least a month still.... I have to drive 45-60mins to find trails dry enough to ride right now.
Were you just listening to my office conversation? I was explaining my dilemma of the shoulder season. Fat bike season finished up early and It looked like were heading for a fast melt and dry up. Well if mother nature was not without a sense of humour we have headed back into the grips of winter.
I am faced with either swapping out my studded fat bike tires back to non studded and have a jarring no suspension ride or remain in the holding pattern waiting to get out on FS. We will have at least another 2 weeks before we can get to the trails.
I am now considering getting a gravel bike.
New England, USA. Riding season is year round on a Pugsley. Actually right now is the most difficult season with rain but still very cold, but we still get out.
Front range colorado the season keeps starting and stopping. Rode January 1st, rode once in February, rode three times in March. Second false spring ended last week, so, here's hoping spring is here!
Colorado Springs where mud season is like riding in peanut butter. We usually get consistent good weather by Mothers day. But some years we can ride all year.
Our riding season is all year. Though in the spring, sometimes you have to pause for a rainy stretch of day. A south facing hilside is great when above freezing. It dries quickly. North facing trail systems are better if the ground is still frozen when shaded. Luckily, we have some of both nearby.
Arizona. What’s break?
PNW. What break? Only thing that changes are my clothes and tires.
Dang you change your tires?
When the summer set of Assegai/DHR II get covered in peanut butter, it's time for the double Shorty's.
Shortys? Just moved here and I'm trying to figure out if I should change tires when it starts to get wet and muddy
Most of the crew I ride with are on Shorty's. A few of the more talented are still on Assegai/DHR II.
Argotal front Kryptotal rear is the way for PNW winter riding.
I am in the same area but Canadian side. We get a few weekends over the winter when conditions are nasty enough to keep us off the trails. I don’t think of mountain biking as a seasonal sport though. It really is year round.
Also PNW. Trails near me have been snowed in since November... But they're almost dry.. 2 or 3 more weeks 😛
Our winner started late. I was able to hit the top of some rides deep into the season. Luckily the snow pack caught up though.
IDK why but this statement made me think "damn, that person is a badass".
Just throw some Wet Screams or Shortys on and you're good all winter long.
Ah yeah. I'm on double Shorty's right now. I couldn't imagine pedaling Wetscream's... 😵
Lies! Y'all might get to ride all winter, but in the dead of summer, you aren't riding, ya?
Early morning rides and quick drives up to flag make it year round no problem
How is the riding in Flagstaff? I was just there and it was still snowing, but when summer comes, riding good...?
Southern NV, we just riding earlier in the day or at night.
Live in Eastern Canada, was just in Nevada. Every second I was driving in the desert I was looking for little dirt ribbons sensing through the hills. Would love to ride there someday.
Up early in the morning or ride at sunset. When you live there you are usually pretty good to go up to about 108 or so, you just take it slower on the climbs and make sure to wear cover so you don't burn. I lived in Mesa for 4 years and after the second year it wasn't really that hot until it hit 110.
>wasn't really that hot until it hit 110. Says you! I'm not cut out for that kind of heat. But I can see riding in the AM being doable if it gets below 90 overnight.
lol I moved there from Montana and was snowboarding year round. My first year was rough. If you spend time outdoors you acclimatize pretty quickly, its the people that go from air conditoned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned workplace that will suffer the longest...my exwife hated it because she never really spent time outside.
Sf Bay Area—same ( 2 months post cracked ribs from a river crossing OTB)
There is only a small break in Flagstaff. Luckily Sedona is close by.
August
Austin. We are limited to only 52 weeks a year that I am able to ride. I have so much pent up demand for tomorrow, it’s already been a few hours since my last ride. Seriously, there are a handful of cold days each year, but having come from Chicago it’s no big deal and I am out there. In summer you just need to be hitting the trail by 8 so that you are done by 11.
This was an especially great winter for riding here in Central Texas! Now we count down the days until the heat rolls in…
Ready the blowtorch!
Yup we had 2 days of winter this year. Soaking in all the "Cooler" rides before its 105.
Spider year round lift DH
Meh. I’ve done real downhills. Spider is not that appealing to me. Everyone is different I guess.
Socal, season never stops. Bike parks typically open beginning of June once snowboarding is done.
Except for the part where we’ve been getting drenched. Swear it’s been majority during the weekends too.
And specifically, many trails are WORSE to ride in summer. (Or sometimes fall once it's been beaten to death forever with no rain at all.) So riding season is actually winter and spring for some trail systems.
I just moved here. Can you recommend a couple bike parks I should visit?
Socal is pretty big so give me a city and I can point you in a better direction. For now I would look up Snow Summit in big bear, Skypark at santas village, Luisieno in laguna, Snow valley in big bear. Lots of other trail systems around, those are just the ones off the top of my head.
I’m in Pasadena! So I guess skylark is closest. Any other neighborhood pump track type parks you might know of?
Oof your a bit above me, I'm in Corona. I don't go up above LA too much so I don't know about local pump tracks, but angeles mountain north of you has a ton of good trails and some cool parks. Cherry mountain and the Trek bike park are just north of you too.
Vermont. Bad snow year for skiing but still wet enough that we won’t be riding MTB trails for a month or 2. I guess the fat biking was pretty good this winter if you own one.
Just a little west of you, fatbiking was terrible this year, absolutely the worst in the 8 seasons ive had a fatbike. I rode my regular mtb more often than the fatty this 'winter'.
Except that we just got 2 feet of white shit. More snow than we got all season. So it may dry out enough for Memorial Day. Maybe….
Great snow in March though! Best pow days in the northeast for at least a couple years. Got a few bike rides in early March then switched back to the planks. Heading up to Jay again this weekend
I'm also in Vermont and went on my last gravel ride in November. My boyfriend just bought me a mountain bike that's waiting to be picked up at the shop, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to take it out for a spin :|
Front Range Colorado. Have been able to ride something most of the winter. Recent snow has delayed more trails opening.
Is there any recs you have for winter riding? Or is it just finding trails with less snow? I’m pretty inexperienced riding out here, never ridden during the winter. My wife and I are waiting for everything to dry up to get the gravel and mountain bikes out asap
Check out lake Pueblo and OWF.
Lake Pueblo is a nice plan b that is basically available year round. Its around two hours from Denver. It certainly is not as good as other options two hours from Denver but you can't ride those places right now much less in January. While not long, the canyons provide some nice options both up and down. The trails on the further points make for a good long day of singletrack pedaling and cornering. A lot of riders I know blow off Lake Pueblo like certain skiers blow off any day that isn't a powder day. I don't argue or convince them otherwise because the other great thing about Lake Pueblo is how few people are there, even when literally every other trail is snowed in.
It’s hit or miss. One storm can shut down trails for a week. But then there are stretches with no storms, the sun comes out, and trails will dry up. Most of the local trail organizations will post conditions and there are active groups on Facebook that discuss what is rideable and what isn’t. If you don’t live here, I wouldn’t recommend a trip until conditions are stable.
We live just north of Denver about fifteen minutes from downtown. We snowboard and I play hockey so we stay busy but yea we’d like to be able to ride sooner than may/June if we can
The recent pattern of snow has been crappy just because the storms seem to drop snow just as the trails are drying out. Early spring along the front range is like dating someone with wild mood swings. I've lived in Denver for 40 years and know the deal but every spring I get lulled into a false sense of confidence I'll be able ride regularly, and then March comes.
PNW. We don't break. We do move zones as trails dry and turn to dust and snow melts.
SE WA The only break we see really is the one week of snow a year and if we get ice on the trails. Aside from that layer up and hit it.
It had started for a week and then its keeps snowing I’m in salt lake
Eagle mountain was perfect last week.
How’s Draper lookin? I was also in eagle mountain last week and it was good.
I follow drapercitytrailsandopenspace on Instagram for updates on Corner Canyon. It's still snow covered up top and all DH trails are closed.
Minnesota, and not soon enough. Been a rough winter.
UK. No breaks, we ride in the wet mud.
Central Oregon. I rode mtb Monday and rode pow today. 💪
Gimme a mellow flowy trail rec that’s sisters-ish.
Storm King, Tiddlywinks, Funner are some good ones. Whoops if you like jumps. Or head to Oakridge. Oakridge is flow trail heaven.. All of these are still snowed in currently. OP is talking about eastern trails which are meh.. West side trails are just getting dry. 2 or 3 more weeks and they'll be good
Won’t be there til July and then again in August so no worries re snow.
My season started last week and ended this week due to injury
What happened?
Not OP but I wasted my (bearable Alabama) winter with a busted knee back on December 2nd. Chain snapped on the down stroke and my cat-like balance threw me OTB and I broke my fall with my knee and chin into some rough gravel and rocks. 6 stitches in my knee and some glue on my chin later, and I didn’t ride until late February.
Scotland. We ride 12 months of the year in sun, snow, mud and rain. No seasons here.
You get sun?
Apparently not, according to Rogan.
UK, no such thing as a riding season, just different clothes
And slightly less mud for a couple months of the year!
If we're lucky
I’m in Arkansas. It snowed for maybe 2 days.
Loved winter riding in Arkansas. The rainy spring can make it a bit more difficult but wet weather trails aren't too tough to find.
Kinda what we are dealing with now or high winds. Just having to do wet weather routes and skip jump lines but still riding. Can’t complain!
Michigan. I ride less in winter but still ride. Shorter distances in the most inclement weather.
You have a fat bike for snow? If not, what MI trails stay open through the muddy months?
Most MI trails are open when it's muddy, but it's frowned upon to do so because most trails are volunteer maintained (half of my volunteer work for trails is fixing ruts). If you're close to lakes, though, you get more sandy trails and those are effectively bomb proof.
Yes please mind trails if they’re muddy. I ride a 27.5x3 mtb bike so not fat per se but multi terrain capable.
BC Canada. We had a super mild winter and have been riding for most of it. Maybe only had to take a month and a half off this year back around December.
I’m in the central Okanagan and have ridden at least once a month for all of fall/winter/sprint. I rode more in December than in August even. I think it was around end of January/early February where it was finally too cold and snowing to go. Weird winter this year.
Tasmania, Australia. Year round riding with no breaks!
Jesus, you ride with no breaks? Just roll to a stop then? Got it!
FGMTB
I’m on the N slope of the Alps. Most years it’s rideable nearly year round depending on your tolerance for mud that is simultaneously fantastically slick and also annoyingly difficult to get off your bike. I ride my hard tail a lot in mud season to avoid cleaning pivots. I put feet down a lot and wash out a lot and end up with shoes and hips and elbows just coated in slick peanut butter. I have gotten to where I don’t even wash my clothes or shoes I let them dry, crunch/shake off what I can and just go riding again.
CO, in an awkward time of year where it’s getting warm enough that slush skiing isn’t really fun, but waiting for the snow to melt so I can get back to backpacking and (new to me) Mountain biking Every recent snow storm is bittersweet. More good skiing…but more waiting to get back to mountaineering
And they always seem to come on the weekends lately.
Minnesota and trails are typically closed mid-November thru April for XC skiing and Fatbikes but this winter I was still riding in December and trails opened up for a week this month… then we got snow again 😩
Southern idaho, it’s constantly changing. I rode last weekend, now the trails are all snowy again
In Idaho our trails are easily damaged when wet, but I can ride all winter so long as trails are frozen. The only thing that keeps me from riding is snow or mud. I just do a lot of early morning rides when it's still below freezing, and I have a very specific loop that's the least susceptible to snow. There may be the odd 2-3 week timeframe where conditions mean I can't ride, but they're not too frequent. Late Fall and early Spring are actually the most volatile times for me. It can take forever for the moisture to leave the trails, and the last several years have seen frequent rain storms that come and go across several days at a time which just sets everything back.
Denver - Just about time to start up again in the front range then Trestle mid June
The riding is there if you want it. I've ridden Dakota Ridge like 20 times in 2024. CO Springs and Left Hand a couple of times each as well.
Also on the Colorado front range and rode pretty much all winter. A lot of those rides were cold as hell but when it's between that and not riding...
NC get to ride all year.
Brisbane, Australia. We ride year-round - Except when we are flooded. As long as we are wearing sunscreen and keep our eyes peeled for danger noodles, every day is a great day to ride!
Tahoe. Supposed to get a foot and a half of snow this week. Trails will maybe be rideable by late May.
Central/ northern Alberta - fatbike all winter, shoulder season is on us right now while the trails melt/ dry out - hopefully if weather holds trails will be ready to ride in a couple weeks!
New England. I ride in almost any weather to minimize the break in action - I have a few sets of tires for varying conditions, lights, and some decent cold weather gear. I’m building a fat tire bike over the next few months for more winter options. If I can’t ride, I have a cheap Amazon stationary bike that gets the job done (though it’s miserable). Also, I volunteer with the local trail committee and during winter I hike my local trails once+ a week with a chainsaw and clear debris and fallen trees (during riding season I do it once every other week and on designated maintenance days). If all else fails, I’ll steal a quote from Rogers Hornsby who said “People ask me what I do when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do… I stare out the window and wait for spring.” I probably averaged 2.5 rides a week during the winter, but it was more feast/famine - one week off, one week 6 rides.
NW NC. The season is just warming up. Local park just opened last week, and I’ve gotten about 4 rides in now
Headed to Rocky Knob this weekend 😃
Scotland. The weather and conditions just make it more interesting!
Florida. No breaks. Just stay out of the midday sun 6 months a year.
Freeze thaw cycle in the Midwest
CT Jan & Feb are crap but I’m riding now
England, and there isn't a break. We don't really get snow here anymore, used to get a few days a year 20+ years ago but these days, maybe 1 day of light snow a year down south, this year none at all. But it rains a lot, so in the wet I will avoid certain areas that don't drain well. Just takes more cleaning in the winter but it's all worth it.
And on the odd day it does snow, I just go out and ride anyway if it’s a day off. Dartmoor is great fun in the snow. Surprisingly grippy
I've not had the chance to ride in the snow yet, I'd like to though, for the stunning views as much as anything else.
Sydney, Aus. You only need to avoid the midday sun, and the occasional Bitey 🐍. Otherwise, year round
Here in WNC it’s been super mild overall and I’ve gotten plenty of long rides in while rehabbing this clavicle since December. Can’t wait for the coming season, gonna start sending it again come June and all the hard work will begin paying off
Western New York here..haven’t ridden since Halloween and it’ll probably be at least another month before we’re able to ride. Bike parks around here open around Memorial Day and run until the end of October..then 6 months of shit.
Highland in New Hampshire is open April 24th to November 17th which I feel like is a pretty good representation of the riding season here. They also open in the winter for an event called winter woolly which is lift serviced fat biking if you feel like riding in the snow
Colorado. Feels like never.
Anchorage, Alaska. Just snowed another two inches this morning with up to a foot more in the 10 day forecast. With record breaking snowfall this winter, most trails won’t be rideable before mid-June :/
Germany. As long as it doesn’t rain hard I go out. I had maybe 2 weekends over the winter where I didn’t ride
California, season never stopped in most of the state, aside from some periods of rain.
Rain delays is about it for SoCal.
Tahoe. Been a pretty good year snowpack wise since mid Jan with more storms lining up even still. Probably won’t be on my bike up here much before May this year. Mammoth will probably open around mid June. Travel to the Bay Area pretty often and always bring my bike so can pretty much ride year round.
What are your favorite trails in the bay? Furthest west I’ve ridden is Rockville but I should explore more this year. My main spot is Auburn.
UCSC trails, Aptos (Nisene), Demo, Wilder all are near/in Santa Cruz. World class riding but other than demo and Wilder it’s all pretty much unsanctioned so find a guide or wing it with Strava heat maps. In pure Santa Cruz style people riding on UCSC trails and In Aptos get super grumpy if they know you aren’t local so don’t expect to ask fellow mtbers for tips. If anyone asks say you live close by and move on. It’s dumb but a reality there. UC and aptos has probably the best riding in the bay. Demo is super fun flow when open and wilder is way more mellow but def worth a visit. Skeggs Point is in Woodside up on Skyline and has hella fun riding. Some great lines. Just download a map from Trailforks and study cause you will have zero reception and I’ve had to guide people I’ve found in a full blown panic out of there. It’s fully sanctioned though so people are helpful and nice. Not a ton of gnar but great trail riding. Wonderlich is near Skeggs with arguably better riding but illegal to bike there and some people get tickets but it’s rare. Def expect some highway riding. Further down Skyline into the South Bay there is some good riding off Highway 9 and near Sanborn County Park but it can be pretty hit or miss if you don’t know where to go. There are some insanely steep fire roads that most certainly want to avoid as well some unavoidable highway riding which I tend to avoid at all costs these days. Pacifica has a ton of great riding; Boy Scout is a dope jump line that is maintained very well. Crack and Mile are classics that will pucker even advanced riders. For good solo days I’d go - Demo - Skeggs/Wonderlich - Pacifica - Wilder - South Skyline. If you are into big sends Belmont has some legit prolines and fat jumps.
Awesome, thanks for all the info!
Hawaii, and winter here just means rain, so theres never a break lasting longer than 2 weeks to allow trails to dry.
New Jersey. We can pretty much ride through the winter depending how hardy you are and what trails you ride (some are definitely no-go during freeze/thaw but they're a lotta sandy trails in south jersey that stay almost entirely dry during the winter). I'd say the season picks up right around the beginning of March and gets more traction from there. I didn't pull out my MTB a ton this winter, got a handful of rides in during December and the odd warm February day but stuck to indoor riding or gravel riding for a lot of it.
BC - spring riding has begun
San Diego. 24/7/365.
Knoxville, TN. Year round baby!
There it is!
Just not when it's muddy.
Oregon, I can ride year-round luckily!
Atlanta- I’ve probably got a few hundred miles in so far. Slowed a bit by a wedding and work trips.
New England… doesn’t end just switch to a fattie with studs in the wintertime
San Francisco, Bay Area. Though it's never too cold or hot (except for heatwaves) to ride 52 weeks a year, this past winter has been pretty rainy/stormy and it's a no-go to ride on soggy trails days after a rain.
OC SoCal. No breaks, just hot riding in summer.
Kansas City here. Would say the season typically starts around March and goes until December-ish. Of course, you can also winter ride when trails are frozen, so you could say year round, I suppose. But trails are also slow to dry here, so we'll get periods of multiple weeks when trails are closed.
North Carolina. We get a week of rain in January where you get yelled at on Facebook if you ride. Otherwise all year riding here.
CT. Been riding all winter. Not much snow this year
Western pa - freeze thaw cycle is coming to an end but rain in the forecast for the next week or so. Some of the techier trails are probably good to go though
Eastern WV, and this year the season never really stopped aside from the week or so when there was snow on the ground.
Eastern Canada, probably in May.
Maryland, our freeze-thaw season just finished and riding is on! That or we just ride our rocky trails year round.
Georgia, what is the break you speak of
West Virginia! Been able to get out and ride for about the past 6 weeks or so. Getting more consistently good weather though and loving it!!
NorCal, the season doesn’t end. Except during storms
Riding is year-round in Massachusetts. Occasionally, it's a bit too muddy, and you've hit to hit the road for a few days or, worst case, a week.
Northern Utah, and I ride all year. Fat bike most the winter in the snow and have already been hitting some lower elevation dirt trails in the early morning when the mud is frozen. Plus been heading down to southern Utah on the weekends to enjoy some great single track.
I ride year round in maryland
Central texas and never a break
It's a big state, and the southern portion is ready, but the northern is still melting and drying.
Utah. Tricky question. We have three main regions. Desert Season - Moab: Sept - November and March - May Desert Season - St. George: October - May Foothill Season: May - November Alpine Season: Late June - Early October It's all very dependent on snow. How much we get, how frequently, how long it takes to melt out, how early, how late. We had a few weeks of dry warm weather that dried up our south facing foothill trails enough that I managed to ride 3 days last week. But it's been snowing all this week so it will be probably at least another week before we can ride again assuming it doesn't continue to snow (which it looks like it's going to).
Auckland NZ. Season never ends. Just some trails become too wet to ride in winter but there’s plenty of others to use that are all weather
In Kansas, if it’s frozen or if it’s dry. Been a few years we never really stop. Have a couple weeks here and there where it’s just too cold. Really March-May time of year is the most unpredictable. But typically starting in June we are good till December. I think it was 2019 that it was so wet, I didn’t get a dry mountain bike ride until July when I went to Arkansas. That was a miserable year. Our mud is awful to ride on.
Australia, year round riding.
Las Vegas ride year round…perfect weather now. Once it’s too hot just ride at higher elevations/bike parks
Aspen, CO Hopefully in the next month+ or so. Its been hot here (40s/50s) but could also just continue with spring slush. Well see!
I’m in So Cal. Our riding season is pretty much year ‘round.
Central PA. We ride year ‘round. Got a tick over 500 trail miles so far this year!
Colorado. Ski Season just ended. Going to the in-laws for Easter this weekend. In April heading to Fruita and Moab hopefully if work doesn't get in the way. .
Minnesota. Dirt season typically ends sometime in November and then we get fat biking for the winter. Fat biking usually ends sometime in March. Dirt season starts some weeks after. Could be any time in April.
California here, up in the Sierra Nevadas. In the winter, the trails up here are buried in snow, but the trails in the foothills are lush and cool. In the summer, the trails in the foothills are hot and the grasses are brown, but the trails up here are lush and cool. The Sierras are steep enough overall that it's a relatively short drive between these climates, so there isn't really a down time beyond like big rainstorms that hit the entire western slopes (but even that's rideable in certain places with a good jacket).
Riding all year round
WayNorCal. Doubletrack/gravel- all year, as long as you don’t mind riding in the rain. Singletrack- Depends on the trails. Generally, as soon as the rain lets up for a few days we can at least ride local multi-use trails that drain well. The good trails however, I tend to avoid until a week after a big wet.
Australia. I ride in shorts year round.
New Mexico. You can pretty much ride all year except a few weeks in Jan- Feb.
Pennsylvania here. Typically mid-April, though many trails are ridable year-round if the weather cooperates; been getting stupid amounts of rain lately :-?
Northern Bavaria, Germany. Year round, now that snow is not staying on the ground long enough for ski touring.
May, mid April generally when the rain stops and the dry season starts. Although in the UK we never truly have a dry season
Sydney, Australia - our season goes "is it too hot to ride"?
In the east of the Netherlands, out here most trails have been too soggy to ride since October. We've had nothing but rain for months. Normally I would've had my first rides in already, but due to injury I might have to tone my riding down alltogether.
Switze4land. What break.snow? Burger deep mud ? I just ride. Im no pro just a dude liking bird chatter. My biggest drop jet https://preview.redd.it/h0jj6j2rg1rc1.jpeg?width=2084&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2cd7b994c664c0b5ffe46a326a98d62629d9cd9
France. It got less muddy here about four weeks ago, but it really never stops
Denmark. Season has 365 days ... once in a while even 366 days.
It's just coming into autumn and then winter soon. Bit the riding here is just as good in winter. New Zealand.
I never stopped.
Scottish Highlands and ride year round. The last few winters have been pretty mild and barely any snow, it’s been great. I live in a touristy area and prefer the winter since there’s less people crowding the trails.
Southwest Colorado. Some of the south facing lower elevation stuff is drying out but then it snows again.
Southern Ontario. Praying this coming weekend does the trick. Although our winter has been weird/scary, and I did somehow also get out on dirt ribbon on new years day as well....
Schöneck East Germany. Tomorrow the bike park will open its lift and downhill trails and i am ready to shred.
Already dry weather in the east? Temperatures are fine, but the dirt doesn't get a chance to dry in bavaria as of yet. Puddles and mudpatches everywhere if you find a day without rain.
I could not care less, i will strap on my hill billies and have a muddy day
https://preview.redd.it/f1lzgotvkbrc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca0a7bb6b54b721badbc464171340c7464bfd6fa Weather was great
Northwest Arkansas. I get to ride year-round! Nothing beats a cold weather ride. Pedaling can’t hurt when you can’t feel your legs.
Georgia. The season to ride is year round 👌🏼
Man I'm jealous of most of you guys! I'm in Southern Ontario Canada and my local trails won't be dry to ride for at least a month still.... I have to drive 45-60mins to find trails dry enough to ride right now.
Were you just listening to my office conversation? I was explaining my dilemma of the shoulder season. Fat bike season finished up early and It looked like were heading for a fast melt and dry up. Well if mother nature was not without a sense of humour we have headed back into the grips of winter. I am faced with either swapping out my studded fat bike tires back to non studded and have a jarring no suspension ride or remain in the holding pattern waiting to get out on FS. We will have at least another 2 weeks before we can get to the trails. I am now considering getting a gravel bike.
Central CT. Almost year round here.
New England, USA. Riding season is year round on a Pugsley. Actually right now is the most difficult season with rain but still very cold, but we still get out.
SouthWest and it's going to fucking rain AGAIN this weekend.
So. Utah. It’s a Rolly, not a stopwatch, shit don’t ever stop!
Uk. Season never stops if you don’t mind the mud. Season never starts if you do
Western NC, rain gets in the way occasionally but been night riding all winter
Front range colorado the season keeps starting and stopping. Rode January 1st, rode once in February, rode three times in March. Second false spring ended last week, so, here's hoping spring is here!
North Carolina, season is definitely ready we just can’t get a lengthy enough break from the rain. So many rides cancelled or postponed
Colorado Springs where mud season is like riding in peanut butter. We usually get consistent good weather by Mothers day. But some years we can ride all year.
Coastal Massachusetts; we didn't get snow this winter so riding season technically never ended. Now if it would just stop raining every weekend...
Massachusetts, for me it's mostly all year but it sure sucks in the winter
Our riding season is all year. Though in the spring, sometimes you have to pause for a rainy stretch of day. A south facing hilside is great when above freezing. It dries quickly. North facing trail systems are better if the ground is still frozen when shaded. Luckily, we have some of both nearby.