Winterizing

 Super El Nino, or whatever is going to happen, is supposedly going to really affect our weather this Winter. But how? No meteorologist seems to have a solid handle on this forecast. Some say it will be mostly normal here for snow, maybe slightly warmer. Some say it will be marked by colder weather and less snow. Hmm... 

Well, whatever happens, I need to get 'Winterized' here. That means it is time to drag out the ol' fat bikes. And I have several of them. 

I'm not bragging, and I wish I didn't have some of them for various reasons, but it is what it is. The main rig to get up and rolling though is the Ti Muk 2, the 2015 Salsa Cycles titanium Mukluk I have. 

This is my main commuter during Winter and it gets out inthe country every once in a blue moon. I also use it as a single track bike due to its drive train which has no external derailleur to knock off with a branch. It is a Rohloff 14 speed internally geared rear hub bike, so while it looks like a single speed, it is definitely not. 

When the snow gets really stupid-deep or if it gets really cold, I drag out my 2014 Blackborow DS, which is a 'dual-single speed' drive train bike. Some call this set up a 'dingle-speed'. Two parallel drive trains which have the same total tooth count so you can use the same chain on either without having to re-tension the chain at all. 

That's handy sometimes, but what really sets this one apart is the 4.8" tires on 100mm wide rims. That is key to plowing through deep snow and getting around when things are gnarly on the streets at times. It doesn't always work, but when it doesn't, the Blackborow is light and easily pushed or lifted over sections which are unrideable. 

Maintenance isn't a big deal. Neither bike gets ridden enough to need yearly parts exchanges or adjustments. The Blackborow finally needs a new chain though. The original one finally is giving up the ghost. So, I'll need to source a new one soon. 

I've got two other fat bikes as well, but neither of those will likely get ridden this Winter. One was my son's, the other was a 50th birthday gift. So, you can perhaps see why it is hard to let those two go. Someday I'll just have to find some folks and give them away. We will see. 

Anyway, Winterizing is going to start happening this weekend. Gotta be prepared!