Today was a beautiful sunny winter day and while temperature was a crisp -10C there was enough snow to take the bike out.
The bike worked flawlessly while I personally struggled a bit. Riding the unplowed forest roads was a bit like trying to stay on a rodeo horse. Staying on the tractor track was not easy and riding on the snow was even worse. The was something under the latest layer of snow that kept the bike squirming constantly. Good learning experience none the less.
I had my doubts whether the Phone would work as a GPS in these temperatures, but in the end there were no issues. The OsmAnd app also worked like a charm. Readability was excellent in the bright winter conditions.
My biggest concern were my fingers. My heated gloves are still on their way and I was pretty sure my fingers would freeze even with the muffs. I was right. Forest roads are ok, but anything faster and the cold creeps in really quickly.
Helmet and goggles (and balaclava) worked like a charm and I really did not cold during the 3 hours (except the hands).
I did find places where the snow was actually easy to ride. It really depends on what’s under the snow, whether the bike behaves predictably or unexpectedly.
