Winter Activities
Being a riding enthusiast in Wyoming offers a lot of open area to ride with tons of land between each little population cluster, but part of the reason no one lives here is because of the harsh winters. While many of my summer riding buddies may opt for winter specific hobbies like skiing or snowmobiling to stay occupied there are a handful of us that just refuse to let the motorcycle get confined to the corner of the shop or garage. Depending on levels of creativity and budget this could mean bundling up to bare the wind and cold in the desert where the snow just blows away. Others will mount up studded tires for the snow covered trails in the trees and hills. For the areas of the state where there’s some larger bodies of water we’ve opted for ice screws and run events on the frozen lakes. And for those who like to spend some coin, the snowbike conversion kits make for an unparalleled experience.
For the bundle up and ride the desert option I’ve found you can generally get away with your typical gear with just a couple additions. While warmer gloves will certainly help when temperatures drop below 40 degrees, but my experience has been that hand guards absolutely make the biggest difference. I generally avoid getting too bulky on gloves so I can maintain a good feeling of the bars and especially the clutch and brake levers. As for clothing, layering is key. Your typical riding gear is still good especially if you tend to make a lot of contact with the ground as part of your riding style (guilty), but I’ll wear base layer material underneath paired with some winter socks, sourced from either the snowmobile shop or ski/snowboard shop and when needed throw on the riding jacket. If the cold and wind are too much for that set up then I’ll be honest, I’m not out there.
Don’t let a little snow in the shade slow you down
When hitting the trails in the winter months we typically have to keep in mind that snow pack is a factor. With limited sun and many of the trails weaving behind hills and through trees means the snow will stick around long after the storm. Elevation plays a big part in what options we have as well. Almost all of the mountainous trails will be inaccessible with road closures and rightfully so, as snow accumulation wouldn’t make anything passable anyways. The trails at lower elevation however can still be a blast especially with some studded tires. Thankfully the off road world has stayed true to tire sizes for decades, this means when you invest in a set of studded tires you can use them for years on end. A studded trail tire can be bought or built, the added bonus is that a trail you thought you had mastered is now a completely experience in the snow, ice and frozen ground.
Similar to studded trail tires, there are studded ice racing tires as well. Riding your dirtbike on a frozen lake is an absolute surreal experience, and I volunteer my set up to anyone wanting to give it a try. The studs or screws used in ice racing are different from a studded trail tire in that they have edges and direction. Ice tires are specifically built and designed for ice, and taking them on any other surface will compromise their effectiveness. For racing there are rules within each sanctioning body as to how a tire can be built, but for sake of explanation, the longer of an ice screw you can drive into the tire and even an inner tire carcass, the more rigid your setup will be and the harder you can push your bike into corners and accelerate. Unlike trail riding and desert riding, I’ve toughed it out well into negative temperatures to ride on the ice. Now we’re talking snowmobile bibs, parkas and balaclavas (not baclava unfortunately) along with an enclosed trailer close by with a propane heater going. Not every day on the ice is that way and I can say if that was my first experience it would have also been the last. Plenty of times you’re able to enjoy a windless, sunny day in the 30s or above where all the focus is on how cool it is to experience entering a corner and knowing those ice screws are going to stick like Velcro as you continue to lean further and further over. Even an intermediate level rider will find themselves trying to get that inside peg to drag on the ice surface before too long.
For the extreme cases of needing to ride your favorite mountain range, the snow bike is the ultimate winter dirtbike flex. Companies like Timbersled and Yeti have figured out geometry and drive on these kits to create an absolute animal of a machine that allow you to get into areas confined to only some of the most experience snowmobile riders. The track and ski kit is just the tip of the iceberg, a simple set up can quickly escalate to heated handlebars, engine blankets, intake modifications, suspension setups, fuel tuners, thermostats, auto clutches… not to mention what you need to consider for logistics of hauling these absolute monsters. Once the money has been spent, you can now get out and ride. A snow bike will take you just about anywhere you point it. While a snowmobile can get high centered on the belly pan and allow the track to just spin and dig, the snowbike has very little surface area where it can get hung up on the frame. This means you can start and stop in deep snow without worry, making tree riding much more accessible to an average rider. The big downside to the snowbike is, unlike our other winter riding options, it is a pretty purpose built machine that is fairly labor intensive to convert back to the dirtbike we all know and love. So now when the sun pops out for a week of unseasonal weather at the end of January and the group is going riding you better either be quick with a wrench or have another bike ready to seize the day.
With winter lasting anywhere from 3-8 months around here, we’ve grown accustom to these challenges. Even the diehards aren’t getting the seat time they do in the warmer months. Your regularly allotted riding time can now be spent planning the next destination riding trip, watching supercross, prepping that new 2025 you just picked up or you know, maybe doing a little neglected maintenance. We don’t use the word “winterize” so keep that bike accessible and set your availability on the NEVRA App, there’s others like us, lets ride!