Is it COLD riding in Alaska? If it's below 25F I won't ride ...

Depends on the season... temperatures vary from seventy degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) in the worst of the winter to very close to 100 degrees above zero in the summer.

In the wintertime we have some of the best mountain biking you could imagine. We get an informal group together every Sunday afternoon and go trail riding. There are literally hundreds (perhaps thousands) of miles of trails that can be ridden in winter within a half-hour's drive of downtown. Most of these trails are not usable in summer time but in the winter they are kept serviceable by hundreds of dog-sled teams (both recreational and competetive); thousands of snow machiners; and hundreds of cross country skiers, ski-jourers, hikers, four-wheelers, and cyclists. Everybody you meet out on the trails is friendly and considerate, vying to see who can get off the trail first to make room for the other.

Last Sunday we rode for four hours, 2400 feet of elevation gain, close to 30 miles of trails -- and in the entire time we met up with two snow machines, nothing else. We had the trails to ourselves. The fun thing about winter riding is you can do pretty silly things and not pay a harsh penalty because the snow is soft. If you make a mistake and do an endo over the handlebars, you'll get no pity or sympathy, nobody will ask "Are you all right?" -- they'll just laugh and point at you as they ride by, watching you get the snow out of the back of your neck.

Some folks ride in temperatures as cold as it gets but I don't ride below minus 20 Fahrenheit. Not because I can't stay warm, but because it isn't fun: the grease in the bike is so stiff that nothing works very well -- brakes, gears, pedals, etc. Because I have to wear so many layers of clothing, I can't pedal efficiently, the clothing restricts movement, so it is a lot of work for little reward. On the other hand, you would be amazed at how little clothing is necessary at zero to ten above. If you didn't see the bike, you would think I was dressed for cross country skiing: polypro shirt and long johns, a pair of lycra tights, a polar fleece jersey, and a windbreaker, plus, of course, helmet, gloves, boots, and balaclava. I could wear the entire outfit indoors at office temperatures and while I would be warm and snug, I would not be uncomfortably hot.

In the summertime we have organized Tuesday Night rides that explore the summer trails; Monday night training rides for the Roadies; Wednesday night Women-only rides; and Thursday night races, alternating MTB and Road.

I know it sounds strange, but interior Alaska is a cycling paradise all year round.

tanstaafl.